I Passed the CAPM Exam

I'm typing an infrequent interact post to share the good news that I passed my CAPM examination yesterday!

CAPM stands for Certified Associate in Project Management. It is the introductory certification for Project Managers from the Project Management Institute.

The exam is 150 questions and you are allowed 3 hours. I took 2.5.

PMI does not publish what percentage you have to get right to pass, but the estimate around the internet is 65%.

The subject matter is all contained in A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide)—Fifth Edition. This book is written like a reference book and it is really hard to read for information. I tried to read all of the non-appendix part, but I confess that sometimes I kept moving even though I wasn't paying attention very well. There were many times I read over a paragraph and could not remember what I had read at all.

My best study method was to use practice quizzes and then follow up well on the ones I got wrong or was unsure of. I also paid $10 for an app with 300 questions. The questions were a little uneven in quality, but good enough to help me study.

I put in about 51 hours of study in the last 10 weeks or so.

Lest you think I'm claiming mastery, I was anxious before and during the exam. I was not confident at any time that I would pass. I was hopeful because I had prepared diligently.

The major PMI credential is Project Management Professional (PMP). I can apply for that in about 2 years when I am getting close to 4500 hours of project management experience.

One thing I really like about my new career is how many possibilities there are. There are a lot more jobs for project managers than there are for web editors. :-)