The CAPM^â exam is changing in July 2023.  The last day to take the current exam is July 24^th.  Monday July 25^th  is the first day students can take the new exam based on the 2023 CAPM Exam Content Outline (ECO), according to the Project Management Institute (PMI).

Learn why the exam is dramatically changing, what’s changing and how these changes will affect your preparation —whether you plan to take the test before or after the exam changes.

CAPM Exam Change for 2023

1. Why Is the CAPM Exam Changing?
2. What Is the Content of the CAPM Exam 2023
3. What Is the CAPM Exam?
4. Is the CAPM Worth It?
5. Costs and Qualifications to Take the CAPM
6. Applying to Take the CAPM Exam
7. Options to Prepare for the CAPM Exam

Why Is the CAPM Exam Changing?

The CAPM is changing to better align with the market needs of project professionals and reflect how project team members work on projects.

Data from PMI’s research reveals that the current test does not address some of the most critical and frequent real-world tasks performed by entry and associate-level project managers and project team members.  Today’s projects require leaders to understand a variety of project management approaches and know when and how to apply them on projects.

What Is the Content for the CAPM Exam 2023?

The CAPM is changing significantly to build skills for new people entering the field. Here are the notable changes outlining the content you’ll be tested on the for the exam.

1. Knowledge Areas Transition to Domains on CAPM in 2023

The CAPM 2023 exam will continue to test best practices and fundamentals.  However, almost half of the exam content will now integrate agile and other adaptive approaches and business analysis frameworks.  This is very different from the current CAPM exam which focuses exclusively on predictive project management using knowledge areas from the PMBOK Guide 6^th edition.

The CAPM Exam 2023 domains breakdown as follows:

• Project Management Fundamentals and Core Concepts: 36% of questions
• Predictive, Plan-Based Methodologies: 17% of questions
• Agile Frameworks and Methodologies: 20% of questions
• Business Analysis Frameworks: 27% of questions

Domain 1:

Covers project management fundamentals in both predictive and adaptive approaches. These provide the foundation of managing a project. You will be tested on:

• • Project life cycles and processes.
  • Project planning
  • Your understanding of project roles and responsibilities.

Domain 2:

Tests your knowledge of both predictive and adaptive project management approaches. You’ll need to understand:

• • How each approach is used and when.
  • How to set up controls to monitor the project.
  • How to work with project schedules.

Domain 3:

Introduces agile and other adaptive development approaches (e.g., Scrum, Extreme Programming (XP) and others).  You’ll need to know how to plan project iterations, document project controls, and prioritize tasks.

Domain 4:

Business Analysis (BA) is the fourth domain, representing 27% of test questions. You’ll need to understand:

• • What a business analyst does on a project.
  • How they recommend appropriate communication channels.
  • How to gather and validate requirements.

2. All New Exam Resources

The new exam will draw upon a pool of 7 resources to help inform questions including:

• PMBOK® 7^thedition
• Process Groups: A Practice Guide
• Agile Practice Guide
• Business Analysis for Practitioners: A Practice Guide
• The PMI Guide to Business Analysis
• Effective Project Management: Traditional, Agile, Extreme, Hybrid
• Project Management Answer Book, 2nd Edition

These resources reflect the breadth of the exam changes to include agile and hybrid approaches, business analysis principles and requirements management content.  It also makes it more difficult to study on your own using so many different books to prepare for the CAPM.  Professional training materials can significantly simplify the prep process – even if you choose to study on your own.

3. New Question Types

The CAPM ECO indicates you can expect to encounter several new question formats including:

• Matching questions: You will have two columns of concepts to match.
• Hot spot questions: A graphic will be presented where you click on a hot spot containing the correct answer.
• Animation Video multiple choice questions: You will watch an animated video scenario and select a single answer from several choices.
• Comic Strip multiple choice questions: You must read a comic strip scenario and select one answer from multiple options.

What Is the CAPM Exam 2023?

The CAPM is a globally recognized entry-level certification that helps you launch your career in project management. It helps you demonstrate you have the knowledge to work effectively with teams on any project in any industry.

The CAPM 2023 is a knowledge-based exam that measures what you know and can do with your knowledge. The exam consists of 150 questions including:

Knowledge-based questions:

• 135 questions are knowledge-based. Your score will be calculated based on your response to these questions.
• The questions are randomly generated from a database containing hundreds of questions. The questions may jump from topic to topic, and a single question may integrate multiple concepts. You get one point for each correct answer. There is no penalty for wrong answers.

Pre-test questions:

• 15 questions are experimental, meaning they are not included in your score for the exam. PMI does this to validate questions for future inclusion in the master database.
• These questions will be randomly placed throughout the exam. You will not know which questions are experimental.

The three-hour long exam is proctored and has two exam options for taking the exam:

• An online test that you can take either at home or at work.
• A center-based test taken at a PMI-designated testing site near you.

Is the CAPM Worth It?

The CAPM opens doors to many career options, especially if you want to become a project manager or business analyst. The certification is for anyone seeking to gain more responsibility, add project management skills to their current role, or to gain more project management responsibility.

The CAPM is important for several reasons:

• Establishes consistent practices and processes.
• Validates knowledge of all project management practices.
• Increases eligibility for new roles and responsibilities.
• Builds leadership skills and improves ability to work effectively on a team.
• Improves salary opportunities.

The CAPM certification also creates the foundation for the PMP certification.  Consider the differences between the CAPM vs PMP to determine which is the best option for you.

Costs and Qualifications to Take the CAPM Exam

Applying for the CAPM will cost money.  The fee is $225 for PMI members and $300 for non-members.

To take the exam, you must meet the requirements which include:

• A high school diploma, GED or global equivalent
• 23 contact hours of project management education

Applying to Take the CAPM Exam

You must apply to PMI to take the exam. Applications may be submitted online.

After submitting your application, you’ll receive a notice that will confirm your application has been accepted; you will then be prompted to pay for your exam appointment. Once payment is made, you’ll receive an email authorizing you to make an appointment to take the exam. You must pass the exam in one year.

Options to Prepare for your CAPM Certification

If you plan on sitting for the test before the exam change in July, our current prep products and courses offer everything you will need to pass on yout firest try. Prepare with our intensive CAPM instructor-led virtual course or our on-demand CAPM eLearning course.  We also have a suite of self-study options including the CAPM Exam prep book, CAPM exam simulation and our CAPM Exam Prep System, which includes our top-selling CAPM Exam Prep book, exam simulation and flash cards.

If you decide to take the test after July 24th, 2023, RMC will have new products and courses fully updated to the new exam change.  Please visit our Exam Updates page so you can stay informed. You can also register for our free webinar on Taking the CAPM Exam: What You Need to Know.