CAPM (Certified Associate in Project Management) Practice Exam
Cover all four CAPM domains — project management fundamentals, predictive methods, agile frameworks, and business analysis — with objective-mapped questions, instant feedback in Learn mode, and a full timed simulation in Exam mode. Start with a 24-hour free trial.
Start 24-hour free trial →CAPM exam at a glance
- Vendor
- Project Management Institute (PMI)
- Exam name
- Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)®
- Blueprint
- CAPM Exam Content Outline (2023 refresh, in effect from 25 July 2023); verify edition before publish
- Format
- 150 questions (135 scored, 15 unscored pretest) — multiple choice, drag-and-drop, hot spot, and animation/comic-strip items
- Duration
- 180 minutes, with one optional 10-minute break after the first 75 questions
- Delivery
- Pearson VUE test center or online proctored
- Passing standard
- PMI does not publish a fixed passing score; the result is reported as pass or fail with domain-level performance feedback
- Prerequisites
- Secondary degree (high-school diploma, GED, or global equivalent) plus 23 hours of project-management education completed before the exam. No prior work experience required.
- Validity
- 3 years; renew with 15 PDUs
Source: PMI — CAPM Certification Handbook & Exam Content Outline. Verify current details with PMI before scheduling.
About the CAPM (Certified Associate in Project Management) certification
The CAPM is PMI’s entry-level credential — the on-ramp to the profession for project team members, new project coordinators, and career-changers who do not yet meet the experience bar for the PMP. Crucially, the 2023 refresh broadened it well beyond traditional project management: the exam now tests predictive, agile, and business-analysis content together, drawing on the PMBOK® Guide (7th edition), the Agile Practice Guide, and business-analysis frameworks. A candidate who studies Waterfall fundamentals alone now leaves nearly half the exam uncovered. For foundational reading on the delivery approaches the CAPM tests, see the Program & Project Management Fundamentals guide.
PowerKram’s CAPM practice exam mirrors the 2023 four-domain structure and maps every question to its domain, so your score report tells you which domain to study — whether that is core fundamentals, the predictive lifecycle, agile frameworks, or the business-analysis content most CAPM candidates have never formally studied.
CAPM exam domains and weights
The current CAPM exam (2023 refresh) splits questions across four domains. Project Management Fundamentals is the largest at 36%, but the surprise for most candidates is Business Analysis at 27% — a body of content that did not exist on the pre-2023 exam.
Core terminology, project life cycles, roles and responsibilities, and the foundational concepts that apply to any project regardless of delivery approach.
Traditional “Waterfall” practice: scope, schedule, cost, and quality planning where requirements are defined early and changes are managed against a baseline.
Adaptive, iterative, and incremental delivery — the Agile mindset and frameworks such as Scrum and Kanban, including ceremonies, roles, and artifacts.
Pre-project and in-project business-analysis work: eliciting and tracking requirements, stakeholder needs, and the link between business cases and project value. New in 2023.
Question counts are approximate, based on the 135 scored questions and the official domain percentages. Source: PMI CAPM Examination Content Outline (2023).
Who the CAPM is for
Unlike the PMP, the CAPM has no work-experience requirement — only a secondary diploma and 23 hours of project-management education. That makes it the natural first credential for people building toward a project role rather than formalizing an established one.
- Project team members and coordinators who want to validate foundational knowledge and take on more project responsibility.
- Students and recent graduates entering the workforce who need a recognized credential before they have years of experience.
- Career changers moving into project management from an adjacent role (operations, support, administration).
- Business analysts and aspiring analysts — the 2023 exam’s Business Analysis domain makes the CAPM relevant to analyst career paths, not just project-manager ones.
Once you have the experience to qualify, the PMP is the natural next step. For role-by-role salary ranges and career paths the CAPM opens up, see the Career Hub — Business Analyst role guide.
What this CAPM practice exam delivers
Learn mode
Get the correct answer, the explanation, and why the other choices were wrong — immediately after each question. Ideal for the Business Analysis domain, where many CAPM candidates start from zero.
Exam mode
150 questions, 180-minute timer, one optional break after question 75 — the real CAPM format. Build the pacing the actual test requires.
Source-linked explanations
Every answer cites the PMI reference it derives from (PMBOK® Guide, Agile Practice Guide, or Exam Content Outline) so you can verify and dig deeper.
Score by CAPM domain
Your results break down across fundamentals, predictive, agile, and business analysis — so practice tells you exactly which of the four domains needs more work.
Sample CAPM practice questions
Ten free questions across the four domains, with full explanations. The complete bank is available with the 24-hour trial.
A junior team member is unfamiliar with the work breakdown structure (WBS). What is the primary purpose of a WBS?
