CAPM Handbook
CAPM Handbook
CAPM Handbook
Handbook
Table of Contents
How to Use the CAPM® Certification Handbook ....................................................................... 3
About PMI’s Certification Program............................................................................................. 4
Overview of the CAPM Certification............................................................................................ 5
Timeline of the CAPM Certification Process ................................................................................ 6
CAPM Eligibility Requirements.................................................................................................... 7
CAPM Certification Application and Payment ........................................................................... 8
How to Complete the Online Application .................................................................................... 8
How to Record Your Education on the Application ..................................................................... 9
Application Processing ............................................................................................................ 10
CAPM Certification Fees.......................................................................................................... 11
How to Submit Payment .......................................................................................................... 10
CAPM Refund Policy ............................................................................................................... 11
PMI Audit Process ..................................................................................................................... 12
CAPM Examination Policies and Procedures.......................................................................... 13
CAPM Examination Information ............................................................................................... 13
CAPM Examination Blueprint................................................................................................... 14
Single Language Exams .......................................................................................................... 15
Test Accommodations for the Examination .............................................................................. 16
Legal Restrictions on Taking the Examination.......................................................................... 17
Examination Eligibility .............................................................................................................. 20
How to Schedule an Examination with Exam Accommodations with Pearson VUE .................. 21
Rescheduling/Cancellation Policy ............................................................................................ 22
How to Reschedule or Cancel Your Online Proctored and Center-Based Appointment............ 23
Extenuating Circumstances ..................................................................................................... 23
PMI Examination Security and Confidentiality .......................................................................... 25
Examination Requirements and Instructions ............................................................................ 26
Examination Report ................................................................................................................. 31
Reexamination......................................................................................................................... 32
Certification Policies and Procedures ..................................................................................... 33
Certification Complaints Process ............................................................................................. 33
Certification Appeals Procedure ............................................................................................... 34
Use of Your CAPM Certification ................................................................................................ 35
PMI, the PMI logo, Making project management indispensable for business results, PMBOK, CAPM, Certified Associate in
Project Management (CAPM), PMP, Project Management Professional (PMP), Project Management Professional, the PMP
logo, PgMP, Program Management Professional (PgMP), PMI-RMP, PMI Risk Management Professional (PMI-RMP), PMI-SP,
PMI Scheduling Professional (PMI-SP), PMI-ACP, PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP), PfMP, Portfolio Management
Professional (PfMP) and PMI Project Management Ready are marks of Project Management Institute, Inc.
PMI’s certifications are distinguished by their global development and application, which makes them
transferable across industries and geographic borders. The strength of PMI’s certifications is that they are
portable and not tied to any single method, standard or organization.
The CAPM Certification tests an individual’s knowledge of the Project Management Body of Knowledge
(PMBOK® Guide).
PMI’s certification program is designed to ensure that all certification holders have demonstrated their competence
through fair and valid measures. Steps are taken to ensure only the most reliable testing measures are used in the
assessment of candidates. For example, interviews can be influenced by how difficult the interviewer tends to be,
how well the candidate is performing that day, and even how many questions the interviewer asks along the same
line of questioning. We have taken caution to ensure factors like these don’t affect the outcome of the interview.
PMI certifications are also developed by project management practitioners for practitioners. The certification
program is driven by the thousands of certification holders who volunteer to spend time constructing and
refining the exam questions used by PMI. These volunteers represent the diversity of PMI’s market, coming
from every region of the world, industry, job, and experience level.
The exam questions are monitored through industry-standard statistical procedures, also overseen by
volunteers.
Finally, PMI’s entire certification program is supervised by the Certification Governance Council (CGC), a
committee of PMI certification holders who have a Board mandate to oversee PMI’s certifications. Therefore, PMI
understands the importance of impartiality in carrying out its certification activities, manages conflicts of interest
and ensures the objectivity of its certification activities.
A candidate is assessed by examining his or her knowledge using:
• Education and Experience – A combination of education and/or experience in project management is
required for each certification.
