HomeBlogProject ManagementCAPM vs PMP Certification: Which is Best in 2024?
Project Management Institute (PMI) is the world’s leading professional association in the project management practice and the authority for the fructifying diaspora of professionals and like-minded individuals who learn, adapt, and use project management skills. Through constant academic research and understanding of the growing business needs in this VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, Ambiguity) world – PMI has formulated several avenues for budding or interested individuals to learn their expertise in the program, project, and agile management areas.
The professional certifications formulated by PMI are based on rigorous standards and ongoing research to meet the real-world needs of organizations. Hence, they ensure an individual taking them can work across any industry based on geography and project management methodology. These are built by practitioners for practitioners and are based on detailed market analysis, study, and research of the latest ways of working across industries and domains. Two popular certifications are Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM®) and Project Management Professional (PMP) which we will discuss and review in our next few sections.
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Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM), first introduced in 2003, is one among the several premier certifications offered by the non-profit PMI and is intended to succor individuals learn the necessary skills for entry-level project management knowledge and roles. This certification portrays the know-how of the project management fundamentals, understanding of the terminology, and processes of efficient and successful project management.
CAPM being apt for entry-level professionals, is well suited for those new to project management as a profession or those trying to get their understanding of how to manage projects or work on vendor-neutral projects. It is popularly coined as the first steppingstone to building a career in the project management field.
For the CAPM certification, all you need is a high school diploma and either 1,500 hours of professional experience on a project team or 23 hours of project management training. With the CAPM certification, individuals can look to take up roles such as:
Project Management Professional (PMP) from PMI is the most sought-after project management credential in the world. Introduced by the PMI in 1984, it is regarded as the gold standard for project management and is the most popular certification among project management aspirants as well as seasoned professionals. PMP focuses on validating one's competencies and core skills in leading and directing projects and teams to yield solutions within the constraints of time, cost, scope, and quality.
The PMP certification requires 3 years of professional experience with at least 4500 hours spent leading and directing project tasks. With a high school diploma, five years of professional experience is required with at least 7500 hours spent in leading and directing project tasks.
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Although both the CAPM and PMP certifications are offered by the same organization – PMI, each of them carries unequivocal differences, some of them being:
| S.No: | Category/Criterion | CAPM | PMP |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suitability (Certification suitability for aspiring candidates) | Entry-level or Junior aspirants in project management | Seasoned project managers or those carrying at least 3 years of experience |
| 2 | Qualifications required (Minimum requirements to apply and be able to take up the certification) | Diploma (Secondary/High School) + 23 contact hours* | Degree (secondary) + 60 Months PM experience** + 35 contact hours* (Or) Degree (4-years) + 36 Months PM experience** + 35 contact hours* |
| 3 | Costs associated (Exam fees from PMI depending on membership status) | $225 – PMI Member $300 – PMI Non Member | $405 – PMI Member $555 – PMI Non Member |
| 4 | Certification Validity (Period up to which the exam is valid and post which it needs to be renewed/requirements fulfilled) | 60 Months (5 Years) | 36 Months (3 Years) |
| 5 | Pattern of examination (Type of evaluation questions in the certification) | Multiple Choice Questions - 150 | Multiple Choice Questions - 180 |
| 6 | Duration of examination (Time duration to complete the certification exam) | 180 Minutes (3 hours) | 240 Minutes (4 hours) |
| 7 | Exam Content (Exam syllabus and scope of study) | PMBOK | PMBOK, PMP Exam Content Outline – 3 domains: People, Process, Business Environment |
| 8 | Level of difficulty (Complexity of evaluation to pass the exam) | Relatively easy (vis-à-vis PMP) as it is based on PMBOK theory | Tough as it goes beyond theory and evaluates the practical application of project management concepts |
| 9 | Renewal criteria (Criteria to achieve to keep the validity of the examination intact and ongoing) | 15 PDUs / 36 Months | 60 PDUs / 36 Months |
| 10 | Salary increment potential (Scope of increment in salary for certified professionals) | Yes – for role-specific opportunities | Yes – high potential vis-à-vis other PM certifications |
*Contact hours = Education hours gained by taking the training
** PM Experience = Experience leading projects
PMI charges a fee for both the certifications to administer the exam and the costs associated and this fee is low for both exams if the individual is a PMI Member versus registering and paying as a non-member. So, it is prudent to first get membership and then pay the exam fees to gain the cost advantage. The CAPM exam costs $225 – for a PMI member versus $300 – for a Non-member, while the PMP examination costs $405 – for a PMI member versus $555 – for a Non-member.
It is also important to note that whilst these are fees to undergo the examination, the training costs (costs associated with getting the 35 contact hours for qualifying), cost of simulators, and practice sessions may add to the CAPM exam cost, or the PMP exam cost, and these depend on the choice of category as well as the amount of personal investment involved.
The CAPM requirements are simpler as the CAPM prerequisites are far fewer in contrast to the PMP which requires project management experience i.e. experience leading projects along with a four-year formal degree or a diploma (in which case more PM experience hours are required) to qualify for the examination. Individuals taking up CAPM are not required to have PM experience and that is one major reason why the latter is more popular among and ideal for college graduates, interns, or even current students who are looking to add this valuable credential to their resume to pursue a career in project management. In addition, the CAPM certification also forms a foundation for qualifying for the PMP certification – with the CAPM certification, an interested PMP pursuant can get a waiver of the 35-contact hour requirement to qualify for the exam. This is one of the major and defining benefits as well as the difference between CAPM and PMP certification.
