The Project management profession is high-spirited and unceasingly growing briskly. Regardless of where you stand in your career graph, if you obtain the Certified Associate in Project Management certification (CAPM®), you will get hold of a unique selling point and thus be preferred first in the market.
If you wish to manage bigger projects and acquire more responsibility or add project management skills into your current position, then CAPM® certification is what you need.
The Examination
The CAPM® certification exam contains 150 questions, and you have 3 hours to complete it. If you want to maintain your CAPM® certification, you may retake the exam every five years.
When comparing the other certification exams offered by the Project Management Institute (PMI), CAPM® if generally considered easier. However, some candidates tend to make mistakes which act as a hindrance from scoring well. Here is a list of 9 common mistakes which you should avoid repeating:
- You did not read the PMBOK® Guide.
If you had read the Project Management Body of Knowledge® Guide a few times entirely, you would be thorough with the basic concepts. Studying this guide is a precursor to your preparation.
- You have not taken mock exams
To get a taste of how well you have prepared, you should take at least a couple of mock exams before you give your attempt. You would know if it is the right time to give your exam or you require more intense preparation.
- Poor Time Management
In spite of meticulous preparation, most candidates often get carried away when they sit to take the exam. You should strictly plan the amount of time you could spare for answering each question. As there are no scheduled breaks, it is suggested that you allow a fraction of the duration for breaks and emergency reasons.
- You did not read the questions thoroughly
It is highly recommended that you read the question at least twice before thinking about the answer. Jumping right into the answer after heedless skimming of questions may cost you several marks.
- You did not pick the right study material
There are tons of bewildering learning resources available on the internet. It is advisable to dismiss such random study materials and focus only on the standard ones exclusively crafted for the CAPM® exam.
- You do not have enough Project Management experience
As a prerequisite, you should have at least 23 hours of project management education. Instead, you can take the official PMI online course called Project Management Basics to fulfil this prerequisite as well as develop your project management skills and equip yourselves for the exam.
- You did not draw a solid study plan
The 150 questions of CAPM® certification exam fall into the following categories:
- Understanding Project Management and Processes in Context (15%)
- Integration Management (12%)
- Time Management (12%)
- Scope Management (11%)
- Risk Management (9%)
- Human Resource Management (8%)
- Cost Management (7%)
- Procurement Management (7%)
- Stakeholder Management (7%)
- Quality Management (6%)
- Communication Management (6%)
Thus, careful planning of time, focusing on the relevant subject content and sticking on to the study plan is indispensable.
- You did not rest enough
You should know how to treat yourself before the exam. You must get enough sleep. You should relax and have a healthy distraction so that you don’t feel anxious before entering the examination hall.
- You underestimated the exam
Neither getting all worked up nor disparaging the exam will do any good to you. You must devote the amount of time and effort that the exam deserves, follow your study plan, quit distracting habits and completely focus on succeeding the examination.
Although experience is the best teacher, certification nowadays is considered to be the best self-marketer. To progress your project management career, become a CAPM® professional!
Recent Comments