March 17, 2021
By Simpliaxis
Project Management is a field that has gained a lot of traction in recent years and the popularity is still rising. Project Management is defined by the Project Management Institute as ‘the application of knowledge, skills, and techniques to project activities to meet the project requirements. Planning, motivating, organizations, and controlling resources, protocols, and procedures are involved in this field.’
Project Management attracts many individuals because it offers a very lucrative salary and exciting work getting a chance to serve in various industries which is why many Project Managers get professional certifications to advance their career in this field.
The Project Management Institute offers an array of certifications on various levels to offer eligibility to people who want to make a career in the field of Project Management. They offer professional certifications like CAMP®, PMP®, PgMP®, PMI-ACP®, PMI-RMP®, PMI-PBA®, PMI-SP®, PgMP®, PfMP®, and OPM3®.
For now, we will focus on CAPM and PMP and understand the difference, features, and benefits of both CAPM and PMP. Individuals often face confusion in which they should opt for. Read ahead to know which will suit you better for your career.
What is CAPM?
CAPM also called the Certified Associate Project Management is an entry-level certification. CAPM certification is a basic level course in Project Management and is apt for you if you are just starting your career in Project Management. It distinguishes you from your competitors and professionals take this course to improve their credibility while they are working in some project team.
What is PMP?
PMP also called the Project Management Professional is an industry-recognized course that offers a much broader spectrum of Project Management techniques and subjects that increases the earnings of a Project Manager. Taking up this certification enables you to work in many industries and apply more advanced methodologies.
Now that you are clear about CAPM and PMP is let’s compare them in detail and who stands tall in CAPM vs PMP!
What do the CAPM and PMP entail?
As a whole, CAPM and PMP are based on PMBOK, Project Management Body of Knowledge. Just a little background on PMBOK if you are not aware of it. It is a complete collection of best practices, terminologies, processes, and guidelines that are accepted as standards in the Project Management industry.
CAPM is more focused on understanding the concepts and principles. It is less focused on applied knowledge. But, it isn’t exactly easy. It is still one of the toughest professional exams and certifications out there which is more difficult than entry-level Project Management certifications. Understanding the content of the PMBOK becomes crucial and mastering it will go a long way as your perfect study guide.
On the other hand, PMP is considered a standard in Project Management certifications. It is also a very tough exam and largely focuses on mastering concepts, principles, and applied knowledge. While it is also based on PMBOK, it requires you to understand its content thoroughly.
CAPM and PMP Exams
CAPM and PMP: Differences
Now let’s focus on the difference between CAPM and PMP by comparing its scope, benefits, salaries, and real-life implications.
The scope of CAPM and PMP in real life
To put it simply:
Salaries
There is no specific salary for CAPM certification vs PMP certification as it depends on various factors. Although, the salary is higher if you have a PMP certification compared to a CAPM certification which is obvious since PMP certification implies a higher experience and knowledge.
According to Payscale, the average salary for a PMP certification is $107,000 USD which may slightly vary according to the role you are offered. For a CAPM certification, your average salary is expected around $65,000 USD.
The final verdict: CAPM or PMP?
Now that you have understood the difference between CAPM and PMP, let’s answer the question “CAPM or PMP, which is better?”
The answer is…Both!
CAPM and PMP are both reputed certifications in the field of Project Management. While both will provide you with the credentials and increased authority in this field. For the question “which certification is suitable for me”, it depends. But, do not worry, here are few pointers that will help you make a final decision of which certification to choose.
Consider your experience in the field. Consider PMP if you have experience of at least 2 to 3 years in Project Management. PMP furthers your growth if you come with a considerable amount of experience.
How comfortable are you in applying conceptual principles or knowledge? If you are someone who still has a problem with the application, do not consider PMP certification.
Eligibility. Both the CAPM and PMP certifications have a clear guideline on the pre-requisites you need to have in order to be eligible in applying for the certification. (Read the exam info section above).
If you are beginning in the field of Project Management, consider gaining some more experience working, and do not worry about taking PMP. You can obtain CAPM and gain more experience and after a couple of years, get PMP certification.
