Details of CAPM Test

The PMI CAPM exam includes 150 questions including 15 pre-test non-scored items. Overall, applicants are given three hours to answer them. Questions are provided in the multiple-choice format. When it comes to scores, there is no current percentage of the right answers that one should achieve because the performance is checked with the use of psychometric analysis. It is to be mentioned that now, the CAPM test can be taken online.

Reference: https://www.pmi.org/certifications/certified-associate-capm

Topics Covered by CAPM Exam

To prepare for the CAPM exam, candidates need to grasp information related to the following sections:

• Role of the Project Manager: This topic includes the most important functions of project managers, their spheres of influence, and all the major elements that the PMI triangle contains. In addition, candidates will need to recognize the difference between management and leadership.
• Managing Procurement in Projects: It exposes the three project management processes, output, tools, techniques, and input in processes like these, core concepts in addition to tailoring considerations for procurement management, which includes emerging practices alongside trends, varied agreements, contracts, and methods for source selection.
• Managing Project Quality: This is about comprehending the three processes of project management, the input, techniques, output, and tools as defined in those processes, why quality management should be adapted in various project environments and quality tools alongside approaches that will ensure continuous improvement.
• Basics of Project Management: This area is about understanding the standard project lifecycle, the five process groups of project management, and recognizing how projects, portfolio, operational as well as program management relate to each other. Also, understanding the functions & usage of tailoring from varied projects is important.
• Scope Management in Projects: This objective concerns the six processes of project management, tools, techniques, output, and input in those processes, and key concepts as well as considerations for tailoring scope management and the core roles related to scope management. The areas of elements of a WBS (Work Breakdown Structure) related to both project scope and product & scope management targeting agile or adaptive projects are also present.
• Managing Project Resources: This topic includes defining the six processes of a project, identifying the techniques, input, tools, and output in these processes, and knowing the core concepts & trends that include tailoring as well as special considerations meant for adaptive or agile environments. The parts on techniques used to develop a team, how to manage conflict & resolve problems related to resources, and understanding the elements of a plan for resource management as well as techniques for data representation are covered there as well.
• Schedule Management in Projects: This covers the six processes of project management, the tools, inputs, outputs, and techniques related to these six processes, solving simple problems for network diagrams, and performing calculations related to basic scheduling. Finally, candidates must be capable of identifying considerations targeting adaptive or agile environments within the project schedule.
• Project Environment: This section deals with factors that influence the final result of a project, organizational systems as well as their differences, hierarchy of portfolios, programs, and projects, and the knowledge of how the management office of a project functions and what its purposes are.
• Managing Costs in Projects: It concerns the four processes of project management, the tools, techniques, inputs, and outputs relating to such processes together with some key concepts dealing with cost management such as tailoring as well as special considerations targeting adaptive or agile environments. Covered as well is knowing and applying methods for basic forecasting as well as earned value techniques.
• Risk Management in Projects: Within this scope, you will delve into the seven processes of project management relating to risk management, tools, techniques, outputs, inputs, key documents, doing calculations for simple risks, and knowing when as well as how to adjust risks related to a given project environment.
• Project Stakeholder Management: The final domain covers the knowledge of the four processes for project stakeholder management, the tools, techniques, output, and input as defined in these processes, recognizing the key roles as well as needs of stakeholders, and identifying the core concepts together with advantages related to stakeholder management.
• Managing Project Communication: This section considers the three processes of project management, their inputs, techniques, outputs, and tools, core concepts in addition to approaches that include tailoring as well as special considerations meant for adaptive or agile environments, communication dimensions as well as elements of a management plan, and communication skills as well as methods.
• Integration Management in Projects: Within this domain, covered are the seven processes of project management, input, techniques, outputs and tools, the importance of project integration, and procedures & concepts involved in change management of projects. It is also about considerations related to managing integration for projects, key documentation as well as knowledge management methods.

There are 13 main subject areas covered in the CAPM certification exam. The candidates are strongly recommended to develop a good understanding of all these topics before attempting the test. The highlights of these domains are provided below:

• Management of Project Resource (8%)

  This part explores 3 processes in project management. They are about the management of project quality, techniques/tools/inputs/outputs in the processes, approaches to and reasons for adaptation of quality management in various project environments, as well as quality tools & approaches for improvements.