• Testing Competence – The candidate is required to apply project management concepts and
experience to potential on-the-job situations through a series of scenario-based questions (except for
the CAPM, which is solely based on the individual’s knowledge of the PMBOK® Guide).
• Ongoing Development – Maintenance of a PMI certification requires the accumulation of ongoing
professional development and education or, in some cases, recertification.
Before you begin, check to make sure you meet the certification eligibility requirements and can record
the necessary information on the application.
Once you start an online application, you cannot cancel it. You can save it unfinished, come back to it
later and edit any information you already entered. The application will remain open for 90 days, during
which time PMI will send you an email reminder to complete the application.
Please ensure that the application includes your valid, unique email address as this will be the primary
mode of communication from PMI throughout the certification process. Although PMI will email you
reminders during the process, you have the responsibility to schedule and sit for your
examination within the one-year eligibility period (See the Exam Eligibility section of this handbook
for more details).
NOTE: Electronic communications from PMI may inadvertently be blocked or forwarded to bulk
mail folders by some spam filters. Please add customercare@pmi.org to the personal address
book in your email program to help ensure that you don’t miss important updates from PMI.
Before you submit the application, you will be required to read and agree to the PMI Code of Ethics
and Professional Conduct and the Certification Application/Renewal Agreement, which can be found in
this handbook and on PMI.org.
NOTE: Incomplete applications and faxed applications will not be processed or returned.
When you choose to record 23 contact hours of specific instruction that addressed learning objectives in
project management, you must record all education hours regardless of when they were accrued. The
course work must be completed at the time of your examination.
NOTE: One hour of classroom instruction equals one contact hour. If you have completed a
university or college course on project management that met for three hours per week for 15
weeks, you would document 45 contact hours on the application. If only a portion of a course
dealt with project management, only the hours spent on project management can be applied
toward the total.
The course hours may include content on project quality, scope, time, cost, resources, communications,
risk, procurement and integration management.
You can satisfy the education requirements by demonstrating the successful completion of courses,
workshops and training sessions offered by one or more of the following types of education providers:
*If at least one hour of a chapter meeting is spent conducting a learning activity, the hour(s) spent in that
activity can be counted toward the educational eligibility requirement.
NOTE: While you may be able to record applicable classes that counted toward a degree,
you cannot record the degree program in its entirety because some classes within the
program will not apply to the requirement.
Application Processing
PMI strives to process applications in a timely manner. Applications will be processed in 24 hours or
less.
NOTE: This processing timeline does not apply if your application has been selected for PMI’s
audit process (refer to the PMI Audit Process section in this handbook for more details).
All payments will be converted into USD and may include additional fees for currency conversion.
Payments may also be completed by wire transfer in local currency. For additional information and
wiring instructions please contact customercare@pmi.org.
The PMI membership rate will apply only if you are a member of PMI in good standing at the time you
submit payment for the certification. If you apply for membership right before you apply for the
certification, make sure you receive confirmation of your membership before you pay for the certification.
If your membership has not been completely processed before you pay for the certification, you will be
charged the nonmember rate.
If PMI membership is obtained after you submit payment for the certification, PMI will not refund the
difference.
Review all the benefits of PMI membership or join now.
1. Online—Use the online certification system to submit credit card payment. This will enable PMI
to process your payment more quickly.
• If you have scheduled the exam and did not take it, nor provided the necessary cancellation/
rescheduling notification to PMI’s testing administration partner Pearson VUE, you will not
receive a refund. Again, you will forfeit the fee and will not be able to apply it to anything else.
NOTE: Please be advised that while the selection process for an audit is primarily random, PMI
reserves the right to select any candidate to be audited at any time, including after the certification
has been bestowed. If you fail to meet the audit requirements after attaining the certification, you
are not entitled to a refund.
135 15 150
It may take some certification candidates less than the allotted three hours to complete the examination.
