Short answer
150 questions: 135 scored and 15 unscored pretest items, with 3 hours (180 minutes) to answer them.
Source: PMI CAPM Examination Content Outline, 2023 update · checked October 30, 2026
The optional tutorial and end survey, 5 to 15 minutes, are outside the 3 hours. One 10-minute break comes after you have answered and reviewed questions 1 to 75, and once you take it you cannot go back to them.
The five item formats
- Multiple choice
- Pick the best answer from the options given.
- Drag-and-drop
- PMI also calls it enhanced matching: you pair or place items on the screen.
- Animation
- A short video scenario followed by one multiple-choice question. Test center only.
- Comic strip
- A scenario told in panels, followed by one multiple-choice question. Test center and online.
- Hot spot
- You click an area of an image or chart. The ECO says you may also see these.
Where the scored questions come from
CAPM domain weights, PMI CAPM Examination Content Outline, 2023 update
Before the clock starts
- Know when the break comes: once, after question 75, and questions 1 to 75 lock behind you when you take it.
- Budget 3 hours of questions plus up to 15 minutes of tutorial and survey.
- If you test online, expect comic strips and no animations; the differences are on taking the CAPM online.
- Sit at least one long session at a desk under a clock. The timed sprint here is shorter than the real thing and keeps its own clock.
- Spend study time in proportion to the weights above; the study guide lists every topic under its domain.
Time and breaks
How long is the CAPM exam?
3 hours, or 180 minutes, of exam time (CAPM ECO, checked October 30, 2026). The optional tutorial and survey add 5 to 15 minutes outside that.
Is there a break?
One 10-minute break, after questions 1 to 75. You cannot return to those questions afterward (CAPM ECO, checked October 30, 2026).
Is the online exam the same length?
The ECO gives one length for the exam. The difference it states is that online candidates see comic strips but no animations (CAPM ECO, checked October 30, 2026).
What score do I need?
PMI does not publish one. See the CAPM passing score explained.
Sources
- PMI CAPM Examination Content Outline, 2023 update www.pmi.org — question count, pretest items, time, break, item formats, domain weights
- PMI: Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) www.pmi.org — exam overview