Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) Certification Requirements & Eligibility Criteria in 2025

Everything You Need to Know About CAPM Certification

1. CAPM Certification Eligibility Criteria
2. Certified Associate Project Manager Certification Application Process
1. Certified Associate Project Manager Certification Application Submission
2. CAPM Application Fees
3. CAPM Application Audit Process
4. Approval & Eligibility Period
3. CAPM Examination Process
1. Certified Associate Project Manager Exam Language Information
2. CAPM Exam Question Breakdown

What Is CAPM Certification?

The CAPM is a popular entry-level project management certification from PMI (Project Management Institute). It covers all the same principles as its counterpart (PMP), but it's designed for people who need more experience leading projects. CAPM certification is ideal for demonstrating knowledge of project management methodologies and best practices.

Who CAPM Certification Is For?

Because those planning to earn CAPM certification are not required to have project management experience or a four-year degree, the CAPM is ideal for community college graduates or current students who want to obtain a credential that demonstrates a commitment to a career in project management. For example:

• Those are just starting their career in project management
• Existing project managers who don't meet PMP requirements
• Team members with less project management experience
• Those who desire a PMP certification in the future

Schedule a call with PMTI today to learn more about Project Management Certifications online.

CAPM Certification Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for CAPM Certification you must have the following:

1. A secondary degree such as a high school diploma, GED, associate degree, bachelor's degree, or higher. Or the global equivalent.
2. Twenty-three (23) hours of project management education with a PMI Authorized Training Provider.

To simplify the entire process of the CAPM application, as an option, you can use the PMTI CAPM Application Exam Prep Tool after you register for one of PMTI's CAPM Exam Prep classes to help facilitate your application documentation.

Tip: All the information in your application must be accurate. That means no falsifying any documentation. Suppose PMI finds out that an applicant has submitted false data or misleading claims during an audit (which happens randomly). In that case, this person will never have another opportunity to receive any PMI certification.

CAPM Certification Application Process

CAPM Application Submission

You can submit your CAPM application on PMI's certification website, certification.pmi.org. You will need to submit the following information:

• Contact Address
• Home Address
• Work Address
• Contact Information
• Email Address
• Phone Number
• Attained Education
• School or University
• Address
• Highest Level of Education Attained
• Year Degree Awarded
• Field of Study
• Requirements - Only One Option Necessary
1. Project Management Experience - All Items For Each Project
• Project Title
• Start Date
• End Date
• Project Role
• Primary Industry
2. Project Management Education
• Course Title
• Institution Name
• Course Start Date
• Course End Date
• Hours
• Qualifying Hours
• Certificate
• Full Name for Certificate

CAPM Application Fees

Cost Category	PMI® Member	Non-Member
PMI® Membership Fee	$165 + Tax	N/A
CAPM Exam Fee	$225	$300
CAPM Re-Examination Fee	$150	$200

Application Approval & Eligibility Period

PMI approves the CAPM applications instantly. Sometimes they may take 3-5 days. Once your application is approved, you will receive an invitation to pay the exam fee and schedule the exam.

You will schedule your exam with Pearson VUE at http://www.pearsonvue.com/pmi. Once PMI approves your application, you must take the exam within one year or re-apply. And you can attempt the exam up to (3) times during this eligibility period.

Please note that all applications are subject to an audit.

Why Some CAPM Applications Audited?

PMI conducts random audits of the CAPM exam applications. PMI does this to maintain integrity and credibility for those who hold CAPM certifications. Although PMI does not publish what percentage gets audited, our 16 years of experience show about one in four or five of the applications get audited.

Audit Notification?

If you are randomly selected for an audit, you will be informed immediately upon applying PMI. The notification is also sent to your email. If you receive an email with an approval code or an approval code within your PMI application portal, you have not been audited and can schedule your CAPM exam at your convenience. If you are a PMTI student, you can use our CAPM diagnostic test that you receive when you sign-up to determine your readiness for the exam.

If PMI Audits Your Application — Here's What You Do

The auditing process may seem intimidating initially, but it does not have to stress you out if you follow the steps outlined by PMI. In addition, our prep tool assistance provides tips that will help to simplify the audit process.

Once PMI informs you of your audit, you can access their audit package. The entire audit process is digitized and must be completed within 90 days. All your documents can now be uploaded to the PMI audit dashboard. Uploaded files must be in PDF format.

PMI will require you to provide proof of the following:

1. Academic Education: This could be a copy of your education stated in your application. PMI will accept transcripts if you do not have a copy of the certificate or if the certificate is too big to copy. Most schools and universities will provide a means of verification upon request.