NOTE: There are no scheduled breaks during the exam. If you take the exam at a test
center, you may take a break if needed. However, if you do take a break during the
exam, your exam clock will continue to count down.
Breaks are not allowed during the online proctored test for any reason and leaving your
desk will terminate the exam. Eating, drinking, smoking and chewing gum are also
prohibited during the exam.
Item Development
CAPM examination questions:
• Are developed and independently validated by global work groups of project management
practitioners
• Reference information in A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge
(PMBOK®Guide) – Sixth Edition
• Are monitored through psychometric analysis
The percentages are used to determine the number of questions related to each chapter that appear on
the examination.
Single Language Exams are protected under the PMI Test Security and Confidentiality rules.
During the scheduling process, you will have the opportunity to choose the language in which you would
prefer to take your exam.
The examination will be entirely in the language you choose. This includes all screens before and after
the examination. If you would still like to see the questions and answer options in English during the
exam, there is an exhibit button on the screen for each question that will show the question and answer
options in English.
For online proctored test, the proctoring software, greeter support and proctor support are available in
English only.
Please note, PMI cannot change the language for an existing CAPM examination appointment. If you
schedule your examination in English only, but will require a different language, you must cancel your
examination prior to contacting PMI to request one.
NOTE: Record your need for test accommodations as part of the payment process (when you
apply online) of the application process.
Once your request is submitted, you must forward supporting medical documentation to PMI by email
(cert.examdelivery@pmi.org). No requests for accommodations will be considered without supporting
documentation. You will be unable to schedule an examination until your accommodations are
approved by PMI.
PMI is unable to add any accommodations onto an existing examination appointment. If you do not
request accommodations during the examination payment process, but will require them, please contact
customercare@pmi.org as soon as possible. If you have already scheduled your examination, you will
have to cancel it prior to requesting the accommodations. There are no exceptions to this policy.
NOTE: Candidates who require test accommodations are not eligible for online proctored test and
must take the exam in a test center.
For that reason, you will be required as part of your application to take the examination to certify that you
are not on any list of designated parties maintained by the US government, that you are not in any way
affiliated with the governments of countries subject to comprehensive US sanctions, currently Cuba,
Syria, North Korea, and the Crimea Region of Ukraine, and that you are not ordinarily or permanently
resident in countries subject to comprehensive US sanctions, unless the US government has
authorized the provision of such examinations to persons ordinarily or permanently resident in those
countries.
Export control and sanctions laws may change from time to time, and PMI reserves the right to
implement any changes or additions to these restrictions as appropriate.
NOTE: If your application was selected for audit, your eligibility period begins the day you
successfully complete the audit.
The exam eligibility period (the period of time during which you are able to test) is one year. You may
take the examination up to three times within this one-year eligibility period should you not pass on the
first attempt.
The CAPM examination is delivered by PMI’s testing partner, Pearson VUE (online proctored and center
based test). The examination scheduling instructions for online proctored test and center based test
contained within this handbook and in your eligibility letter will provide you with details.
PMI cannot guarantee or reserve seating at the testing centers or an available time for an online
proctored test appointment. PMI recommends that you schedule the examination as soon as you
select a date, and at least three months before the expiration of your eligibility period.
Please print and save all examination scheduling verifications and correspondence received from
Pearson VUE for your records.
When calling Pearson VUE’s Contact Center, the representative will ask for:
1. Testing program: PMI – Project Management Institute
2. Name of examination: CAPM
3. Your PMI ID
4. You will then be asked to verify your:
• First Name
• Last Name
• Email address
• Physical Address
• Phone Number used in your application
If you need to reschedule or cancel an appointment with test accommodations, you will need to
call the same number you used when scheduling your appointment
PMI is unable to add any accommodations onto an existing examination appointment. If you do
not request accommodations during the examination payment process, but will require them,
please contact customercare@pmi.org as soon as possible. If you have already scheduled
your examination, you will have to cancel it prior to requesting the accommodations. There are
no exceptions to this policy.
