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:

• 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 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.

• 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 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.

• 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.

• 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 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 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 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.

• 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 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 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.

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

Exam Details

The PMI CAPM certification exam contains 150 multiple-choice questions. 15 of these items are the pretest ones that will not affect one’s final score and are used in the test for research purposes. The unscored questions are placed throughout the exam content randomly. The students will have three hours to complete their test. The exam is currently available in numerous languages, including such options as Arabic, Brazilian, Simplified & Traditional Chinese, English, German, French, Portuguese, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Russian, Korea, Turkish, and Spanish. While registering for the test, the individuals will be able to choose the language in which they would prefer to sit for it. The exam can be taken either online or at the nearest authorized testing center. Regardless of the delivery method, the exam will cost $225 for the PMI members and $300 for the non-members.