- To decompose the total project scope into smaller, manageable deliverables and work packages
- To assign individual tasks to named team members
- To define the project’s communication plan
- To produce the detailed cost estimate
Show answer & explanation
Correct: A — Decompose scope into deliverables and work packages. The WBS is a hierarchical decomposition of the total scope of work the team must carry out. It is the foundation for scheduling, estimating, and assigning work — but its own purpose is to organize and define scope.
Why not the others: assigning tasks to people (B) is done later, often via a responsibility assignment matrix, not the WBS itself; the communication plan (C) is a separate planning artifact; the cost estimate (D) is derived from the WBS but is not its purpose.
Source: PMI CAPM Exam Content Outline — Fundamentals → Further reading: PowerKram — Project Management Fundamentals →A project manager is preparing a stakeholder register. Which document is a primary input for identifying stakeholders?
- Project charter
- Risk register
- Change log
- Work performance data
Show answer & explanation
Correct: A — Project charter. The charter names the sponsor and key stakeholders and is available at project start, making it the natural first input for building the stakeholder register.
Why not the others: the risk register (B) and change log (C) are produced later in planning and execution, so they cannot be the initial input; work performance data (D) is raw execution data, not a source of stakeholder identity.
Source: PMI CAPM Exam Content Outline — Fundamentals →A team is using a predictive (plan-based) life cycle. Which statement best describes a key characteristic of this approach?
- Scope is defined in detail early, and changes are managed against a baseline
- Scope is expected to evolve continuously throughout delivery
- Requirements are deliberately deferred until after development begins
- Detailed up-front planning is avoided in favour of frequent re-planning
Show answer & explanation
Correct: A — Scope defined early, changes managed against a baseline. Predictive life cycles plan scope, schedule, and cost in detail up front and then control change against approved baselines through formal change control.
Why not the others: evolving scope (B), deferred requirements (C), and minimal up-front planning (D) all describe adaptive/agile approaches — the opposite of predictive.
Source: PMI CAPM Exam Content Outline — Predictive domain → Further reading: PowerKram — Predictive vs. Agile Delivery →During a requirements workshop, attendees express conflicting priorities. Which technique helps the group prioritize requirements collaboratively?
- Multivoting
- Wireframing
- Use-case modeling
- Peer review
Show answer & explanation
Correct: A — Multivoting. Multivoting (and related group-decision techniques) lets stakeholders collectively rank or narrow a list of options, surfacing shared priorities when individual views conflict.
Why not the others: wireframing (B) and use-case modeling (C) are requirements modeling techniques — they represent requirements, they don’t prioritize them; peer review (D) is a quality/validation activity, not a prioritization method.
Source: PMI CAPM Exam Content Outline — Business Analysis domain → Further reading: PowerKram — Business Analysis Frameworks →A project sponsor asks for a current summary of identified project risks. Which document should the project manager reference?
- Risk register
- Issue log
- Stakeholder register
- Project schedule
Show answer & explanation
Correct: A — Risk register. The risk register is the repository of identified risks, their analysis, and planned responses — exactly what a sponsor needs for a risk summary.
Why not the others: the issue log (B) tracks problems that have already occurred, not potential future risks; the stakeholder register (C) records people, not risks; the schedule (D) shows timing, not risk exposure.
Source: PMI CAPM Exam Content Outline — Fundamentals →A team is unclear about roles and responsibilities. Which tool best clarifies accountability for project activities?
- RACI matrix
- Gantt chart
- Burn-up chart
- Affinity diagram
Show answer & explanation
Correct: A — RACI matrix. A RACI matrix maps each activity to who is Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed, removing ambiguity about who owns what.
Why not the others: a Gantt chart (B) shows schedule; a burn-up chart (C) tracks completed work over time in agile delivery; an affinity diagram (D) groups ideas during analysis — none assign accountability.
Source: PMI CAPM Exam Content Outline — Fundamentals → Further reading: PowerKram — Roles, Responsibilities & RACI →A project manager wants to track schedule performance against the baseline. Which earned-value metric best reflects schedule efficiency?
- Schedule Performance Index (SPI)
- Cost Performance Index (CPI)
- Earned Value (EV)
- Estimate at Completion (EAC)
Show answer & explanation
Correct: A — Schedule Performance Index (SPI). SPI (EV ÷ PV) expresses schedule efficiency: above 1.0 means ahead of schedule, below 1.0 means behind.
Why not the others: CPI (B) measures cost efficiency, not schedule; EV (C) is a single value of work performed, not an efficiency ratio; EAC (D) forecasts total cost at completion, not schedule performance.
Source: PMI PMBOK® Guide — Earned value metrics →A team member suggests skipping the lessons-learned documentation at closure to save time. Why is this a poor decision?