Examples
Date of Exam Date That You Reschedule Fee Amount
Appointment or Cancel
30-Day Policy
5 May 4 April (or before) No fee
5 May 5 April (up until 2 May) US$70
48 Hours Policy
5 May, 8:00 AM Before 3 May, 8:00 AM US$70
5 May, 8:00 AM After 3 May, 8:00 AM (you are unable Forfeit the
to reschedule or cancel the entire exam fee
appointment)
If you are within 48 hours of your examination, you will not be able to cancel or reschedule your
appointment and you will forfeit the entire exam fee if you do not show up. .
Emails to Pearson VUE or PMI are not acceptable forms of communication to reschedule or cancel your
examination appointment.
If you have internet connectivity problems, or experience any issues rescheduling or canceling your
examination online, call Pearson VUE directly to reschedule or cancel your appointment. Contact
telephone numbers for all Pearson VUE Service Centers are located in your Examination Scheduling
Instructions in this handbook. Do not call the testing site to reschedule or cancel the examination.
Extenuating Circumstances
PMI understands that there are times when personal emergencies may cause you to:
1. Reschedule or cancel your exam within 30 days of the appointment
or
2. Miss a scheduled exam appointment (resulting in a no-show status)
These are referred to as extenuating circumstances and can include:
• Medical emergency
• Military deployment
• Death in immediate family
• Illness in immediate family
• Natural disaster
*Extenuating circumstances do not include work-related circumstances.*
Should a situation like this occur, PMI will examine your situation and take appropriate action.
1. If your circumstance forces you to reschedule or cancel your exam within 30 days of the
appointment:
Go online to PMI's certification system as soon as you know you are unable to make your
scheduled appointment and reschedule or cancel your exam. You will be charged the US$70 fee;
however, you can contact PMI Customer Care with an explanation and supporting documents
(e.g., accident report, medical documentation, etc.) to obtain a refund on the late
rescheduling/cancellation fee, if approved by PMI.
2. If your circumstance forces you to miss your scheduled exam appointment (resulting in a no-show
status):
CAPM® Certification Handbook – revised 24 May 2022
2000-2020 Project Management Institute Inc. All rights reserved. 23
CAPM Examination Policies and Procedures
Please Contact PMI Customer Care within 72 hours following the missed exam
appointment. You will be asked to provide an explanation along with supporting
documentation (e.g., accident report, medical documentation, etc.) in order for you to
reschedule or cancel your exam without penalty, if approved by PMI.
PMI will review all claims on a case-by-case basis. If your extenuating circumstance claim is not
approved, you will be required to pay the full reexamination fee to sit for the exam.
No-Show Status
Failure to notify Pearson VUE or PMI within the specified time periods to reschedule or cancel
your exam and failure to meet a scheduled examination appointment will result in a no-show
status. A no-show status means you will forfeit the exam fee and have to pay the full
reexamination fee in order to schedule another examination.
If your government-issued identification does not display a photograph or a signature, a secondary form
of identification may be used, which includes a photograph and/or signature (whichever is missing from
the government-issued identification), and your name printed on the identification. All identification must
be current (non-expired)
All forms of identification being presented at the testing center must match your name exactly as it
appears on the scheduling notification. Your identification documents must be in good condition, and
cannot be bent, frayed, taped, cracked or otherwise damaged in any way. The identification documents
must be the originals, and cannot be photocopies. You will not be permitted to test if the name on your
identification documents does not exactly match the name on your scheduling notification, or if your
identification is damaged. Neither PMI, nor Pearson VUE will make any exceptions to this policy.
If you do not provide the appropriate and/or matching identification, you will not be permitted to test. If
y o u still wish to take the exam, you will be required to apply for reexamination and pay the
reexamination fee in order to take the exam at a later date, when valid identification is available.
Email: customercare@pmi.org
Attn: Name Change for Exam
Please send any name-change information as soon as possible. PMI is unable to guarantee that any
updates can be made to your name within five business days of a scheduled examination.
