Should I take the PMP exam or start with CAPM if I only have two years of project experience?

All answers to this question.

If you have 26 months of experience, you are in a "grey area." While the PMP is the gold standard, you technically need 36 months if you have a four-year degree. Honestly, I’d suggest going for the CAPM now. It covers the PMBOK Guide fundamentals and, more importantly, it satisfies the 35-hour education requirement for the PMP later on. Many of my colleagues used the CAPM to pivot from "Coordinator" to "Associate PM," which usually comes with a 15-20% salary bump. Don't wait a year to stay stagnant; get the credential now and build your confidence for the big one later.

   Answered 2024-05-16 by Kimberly Adams

That is a great point, but have you checked if your 26 months of experience strictly meets the PMI definition of "leading and directing" projects? Sometimes people underestimate their actual leadership hours.

   Answered 2024-05-18 by Robert Miller

• Robert, that’s a vital distinction. Many candidates don't realize that leading a sub-phase of a larger project counts as leadership. If Sarah can document her 26 months as direct leadership, she only needs 10 more months. However, if those months were purely administrative, the CAPM is the safer bet to avoid an audit.

     Commented 2024-05-19 by Michael Thompson

I'd say go for it. The CAPM recently updated its exam content to include Business Analysis and Agile, making it much more relevant for today's market than it was a few years ago.

   Answered 2024-05-20 by Jennifer Scott

• Totally agree with Jennifer. The inclusion of Agile in the new CAPM ECO makes it a very strong credential for tech-heavy industries.

     Commented 2024-05-21 by Sarah Jenkins