2. Project Management Education: Only if you select this option as your secondary requirement.

This refers to the twenty-three (23) contact hours of training you have included in your CAPM exam application. Most companies will provide a certificate; a copy of this certificate should suffice.

If you did not receive a certificate as part of the training, a letter from a manager and/or training group indicating the DETAILS of the training would be required. Please ensure it states the number of hours you spent in training. The training must be in areas related to project management in the five (5) process groups.

Tip: If you have used PMTI's CAPM exam prep training (online or classroom) for the 23-contact hour PM Education requirement, all you have to do is inform PMTI about the training requirement, and we will send you a certificate after verification.

How Long Is The Audit Approval Process?

PMI must receive all the reference verifications before they can approve the Audit. PMI's official statement is that it will take them five to seven days from the time of receiving all reference inputs to approve your application. However, we've seen applications whose verifications were sent overnight get approved within just a few days.

CAPM Examination Process

Scheduling Your CAPM Certification Exam

You've worked hard to reach this point and are almost there! The final step in becoming a Certified Associate in Project Management is taking the CAPM certification exam. Fortunately, the process of scheduling and taking the test is straightforward.

Once you have been approved to take the exam, you will schedule it by simply visiting the Pearson VUE website to find a testing location near you. Testing can be scheduled as a computer-based testing (CBT) that can be taken at your home or an in-person test at a Pearson VUE test center. Available test spots may fill quickly. So, plan ahead to take the exam at your desired date and time.

You will need the testing code PMI provided to schedule your exam. This code can be found in your application acceptance email and your PMI.org account. If you are having trouble locating your testing code, please get in touch with PMI directly.

To register for the CAPM certification exam, you will need to provide your name, contact information, exam payment, and choose a location for your testing site. When you register, you will see a list of available sites and their respective testing times. It is important to note that exams taken at Pearson VUE test centers and Computer Based Tests (CBTs) at home are proctored by Pearson VUE personnel.

CAPM Language Aids

The exam is only administered in English. However, fourteen languages (listed below) are supported via (free) language aids.

• Arabic
• Brazilian Portuguese
• Chinese (Simplified)
• Chinese (Traditional)
• French
• German
• Hebrew
• Italian
• Japanese
• Korean
• Polish
• Russian
• Spanish
• Turkish

Keep in mind that these language aids are for the test only and not the pre-exam tutorial session.

CAPM Exam Format

CAPM Exam Format

The exam is 150 questions with a 3-hour time limit. One hundred thirty-five (135) questions are scored, while fifteen questions are pretest questions. Pretest questions are questions that PMI uses to evaluate and test the validity of future exam questions. The table below breaks down the question pool by each domain.

One of the advantages of the computer-based exam is that you will receive your score immediately!

Suppose your test results show that you received a passing score, congratulations! You are now a CAPM! You may use the CAPM credential immediately for the next five years! After this period, you must retake the CAPM certification exam to maintain your CAPM certification.

If You Did Not Pass the CAPM Exam

The CAPM certification exam is a difficult test, and non-passing scores are no need for alarm. If you have failed an attempt, it is essential not to get discouraged. You have three (3) tries to pass the CAPM certification exam during your eligibility period.

Here are the simple steps you can take to get ready for your next attempt:

If you're a PMTI student

At PMTI, we're committed to helping you succeed on your CAPM exam retake. Just let us know, and we'll assist you with preparations. Our dedicated instructors, detailed retake study plan, and online learning tools will help you feel confident and ready for your next attempt. Plus, with our PMTI guarantee backing you up, you can approach your retake with peace of mind. After following your customized study plan, schedule your next CAPM exam attempt through Pearson VUE.

If you're not a PMTI student

You may be wondering how to prepare to retake your CAPM exam. The best way to start is by taking your detailed PMI exam report and noting the areas where you scored below proficient. Then, re-read the PMBOK Guide, paying particular attention to those areas. When you feel ready, you can schedule your exam with Pearson VUE. The fee to retake the test is $150 for PMI members and $200 for non-members.

How PMTI Can Help You with CAPM Certification?

Our CAPM certification online training course is designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to successfully complete the CAPM exam.

How can I renew my CAPM certification?

Your initial CAPM certification is valid for three (3) years. Collecting and reporting professional development units (PDUs) under PMI's Continuing Certification Requirements (CCR) program allows you to renew the CAPM certification for three more years. The minimum PDU requirement for CAPM recertification is 16 PDUs. You can claim a maximum of 6 PDUs under the giving back category and 9 PDUs towards continued education.

The following is a further breakdown of the minimum continuing education hours for each category:

• Ways of Working - 2 PDUs
• Power Skills - 2 PDUs
• Business Acumen - 2 PDUs

CAPM Course Rating