Both CAPM and PMP add a substantial amount of weightage to your resume if you are pursuing a career in the field of Project Management. There is no one answer to ‘CAPM certification or PMP certification’. Although, PMP is a standard certification in the world of Project Management, do not be hasty and consider various things before going for it.
It’s actually quite simple. If you are starting out in this field or still in college, it makes more sense in pursuing CAPM certification and simultaneously getting more working experience. If you need to further your career after working in entry-level jobs for quite some time, it’s the best time to take up PMP certification.
Oh! We recently winded up one batch, but no worries. We have a few more in the coming weeks.
Just opt-in for the updates about dates, prices, and curriculum with your preferences!
We keep you posted about the course.
©️ 2022 SimpliAxis All Rights Reserved. The certification names are the trademarks of the respective authorised bodies
USA
Disclaimer :
Certified Scrum Master(CSM®),Advanced Certified Scrum Master(A-CSM®), Certified Scrum Professional ScrumMaster(CSP-SM®), Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO®), Advanced Certified Scrum Product Owner (A-CSPO®), Certified Scrum Professional Product Owner(CSP-PO®), Certified Scrum Developer (CSD®), Certified Scrum Professional(CSP®), Certified Agile Leadership(CAL-I®,CAL-II®), Scrum Education Units(SEU®),Certified Scrum Trainer (CST®),Certified Enterprise Coach(CEC®), and Certified Team Coach(CTC®), are registered trademarks of Scrum Alliance®. SimpliAxis INC is a Registered Education Provider (REP) of Scrum Alliance®.
Profession Scrum Master (PSM-I®, PSM-II®, PSM-III®), Profession Scrum Product Owner (PSPO-I®, PSPO-II®, PSPO-III®), Profession Scrum Developer (PSD-I®), Scaled Professional Scrum(SPS®),Professional Scrum With Kanban(PSK-I®) , Prove your knowledge of Professional Agile Leadership(PAL-I®), Prove your knowledge of Evidence-Based Management™ (PAL-EBM®), Prove Your Scrum with User Experience Knowledge
(PSU-I®) and Professional Scrum Trainer(PST®) are registered trademarks of Scrum.org®. SimpliAxis INC is a Professional Training Network member of Scrum.org®.
Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP®), Certification of Capability in Business Analysis(CCBA®), Entry Certificate in Business Analysis(ECBA®), Agile Analysis Certification(AAC®), Certification in Business Data Analytics(CBDA®), Certificate in Cybersecurity Analysis(CCA®), Certificate in Product Ownership Analysis(CPOA®) are registered trademarks of International Institute of Business Analysis(IIBA®). SimpliAxis INC is an Premier Level Endorsed Education Provider of IIBA®.
SAFe Agilist Certification (SA®), SAFe Program Consultant Certification (SPC®),SAFe Program Consultant Trainer Certification (SPCT®),SAFe Practitioner Certification(SP®),SAFe Release Train Engineer Certification (RTE®),SAFe Scrum Master Certification (SSM®),SAFe Advanced Scrum Master Certification (SASM®),SAFe DevOps Practitioner Certification(SDP®),Agile Product Manager Certification (APM®),Lean Portfolio Manager Certification (LPM®),Product Owner / Product Manager Certification (POPM®),SAFe Architect Certification (ARCH®),Agile Software Engineer Certification (ASE®) and SAFe Government Practitioner Certification (SGP®), Scaled Agile Framework® and SAFe® are registered trademarks of Scaled Agile, Inc.®. SimpliAxis INC is a Silver Partner of Scaled Agile, Inc®.
DevOps Foundation®, DevOps Leader®, SRE Foundation℠, SRE Practitioner℠, DevSecOps Foundation℠, Continuous Testing Foundation℠, Certified Agile Service Manager®, Continuous Delivery Ecosystem Foundation℠ and Value Stream Management Foundation® are registered trademarks of DevOps Institute. SimpliAxis INC is a Registered Education Partner (REP) of the DevOps Institute (DOI) ®. Read more...