Is CAPM better than PMP?

Is CAPM better than PMP?

Learning Mudra, Category - PMP

PMP and CAPM confusion

Are you into the glorious field of project management? Have you been into projects for years and now thinking of getting certified? During your search you must have come across certifications and each one looks promising to see. The two most significant ones among all options are PMP certification and CAPM certification. These are the two certification most project managers go for depending on the type of experience they have. Are you confused between the two? Or simply what the difference between the two is? Worry not, we will try to answer all your question in this article and help you make the decision.

Eligibility for CAPM

PMP is Project Management Professional and CAPM is Certified Associate Project Management. Both are offered by PMI, which is, Project Management Institute. What may seem as similar to you, but are completely different. CAPM is an entry level or beginner level certification in the field of project management. The eligibility is fairly simple, you just need 23 hours of formal education at the minimum to be eligible to sit for exam . This will give you the certificate. If you have 1500 hours of project experience even then you can sit for it. This is just an added advantage of course. High school diploma is also required at the minimum.

Eligibility for PMP

Now let us talk about PMP which is far more complicated than CAPM as the process is long and the eligibility is also very different and complex. You need 36 months/3 years/4500 hours experience if you want to get PMP certification given you have a 4 year bachelor’s degree. And if you don’t have a bachelor’s degree and only have high school diploma or a global equivalent then it is even harder for you. In which case you will need at least 60 months/5 years/7500 hours. The bar is way too high for PMP certification when you compare it with CAPM which anyone can get.

Difference between PMP and CAPM

So, now that you know which is which, and the eligibility criteria of both. Let us talk about other differences. CAPM is entry level, you just need project experience. Not even leading. Just being part of a project will suffice and will make you eligible for CAPM certification. Whereas in case of PMP you need project leading experience. Which is not easy to get. You will not get into field of project management and start leading immediately. Instead, you will need to spend time initially just being part of projects and learning projects. Only after some experience will you be getting an opportunity to lead them. Even then you will need years and long hours to get those 4500 hours or 7500 hours.

When to choose CAPM ?

So what to do is the question now? If you are just on the verge of starting your career in project management. Go for CAPM. This will give you a small boost and increase credibility while getting projects. It will also make your journey to start leading easier. So, as a person starting your project management career go for it for the opportunity to outshine among people entering with you. More chance of you leading will come up and ultimately you will be able to get PMP later which gives significant boost to your career.

When to choose PMP ?

However, if you are a person with years of leading experience in project, specifically speaking the required, 4500 hours or 7500 hours then you should go for PMP certification without question. You will not gain anything from CAPM as you already know the things taught in that. Moreover, with your tenure as project managers you will not gain anything by getting that certificate. But PMP is something that will give you the boost that your career needs. And at this point in your life that is what you should be going for. As an experienced person, don’t waste your time on CAPM.

For more information on whether CAPM is better than PMP; get in touch with us at +91-987-123-7360 or email us at info@learningmudra.com

PMP as a growing field

As a Project Manager, which is a growing field (with 2.2 million roles coming up very year), you will be the helm of it with PMP certificate. This will be the perfect combination. Data suggests that PMP certification will increase your earning by 25 percent on average in USA. In India, the average is as high as 36%. The average increment in any field is 10-15% per year. But with this one exam you can get a 36% boost. This is a huge number and you should definitely pursue it.

Which one to choose ?

So, to sum up all of it, go for CAPM if you are starting your career or have minimal experience. This will give your career the much needed boost and your probability of getting leadership roles will increase in comparison to people without CAPM. This will help you finish your leading hours to be able to get PMP certification. If you are already experienced project manager go for PMP certification without second thoughts as the returns are higher.

Assistance pitch

At this point you will need to either start documenting your experience if you are going for PMP certification or start your CAPM training if you are a beginner. Either way, you are looking to get into a promising field with huge rewards. If you need any PMP or CAPM assistance of any kind, write to us at: training@learningmudra.com