PMI CAPM Certification Exam Syllabus

Project Management Fundamentals and Core Concepts - 36%

- Demonstrate an understanding of the various project life cycles and processes.

• Distinguish between a project, program, and a portfolio.
• Distinguish between a project and operations.
• Distinguish between predictive and adaptive approaches.
• Distinguish between issues, risks, assumptions, and constraints.
• Review/critique project scope.
• Apply the project management code of ethics to scenarios (refer to PMI Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct).
• Explain how a project can be a vehicle for change.

- Demonstrate an understanding of project management planning.

• Describe the purpose and importance of cost, quality, risk, schedule, etc.
• Distinguish between the different deliverables of a project management plan versus product management plan.
• Distinguish differences between a milestone and a task duration.
• Determine the number and type of resources in a project.
• Use a risk register in a given situation.
• Use a stakeholder register in a given situation.
• Explain project closure and transitions.

- Demonstrate an understanding of project roles and responsibilities.

• Compare and contrast the roles and responsibilities of project managers and project sponsors.
• Compare and contrast the roles and responsibilities of the project team and the project sponsor.
• Explain the importance of the role the project manager plays (e.g., initiator, negotiator, listener, coach, working member, and facilitator).
• Explain the differences between leadership and management.
• Explain emotional intelligence (EQ) and its impact on project management.

- Determine how to follow and execute planned strategies or frameworks (e.g., communication, risks, etc.).

• Give examples of how it is appropriate to respond to a planned strategy or framework (e.g., communication, risk, etc.).
• Explain project initiation and benefit planning.

- Demonstrate an understanding of common problem-solving tools and techniques.

• Evaluate the effectiveness of a meeting.
• Explain the purpose of focus groups, standup meetings, brainstorming, etc.

Predictive, Plan-Based Methodologies - 17%

- Explain when it is appropriate to use a predictive, plan-based approach.

• Identify the suitability of a predictive, plan-based approach for the organizational structure (e.g., virtual, colocation, matrix structure, hierarchical, etc.).
• Determine the activities within each process.
• Give examples of typical activities within each process.
• Distinguish the differences between various project components.

- Demonstrate an understanding of a project management plan schedule.

• Apply critical path methods.
• Calculate schedule variance.
• Explain work breakdown structures (WBS).
• Explain work packages.
• Apply a quality management plan.
• Apply an integration management plan.

- Determine how to document project controls of predictive, planbased projects.

• Identify artifacts that are used in predictive, plan-based projects.
• Calculate cost and schedule variances.

Agile Frameworks/Methodologies - 20%

- Explain when it is appropriate to use an adaptive approach.

• Compare the pros and cons of adaptive and predictive, plan-based projects.
• Identify the suitability of adaptive approaches for the organizational structure (e.g., virtual, colocation, matrix structure, hierarchical, etc.).
• Identify organizational process assets and enterprise environmental factors that facilitate the use of adaptive approaches.

- Determine how to plan project iterations.

• Distinguish the logical units of iterations.
• Interpret the pros and cons of the iteration.
• Translate this WBS to an adaptive iteration.
• Determine inputs for scope.
• Explain the importance of adaptive project tracking versus predictive, plan-based tracking.

- Determine how to document project controls for an adaptive project.

• Identify artifacts that are used in adaptive projects.

- Explain the components of an adaptive plan.

• Distinguish between the components of different adaptive methodologies (e.g., Scrum, Extreme Programming (XP), Scaled Adaptive Framework (SAFe®), Kanban, etc.).

- Determine how to prepare and execute task management steps.

• Interpret success criteria of an adaptive project management task.
• Prioritize tasks in adaptive project management.

Business Analysis Frameworks - 27%

- Demonstrate an understanding of business analysis (BA) roles and responsibilities.

• Distinguish between stakeholder roles (e.g., process owner, process manager, product manager, product owner, etc.).
• Outline the need for roles and responsibilities (Why do you need to identify stakeholders in the first place?).
• Differentiate between internal and external roles.

- Determine how to conduct stakeholder communication.

• Recommend the most appropriate communication channel/tool (e.g., reporting, presentation, etc.).
• Demonstrate why communication is important for a business analyst between various teams (features, requirements, etc.).

- Determine how to gather requirements.

• Match tools to scenarios (e.g., user stories, use cases, etc.).
• Identify the requirements gathering approach for a situation (e.g., conduct stakeholder interviews, surveys, workshops, lessons learned, etc.).
• Explain a requirements traceability matrix/product backlog.

- Demonstrate an understanding of product roadmaps.

• Explain the application of a product roadmap.
• Determine which components go to which releases.

- Determine how project methodologies influence business analysis processes.

• Determine the role of a business analyst in adaptive and/or predictive, plan-based approaches.

- Validate requirements through product delivery.

• Define acceptance criteria (the action of defining changes based on the situation).
• Determine if a project/product is ready for delivery based on a requirements traceability matrix/product backlog.