Items such as sweaters and jewelry may be worn into the testing center, but cannot be removed once
you have entered the testing room.
You will be provided with a locker on the day of your examination to store your personal belongings.
Once your items are stored, you will be unable to access your locker until you have completed your
examination appointment.
If you will require any personal items in the testing room due to a medical condition, such as food,
beverages or medication, you will need authorization from PMI prior to scheduling your
examination appointment. Please review the Exam Accommodations Policy for additional
information on obtaining authorization.
Once you have completed the check-in process, the testing center administrator will provide you with an
erasable note board and a dry-erase marker. Calculators are built into the CBT exam; however, you may
raise your hand at any time during the examination and request a handheld calculator. If you require
additional note boards at any time during the examination, you may raise your hand and request it. The
testing center administrator will remove the used note board and provide you with a fresh one.
Candidates may only have one note board at their testing terminal at any given time.
You will then be escorted into the testing room by the testing center administrator, who will seat you at
your workstation and begin your examination. On the first screen, you will be asked to verify both your
name and the examination you are taking. Once this information is verified, the examination tutorial will
begin. A clock is built into the CBT exam, and will begin to count down as soon as the tutorial has begun.
A candidate may exit the tutorial at any time. If a candidate does not voluntarily end the tutorial, once the
15-minute time window has elapsed, the tutorial will automatically end. After the tutorial, the Candidate
Security Acknowledgement will be the next step. In order to proceed with the exam, you must agree to
the terms of the Candidate Security Acknowledgement. You will have 5 minutes to read and agree to the
acknowledgement. If you do not agree or your time runs out, your exam will be cancelled. Once you’ve
completed the Candidate Security Acknowledgement, your examination will begin.
There are no scheduled breaks during the examination. If you wish to take an unscheduled break, you
must raise your hand to notify the test proctor and then wait to be escorted from the testing room. All
candidates will have to sign in and out of the testing center and present their government-issued
identification documents upon each entrance and exit.
All examination appointments are monitored by continuous audio and video recording.
If you observe any irregularity in the testing center, or experience any issues during your examination
appointment, you are required to raise your hand and inform the testing center administrator as the issue
is occurring.
Testing Aids
Test candidates are prohibited from bringing calculators and scrap paper into the test site. However,
these items will be provided for you by Pearson VUE on the day of the exam:
• Calculators are built into the CBT exam and will be available during the exam
• Erasable note board and markers for taking notes during the examination
Once at the Pearson VUE site, you will see your scheduled exam listed under Open Online Exams.
Select CAPM to proceed.
- Click on blue Begin Exam button.
The Begin Exam button will only be available within 30 minutes before of your scheduled
appointment time, and only up until 15 minutes after your scheduled appointment time. Please
ensure you are logged in at the appropriate time or else the Begin Exam button will not be
present.
- The next screen will display three steps to follow:
o Click on Copy Access Code button
o Click on Download button to download the software. Once the software is
installed, the application will open.
Note: If you have previously downloaded the software for previous appointments, you
may be required to manually uninstall the application prior to proceeding. Please
reference the instructions provided on the screen to complete this step.
- After the application has opened, follow the prompts to complete your check-in process to begin
your test session:
o Click on blue Submit button
o Select the microphone that will be used during your session
o Select the webcam that will be used during your session
o Turn up your speakers and volume until you can clearly hear the music
o Capture a picture of your headshot, and confirm the photograph is clear and acceptable
o Capture a picture of your ID, and confirm the photograph is clear and acceptable
o Confirm the phone number that can be used in case the proctor needs to contact you. If
you don’t have a phone number available, select this option.
o Review and agree to the listed exam policies
o Confirm that your workspace is ready and clear of prohibited items
o You are now ready to launch the exam! A greeter will contact you to begin your testing session
Note: You may need to wait up to five minutes before connecting with a greeter.
