IPMA Level-D: Certified Project Management Associate (CPMA)

Certified Project Management Associate (CPMA) is a knowledge-based qualification matching IPMA Level-D. Successful candidates are able to participate in managing projects of various sizes. This qualification is recognized both nationally and internationally as demonstrating that candidates can apply their project management knowledge in various project environments, between companies, and across industries.

The CPMA is intended for project managers and aspiring project managers who wish to demonstrate their knowledge of project management at a foundation level. CPMA covers all 46 competence elements from the Canadian Project Management National Competence Baseline (CPMNCB). Knowledge of each of these elements is considered fundamental to the professional management of projects.

A candidate who successfully completes the CPMA exam earns the right to use the letters CPMA (or IPMA-D) after his or her name plus can use the image to the left on their business card or online bio. The candidate is eligible to use these post nominals for as long as their certification remains current. If it expires and is not renewed, candidates are no longer eligible to use these post nominals.

The Exam

The CPMA exam involves one three-hour exam composed of three components:

1. Multiple Choice Questions - 60 minutes
2. Short-Answer Questions (2-3 paragraphs) - 60 minutes
3. Essay Questions - 60 minutes

The exam is offered in proctored, written format as well as a self-scheduled online option. While the online option may be taken at any time, the paper-based exam is only offered on certain dates and locations -- please see our events calendar for the latest listings.

The CPMA assesses the candidate’s breadth of knowledge in all areas of project management, from strategic and commercial implications, to the technical, organizational, and people management skills required to participate effectively within a project team.

Examination Fee

The regular fee for writing the CPMA examination is $350. This includes the cost of the examination and the resulting certificate, if the candidate passes the exam.

Special Promotion - Until December 31, 2010, the CPMA examination is available at a discounted rate of only $150. Don't miss out on this incredible opportunity!

Preparing for the Exam

To prepare for the CPMA exam, candidates should first read the Canadian Project Management National Competence Baseline (CPMNCB) as this document describes all of the 46 topics to be covered in the exam.

Candidates for the CPMA exam can also complete the self-assessment tool measuring themselves against these 46 competence elements to see where they may want to focus their study efforts.

Finally, candidates may want to take a course designed to help candidates pass the CPMA exam. The PMAC-AGCP accredits courses that have passed a rigorous review. Currently, we have one course accredited for CPMA exam preparation; however, this preparation course is optional (though recommended), and candidates may instead pursue a self-study approach.

Whether or not candidates take a preparation course, the PMAC recommends the following books as a good study aid for the CPMA (Level-D) exam:

	Project Manager's Portable Handbook (3rd edition) by David I. Cleland and Lewis R. Ireland. Published by McGraw-Hill, 2011. ISBN: 9780071741057.
	Management Teams: Why They Succeed or Fail (2nd edition) by R. Meredith Belbin. Published by Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann, 2005.

Application

To apply to write the examination, please download and print out either the CPMA Paper Exam Application Form or CPMA Online Exam Application Form. This form must be completed by the candidate (and a guarantor for online exams). The guarantor is a person from an authorized group of people who can authenticate the identity of the candidate, similar to when Canadians apply for passports. The guarantor will also need to sign the form attesting that the person signing the form is the individual named on the form and that the person is known to them for a period of at least two (2) years. Guarantors are not required for print exam applications, only for online exam applications.

The application form also contains an oath to be signed by the candidate and witnessed by the guarantor that the candidate will not cheat during the writing of the exam, whether paper-based or online.

Once the application has been completed and signed by both parties, it should be submitted to the PMAC-AGPC in one of two ways:

1. For paper-based exams, the CPMA Paper Exam Application Form should be mailed in to the association with a cheque drawn on a Canadian bank in Canadian funds for the full examination fee (see above). Forms should be mailed to PMAC-AGPC, Box 58043, Rosslynn RPO, Oshawa, ON, Canada, L1J 8L6.
2. For online exams, the CPMA Online Exam Application Form and a resume or CV should be faxed to the association at +1 (905) 986-5777. Payment should then be made via credit card or PayPal using the CPMA Online Exam Payment Form.

