Entry-Level Project Management Certifications: CAPM and Others

Requirements, issuer by issuer

First project management certifications, from each issuer’s page (checked October 30, 2026)

Credential	Issuer	Before you start	How it is earned	Price	Upkeep
CAPM	PMI	Secondary diploma, 23 hours of project management education, age 18	Exam: 150 questions, 3 hours	$225 PMI member, $300 otherwise (U.S. pricing)	15 PDUs every 3 years
Google Project Management Certificate	Google	No experience or degree	6 courses, about 240 hours	$49 a month after a 7-day trial (US and Canada)	None stated by Google
Certified ScrumMaster (CSM)	Scrum Alliance	16-hour course	Test: 50 multiple-choice questions, 37 correct to pass; 2 attempts included	Course $250 to $2,495 (Scrum Alliance’s range from October 2023)	Scrum Education Units, every 2 years
PSM I	Scrum.org	No course required	Test: 80 questions, 60 minutes, pass mark 85%	$200 per attempt	Lifetime certification, no upkeep fee
CompTIA Project+ (PK0-005)	CompTIA	6 to 12 months of experience recommended	Exam: up to 90 questions, 90 minutes	Not listed on CompTIA’s page	See comptia.org

CAPM: For someone who wants one exam across planning, agile and business analysis, with a road to the PMP® later. Eligibility is spelled out on the CAPM requirements page.
Google Project Management Certificate: For someone who wants coursework first. Google says graduates qualify for over 100 hours of project management education toward PMI credentials such as the CAPM (Google, checked October 30, 2026); the CAPM and Google certificate comparison goes through the overlap.
CSM: For someone on a Scrum team whose employer favors a trainer-led class; the 16-hour course is the entry ticket.
PSM I: For someone on a Scrum team who wants to test without a required course. Both Scrum credentials are set against the CAPM in the CAPM, CSM and PSM I comparison.
CompTIA Project+: For someone with some project work behind them, in line with CompTIA’s 6 to 12 month recommendation.
PRINCE2, PMI-ACP, Six Sigma: Other names you will see in job postings. We have not verified their current terms, so they stay off the table.

Step 1
How much project work have you done?
None points to the CAPM, the Google certificate or a Scrum credential. Years of leading projects point to the PMP, covered in the CAPM vs PMP comparison.
Step 2
Which method does your workplace run?
Scrum all day favors CSM or PSM I. A mix of plan-driven and agile work matches the CAPM outline, which weights agile at 20% and business analysis at 27% (CAPM ECO, checked October 30, 2026).
Step 3
Course or exam?
The Google certificate is coursework. The others end in a test, and the CAPM also needs its 23 education hours first.
Step 4
What does the whole route cost?
Add the course, the exam and the upkeep, not just the headline fee. Pay data for the occupation is on the BLS salary page.