You may be looking for the best CAPM certification online training course for the PMI credential exam prep.
You will find review and comparison of top online training classes (also called as self-learning, on-demand, and elearning programs) in this article. This article also contains pros & cons and my rating, ranking, & recommendation for each program.
You should choose your training course judiciously. A good training could improve your chances of success whereas a bad one can lead to the failure in the exam.
23 contact hours of project management education is mandatory to apply for the CAPM exam. I have reviewed online programs in this article as they are the cheapest and most flexible way to get these hours. Let’s find out which training program can help you in successfully passing the exam.
Note: This article has two sections. The first section provides a detailed review of each course and the second section provides a side-by-side comparison of these courses. You can jump to second section to quickly compare and shortlist a course.
Table of Contents
Best CAPM Certification Exam Prep Training: Course Reviews
Prepcast has scored highest in overall rating. The overall rating of Brain Sensei, Greaycampus, Velociteach, and PMTraiing is very close to the top choice. I would suggest you to choose one of these and ignore Simplilearn and Master of Project.
1. PM Prepcast
 |
Rank #1 |  (4.2 / 5) |
|---|
PM Precast was founded by Cornelius Fichtner. He is a renowned educationist and well respected figure in Project Management training industry. Every year thousands of aspirants successfully pass the exam by studying from his training material.
This course is updated with the latest exam changes introduced by PMI. It provides a complete coverage of the PMBOK Guide.
Major Features
- 650 questions in exam simulator.
- Extensive study material.
- 90 days refund policy.
Pros
- Most comprehensive study material.
- Most reasonably priced.
- Videos can be downloaded on mobile.
Cons
- No mobile app.
Recommendation
This course has the best rating and is most reasonably priced. It was originally designed for the PMP exam and offers much more detailed orientation on CAPM topics than any other program.
The best part of this course is that it provides downloadable access to the videos. If you decide to invest in this course, then I would recommend you to buy Elite version. It come with 650 practice questions CAPM Exam Simulator. The Simulator is separately available for USD 69.00
| Variant | Includes | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | 23 Contact Hours training | USD 229 |
| Elite | 23 Contact Hours training + 650 questions exam simulator | USD 259 |
2. Brain Sensei
 |
Rank #2 |  (4.1 / 5) |
|---|
Brain Sensei’s course is completely different from any other program that I have seen. Most courses teach the PMBOK Guide’s concepts by taking you through each Knowledge Area (KA). Brainsensei, on the other hand, teaches the concepts Process Group (PG) wise. PG approach is better suited for understanding the project management concepts.
You can start by checking out their demo course.
Major Features
- 13 exciting storyline challenges.
- 600 questions in exam smulator.
- 1 year access
- 30 days refund policy.
Pros
- PG-wise orientation of the PMBOK Guide concpets.
- Story-based teaching makes the learning easy.
- Reasonably priced after taking 25% discount.
- 100% pass guarantee.
Cons
- No mobile app.
Recommendation
Brain Sensei’s course gives a refreshing outlook to CAPM training. Its course is vastly different from its competitors. It is designed to help students to learn PMBOK Guide’s concepts in an easy manner.
The course teaches serious project management topics through a series of stories, which makes the course engaging and interesting. The lessons are interspersed with small quizzes & exercises that validate your learning as you go along.
The course have very interesting video lessons, which makes the learning very easy. The best part of the course is that it comes with 100% pass guarantee.
The list price of this course is USD 349.99, which might give you an impression that this course is much more expensive than some of the other choices presented in this article but, I believe it is worth every penny. Furthermore, it is available at an exclusive discount of 25% on this blog. You can buy the course for just USD 362.49 after availing the discount.
This course is available at an exclusive discount of 25% on this blog. You can click on below to avail this fabulous offer.
Buy Brain Sensei’s Course at 25% discount
Note: Open this url if you don’t see the discount coupon code.
3. GreyCampus
 |
Rank #3 | (4.1 / 5) |
|---|
Greycampus is a leading online training provider. It provides many courses on range of topics like Project Management, Big Data, Data Science, Service Management, and Quality Management. All its courses are designed by experts in their respective fields.
Greycampus’ offering include many popular exam prep courses like PMP, Prince2, Six Sigma, and ITIL. It has accreditation with many leading global certification bodies including Project Management Institute (PMI), USA.
Major Features
- 450 questions in exam smulator.
- Has both video and audio modules.
- 1 year access.
Pros
- Excellent LMS.
- Learning through both video and audio lessons.
Cons
- No mobile app.
Recommendation
Greycampus course is the most reasonably priced among all the courses that are compared in this article. It comes with 1 year access, which is more than enough to pass the exam. It’s overall rating is just a shade below our first choice.
You can invest in this program as it provides very good value for your money. You can buy it for ond $200.
