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PMP - Project Management Professional

PMP - Project Management Professional vs 3 alternatives compared

Exam fee, level, duration, validity and salary side by side. Blank cells mean we do not have verified data yet.

PMP - Project Management ProfessionalCAPM - Certified Associate in PMPMI-ACP - Agile Certified PractitionerCSM - Certified ScrumMaster
VendorPMIPMIPMIScrum Alliance
LevelAdvancedBeginnerIntermediateBeginner
Exam fee$405 (member) / $555 (non-member)$225$495$1,295
Duration—180 minutes——
Passing score————
Valid for—3 years——
Typical salary$130K–$160K$70K–$90K$115K–$140K$95K–$125K
Prerequisites—A secondary degree (high school diploma, GED or global equivalent), at least 18 years old…——

Which should you choose?

Should I take PMP - Project Management Professional or CAPM - Certified Associate in PM first?

CAPM - Certified Associate in PM is the lower-level certification (Beginner vs Advanced), so it is usually the better first step.

Should I take PMP - Project Management Professional or PMI-ACP - Agile Certified Practitioner first?

PMI-ACP - Agile Certified Practitioner is the lower-level certification (Intermediate vs Advanced), so it is usually the better first step.

Should I take PMP - Project Management Professional or CSM - Certified ScrumMaster first?

CSM - Certified ScrumMaster is the lower-level certification (Beginner vs Advanced), so it is usually the better first step.