The two side by side
| Point | CAPM | Google certificate |
|---|---|---|
| Issued by | PMI | |
| Earned by | Passing a proctored exam: 150 questions in 3 hours | Completing 6 courses, about 240 hours |
| Before you start | Secondary diploma, 23 hours of project management education, age 18; no experience | No experience or degree required |
| Price | $225 PMI member, $300 otherwise (exam fee, U.S. pricing) | $49 a month after a 7-day free trial (US and Canada) |
| Where | Pearson VUE test center or online proctored | Online courses |
| Upkeep | 15 PDUs every 3 years | None stated by Google |
Picking by what you want next
- The CAPM, if
- you want an exam-based credential with a renewal cycle and a link to the PMP® later; an active CAPM fulfills the PMP’s 35-hour training requirement (PMI’s PMP page, checked October 30, 2026).
- The Google certificate, if
- you want guided coursework from zero and a monthly price you can stop. A subscription has one feature an exam fee lacks: it ends when you do.
- Both, if
- you want the coursework and then the exam credential, with the course hours carrying the CAPM education requirement.
What the CAPM exam measures
The CAPM is written against PMI’s 2023 outline: Project Management Fundamentals and Core Concepts 36%, Predictive, Plan-Based Methodologies 17%, Agile Frameworks/Methodologies 20%, Business Analysis Frameworks 27% (CAPM ECO, checked October 30, 2026). Items mix multiple choice with drag-and-drop, hot spot, comic-strip and animation formats.
Whichever course carried your hours, check it against those four headings in the CAPM study guide before booking. Other prep routes are listed on the prep options page, and the wider field is covered in first project management certifications.
Sources
- Google Project Management Certificate grow.google — prerequisites, courses, hours, price, hours toward PMI credentials
- PMI CAPM Examination Content Outline, 2023 update www.pmi.org — eligibility, domains, item types
- PMI: CAPM certification page www.pmi.org — delivery, age, no experience
- PMI store: CAPM exam www.pmi.org — fee, U.S. pricing
- PMI Continuing Certification Requirements Handbook www.pmi.org — renewal
- PMI: PMP certification page www.pmi.org — active CAPM and PMP training hours