PMP certification requires individuals to carry certain PM experience depending on their level of formal education as follows:
Certification is undeniably a paramount investment for any professional as it enhances their earning potential, increases job stability, and administers an emulous position in the job market. It can also provide avenues for salary increments in the current and potential job roles for candidates. Let us take a brief look at how the PMP and CAPM have an impact on the individual’s earnings:
| CAPM vs PMP certification - Salary comparison by experience level* | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S.No: | Category/Criterion | CAPM® certified professionals | PMP® certified professionals | Non-certified professionals |
| 1 | Average US Salary | 65,000 | 125,000 | 77,000 |
| 2 | Salary <5 years | 46,000 | 108,000 | 73,500 |
| 3 | Salary 5 – 10 Years | 67,000 | 125,000 | 85,000 |
| 4 | Salary 10+ Years | 80,000 | 140,000 | 95,000 |
| CAPM vs PMP Salary comparison by Job Role* | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S.No: | Job Role/Designation | CAPM® certified professionals | PMP® certified professionals | Non-certified professionals |
| 1 | Project Manager – Level I | 68,000 | 83,000 | 56,500 |
| 2 | Project Manager – Level II | 78,700 | 96,000 | 65,300 |
| 3 | Project Manager – Level III | 94,300 | 115,000 | 78,200 |
| 4 | Project Management Consultant | 98,400 | 120,000 | 81,600 |
| 5 | Director of Project Management | 119,000 | 145,000 | 98,600 |
Both the PMP and CAPM certifications carry an expectation from professionals to start leading and managing projects following the best practices and learnings from PMI's PMBOK – the Project Management Body of Knowledge. With a PMP credential, the professional becomes equipped with the necessary learning to lead or manage projects of all sizes to take up roles and responsibilities equating with program management, project management, and project control/execution. Organizations look for PMP credential holders to organize processes and manage projects within the project constraints as well as a multitude of environmental factors to drive them to success.
With a CAPM certification, on the other hand, the roles and responsibilities would be limited to entry-level positions or associate project managers providing the needed augmentation to program or project managers in executing projects. Such responsibilities often entail roles like a project coordinator, assistant project manager, or supporting project manager to engage in project delivery and executions. It is also important to note that certification can only qualify a professional for a role/designation and does not limit that person to that level or role and there may be cases where even with a CAPM certification, one may be performing a leadership role depending on the organizational environment and project demand.
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CAPM being on the commencing scale of one’s career will open the road to the project management journey with job opportunities in the following roles:
PMP on the other side opens avenues for project managers to grow into or explore roles such as:
The CAPM and PMP certifications may have their share of differences but both certifications are popular not only in the IT industry but also in a lot of other sectors such as construction, Oil and Gas, Operations – BPO, KPO, etc. as they are the harbinger of an abundance of benefits, such as:
Whether certification is worth it or not is beyond the shadow of a doubt personal choice; however, data sciences and surveys show that having a certification gives you a certain vantage by demonstrating your knowledge, improving your core skill set, and qualifying you for certain opportunities which may demand having a certification. Nevertheless, it is up to the individual’s career roadmap and ambition to foresee the worth and pursue a certification be it CAPM or PMP.
When asked to choose the right PM certification or decide PMP or CAPM which is better, the answer is very clearly upon the personal choice and the professional trajectory of the individual to choose from these widely recognized, accepted, and career-catalyzing certifications to embrace success and multitude of professional growth guidelines. It is imperative to understand the individual's passion for project management, decide on the most appropriate career plan and then choose the credential that may be fit to meet the decided goal. Both these certifications carry their advantages and depend on several factors, which include the current position of the candidate, his or her aspirations, background in project management, future growth plans etc.
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Project management certifications evaluate a candidate's understanding of the project management terminology, theories, processes, methods, and way of working. Both the CAPM and PMP are knowledge-based evaluations but differ in their content, difficulty, and scope of the study. However, candidates always face the tricky choice or question of PMP CAPM difference or deciding among PMP or CAPM is better. The CAPM is an entry-level certification and hence it has its focuses more on the theoretical aspect of the PMBOK, while PMP evaluates the application of this understanding in real-time project scenarios and hence has a wider scope than CAPM. As a beginner in the industry, CAPM may be the right choice but as an experienced project manager – PMP regarded as the undisputed gold standard of project management will open potential opportunities for booming growth, success, and recognition.
Unquestionably yes, CAPM is a great value-add for a resume as it opens avenues to project management with little or even no experience and serves as a solid foundation for the PMP certification and study.
Though PMP has strong qualifying criteria which are equivalent to a lot of experience hours, it may not entirely replace formal education. That said, it is purely dependent on the job ask as well as the individual to portray their knowledge which PMP can certainly help augment by establishing the individual credibility and raising the career benchmark to meet the job needs.
CAPM is an entry-level certification and requires an understanding of the project management theory from the PMBOK (current version 6 – moving to 7 very soon) which may require at least 30-60 days of study depending on the candidate's background and understanding of the profession.
No, the very qualifying criteria of a PMP certification demand 4500 hours leading, managing and directing projects or a minimum of 36 months of project management exposure failing which the candidate may not qualify to give the exam.
While there is no formal passing mark benchmarked by the PMI for the CAPM certification, from a simple calculation perspective an individual may require 70% or more i.e. at least 126 questions to be right to get the certificate.
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