Hi there! Karen Carter, Student Success Coordinator and newly-certified CAPM, here! For those of you who are unfamiliar with the CAPM certification, this is the certification one can earn if they do not have quite enough project management experience required for the PMP Exam. You can sit for the CAPM Exam as long as you have a combination of a secondary degree and either 1,500 hours of project experience or 23 hours of project management education (contact hours).

I took a Velociteach instructor-led PMP Prep Class (which provides 35 contact hours) to fulfill my 23 contact hour requirement. Why did I take a PMP Prep Class? Simple. The CAPM Exam covers the same content as the PMP Exam. The CAPM is based off the same PMBOK® as the PMP– the same PMBOK® Andy Crowe adapted to become The PMP Exam: How to Pass on Your First Try. This textbook was invaluable, as was the class.

I did not use the PMBOK®. With the live class, comes Velociteach’s  All-In-One-Kit, a course workbook, 6-months access to InSite (the online learning portal), and all class materials down to the pen and paper. Andy Crowe’s textbook (included within the Kit) covered all the same information as the PMBOK® in a much easier way to understand. I sat with this book and read it cover to cover, wearing out my highlighter while doing so. The other tools included within the All-In-One-Kit (The Quick Reference Guide, Audio CDs, and Flashcards) proved to be tremendously helpful as well. I ended up creating 47 more of my own flashcards just to practice writing out the processes using Velociteach’s unique color coding method I learned in class. Further, I took full advantage of the practice tests and quizzes provided in both InSite and the textbook. In InSite I was able to pick how many questions I wanted to be quizzed on and I could group them by knowledge area, process group, or even choose to simulate an actual exam! This helped me learn how to manage my time to ensure I didn’t run out of time on my actual exam.

The class really enforced all the information and helped bring perspective to some parts of the content I was looking too closely at to see clearly. It was great to have a chance to stand back and see the material from a new viewpoint. The content in the class is structured in a very  clever way to help you visualize the information while pulling it from memory. Also, my instructor provided a wealth of information and was so patient. I even spoke with him on the phone after class to have him re-explain some of the formulas in Cost Management. As we say here in the South, bless his heart. He was so patient with me!

I studied very diligently for a little over three weeks, including before and after my class hours during the week of my class and the weekends. It definitely took time away from my normal schedule and got me out of routine, but it was worth it! Throughout the exam, I felt good about the majority of my answers. I scored Above Target. The exam itself scores you on all ten Knowledge Areas and the Processes in context. Hint: Know the ITTOs! (Inputs, Tools/Techniques, and Outputs)

I am now a very excited (and very relieved) CAPM. If you wish to know more about my experience or how to sign up for your own Velociteach Exam Prep class, please feel free to reach out to me! The best ways to reach me are through phone or email.
Phone:770-424-3535
Email: Karen.Carter@velociteach.com

Study hard, aspirants!