The Project Management Institute (PMI)® announced that a change is coming to the CAPM exam in October 2022. This article explores what this change means if you are currently studying for your CAPM exam. (Spoiler alert: Don't delay. Take the exam NOW!)
Why is the CAPM Exam Changing in 2022?
The PMI recently announced a new CAPM Exam Content Outline (ECO) in April 2022. This document defines the syllabus/content of the CAPM exam. The PMI is currently updating the CAPM exam to match the new syllabus, and the new exam will go into effect in October 2022.
Learn more about the CAPM certification: https://www.pmi.org/certifications/certified-associate-capm
When is the CAPM Exam Changing?
The CAPM Exam is changing in October 2022.
What are the 2022 CAPM Exam Changes?
Here are both CAPM Exam Content Outline documents for you to download. Please note that the link to the 2018 document will stop working once PMI removes it from its website:
- Download the new CAPM Exam Content Outline (2018):
- Download the Current CAPM Exam Content Outline (2022):
The CAPM Exam Changes Explained
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2018 CAPM ECO Content |
New 2022 CAPM ECO Domains |
New 2022 CAPM Distribution |
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The 2018 CAPM Exam Content is based on the PMBOK® Guide (Sixth Edition) chapters:
|
Project Management Fundamentals and Core Concepts |
36% |
|
Predictive, Plan-Based Methodologies |
17% |
|
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Adaptive Frameworks/Methodologies |
20% |
|
|
Business Analysis Frameworks |
27% |
What version of the PMBOK Guide® should I use to prepare for the CAPM exam?
If you are taking the exam before October 2022:
While the PMBOK® Guide (Seventh Edition) or PMBOK7 is available, the current CAPM® exam is still based on the PMBOK® Guide (Sixth Edition) or PMBOK6, so students who are preparing to take the exam BEFORE the update in October 2022 should continue using PMBOK6 for CAPM exam preparation.
- Our current CAPM Exam Prep Offerings are based on PMBOK6
- We offer the CAPM PrepCast, a complete CAPM exam preparation course. The course is an online self-paced set of video podcast lessons that can be accessed via our LMS - Learning Management System or downloaded to a mobile device such as a laptop, tablet, or smartphone. The mobile capability allows one to prepare for the exam when and where it's most convenient.
- We also offer the PM Exam Simulator for the CAPM exam. The simulator contains 650 realistic CAPM Exam questions that will test the CAPM aspirant's knowledge and prepare them for the exam by providing per answer choice and a general explanation for each question. The PM Exam Simulator for the CAPM exam compiles statistics that will help to expose knowledge gaps so these can be targeted for improvement.
- These products can also be purchased as a bundle, the CAPM PrepCast Elite, which offers an 18% discount off the retail price of the products purchased separately.
If you are taking the exam from October 2022 onwards:
The 2022 CAPM Exam Content Outline (page 4) states: “Finally, there are noticeable differences between this updated CAPM ECO and the PMBOK® Guide – Seventh Edition. While there are some commonalities, it is important to note that the volunteer taskforce involved in the GPA study described previously were not bound by the PMBOK® Guide. The taskforce members were charged with outlining critical job tasks of individuals at the entry and associate levels based on their experience and pertinent resources.”
In other words, expect some questions to be aligned with PMBOK7, while others do not.
Should I take the CAPM exam before or after the update?
We recommend that you plan on taking the exam before it changes.
As with any PMI exam change, we strongly encourage students if they have sufficient time to prepare to take the current exam (instead of waiting for the updated version) since there are more uncertainties about the new exam format.
Will you update the PM Exam Simulator for CAPM?
Yes. We will update our existing questions to align with the new exam content outline. We will also develop new questions. The current CAPM simulator will remain in place until 30 September 2022, but at an earlier date (TBD) the “new” CAPM simulator will be available for purchase.
Please note that the initial release of the “new” CAPM simulator may only have two full exams. Once published we are going to wait until October 2022 until the next CAPM exam will be developed and published in order to gather feedback and lessons learned from our students so that we can incorporate that into the “new” CAPM simulator.
In past, we provided our existing customers who met certain criteria with a paid/free upgrade path from the previous to the newer version of the simulator. More details to follow when we confirm our plans.
Will you update The CAPM PrepCast Basic and The PM PrepCast Elite for CAPM?
We still need time to review & understand the change to understand our own plans for our CAPM PrepCast Basic & PM PrepCast Elite for CAPM offering.