How to Pass the CAPM Exam in 2024? Easy Guide

Candidates aspiring to make a Project Manager career often start their journey by taking Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) exam. Certification from this exam demonstrates a person’s capabilities and dedication to Project Management and its practices. As a beginner exam, many aspiring candidates wonder How to Pass the CAPM Exam, especially if they have no previous experience.  

According to the PMI, over 1.6M people hold PMI certifications which include PMP, ACP and CAPM. If you are also wondering how to approach this exam and build your career as a Project Manager, this blog may help you. Explore the step-by-step guide to learn How to Pass the Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) exam in 2023. 

Table of Contents

1) What is the CAPM exam? 

2) Prerequisites for the CAPM exam 

3) How to apply for the CAPM exam? 

4) CAPM exam syllabus and other details   

5) How To Pass the CAPM Exam? 

6) Additional tips 

7) Conclusion 

What is the CAPM exam?  

Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) Exam is a certification exam held by Project Management Institute (PMI). This exam can certify you as someone skilled in Project Management and related skills. It can boost your career, giving you a stronger preference among candidates without the certification.   

CAPM examination is popular globally and can be taken in languages other than English. These languages include Arabic, Brazilian, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and Turkish. You can attempt the exam in any language by requesting a language change at the beginning of the exam.
 

Prerequisites for the CAPM exam 

CAPM has relatively simple eligibility requirements to take the exam. The requirements for this exam can be divided into two parts, your educational qualification and other qualifications in Project Management. PMI demands you have a high school diploma or a similar global equivalent. It also requires 23 hours of training in Project Management before you sit for the examination. 

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 How to apply for the CAPM exam? 

CAPM has a very straightforward application process; you can do so online from this link to the PMI website. Once you have submitted your application, it will go through a review process within 24 hours. Once PMI verifies that you meet all the requirements to take the exam, you will be sent a payment request for the exam fee after the completion of the review process.  

Once you have successfully applied for the PMI examination, you can take the exam anytime within the said year of application. Additionally, PMI gives you three opportunities to pass the exam within the said year. There are two possible ways to take the exam, based on how it is held.  

You can take the exam at a test centre, or you can take the exam online. Test centres provide you with a computer and seating where you have allotted time to finish the given questions. Alternatively, for an Online proctored exam, you’ll need a system consisting of a web camera and a microphone and answer the questions in the given time.  

How you take the exam can be selected while you pay for the CAPM exam. Remember that a web camera and microphone are necessary for the online proctor to monitor you. Failing to meet these requirements might result in you not being allowed to give the exam. 

CAPM exam syllabus and other details 

CAPM exam’s syllabus is based on PMBOK Guide provided by PMI, which covers different subjects regarding Project Management and related topics. The exam has Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ) consisting of 15 pre-test questions and 135 questions, which will decide your marks. This exam lasts three hours, giving you approximately one minute to answer each question.  

The subjects covered in the exam are explained in the table below, with their respective weight marking shown in the right column. The passing score for the exam is about 70 to 75%. However, it isn’t an exact per cent because PMI determines the passing score through psychometric analysis.

While a 70-75% score is not an exact passing grade, you can still use this score as a guide on how you approach the exam. Knowing the weightage of each subject in the exam will help you tremendously in prioritising your study plan. It is suggested you take some time to understand the syllabus of the CAPM exams. 

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How to Pass the CAPM Exam? 

Now that you understand the CAPM examination details, let’s address the core subject – How can you pass the examination. You can pass the exam with the right mindset and preparation. You need to understand no single tactic works for everyone. However, there is a general set of guidelines which you can use to find your tactic on how to tackle this exam. Here are some key factors that can aid you while preparing for the exam: 

Analyse the exam structure 

Your first step to successfully clearing the exam is understanding the exam. It is always better to be over-prepared rather than underprepared. Take your time to understand the exam, what the syllabus is, how much time you have, etc. These factors allow you to be confident in your abilities while giving the exam.   

One way to understand the exam and the course material is to check out the latest edition of Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK). It is a detailed guide covering all the subject materials that are covered in the CAPM examinations. This guide is about 700 pages long and can be an essential resource for aspirants. 

