Learn about the Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) certification, a professional certification designed for new and aspiring Project Managers seeking to gain credibility and skills. Discover the potential career paths, salary prospects, and the process of earning this certification.
Key Insights
- CAPM stands for Certified Associate in Project Management and is a professional certification for new and aspiring Project Managers with less than three years of experience.
- Project management is a rapidly growing field, with PMI estimating a 33% increase in project management jobs over the next five years, leading to around 90 million jobs that require project management skills in the U.S.
- The median annual salary for a Project Manager is around $116,000, almost double the average U.S. salary for all occupations, which is around $50,000.
- CAPM-certified Project Managers reportedly earn about 25% more than their non-certified colleagues.
- To earn the CAPM certification, candidates must have a high school diploma or associate’s degree and complete 23 hours of project management education from an approved source, such as Noble Desktop.
- Free introductory online courses can be a great way to explore interest in project management and CAPM, but they do not count towards the required 23 hours of project management education.
Like many aspiringProject Managers, you might want to earn a CAPM certification but worry that it will take too much time. Gaining a professional certification so early in your career might seem impossible, but the CAPM certification is specifically designed for new and aspiring Project Managers to gain skills and credibility. How long it takes you to earn CAPM certification will depend on several factors. Keep reading to learn about how you can learn CAPM certification and some resources to help speed the process along.
What is CAPM Certification?
CAPM stands for Certified Associate in Project Management. CAPM is a professional certification for Project Managers with little to no experience or for aspiring Project Managers interested in launching a new career in project management.
CAPM is the most entry-level professional certification offered by the Project Management Institute (PMI). CAPM certification is highly recommended for new and aspiring Project Managers with less than three years of experience. Gaining CAPM certification will make you stand out on job applications, increase your salary and opportunities, and ensure you have the necessary training and credentials to launch a new career as a Project Manager.
Project management is a very hot career path. A Project Manager is responsible for managing a project, including planning, organizing, monitoring, directing, and completing various elements of that project. PMI estimates that project management jobs will see a 33% increase over the next five years, with 22 million new project management jobs created by 2027. The exploding demand for Project Managers will lead to around 90 million jobs in the U.S. that require project management skills.
The Project Management Institute (PMI) is a global education, networking, and professional association for Project Managers. They have been largely responsible for defining the field of project management for the past few decades through the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK). PMI offers certification programs, has local chapters in more than 80 countries, organizes academic and market research programs, and offers professional development for project management professionals. PMI’s more advanced Project Management Professional (PMP) is the gold standard in project management certification.
Read more about CAPM Certification and why you should learn it.
What Can You Do with CAPM Certification?
CNBC calls project management “a great way for people with non-tech backgrounds to earn lucrative tech salaries.” The Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) is the world's leading entry-level project management certification. Earning a CAPM certification will make you stand out on the job market, open the door to more opportunities, and increase your salary.
We are in the golden age of project management: some of the industries with the largest growth in project management jobs include construction and manufacturing, information services, management and professional services, utilities, and oil and gas. Across industries, Project Managers make above-average salaries. According to PMI, the median annual salary for a Project Manager is around $116,000. The average U.S. salary for all occupations is around $50,000, which means that becoming a Project Manager would most likely nearly double your salary. For example, in an interview with CNBC, a Project Manager reports that switching from higher education to project management more than tripled her salary.
CAPM-certified Project Managers earn even more than their non-certified colleagues: PMI reports that CAPM certification results in around a 25% salary increase.
Average Time it Takes to Earn CAPM Certification
The average time to earn CAPM certification will depend on a few factors, including meeting the prerequisites and any potential retakes. Since it is a timed exam, most of the time it takes to earn the certification will be in the preparation phase.
Other Factors
The amount of time it takes to earn a CAPM certification varies based on several factors, including your current level of education and how long it takes to pass the exam.
How Many Prerequisites You’ve Met
Before you can apply to take the CAPM-certification exam, you must meet two educational requirements: have a high school diploma or associate’s degree and complete 23 hours of project management education.
If you’ve already earned a secondary degree, you’ll still need to complete 23 hours of project management education. These hours must be earned through an approved source, such as the Project Management Bootcamp offered by Noble Desktop.
If You’re a PMI Member
CAPM certification is offered by the Project Management Institute (PMI). PMI is the leading professional organization for project management professionals.
You must pay PMI an application fee to take the CAPM certification exam. The current cost is around $300. However, if you become a PMI member, the price drops to around $225. If you’re a current student, you can apply for the “Student Bundle,” which combines the membership fee and CAPM certification exam fee.
