PMP vs CAPM: Which PMI Certification Should You Choose?

Both the Project Management Professional (PMP) and the Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) are issued by the Project Management Institute. They look similar on a job application but signal very different things to a hiring manager. Picking the wrong one wastes money and time.

The one-sentence difference

PMP is for people who already lead projects; CAPM is for people who want to demonstrate project management literacy before they have the leadership experience to qualify for PMP.

PMP eligibility

PMI requires both education and project leadership experience for PMP. The current rules:

Four-year degree (or global equivalent) plus 36 months of leading and directing projects in the last 8 years, OR

High-school diploma plus 60 months of leading and directing projects, AND

35 contact hours of project management education (this is what an Authorized Training Partner course covers).

PMI audits a percentage of applications. The leadership experience is verified through your listed contact at each project; the education is verified through your training provider.

CAPM eligibility

CAPM has no leadership-experience requirement. You need a high-school diploma plus 23 contact hours of project management education. That makes it accessible to undergraduates, career changers, and team members who contribute to projects without leading them.

Exam structure

Both exams are computer-based and proctored. PMP runs 180 questions over 230 minutes and follows the current Exam Content Outline (50 percent People, 50 percent Process, with a Business Environment overlay). CAPM runs 150 questions over 180 minutes and is more knowledge-recall focused.

Cost

PMI charges USD 405 for the PMP exam if you are a PMI member (USD 555 non-member). CAPM is USD 225 (PMI member) or USD 300 (non-member). Course fees for exam preparation are separate. At PMCOE, the PMP programme is USD 1,195 and CAPM is USD 745, each including the required contact hours.

Which one should you take?

If you already lead projects and meet the PMP experience rule, take PMP. If you are early-career and your goal is to demonstrate that you understand the PMI vocabulary, take CAPM. Some candidates take CAPM first and PMP later once they have logged the experience — that is a legitimate path and PMI allows it.