CAPM® certification and eligbility

- When you first start your project management career, you need credibility. Passing the CAPM exam is your initial step forward to accomplish this objective. The CAPM exam is designed for professionals who have minimal project management experience, so don't worry if you don't have a lot of projects under your belt. The exam focuses on testing your project management knowledge, rather than demonstrating your experience. You may have heard the PMP exam and how stringent the requirements are to sit for it. The CAPM exam requirements are much more lenient.

You are eligible to sit for the CAPM exam with a high school diploma or an associate's degree or the global equivalent. You'll also need 23 hours of project management education or 1,500 hours of professional experience on a project management team. Once you've met these minimum requirements, you can apply for the exam through PMI's website. You'll have 90 days to complete the application once you start. When you're finished, PMI will take up to 24 hours to review it.

When your application's been approved, you can submit payment and schedule your exam. This should be a smooth process. The only thing that could slow down the approval is if PMI selects your application for an audit. Typically, audits are random. However, you can trigger one by submitting questionable or misleading information on your application, so be as clear and thorough as possible when completing the application. If you're chosen for an audit, you'll have 90 days to send in the requested materials.

The likelihood of you being audited is low, so don't worry about it. Focus on preparing for the exam, so you can pass it on your first try.