Is the CAPM respected in the industry? Or is it PMP or bust?

Overview of CAPM and PMP CAPM is an entry level certification for people who are working in projects. CAPM is awarded on the basis of knowledge contained in the PMBOK Guide. You can easily pass the CAPM exam, if you study the PMBOK Guide well and learn about the processes & ITTOs. PMP is an advanced level certification for people who have experience of are leading & directing projects i.e. they have managed complete project(s) or part of project management team. PMP is mostly based on PMBOK Guide but not entirely on it. It is based on Project Manager's role as defined by the PMI. Most of the PM role definition is covered in the PMBOK Guide. PMP tests the aspirants on the application of PMBOK Guide's concepts (Processes & ITTOs) and hence it is much more difficult than CAPM. Most large companies value PMP certification. CAPM Requirement There are 2 ways to fulfill the requirement to appear in the CAPM Exam: * Option 1 - You need to have high school diploma or global equivalent with 1500 hours of professional experience on a project team * Option 2 - You need to have high school diploma or global equivalent with 23 contact hours of formal education. PMP Requirement There are only 2 requirements to apply for PMP: 1. Project Management Experience 2. 35 hours of Project Management Education Project Management Experience You need 4500 hrs of experience if you have done 4 years of degree (bachelors degree or equivalent). Other wise if you have a diploma of equivalent then you need 7500 hrs of experience. The PM experience should be in a leading & directing projects. PM role is mandatory before applying for the exam. However, PM role is not equivalent to PM designation/title. PM role means that you should have managed full or part of a project. Your role in the project could be of PMO Executive, vendor management, team management, client management etc. The projects could be related to any industry. They could be big or small, technical or non-technical etc. PMP or CAPM? If you have the relevant experience then I would suggest that you should opt for PMP. Otherwise you can go for CAPM. If you want to do CAPM, just join an online course (for mandatory 23 contact hours) and study the PMBOK Guide. It should be enough. Contact Hours for CAPM Self-learning online training Classroom Training Classroom course are the best for learning provided the trainer is good. If you want to do a classroom training, then you should find the best trainer in your city. The trainer is more important than the institute. An aspirant remains in contact with the trainer for 4 days, institute has very little role during these 4 days. If the trainer is not good then 4 days & the money goes waste. It does not mean, institute is not important. A good institute would provide comprehensive study material & good post workshop support. But first find out few good trainers, look at their linkedin profiles and talk to them. Classroom course are usually most expensive. The classroom training can range from $200-$2500 depending on your geography/country. If you are living in South Asia, a classroom course will cost less than an good online self-learning course. Online Classroom Training These courses are good if you need a defined training schedule with some flexibility. These are better for learning than self-learning courses but not as good as classroom courses. If you decide to go for an instructor led option, then you can read the review & comparison of 6 popular instructor-led online PMP training courses here - PMP Instructor Led Training Courses. These are more expensive than self-learning courses but somewhat less expensive than self-learning courses - the cost can range from $200-$2000. The prices of 6 popular courses are mentioned in the comparison article. Self-learning Online Training These courses are good if you have got good self-discipline & self-motivation. If you decide to do a self-learning training, then you should read the review & comparison of popular 6 self-learning training courses - PMP Online Training Course. You can save a lot of money by taking a good self-learning course - the cost can range from $200-$400. The prices of 6 popular courses are mentioned in the comparison article. Complete Guide to PMP To understand more about the PMP process, you can visit the following link and download free PMP Exam Prep guide - How To Get PMP Certification? This guide gives complete information about PMP Exam, including: - Eligibility Criteria for PMP Exam - Pros & cons of different modes of training - A good PMP exam preparation schedule - Recommended study material for the exam prep All the best.