Can you upgrade CAPM to PMP?

Can you upgrade CAPM to PMP?

Learning Mudra, Category - PMP

Starting the discussuion on Can you upgrade CAPM to PMP?, Let's discuss about Can you upgrade CAPM to PMP?. Project management is a profitable career choice which also offers high job roles opportunities. As per PMI, there would be around 2.2 million job openings every year for project-oriented job roles and the count would keep on increasing through 2027. Also, there is a huge demand for professionals who are certification holders in project management field (will discuss later). It's no wonder why many budding project managers choose to advance their careers by obtaining project management certification especially offered by Project Management Institute (PMI).With increasing demand of CAPM and PMP CAPM and PMP Certified professionals people are highly attracted towards this certification.
Let’s first understand what the difference between CAPM and PMP is.

Certified Associate of Project Management (CAPM)

CAPM certification is considered to be an entry level certification by most of the professionals. CAPM certification is specially designed for professionals with no or minimal practical work experience in project management field and aspireto settle their career in this field. CAPM certification exam majorly focuses on candidate’s knowledge related to project management processes, concepts and terminologies. Due to the increasing popularity of this exam one can persuade employers to give them an opportunity to handle projects and earn some work experience which can add great value in your career.

Project Management Professional (PMP)

The PMP Certification is a globally known and reputed certification which is considered to be the golden standard of project management certifications. The PMP certification exam is regarded as one of the most difficult certification exams. PMP exam is based on the principles and concepts of project management, present in the PMBOK Guide. The PMP exam is not restricted to theoretical concepts of project management but it also includes the practical knowledge of this field. The eligibility criteria for PMP exam includes both educational and experience qualifications, this means it is meant for the professionals who have prior work experience work experience.

The major difference between the two certifications is the eligibility criteria.

To be eligible for PMP exam a candidate requires at least 4 year graduate degree along with 36 months of work experience of leading project or a high school diploma/associate degree with work experience of leading projects for at least 60 months. A candidate of either of the categories should have completed minimum 35 hours of PMP Certification training from a certified training institute. To be eligible for CAPM exam a candidate requires to be a secondary degree (high-school diploma, associate degree or the global equivalent) holder and minimum 23 hours of project management education or 1500 hours of work experience.

Upgrading CAPM to PMP

If you are a CAPM certified professional and after knowing the benefits of PMP you are planning to upgrade your CAPM certification to PMP certification then you should know that upgrading CAPM certification to PMP certification is not possible. Both the certifications have their own pros and cons and even if you still want to get PMP certified then you have to apply for PMP certification separately and undergo through complete process of achieving PMP certification and also don’t forget to check the eligibility criteria as it requires you to be an experienced professional if you want to get PMP certified.

For more information on whether you can you upgrade CAPM to PMP; get in touch with us at +91-987-123-7360 or email us at info@learningmudra.com

If you are not certified by any of the certifications and planning to apply for any one of these then you should take your time and analyse the pros and cons, the benefits, your level of eligibility, and other parameters of decisionfor both the certifications. As per PMI research, there are 72% of PMO who feel that getting certified is very relevant for professionals who are in the mid of their career and are ambitious to elevate their career. This means one should apply for either of the certifications as it would not only help you post midpoint of your career but initially as well will give a boost to career.

Facts

The CAPM certification exam is completely based out of PMBOK Guide (latest edition) as this exam helps in examining your knowledge about project management and is designed for the professionals with limited work experience and maybe that’s why it is easier as compared to PMP certification exam. The PMP certification exam is more about your overall knowledge (theoretical + practical) of project management and your work experience. This certification is better when it comes to your career’s growth after a certain time. These facts about the two should be considered while deciding which certification is right for you.

Conclusion

In the current times of increasing competition your focus should be getting certified at the first place and later increase the value of your certifications. As the certifications offered by PMI come with a validity for a limited time, this means irrespective of your certification you are required to renew it and continue learning and developing your level of knowledge. The CAPM certification cannot be upgraded to PMP but along with CAPM you can get PMP certified. One thing to know is that to renew both of these certifications you would be required to complete PDUs and fulfil the eligibility criteria which is different for both. Hence, either waiting for some time and then applying for PMP or right away applying for CAPM or getting CAPM certified and then getting PMP certified as well or not is completely up to you.