PMP and CAPM Frequently Asked Questions:

1. How do I receive the Project Management Professional (PMP®) or Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM®) credential?

2. What happens if my eligibility expires and I have not taken the exam?

3. If I fail the exam, can I take it again? If so, when can I take it? How many times can I take the exam?

4. How do I complete the application?

5. What is meant by “unique (non-overlapping) months”? Do the months of experience have to be consecutive?

6. What supporting documentation should I send with my application?

7. How do I schedule to take the PMP or CAPM examination?

8. How long do I have to take the exam? How many questions are on each exam? How can I prepare for the exam?

9. What happens after I pass the exam? If I pass the CAPM exam, when can I take the PMP exam? What do I have to do to maintain the credential? How often is the registry updated?

10. When do I have to renew my CAPM Credential?

11. Are Professional Development Units required to renew my CAPM credentials?

12. What are the benefits to renewing my CAPM credential?

13. How do I renew my CAPM credential?

14. How do I renew my CAPM credential after it expires?

15. What is the difference between my CAPM renewal period and my CAPM examination eligibility period? 

Questions with Answers:

Q1. How do I receive the PMP or CAPM credential?
A. To obtain the PMP or CAPM credential, you must first demonstrate that you are eligible by meeting the following eligibility requirements:

PMP

High school diploma or Associates Degree /global equivalent secondary school diploma; 7,500 hours of project management experience; 60 unique (non-overlapping) months of project management experience within the eight-year period prior to the application; 35 contact hours of project management education.  For candidates with a Baccalaureate/global equivalent university degree; 4,500 hours of project management experience; 36 unique (non-overlapping) months of project management experience within the eight-year period prior to the application; 35 contact hours of project management education.

CAPM

Either 1,500 hours of work on a project team OR 23 contact hours of formal education in project    management (one contact hour is equivalent to one actual hour of training or instruction received)

Candidates may apply by completing and submitting an online application.  Paper applications can be downloaded and submitted via postal mail - PMP paper application or a CAPM paper application. Please note: Facsimile copies will not be accepted.

Once your application has been processed, if eligible, you will receive an eligibility letter (via e-mail) containing detailed scheduling instructions for either the PMP or CAPM examination.

Test candidates have one (1) year from the date their application is approved and processed to take the examination. This date is printed at the top of the first page of the candidate’s eligibility letter. Candidates may take the exam a maximum of three times within their eligibility period. If they do not pass the exam, candidates must apply again via the re-examination form.

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Q2. What happens if my eligibility expires and I have not taken the exam?
A. Candidate applications are valid for one (1) year from the date of approval. If a candidate allows their eligibility to lapse, candidates must re-apply.

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Q3. If I fail the exam, can I take it again? If so, when can I take it? How many times can I take the exam?

A. Yes, Candidates are granted a one-year eligibility window.  Candidates have a maximum of three attempts to receive a passing score on the PMP or CAPM examination within the one-year eligibility period.  After the third unsuccessful attempt, candidates will have to wait one year before re-applying for the credential and attempting to test again.  Candidates must submit a re-examination form before each attempt along with the re-examination fee.

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Q4. How do I complete the application?

A. The PMP and CAPM applications are available online. Please note: Any missing information will result in a delay in processing.

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Q5. What is meant by “unique (non-overlapping) months”? Do the months of experience have to be consecutive?

A. When calculating the months and hours of experience, a unique (non-overlapping) month is a month where only one project is counted. For example:

As you see from this example, the months where the projects overlap are counted once. However, all of the hours that were worked on both projects are counted. The months of experience do not have to be consecutive.

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Q6 What supporting documentation should I send with my application?

A. When submitting an application, you do not need to send documentation. However, PMI does utilize a random audit process to verify candidate applications. If you are selected for a random audit, you will receive notification via e-mail as well as a letter via postal mail with the instructions and forms needed to complete this requirement.

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Q7. How do I schedule to take the PMP or CAPM examination?

A. The PMP and CAPM credential examinations are offered globally at Prometric Testing Centers during normal business hours Monday through Saturday (excluding holidays.) You cannot schedule your examination appointment until you receive your eligibility notification and have submitted payment. Please refer to Prometric’s Web site for more information.

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Q8. How long do I have to take the exam? How many questions are on each exam? How can I prepare for the exam?

A. The following table describes the characteristics of each exam:
 

 *There are currently 15 pretest questions randomly placed throughout the CAPM exam. These questions are being evaluated for use on future exams. Your answers to these pretest questions will not affect your score, but will contribute to the quality of future versions of the examination.  The 2005 PMP exam will contain 25 pretest questions.  Although the overall number of questions will still remain at 200, 25 of these questions will not count toward your overall score.
 
You can find resources to prepare for the PMP and CAPM exams at PMI’s online bookstore. Also, please refer to the Resource Materials for the PMP and CAPM located on the department’s site for more in-depth test preparation information.

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Q9. What happens after I pass the exam? If I pass the CAPM exam, when can I take the PMP exam? What do I have to do to maintain the credential?  How often is the registry updated?

A. After you pass the exam, you may immediately use the credential after your name (for example, John Doe, PMP). You should also be able to locate yourself on PMI’s Online Registry. Please note: It usually takes about 6-8 weeks to receive your PMP package from PMI’s Global Operations Center.

CAPM candidates who pass the exam may use the credential for five (5) years. The credential does not require PDUs or any other activities for renewal. CAPMs may apply for the PMP at any time during the five years. After five years the credential expires, and the candidate can apply to take the CAPM examination to maintain their credential or take the PMP. The full credential fee must be paid for whichever examination the candidate chooses.

PMP candidates who pass the exam may use the credential as long as they comply with the Continuing Certification Requirements (CCR) program. The CCR program supports PMPs in developing their professional knowledge and maintaining their credentials by requiring participation in activities during the CCR cycle, which are assigned a PDU value.

A PMP’s initial CCR cycle begins with the date the exam is passed, and ends on 31 December of the third full calendar year after that date. Subsequent CCR cycles are a period of three years, starting on 1 January and ending 31 December of the third year. During each period, the PMP must accrue at least 60 PDUs by the end of the CCR cycle. PDUs are a measuring unit used to quantify learning and professional activities. PMPs can obtain a description of the activities that earn PDUs from the CCR Web site — PMP Continuing Certification Requirements (CCR) Web site — or the CCR Handbook — PMP Continuing Certification Requirements (CCR) Handbook.

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Q10.  When do I have to renew  my CAPM credential.

A:  The certification cycle for the CAPM credential is five years. During the fifth year of the cycle, the CAPM credential holder moves into a renewal period of one year.  During this period, individuals must retake and pass the examination before their CAPM credential expires.