The CAPM is the Project Management Institute's associate-level certification for people early in project work. To sit it you need a secondary degree, must be 18 or older, and must have completed 23 hours of project management education. This page gives you free practice sets for each official content area, worked explanations of sample questions, the main exam facts from PMI, and a study plan for test day.
According to Project Management Institute, “Of the 150 questions, 15 are considered pretest”[1]
The Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) from the Project Management Institute (PMI) shows that you understand the basics of project work: core concepts, predictive (plan-based) methods, agile frameworks and business analysis. To be eligible you need a secondary degree, must be at least 18, and must complete at least 23 hours of project management education before the exam.
You can test at a Pearson VUE test center, which PMI recommends, or securely online. The exam has 150 questions. 135 are scored and 15 are unscored pretest questions mixed in with the rest, so answer every question as if it counts. You get 3 hours (180 minutes) plus a 10-minute break. PMI does not publish a passing score. It is set by psychometric analysis. On a computer exam you get your score report when you finish. Paper exams take 6-8 weeks.
The fee is $300, or $225 for PMI members, and PMI says registrations are processed in 24 hours or less. Rescheduling or cancelling within 30 days of your appointment costs US$70 plus taxes, and no changes are allowed within 48 hours. You may take the exam up to 3 times within your 1-year eligibility period. Re-exams are discounted, and the price depends on your region and membership. Once certified, you renew every 3 years by earning 15 PDUs. Fees and policies can change, so check current details on pmi.org and in PMI's certification handbook before you book.
The CAPM has 150 questions and takes about 3 hours[1] (Project Management Institute, verified Oct 25, 2026).
Numbers in brackets link to the official sources listed under Sources & last verified. Dates that have passed are removed automatically.
| Item | Detail | Source · Verified |
|---|---|---|
| Number of questions | 150 questions (135 scored + 15 unscored pretest)[1] | Project Management Institute · Oct 25, 2026 |
| Time limit | 3 hours (180 minutes), plus a 10-minute break[1] | Project Management Institute · Oct 25, 2026 |
| Passing score | Not published; set by psychometric analysis[2] | Project Management Institute · Oct 25, 2026 |
| Exam fee (non-member) | $300 for non-members[3] | Project Management Institute · Oct 25, 2026 |
| Exam fee (PMI member) | $225 for PMI members[3] | Project Management Institute · Oct 25, 2026 |
| Retake fee | Discounted re-exam fee (regional/membership pricing)[1] | Project Management Institute · Oct 25, 2026 |
| Retake policy | Up to 3 attempts within the 1-year eligibility period[1] | Project Management Institute · Oct 25, 2026 |
| Validity | 3-year certification cycle[2] | Project Management Institute · Oct 25, 2026 |
| Renewal | 15 PDUs every 3-year cycle[3] | Project Management Institute · Oct 25, 2026 |
| Delivery | Pearson VUE test center or online proctored[3] | Project Management Institute · Oct 25, 2026 |
| Eligibility | Secondary degree, age 18+, 23 hours of project management education[3] | Project Management Institute · Oct 25, 2026 |
| Score release | Score report on completion for computer exams; 6-8 weeks for paper[2] | Project Management Institute · Oct 25, 2026 |
| Late registration deadline | US$70 plus taxes to reschedule/cancel within 30 days; no changes within 48 hours[2] | Project Management Institute · Oct 25, 2026 |
| Registration opens | Registrations processed in 24 hours or less[1] | Project Management Institute · Oct 25, 2026 |
The content areas below are copied from the official CAPM content outline published by Project Management Institute, with the share of the exam each area carries. The right-hand column shows which of our practice sets covers it.
