Chapter 1 of 4 · PMI CAPM

Project Management Fundamentals and Core Concepts

Projects and life cycles, planning, roles and leadership, following planned strategies and common problem-solving tools.

  • 6topics
  • 23 minfast track
  • 2diagrams and exhibits
  • 36%of the exam
Start with Projects, Programs, Portfolios and Life Cycles

Topics in this chapter

Take them in order, or jump to the one you need.

  1. 1Projects, Programs, Portfolios and Life CyclesCAPM basics: what a project is, projects versus programs, portfolios and operations, predictive and adaptive life cycles, and the…Diagram4 min
  2. 2Risks, Issues, Assumptions, Constraints and EthicsCAPM essentials: telling risks, issues, assumptions and constraints apart, the logs that hold them, and the four values of the…4 min
  3. 3Project Management PlanningCAPM planning basics: the project management plan and its parts, milestones versus durations, resources, the risk and stakeholder…4 min
  4. 4Project Roles, Leadership and Emotional IntelligenceCAPM roles: project manager versus sponsor and team, the many roles a project manager plays, leadership versus management, and…4 min
  5. 5Initiation, Benefits and Following Planned StrategiesCAPM initiation and execution: business case, benefits management plan and charter, then following the communication plan and…4 min
  6. 6Meetings and Problem-Solving ToolsCAPM problem-solving tools: running effective meetings, standups, focus groups, brainstorming, root cause analysis, decision…3 min

About this chapter

What this chapter covers

Project Management Fundamentals and Core Concepts is the largest CAPM domain, at 36% of the exam. It covers five tasks in PMI's CAPM Examination Content Outline: project life cycles and processes, project management planning, project roles and responsibilities, following planned strategies such as communication and risk, and common problem-solving tools.

These are the ideas every other domain builds on. CAPM questions here are mostly direct: what a term means, which document holds what, who does what, and which tool fits a situation.

How the topics fit together

Projecttemporary, uniqueLife cyclepredictive, adaptive, hybridPlanningplan and registersRolessponsor, PM, teamExecute the plancommunication, riskClosure and transition

A project is started with a charter, planned with a project management plan and registers, run by people in defined roles, and closed by handing its outputs over to operations. Problem-solving tools and good meetings keep the work moving at every stage.

Exam tip

CAPM is an entry level exam. When two answers look right, prefer the one that follows the plan and the proper process, such as raising a change request or updating the risk register, over acting alone.

How to use these pages

Each topic page has the same shape, so you can skim for what you need.

  • What it is: the idea in plain words.
  • How it works: the mechanism, with tables and examples.
  • What to remember for the exam: the facts to memorise and how questions are phrased.
  • Common mistakes: the classic traps.
  • Check yourself: three questions to test your understanding.

Ready for more practice?

The full PMI CAPM question bank has 1,049 questions, with timed practice exams and an explanation for every answer.

SubscribeTry Sample Exam

This study guide is independent and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by PMI. Vendor names, certification names and exam codes are trademarks of their respective owners and are used for identification only.