- It denies the organization knowledge that would improve future projects
- It speeds up project closure, which is undesirable
- It avoids conflict among team members
- It automatically improves stakeholder satisfaction
Show answer & explanation
Correct: A — It denies the organization future-improving knowledge. Lessons learned, captured at closure and stored in organizational process assets, are the mechanism by which one project’s experience becomes a reusable asset. Skipping it means that knowledge leaves with the team.
Why not the others: faster closure (B) is not a benefit that justifies losing the knowledge; “avoids conflict” (C) is not a real upside and isn’t what lessons learned are about; (D) is simply false — skipping documentation does not improve satisfaction.
Source: PMI CAPM Exam Content Outline — Closing →An agile team is using a burndown chart during a sprint. What does a burndown chart primarily track?
- Remaining work over time
- Cumulative budget spent
- Team-member availability
- Overall risk exposure
Show answer & explanation
Correct: A — Remaining work over time. A burndown chart plots the work still to be completed against time in a sprint or release, giving the team a quick read on whether they are on track to finish.
Why not the others: budget (B) is tracked with cost metrics, not a burndown; availability (C) belongs in resource planning; risk exposure (D) is tracked in the risk register — none is what a burndown shows.
Source: PMI Agile Practice Guide — Agile metrics → Further reading: PowerKram — Agile Frameworks & Metrics →A stakeholder requests a change late in a predictive project. What should the project manager do first?
- Evaluate the change’s impact and submit it through the change-control process
- Implement the change immediately to keep the stakeholder happy
- Reject the change because the baseline is approved
- Escalate the request to the sponsor without any analysis
Show answer & explanation
Correct: A — Evaluate impact and submit through change control. In a predictive project, any change to a baseline is first assessed for impact on scope, schedule, cost, quality, and risk, then routed through change control for a decision.
Why not the others: implementing immediately (B) bypasses change control and breaks baseline integrity; rejecting outright (C) ignores that the change may add value; escalating without analysis (D) hands the sponsor a decision they can’t make without impact data.
Source: PMI CAPM Exam Content Outline — Predictive domain →Keep going: Learning & Career resources
The CAPM is a starting point — it earns its return when paired with the underlying delivery skills and a clear sense of where it leads. Two PowerKram hubs back this exam up.
Deep dive: CAPM exam structure, scoring, study path & recertification
Exam structure and how it’s scored
The CAPM delivers 150 questions in 180 minutes, with one optional 10-minute break after you submit and review the first 75 questions — once you pass that break you cannot revisit earlier answers. Of the 150 questions, 15 are unscored pretest items mixed in randomly, so 135 count toward your result. Question formats include traditional multiple choice, drag-and-drop, hot spot, and animation/comic-strip items. PMI reports the outcome as pass/fail with domain-level performance feedback rather than a published numeric pass mark. Read the project-management fundamentals guide →
Predictive, agile, and business-analysis coverage
The 2023 refresh is the defining fact about the modern CAPM: it is no longer a Waterfall-only fundamentals test. Agile (20%) and Business Analysis (27%) together make up nearly half the exam. A candidate who prepares only from older PMBOK-6-era material will be blindsided by the business-analysis content in particular, which covers requirements elicitation, stakeholder needs, and business cases. Build your study plan around all four domains in proportion to their weights. Read the business-analysis frameworks guide →
Realistic study path
Most candidates need roughly six to ten weeks of consistent study, anchored by the 23 hours of required project-management education and the PMBOK® Guide (7th edition) plus the Agile Practice Guide. Because the four domains are unequal, weight your time accordingly: spend the most on Fundamentals (36%) and Business Analysis (27%), and do not neglect Agile (20%). PowerKram’s domain-level scoring surfaces which of the four is weakest early, so the middle weeks of prep can be re-weighted toward it. Read the project-management study guide →
Cost, scheduling, and retake policy
PMI membership reduces the exam fee and includes free PDF access to the PMBOK® Guide and Agile Practice Guide, which often offsets the membership cost on its own. The exam is delivered through Pearson VUE at a test center or online with a proctor; the online option requires a quiet, private room and a webcam check. Verify current fees, languages, and retake rules on PMI’s site before scheduling. PMI’s official CAPM page →
Recertification (PDUs)
The CAPM is valid for three years. To renew, you earn 15 Professional Development Units (PDUs) within the Continuing Certification Requirements (CCR) cycle — a lighter requirement than the PMP’s 60 PDUs, reflecting the credential’s entry-level position. Webinars, courses, reading, and on-the-job learning all count. PMI’s CCR Handbook is the authoritative reference. Read the PDU and recertification guide →
Career outlook for CAPM holders
The CAPM is positioned as a career-starter: it signals foundational project-management and business-analysis knowledge to employers before you have years of experience. It opens entry-level roles such as project coordinator, junior project manager, business analyst, and product owner, and it counts toward the education requirement on the path to the PMP. For salary ranges and role-specific paths, see the Career Hub. Career Hub — Product Owner role →
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