| Official content area | Weight | Practice on this site |
|---|---|---|
| Agile Frameworks/Methodologies[1] | 20% | CAPM Agile Frameworks Practice Scrum and Kanban roles, events and artifacts, backlog refinement, and how agile teams plan and track iterations. |
| Business Analysis Frameworks[1] | 27% | CAPM Business Analysis Practice gathering and documenting requirements, stakeholder analysis, traceability, and checking that delivered work meets the business need. |
| Predictive, Plan-Based Methodologies[1] | 17% | CAPM Predictive Methodologies Practice work breakdown structures, scope and schedule baselines, critical path reading, and formal change control in plan-driven projects. |
| Project Management Fundamentals and Core Concepts[1] | 36% | CAPM Fundamentals & Core Concepts Practice project life cycles, the roles of sponsor, project manager and team, competing constraints, and choosing between predictive, agile and hybrid approaches. |
Prepare for the CAPM - Certified Associate in Project Management exam with our free practice test modules. Each quiz covers key topics to help you pass on your first try.
These are practice questions written for this site, not questions from the real exam. Each explanation shows why the right answer is right and why the others are wrong.
Question: Which foundational principle is MOST important for success in the Certified Associate in Project Management profession?
Answer: B. Commitment to continuous learning, ethical practice, and quality outcomes
Explanation:
B is correct. PMI builds its credentials around ongoing development and ethical conduct. You renew by earning professional development units, and the PMI Code of Ethics asks for responsibility, respect, fairness and honesty. Quality outcomes are what stakeholders judge a project by.
Rule to remember: an option that combines ethics, learning and stakeholder value usually beats options about profit, minimums or narrow focus.
Question: What documentation is MOST critical to maintain for safety compliance in the Certified Associate in Project Management field?
Answer: B. Incident reports, training records, and inspection logs
Explanation:
B is correct. Incident reports, training records and inspection logs are the evidence that safety requirements were met. They show what happened, who was trained and what was checked. On a project, records like these sit next to the issue log and risk register, and they are what an audit or compliance review asks for.
Rule to remember: when a question asks what proves compliance, pick the records of events, training and checks, not general business data. Safety is not a separate CAPM content area, so treat this as a records question.
Question: Which risk management approach is MOST effective for CAPM professionals when evaluating potential workplace hazards?
Answer: B. Proactive hazard identification and assessment
Explanation:
B is correct. PMI's approach to risk is proactive: identify risks early, assess their likelihood and impact, and plan responses before they occur. A hazard is a threat-type risk, so the same logic applies.
Rule to remember: on CAPM-style questions, the answer that finds and addresses risk early usually beats reactive or passive choices.
Start with PMI's CAPM Exam Content Outline so you know what each content area covers. Finish your 23 hours of project management education before you book.
Our questions are written with AI tools and are not real exam questions. Use them to find gaps, then confirm the details in PMI's official material.
How we verify: editorial & fact-checking policy. Report an error: contact us.
The exam costs $300 for non-members and $225 for PMI members, according to PMI's CAPM page. Rescheduling or cancelling within 30 days of your appointment costs US$70 plus taxes, and you cannot change the appointment within 48 hours. Re-exams are discounted, and the price depends on your region and membership. Check pmi.org for the current price before you pay.
PMI does not publish a passing score. It is set through psychometric analysis, as it is for all PMI exams. Also, only 135 of the 150 questions are scored. The other 15 are unscored pretest questions, and you cannot tell which ones they are. Aim to understand every content area instead of chasing a target score, and use practice results to find weak spots.
You need a secondary degree, must be 18 or older, and must have completed at least 23 hours of project management education before the exam. Check the CAPM page on pmi.org for what counts as qualifying education before you apply, so your application is processed without delays.
Yes. PMI offers the exam at Pearson VUE test centers, which it recommends, or securely online. Either way you have 3 hours for 150 questions, plus a 10-minute break. On a computer exam you get a copy of your score report as soon as you finish.
You can take the exam up to 3 times within your 1-year eligibility period. Re-exams are discounted, and the price depends on your region and PMI membership. If you use all your attempts in that period, check PMI's certification handbook for what to do next.
Earn 15 professional development units (PDUs) in each 3-year cycle. PMI's certification programs renew every 3 years under the Continuing Certification Requirements (CCR) program. Log your PDUs as you earn them rather than at the end of the cycle, and check the reporting steps on pmi.org.