Develop a study plan 

If you remember the earlier segment of this blog, you may notice that PMI gives you three attempts to clear the CAPM examination. However, in ideal circumstances, you can clear the exam in one go rather than depending on the retries. To ensure you get the best out of the first opportunity you’ve been provided, you need to create a study plan for yourself.  

A study plan design should comprise factors such as how much time you have, which topic in the syllabus is your strong suit, etc. With this plan in place, you will have the best grasp of the topics that interest you compared to other candidates. Therefore, create a schedule strictly based on your need, strength and weakness.   

Using the syllabus will allow you to divide the large course material into manageable chunks. You can then divide your time based on which segment requires more time and effort from you. While one can create the best study plan in the world, it will only come to fruition if you abide by it. 

Build confidence in yourself 

Understand that if you have weak points, you have strong points as well. If there are topics which may keep eluding you after multiple attempts, there will be topics you will master easily. While giving extra effort to difficult topics is a wise idea, relying on your strong areas can help you ace the exam.   

Take your time to analyse your strong suit; this will give you a higher success rate, as you are less likely to make mistakes in the topics you are good at. This helps you secure better marks in the exam. The greater number of topics you are confident in, the higher your chance to succeed in the exam in one attempt.  

Being nervous during the exam is not unheard of; overcoming it will raise your mental clarity. Staying calm and collected can raise your chances of scoring higher. Even though examinations can be nerve-wracking, trust your abilities and efforts; you’ll be able to give your best in the exam by having faith in yourself. 

Take mock exams to test yourself 

Testing your abilities is an important part of identifying your weaknesses and determining your strengths. Do as many mock tests or sample questions for the CAPM exam as it will let you gauge your abilities. This can help you with time management, a skill that can help you a lot during the real exam and in managing projects in the future. 

A lot of aspirants often end up wasting too much time on a question they do not understand. This stops them from answering the questions they potentially could have. The more sample questions you do, the more efficient you will become with time. Additionally, you will be able to judge which topics require more time from you. 

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Additional tips 

Here are some added tips which might not directly help you with the exam but can aid your preparation nonetheless. Some such additional tips for CAPM exam preparation are as follows: 

Scheduling Exams 

As this blog already discussed, the CAPM examination can be scheduled as soon as you have met its requirements. This means you are free to choose any date for the exam within the said year. However, before making a decision, you should consider whether you are prepared to take the exam. You may want to reconsider scheduling your exam after assessing your preparedness.  

Will you be able to finish the syllabus before the exam takes place? Ask yourself these questions before you apply for the exam date. If you do not feel confident in your ability to pass the exam, it is okay to take some time before scheduling it.     

Since you can attempt the exam three times, you can take the first exam to test how prepared you are. In a scenario where you fail to clear the first exam, you can learn from your mistakes. This will allow you to do a better job on the next try, although each of your attempts should aim to clear the exam in the first go.   

Read your questions carefully 

Many candidates who are well-prepared for the exams often achieve lower scores. This is often a result of them rushing through the questions, not having read all the choices, or misreading the questions. You have three hours to take the exam, giving you ample time to properly read each question and the multiple choices.  

Taking mock exams can help you build the habit of reading questions and polish your abilities, thus making you less likely to make mistakes in the exam. In the worst-case scenario, where you fail at understanding a question, make the best guess and switch to the next question. Invest your time in a question you can answer than one you can’t. 

Take care of your well being 

On a very important note, know you are taking this exam yourself. If you pass this exam, it will open opportunities for you and not for anyone else. If you put too much pressure on yourself, sacrificing your meals and sleep, it will eventually get to you. As you fail your body during the preparation, your mind will fail you during the exams.  

Your degrading health due to lack of sleep and skipped meals are not worth finishing an extra topic. You would benefit much more from staying healthy, allowing your brain to work at its maximum potential during the exams. Eat well, sleep well and study on time, certain goals do not have shortcuts, and your well-being is one of those things.

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Conclusion 

As our final words, we’d like to state that you can ace any exam with the right preparation and mindset. Failure is common in these journeys but does not lose heart over it; rather, try to learn from your failures and strive to improve next time. This blog covered the details of How to Pass the CAPM Exam, advising on how to approach this exam. The blog also covers details on how to apply for the exam, its syllabus and its format. Hope this blog will help you in your future endeavours, thank you for reading.