• Management of Project Quality (7%)

  This section deals with 6 processes in project management in the knowledge area of project quality management, including resources and techniques, tools, inputs, and outputs in the processes, trends, and key concepts in the management of project resources. Other aspects concerned include developing teams, resolving problems that are resource-related, managing conflicts, as well as components in the management plan for resources and techniques used to represent data when project resources are being managed.

• Management of Project Risk (8%)

  The eleventh subject area addresses 7 processes in project management in the knowledge area of project risk management, including the techniques, tools, inputs, and outputs in the mentioned processes, and key documents in the management of project risks. Other subtopics tackle performing calculations of simple risks and knowing when there is risk-based adjustment demand as a result of the project environment and how this happens.

• Roles of a Project Manager (7%)

  The third domain is about identifying the project manager’s primary functions. This is followed by the sphere of influence of a project manager. The third feature is the identification of the major elements in the PMI triangle. The last knowledge area covers clarifying the differences in leadership and management.

• Management of Project Schedule (9%)

  The sixth domain contains four subsections. The first one comes with 6 processes in the project schedule management knowledge area. This is followed by the techniques, tools, inputs, and outputs in 6 processes. The next part is on solving simple problems in network diagrams and performing calculations in basic scheduling. The last subtopic focuses on Agile environments or adaptive environment considerations in the management of project schedules.

• Management of Project Stakeholder (9%)

  The last section includes four subsections. They concern 4 processes in the knowledge areas of project stakeholder management. This entails your understanding of the techniques, tools, input, and outputs in these processes. It also concerns the roles and needs of key stakeholders, as well as the benefits and key concepts of stakeholder management.

• Management of Project Costs (8%)

  The areas addressed in the seventh module are 4 processes in project management. This also captures management of project cost, techniques, tools, inputs, and outputs in the processes mentioned, key concepts, methods in earned value, as well as basic forecasting in management of project cost.

• Management of Project Communication (10%)

  In the tenth topic, the sections focus on 3 processes in project management. The knowledge areas covered here are management of project communication, identification of techniques, tools, inputs, and outputs in the mentioned processes, and management of project communication key approaches & concepts. Other subtopics address management plan communication dimensions as well as components, management of project communication methods and communication skills.

• Project Environment (6%)

  The second topic covers the identification of the assets and functions that can have an impact on the outcomes of a project. The next subsection focuses on distinguishing different organizational systems. This is followed by a comprehensive understanding of the purposes and activities of the PMO (Project Management Office). The last subtopic involves recognizing the hierarchy of portfolios, projects, and programs.

• Management of Project Scope (9%)

  In the framework of the fifth objective, the first subsection addresses 6 processes in the project scope management knowledge area. The second subtopic focuses on the techniques, tools, input, and outputs in the processes formerly defined. In the third subsection, the focus is on tailoring considerations and key concepts in the management of project scope and scope management key roles. In the fourth segment, the purpose and elements of the WBS (Work Breakdown Structure) for project scope and product scope are discussed. The last is the section involving Agile projects or adaptive projects with use of prototypes.

• Management of Project Integration (9%)

  The first subsection of the fourth section of the PMI CAPM exam focuses on managing the individuals’ knowledge areas in project integration by understanding 7 processes in project management. They are further discussed in the next section covering the tools, techniques, inputs, and outputs within the processes. The next subtopic features a project manager’s role in the management of project integration and the purpose of managing project integration. The fourth subdomain concentrates on identifying the concepts and procedures with relation to the management of project change. In the fifth subtheme, the candidates should demonstrate that they are capable of recognizing key documents and identifying tailoring conditions for managing project integration. The sixth part is all about the knowledge management and project integration methods.

• Management of Project Procurement (4%)

  The twelfth domain of the CAPM certification test covers 3 processes in the knowledge area of project procurement management, including the techniques, tools, inputs, and outputs in 3 processes. Other subtopics are connected with tailoring considerations and key concepts for the management of project procurements with emerging practices and trends, as well as different types of agreements, methods for source selection, and contracts.

• Project Management Introduction (6%)

  In the first domain of the CAPM certification exam, there are four subsections. The first one is about your understanding of 5 process groups in project management and processes in each group. The second area covers recognizing relationships among operational management, program, portfolio, and project. In the third section, the lifecycle of a project is comprehensively defined. The last part addresses one’s understanding of the importance & functions of tailoring in different projects.