CAPM Study Guide: Let’s Create The Best CAPM Study Guide Ever!

CAPM or the ‘Certified Associate in Project Management’ credential is helpful in providing impetus to your career. Moreover, it helps in giving the desired hike in salary and for this, you need a CAPM Study Guide. A well designed CAPM Study Guide becomes your partner in the CAPM certification process.

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5Ws and H of CAPM certification

As you know, 5Ws are when, where, what, who, why and H is for How which are generally used to understand anything from all perspectives. So, let us see where the CAPM Study Guide comes into the picture and the 5Ws and H.

What is CAPM?

CAPM is the certification from PMI Institute – Project Management Institute headquartered in the USA but having a presence across the globe. If you are on the threshold of getting into a career or a toddler getting a foothold in project management, then CAPM is what you need. To do it right the first time, you need the CAPM Study Guide.

What does the CAPM Exam comprise of:

• Is of 3 hours duration
• 150 questions with four answer options and only one correct among the four. If you answer is incorrect, you don’t lose any marks you score zero
• Based on PMBOK
• Tests your understanding of the project management framework, the process interactions

Your CAPM Study Guide should be having all the above components and the full-length online CAPM exam should be close to the real exam.

Who can go for CAPM?

Your CAPM study Guide may have the eligibility requirements mentioned in it. Do you have the following education qualifications? If yes, then you are eligible to appear for CAPM exam

• Secondary Degree-High school diploma, or associate’s degree or an equivalent degree globally accepted
• In addition to this, you must have completed 23 hours of project management education

Watch our “CAPM Certification 7 Must-to-Know Points – What is CAPM certification?” video

Why CAPM Study Guide is good for acing CAPM?

Which are the right course and the right CAPM Study guide for you? To a certain extent, it depends on your preferences while you need to also assess these content of a CAPM Study Guide:

• Do you get the 23 hours of project management education certificate? This is crucial to be eligible to sit for CAPM certification exam.
• This CAPM Guide should have a CAPM Study plan and at a minimum an extract of the project management framework
• Preferably, the CAPM Study Guide should be your companion, quick reference and have tips and tricks
• If you are looking for flexibility, then CAPM training online is suitable for you. But, if you want to finish the class at a stretch, then classroom session is the one for you.
• CAPM training course online allows you to prepare as you want and when you want and also how much you want. But, whichever option you choose, make sure CAPM Guide is comprehensive.
• CAPM Study Guide can be a hard copy or a soft copy. Moreover, it can be a CAPM training Videos that explains all the concepts, guides you in your preparation and the key resource you can rely on.
• A typical CAPM training should cover the PMBOK, additional topics for each knowledge area and its application in projects while the CAPM Guide should also act like your CAPM Exam Guide and be your reference for anything about the exam
• Therefore, check out the experience of the instructor and the testimonials of past participants
• Will you get a money back guarantee? Can you take the CAPM Training course multiple times? If it is online, you can do that?
• Will the class have CAPM Exam Sample Questions, focus on Math questions, cool hacks to approach the exam?

How to become a CAPM?

In general, your CAPM education courses or a CAPM training course would give you a study plan. If not, your CAPM study guide normally suggests how to go about the preparation. While one size does not fit all, broad guidelines are:

How to use CAPM Study Guide

CAPM Study guide is your one point reference for all CAPM needs. CAPM Study Guide should have mock tests, questions at the end of a chapter and exercises to test your understanding.

• Based on your comfort level, you can start with PMBOK or the CAPM Guide.
• Complete one round of study of CAPM Study guide or a CAPM Exam Guide that has been given by the CAPM course provider. Then, take one practice test to assess yourself.
• Analyze areas you need to improve. While answering, mark those questions you were not sure of, irrespective of whether they came out right or wrong. Because you cannot afford to take a chance in the actual exam
• Go with an iterative model where every cycle of CAPM Guide reading, and testing you know your SWOT (Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, and Threat) analysis and strategize. This will help you in effective preparation
• Does your CAPM Study Guide have cheat sheets, formulae, tips & tricks, types of questions?
• Are there process flow diagrams and mind maps in the CAPM Guide to help you visualize?
• Take as many tests as you can with corrective actions so that “inch by inch CAPM is a cinch”!

Enroll in our CAPM exam simulator once you complete your CAPM study. You can take a look at Free CAPM Exam Simulator Demo.

Try practice tests by PMBOK Knowledge Area, Process Group and full length to fortify your preparation while banking on the CAPM Study Guide.

Check out a section from our Online CAPM Training

 When to go for CAPM?

You can look at ‘When’ in two ways. When should you schedule your CAPM exam? The other is, at what time in your career?

You can schedule your exam when you have done one or two rounds of CAPM Study Guide, taken practice tests and scored well in them. Typically, this should be within two months of starting your reading of CAPM guide.

CAPM, as we have seen is an entry level certification to give you the right impetus in your career provided you have the apt CAPM Study Guide. If you are having experience of 4500 hours and a bachelor’s degree, you could go for the PMP certification exam from PMI.

When to schedule your exam?

The ‘How’ tells you the mode of preparation using your CAPM Study Guide while the ‘When’ tells you the scheduling of your exam.

Application:

By now, you should have completed the application process for the exam. You can apply online and pay your exam fee. Sometimes, a sample application is part of the CAPM Guide. Here are a few things about the application process:

• You can create your user profile on pmi.org and fill the CAPM certification application online and submit online.
• If you are a PMI member, you pay $225, if not you pay $300. While annual membership would cost you $139 (if you are a working professional).
• Moreover, if you are a student, you get a further discount and pay only $257 for both the membership and exam fee as a bundle. You can avail this offer if you are a full-time matriculated students in an accredited, degree-granting program

If you are scoring well in the practice tests, this is when you can schedule your exam.

Where to take the CAPM?

CAPM is a Computer Based Test (CBT). PMI has certain predetermined Pearson VUE centers across the world which are listed on their website. Login to the Pearson VUE center link on the PMI website. Check the nearest center to you and the slots available in the time frame you want. Confirm your exam slot.

Go to the test center on the exam day a little ahead of the scheduled time. You don’t want to be tensed because of a traffic jam or the administrative formalities at the center. You go to your designated computer and you will be given a scratch paper, pencil, and a calculator. Therefore, don’t carry anything to the test table.

You will be given a tutorial to guide you on the test procedure after which the actual test starts. Since you are all geared up for the exam after having gone through CAPM Study Guide, maintain your cool and complete the exam. Have some time for review. Once you submit the test, you will get a message “Congratulations” and there you are a CAPM.

Summarizing, CAPM Guide is what provides you the guidance and help to ensure you become a CAPM. The CAPM Study Guide hand holds you through your CAPM endeavor to be successful.

Author Biography:

Sunanda Gundavajhala, B.Tech, M.B.A, PMP has over 25 years of project management. She is a consultant, trainer on project management for different sectors and is the recipient of “Recognition of Excellence” award from PMI, USA and Woman Volunteer award from Hyderabad, India Chapter of PMI. Sunanda has contributed to the “Practice Standard on Scheduling, PMI”. She has worked as the Liaison officer for PMIEF (Education Foundation) for the Hyderabad, India Chapter of PMI.