PMI Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)®

The Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)® examination assesses foundational project management knowledge and the practical abilities expected of entry- and associate-level project team members. The exam content is organized around four domains that reflect commonly performed tasks: project management fundamentals and core concepts; predictive, plan-based methodologies; agile frameworks and methodologies; and business analysis frameworks. Candidates must demonstrate understanding of project life cycles, the distinctions among projects, programs, portfolios and operations, and the roles and responsibilities of sponsors, managers and team members. They are expected to apply basic planning practices such as scope definition, schedule and cost concepts, resource determination, risk and stakeholder registers, work breakdown structures, and quality and integration considerations. Predictive-method competencies include schedule techniques (including critical path), variance calculations and project control artifacts, while agile competencies emphasize iteration planning, task prioritization, adaptive tracking and differences among common agile approaches. Business analysis topics cover stakeholder identification, requirements elicitation and traceability, product roadmaps, and the interface between methodologies and analysis tasks. The exam evaluates both conceptual knowledge and situational judgement through scenario-driven items that reference routine project artifacts and activities; ethics and professional conduct are embedded within relevant tasks, and candidates are expected to apply the PMI Code of Ethics when resolving conflicts or making recommendations. Scope boundaries are entry level: the CAPM measures awareness and correct application of standard practices rather than advanced leadership, deep technical expertise, or specialized industry regulations. The examination blueprint maps questions to the CAPM Examination Content Outline and to multiple reputable references; questions are developed and psychometrically reviewed to ensure validity. Practical exam realities are specified: candidates must hold a secondary diploma or equivalent and document 23 hours of project management education to be eligible, and certification maintenance requires participation in PMI’s Continuing Certification Requirements (CCR) program. Security and fairness provisions define pretest items, retake limits and an eligibility period, ensuring consistent, defensible scoring while emphasizing reliable assessment of baseline competencies for those beginning a career in project work.