Whichever payment method is chosen, once the association receives both the application form and the payment, candidates will be notified via email within 2 business days. For paper-based exam applicants, the form indicates the date/time/location of the examination requested; specific logistical details will be emailed to the candidate closer to the examination date. For online exam applicants, the form indicates the day on which the applicant would like to write the exam; the applicant will be emailed a login userid and password plus a URL to use to access the examination system on that day.

The Fine Print

Please read the CPMA (IPMA Level-D) Certification Regulations for further details on this certification programme.

Frequently-Asked Questions

What is the difference between the CPMA (IPMA Level-D) and PMI's PMP?

The CPMA (IPMA Level-D) is a knowledge-based exam testing knowledge across a number of different topic areas. Similarly, the PMP is a knowledge-based exam testing knowledge across a number of different topic areas.

The CPMA (IPMA-D) exam covers project management topics, general business management topics that a PM needs to know, and questions on personality traits and behaviours that a PM should demonstrate. While PMI recognizes that a good PM needs to have competence in all of these areas (see PMBoK Guide, first chapter), PMI specifically limits their examination to project management topics. So, one could say that the PMP exam covers less content.

Neither exam tests the competence of the project manager. In other words, neither tests whether a project manager is any good at what they do -- all they do is test to see if the project manager has acquired (memorized and understood) certain bits of information, and he or she can repeat that information later in the appropriate context.

The PMP exam does have a a basic educational prerequisite, and does have an experiential requirement; however, the experience is explicitly NOT as a "project manager" but rather in participating in "project management activities." What this means is that a person could write the PMP exam who has never managed a "real" project; rather, they could have just been a senior team member who participated in project management activities such as planning, estimating, scheduling, etc. There was a lawsuit about 10 years ago by PMI against its former Director of Standards around this issue, and PMI eventually let the lawsuit drop as he was able to successfully prove these points. I know of several people who have written the PMP exam right out of university. To meet the experiential requirements, they document their attainment of their university degree as a project: it has a fixed duration (4 years), stakeholders (professors, parents), a budget (tuition, books, living expenses), a schedule with milestones (semesters/terms), quality criteria (exam and assignment marks), etc.

PMI does NOT currently have a certification assessing whether a project manager is competent at their job. IPMA does have such competency assessments: IPMA Levels B&C test for project management competence, and IPMA Level-A tests for higher level executive/strategic competence at directing large programmes.

One could argue that CPMA (Level-D) is slightly above the PMP as it tests more knowledge areas (topics) than the PMP. Both are knowledge-based tests. So, if one were to try to map the PMP to the IPMA levels, the CPMA (IPMA Level-D) is the closest to the PMP. In support of this, the American Society for the Advancement of Project Management (www.asapm.org) used to offer an equivalency process under which PMPs could fill out an application, pay a small fee, and complete a short essay related to one of the topics that the IPMA Level-D exam covers that is not included in the PMBok Guide to receive their IPMA Level-D certification.

How is the CPMA related to PMI's CAPM?

PMI's Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) is targetted towards team members, not project managers. In PMI's own words: "Candidates for the CAPM credential contribute to projects as subject matter experts and team members. They may also serve as project sponsors, facilitators, liaisons or coordinators." (See PMI Webste). The CAPM exam tests awareness and understanding of basic project management concepts and practices.

On the other hand, the PMAC-AGPC's Certified Project Management Associate (an IPMA Level-D certification) also targets senior project team members as well as project managers and tests a much broader set of criteria in the exam.

PMI's exam tests knowledge of the nine (9) knowledge areas in PMI's Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBoK Guide). The CPMA exam from the PMAC-AGPC tests, on the other hand, against the 46 competency elements of the Canadian Project Management National Competence Baseline (CPMNCB). The CPMNCB is based on IPMA's International Competency Baseline (ICB v3.0) which contains 46 competency elements grouped into three categories: project management technical competencies, business context competencies, and behavioural competencies. The nine PMI knowledge areas are approximately equal to the 20 IPMA project management technical competencies. That still leaves 26 other business and behavioural areas that are covered in the PMAC-AGPC exam that are not covered in PMI's exam. Basically, PMAC-AGPC's Certified Project Management Associate exam covers more than double the number of topics.

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