Non-students can become PMI members for around $130 a year. PMI membership is highly recommended for new and aspiring Project Managers. Joining will reduce the fee for CAPM certification and provide opportunities for earning Professional Development Units to maintain your certification.
Needing to Retake the Exam
After paying the application fee, you have one year to pass the CAPM-certification exam. You can take the exam up to three times in the year after applying. Many people do not pass the certification exam the first time. If you fail the CAPM-certification exam on your third try, you must wait one year before reapplying.
Level of Difficulty, Prerequisites, & Cost
Earning a professional certification could seem intimidating, especially if you’re totally new to project management. However, the CAPM is designed for new and aspiring Project Managers. Rather than focusing on professional experience managing projects, CAPM certification requires you to demonstrate knowledge in the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) and the four primary domains: Project Management Fundamentals and Core Concepts, Predictive Plan-Based Methodologies, Agile Frameworks, and Business Analysis Frameworks. How long you prepare for the exam depends on which training format you choose and your learning style.
There are two prerequisites to becoming CAPM certified: a secondary degree (a high school diploma or associate’s degree) and 23 hours of project management education. It is important to note that self-directed study will not apply to the education prerequisite, including watching online videos and reading books. You’ll need to choose an approved learning method, such as the Project Management Bootcamp offered by Noble Desktop. This bootcamp is a great way to learn project management from a PMP-certified Project Manager and complete education hours toward this requirement.
Becoming CAPM-certified isn’t as expensive as you might think. You’ll need to pay an application fee to take the certification exam, which typically costs around $225 to $300. The other cost will come from taking an instructor-led course that qualifies toward the education prerequisite. Noble Desktop’s Project Management Bootcamp costs around $450. This means that you could become CAPM certified for less than $1000.
Read about prerequisites for CAPM Certification.
Watch a Free CAPM Certification Skills Online Course
If you’re still unsure if you’d like to pursue project management and CAPM more seriously, free introductory online courses can be a great way to explore your interest. You can learn the basics without the time and financial commitment of a bootcamp or more serious course.
The most highly-requested skill on entry-level Project Manager jobs is Microsoft Office proficiency. You’ll need to develop skills in using Microsoft Excel to become a Project Manager. Noble Desktop’s free introductory Microsoft Excel course is a great way to build project management skills.
There are also free introductory resources that describe the CAPM certification process, both the process of taking the certification exam and the content covered within it. For example, the Project Management Institute (PMI) offers free introductory project management courses through its YouTube channel.
Before taking the CAPM-certification exam, PMI requires you to complete “23 contact hours” of formal project management education. While free introductory courses and online videos can be excellent for learning the basics, PMI will not count toward the 23 hours of project management education required to take the CAPM-certification exam. If you’re serious about earning a certification, you’ll need to complete these 23 hours from a trusted source, such as a training school like Noble Desktop.
Read about more free resources available for those seeking CAPM Certification.
Learn CAPM Certification Skills with Hands-on Training at Noble Desktop
The Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) is the top professional certification for new and aspiring Project Managers. Earning a CAPM certification is highly recommended for anyone serious about pursuing a new career in project management. Being CAPM-certified will create more job opportunities and lead to a higher salary: reports show that CAPM-certified Project Managers earn around $101,000, 25% more than non-certified entry-level Project Managers.
There are prerequisites to taking the CAPM exam. Before you can apply to take the CAPM-certification exam, you will need to have 0 to 3 years of project management job experience, a high school diploma, and 23 hours of project management education. Enrolling in a bootcamp like Noble Desktop’s Project Management Bootcamp is a great way to accrue the required education hours to take the exam.
Noble Desktop is a coding, business, and design school that offers project management courses live online and at its state-of-the-art campus in Midtown Manhattan. All of Noble Desktop’s project management courses are taught by PMP-certified Project Managers using Noble Desktop’s highly-rated, unique approach to learning: expert instructors teach a “micro-lecture” and then immediately guide students through applying what they just learned. This unique approach to training ensures that students learn the skills they need to get hired.
Noble Desktop’s Project Management Bootcamp is highly recommended for aspiring Project Managers and those seeking CAPM certification. Students are guided hands-on through managing real-world projects to develop skills in the five phases of project management, foundational project management concepts and terminology, project scope, resource management, project costs and budgeting, and risk management. Students also get an overview of several Agile Project Management Frameworks: Scrum, Extreme Programming (XP), and Kansan. Graduates earn a Certificate of Completion to demonstrate their credentials.
Key Insights
- The time it takes you to become certified will vary based on your current level of project management education.
- Once you’ve applied to take the CAPM certification exam, you have three attempts to pass. If you do not pass the exam, you must wait one year before reapplying.
- You can receive comprehensive CAPM certification training through an in-person or live online course with Noble Desktop.