The Project Management Institute offers the CAPM, or Certified Associate in Project Management, certification. It is regarded as a crucial entry-level certification for project managers designed to increase their effectiveness. The nicest thing about this CAPM certification, which is aimed at professionals, is that it is valid all over the world and is well recognized.
This certification provides employees with a solid foundation in project management basics and is the appropriate affirmation of a project manager's dedication to excellence in the workplace.
This certification not only supports professional development but also ranks among the highest-paying qualifications globally. Other advantages include the vast array of options and the fact that it wasn't created with a particular sector in mind.
The Accreditation Body
The CAPM certification is obtained through a registered education provider, PMI or the Project Management Institute. An internationally renowned certification, this is an initiative by the PMI for those with little to no project experience. The globally recognized credentials enable project managers across the world to gain a stamp of approval on their achievement, certify expertise and develop resources for networking and community work.
Eligibility Requirements
Now comes the crucial part - who is eligible for this certification, and how would you know if you can apply for this certification? Here are the prerequisites giving specifications of 2 kinds of scenarios:
Scenario 1:
- You need to have a ‘Secondary diploma' or its equivalent globally.
- Professional experience of 1,500 hours.
- The professional experience should be preferably on a project team.
Scenario 2:
- Secondary or a high school diploma.
- Formal education amounting to 23 contact-hours.
- Education hours refer to an academic pursuit in the field of project management.
These are two different eligibility options providing alternatives for both -aspirants with actual job experience, or for aspirants with no experience at all. The minimum education qualification required is a high school diploma, thereby offering an opportunity for those lacking formal education and not having the scope for pursuing formal education to carve a better future. Before you apply, ensure that you conform to at least one or all eligibility requirements so there is no scope for rejection of your application.
The Process to Get Certified
The certification process is quite simple for the Certified Associate in Project Manager and is extremely user-friendly. They encourage the use of online facilities for writing the exam, and aspirants will find that the online facility is available 24x7. This means aspirants can easily do the course at their convenience through the day alongside the existing day job.
The online self-learning course is accessible from anywhere across the world and is extremely flexible, suiting the requirements of a wide range of aspirants across the world. All you need is a good internet connection and a computer to work with and cover the topics.
You need to apply for the CAPM course and register online. Next, log in to the online system to begin your certification course. Alternative offline services are available too. All you need to do is discuss with the local PMI chapter who are vested with the authority to impart lessons and get started easily. Printed application forms for the Certified Associate in Project Manager is readily available at the local PMI chapter.
You need to appear for the exam within a year of getting the registration code, and marking is based on the number of questions that are answered correctly. PMI, however, does not make the pass grades public.
Exam Format
The structure of this certification examination is quite straightforward without any hidden clauses or negative marking provisions. The CAPM exam comprises 150 questions in all that need to be answered within 3 hours. 15 of these 150 questions are to be viewed as pre-test questions, and these are included by PMI more as an effort to recognize latent talent and see how many aspirants get them right.
Students are scored on the basis of the remaining 135 questions and the percentage assigned is also on the basis of these 135 questions. All of these questions are multiple-choice options, and there would be only one correct answer for each of them. Every correct answer gets one point, and one can choose to revisit a question that they might be unsure of, later on. The number of points required to pass the CAPM exam is, however, not made public and it is at the PMI discretion to award the certification.
Retaking the Exam
The internationally acclaimed training provider with over a decade of experience in training for various certifications assures a near 100% pass rate and even goes to the extent of money back in certain cases. You need to pay $150 for re-examination if you are a member, and the re-examination fee is $ 200. You can apply for re-examination twice.
Career Growth and Roles Post Certification
CAPM certification is akin to a magic potion that instantaneously puts your career on the fast track and translates into a minimum 10% salary hike after the certification. A survey by Zednet of the Tech Republic organizations indicates that the average annual salary of individuals with a CAPM certification is around $101,103. This makes it the 2nd highest paying certification after PMP.
The demand for CAPM professionals in Canada ranges from construction, software development, IT consulting to and engineering services. Even across the US, professionals with CAPM certifications are in demand in banking, software development, IT services, and health care.
Post Examination Requirement
Once the CAPM certification is complete, it is valid for 5 years. While the good part is a professional need not earn PDUs, the certification itself needs to be renewed once the 5-year certification cycle is over. Aspirants need to take the re-exam before the completion of the above mentioned 5 years.
CAPM, PMP, and PMBOK have registered trademarks of the Project Management Institute, Inc.
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