If you fail the examination three times within your one-year eligibility period, you must wait one year from
the date of your last examination to reapply for the certification. However, after failing a certification
examination three times, candidates may opt to apply for any other PMI certification. For example, a
candidate who failed the CAPM exam three times in his or her one-year eligibility period must wait one
year to reapply for the CAPM certification. However, he or she can apply for the PMI Project Management
Ready, PMI-ACP, PMI-PBA, PMI-RMP, PMI-SP, PMP, PgMP or PfMP (and submit associated initial
certification fees) at any time.
Reexamination fees apply to the second and third attempts to pass the examination during each eligibility
period. If your eligibility period expires and you have not yet passed the examination, you must reapply for
the certification.
All certification related complaints must be reported within 30 days of the event/incident cited, made in
writing, and sent to PMI:
• Via email at certcomplaints@pmi.org
All complaints should include evidence supporting the reason for the complaint and the nature of the
request, including all reasons why the action or decision should be changed. A complaint must include:
• Name and e-mail address of the complainant;
• Name against whom the complaint is made, if applicable;
• Reference to the PMI certification policy and/or procedure that was allegedly violated; A
description of how the policy and/or procedure was allegedly violated; and
• Any applicable evidence that supports the complaint.
We will acknowledge, in writing, your complaint within 3 days of receipt. If a complaint is missing any
necessary information, you will be informed and allowed an additional 30 days to supply the missing
information. If the required information is not submitted within that time, the request shall be closed.
The review and validation of the complaint will occur in a constructive, impartial and timely manner. You
will be notified of the outcome within 3 business days of the decision being made. A record of the
complaint, including any subsequent action(s) taken, and the decision made will be maintained by PMI.
All information pertaining to the complaint will remain confidential.
You have the right to escalate your complaint within 10 calendar days of the notification of the decision
rendered. The escalation request should be submitted in writing and can be sent via email or mail to one
of the addresses listed above.
A decision around the escalation will be communicated to you within 10 days of PMI’s receipt of the
escalation request, unless circumstances warrant a delay. If a delay is expected, you will be notified.
All certification related appeals must be reported within 30 days of the event/incident cited, made in
writing, and sent to PMI Certification Appeals:
• Via email at certappeals@pmi.org
To request an appeal you must submit a request and include evidence supporting the reason for the
appeal and the nature of the request, including all reasons why the action or decision should be
changed. An appeal must include:
• Name and e-mail address of the appellant;
• A description of why the appeal should be granted; and
• Any applicable evidence that supports the appeal.
*Disciplinary decisions made by PMI regarding persons already certified are evaluated under PMI's
Ethics Complaints Process.
Certificate
You may download a digital version of your certificate.
Everyone who earns a CAPM certification must actively maintain their certification(s) through
participation in the CCR Program and renewal of their certification(s) every 3 years.
Partaking in professional development and learning activities allows certification holders to earn
Professional Development Units (PDUs), fulfilling the continuing certification requirements and ultimately
growing and developing as a practitioner.
We know that each individual has different professional needs and desires. The CCR program is
designed to be flexible so that it can adapt to those needs and allow you to customize your CCR
activities. The CCR program provides a general framework and guidance—you determine your ultimate
CCR and development path.
For details and instructions on how to earn and track PDUs in CCR, download the CCR Handbook.
PMI members have determined that honesty, responsibility, respect and fairness are the values that
drive ethical conduct for the project management profession. PMI’s Code of Ethics and Professional
Conduct applies those values to the real-life practice of project management, where the best outcome is
the most ethical one.
All PMI members, volunteers, certification holders and certification applicants must comply with the
Code.
Please visit the Code of Ethics page to download and read our Code.
PMI.org
© 2020 Project Management Institute, Inc. All rights reserved. “PMI”, the PMI logo, “CAPM”, “PMP”, “PfMP”, “PgMP”, "PMI-ACP", “PMI-PBA”, “PMI-RMP”, “PMI-SP” and
“Powering The Project Economy” are marks of Project Management Institute, Inc. (4/20)