CAPM Exam – Difficulty, Details and Preparation Tips

Is the CAPM exam difficult?

Certified Associate in Project Management certification validates your skills and knowledge in project management. Also, it is helpful to find the best usage practices in organizations recommended by the PMI Institute.

The Project Management Institute is one of the most important institutes for Project Management. It is a beginner-level certificate. If you want to start your career in project management, this certificate is the best choice to make.

In addition, you will gain all the basic concepts, principles, and methods of project management. You will have better job opportunities and a higher salary.

CAPM Certification Exam Format

The CAPM exam contains multiple-choice questions. You have to answer a total of 150 questions within the time limit of three hours. In addition, there are fifteen pretest questions in the exam. However, these questions do not affect your final score.

Also, no information is given for the pre-test questions. Thus, you have to answer every question seriously.

In addition, this exam does not have any negative markings. One point is awarded for every correct answer, and no negative marking is done for this exam for giving wrong answers.

Report on the exam

After completing the exam, you can receive the result of the exam. In addition, you will receive the details of your grades.

Firstly, you will receive a performance report for every knowledge area. Secondly, your answers in every knowledge area are helpful for understanding your abilities.

You will also receive your results with a stamped copy before exiting the exam center. In addition, if you clear the PMP exam, you will receive your certificate within a few weeks or a month.

CAPM Exam Difficulty Analysis

CAPM is an entry-level certification that provides opportunities for both beginners and professionals to enhance their skills and knowledge. The candidates wanting to acquire the CAPM Certification have adequate resources and information for their preparation. The PMBOK Guide is essential in preparing for the CAPM exam.

CAPM examination requirements

Cost of the CAPM Certification Exam

You have to pay a total of $225 if you are a PMI member. However, if you do not have a PMI membership, you have to pay a total of $300. If you want to take up the PMI membership, you have to pay a total of $129 every year.

You will also need to enroll in training courses and purchase exam materials and guides. You can take the training course to complete your 23 hours of training and gain enough knowledge to pass the examination.

CAPM Exam Content

The exam structure of the CAPM certification according to the chapters of the PMBoK guide is:

These are all covered in the preparation course and mock questions of the CAPM exam. The candidates must have a schedule for learning and understanding each of the areas completely. You can also take online courses to prepare for the CAPM exam.

All you need to do is sit back and watch while taking important notes. Spending time on the online course and its contents will give you the perfect preparation for the exam.

Exam Duration for CAPM

A CAPM Certification exam has a time limit of about three hours. The questions are usually graded based on their difficulty; hence, you can’t tell the difference between the scored and unscored questions, and psychometric analysis is also used. You must read all the questions thoroughly to give the correct answers.

You must allot a specific time limit to each section to finish the exam on time without missing any questions.

Booking the CAPM Certification Exam

You can book the CAPM Certification exam online, either on your phone, tablet, or laptop. After that, you will have 90 days to finish or complete your exam. It is advised that you book the exam after ensuring that your preparations are complete.

Exam format

The CAPM exam contains multiple-choice questions. A total of 150 questions appear in the exam. Out of 150, 15 questions are considered pre-test questions as they are used for future tests.

Although you won't be informed about the 15 questions in advance, you still need to take all the questions seriously. Every multiple-choice question answered correctly will award one point. It does not have a system for negative marking. There are no negative marks given for incorrect answers.

Schedule 

To crack the CAPM exam, you need to allot time to all the different areas equally. To completely master each of the sections, you need to give them an equal amount of time. Your schedule must contain learning the basics, solving sample questions, and practicing.

You should also take mock exams to completely understand and identify your mistakes and improve your weak areas. The mock exam score will help you identify the weak areas that you can work on later.

Steps to Achieve CAPM Certification

CAPM is a beginner-level certificate. However, it can be difficult to clear without any proper preparation. You must follow the steps given below to prepare completely for the CAPM exam:

Understand PMBoK Guide Completely

It is the most important resource or material available for the preparation of CAPM. You must understand the guide completely. You must read through the entire guide thoroughly. If you have completed reading the guide, you can take up additional materials and resources for the CAPM exam as per your choice.

You can use this guide to prepare for both the PMP exam and the CAPM exam. It contains a large number of theories, concepts, principles, and so on. However, you might get stressed at the amount of content present in the guide. But if you can complete this guide, you can guarantee your success.

You should also practice the mock exams and sample questions to improve your understanding. In addition, you will gain a clear understanding of all the topics covered in the guide.

Make notes of every knowledge area

You have to make notes and write down the key points of every knowledge area. It will allow you to memorize all the knowledge areas available. It contains ten knowledge areas, forty-seven processes, and five project management process groups.

If you want to pass the CAPM exam, you must first understand all the concepts of project management.

Visual memorization

Since the guide contains a lot of text, it might get difficult to memorize everything in detail. Therefore, you can adapt the visualization method of studying. You can use flashcards, diagrams, flow charts, sketches, models, chats, and so on. The visualization method is much easier and more effective than the normal reading method. You can learn and memorize much better.

Practice questions

You have to practice questions to improve your understanding of a specific topic. It is one of the most important steps needed to complete your preparation.

There are many materials and resources available everywhere on the internet. You can also find free resources and applications that can help you to practice. You should practice the mock exams. It will help you understand your mistakes and weak areas. Therefore, you can work hard to strengthen your understanding of those important topics.

Read questions carefully

Before starting the exams, you can note down the knowledge areas, process groups, and important formulas needed in the first fifteen minutes. It becomes difficult to remember the knowledge areas or the important formulas right away. Therefore, it will be more beneficial for you.

You must manage your time accordingly. You must divide the time according to the sections. It will help you complete the exam more quicker. You can use the time provided to you to note down the difficult formulas. For that, you can use the rough paper given to you for the examination.

Noise-canceling earphones

In many exam centers, noise-canceling earphones are provided. You can concentrate on your exam better with these. You will be able to focus completely on your exam without getting distracted.

Bookmark the question

It is yet another important point to follow. You can bookmark the difficult questions so that you can recheck them at the end.

Every question comes with a flag option. You can use this option to review the tough questions at the end. Skipping a question is also possible. You must read every question thoroughly before answering.

Pass the CAPM exam on the first attempt with the CAPM training program.

Final Words

You can find a large number of study materials and books available for the preparation of the CAPM exam. You can also take courses to help you understand better. If you put in your effort, hard work, time, and dedication. This can successfully achieve the certificate.

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Suggest Read – CAPM Exam Preparation Guide 2020 (UPDATED)

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