4. Velociteach
 |
Rank #4 |  (4 / 5) |
|---|
Velociteach is a leading provider of PMI certification training, other project management training, and exam prep products. The company was founded by Mr. Andy Crowe. He is the author of bestselling PMP exam prep book titled The PMP Exam – How To Pass On Your First Try.
Velociteach is a leading provider in project management training industry. It offers training courses and exam prep books. It also offers CAPM and PMP bootcamp classes, which are conducted by knowledgeable and experienced trainers.
You can start by checking out their demo course.
Major Features
- 150 questions in exam simulator.
- Has both video and audio modules.
- Extensive study material.
- 1 month access
- 5 days refund policy.
Pros
- Most established brand.
- Excellent LMS.
- Learning through both video and audio lessons.
Cons
- No mobile app.
- Very few practice questions.
- Students get only one month access.
Recommendation
Velociteach courses are designed by knowledgeable and experienced trainers. There are many advantages of choosing Velociteach as your CAPM provider. It provides comprehensive study material and step-by-step guidance. You will get all the tools you would need to successfully pass the exam.
The course is reasonably priced. You can buy it for only $219.
5. PM Training
 |
Rank #5 | (4 / 5) |
|---|
PMTraining was founded by Christopher Scordo. His book (PMP Exam Prep: Questions Answers & Explanations) is one of the best selling books for the exam prep.
You can start by checking out their demo course.
Major Features
- 150 questions in exam smulator.
- 90 days access
Pros
- One of the oldest company in project management training industry.
- Downloadable presentation content.
Cons
- No mobile app.
Recommendation
The PMTraining course is almost complete in all aspects. It offers more study aids than any other course. However, it is slightly expensive. You may need to buy extra practice questions to complement this course. If price is not your concern and you can pass the exam in 3 months, then this is an excellent choice.
You can buy this course for $348 for a 3 months access.
6. Simplilearn
 |
Rank #6 |  (3.6 / 5) |
|---|
Simplilearn is a very old and established training company. It is one of the world’s leading certifications training providers. Simplilearn offers many courses on different subjects. It offerings training courses on Business, IT, and Management certifications. All the courses are designed by the experts in their respective fields.
The Simplilearn CAPM training course is designed by Jeff Allen and Tim Jerome. It is based on PMBOK Guide 6th edition.
It provides 23 contact hours of formal education for taking the CAPM certification test.
There is no demo course or free trial for this course.
Major Features
- 300 questions in exam smulator.
- Lifetime access
Pros
- Mobile app
- Excellent LMS.
Cons
- No demo.
Recommendation
Simplilearn is a professionally managed company that offers slew of courses. They have got good LMS and provide professional studio quality videos. However, the quality of study material is not as good as other providers. It provides less study aids than the others and hence its rating is a bit lower than the other choices.
If you are looking for a big and well-established brand then you can invest in Simplilearn’s offering.
7. Master of Project Academy
|
Rank #7 |  (3.2 / 5) |
|---|
MOPA was established in the year 2012. It was founded by Resit Gulec. Resit started the company by providing an online PMP course on Udemy.
MOPA provides many certification courses including certifications from Project Management Institute’s (PMI). Its offers exam preparation courses for PMP, PMI-ACP and CAPM. Some of its courses seems to be popular, which might be due to its high pitch advertising.
The quality of courses provided by Master of Project Academy (MOPA) is not as good as its competitors. Compared to other project management training providers, MOPA is relatively a new entrant.
I believe, one of my recommendations would suit your needs. You can buy any one of the recommended courses mentioned above. However, if you want to explore more courses, you can use the key parameters (described in the Appendix below) to review, evaluate and compare any other course(s) that is not covered in this article.
Top Online CAPM Exam Prep Classes Comparison
| #1 | #2 | #2 | #4 | #5 | #6 | #7 | |
| Cornelius Fichtner | Brain Sensei | Greycampus | Andy Crowe | Christopher Scordo | Simplilearn | Master of Project | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Company Details |
|||||||
| Company Review | PM Prepcast | Not Available | Greycampus | Not Available | PMTraining | Simplilearn | Master of Project Academy |
| Company Founder | Cornelius Fichtner | John Estrella | Vijay Pasupulati | Andy Crowe | Christopher Scordo | Krishna Kumar | Resit Gulec |
| Is it a PMI Authorized Training Partner (ATP)? | No | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| Does Company Issue Mandatory 23 Hours Certificate? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Are Videos Done by a Native English Language Trainer? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Company Rating |  (4 / 5) |
 (3.5 / 5) |
(3.5 / 5) |
(4 / 5) |
(4 / 5) |
(3.5 / 5) |
 (3 / 5) |
Technology Aids |
|||||||
| LMS | Yes. Good. | Yes. Very good. | Yes. Very good. | Yes. Good. | Not Available | Yes. Very good. | Yes. Good. |
| Video Quality | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good |
| Mobile Access | Downloadable Videos | Requires Internet | Requires Internet | Requires Internet | Requires Internet | Mobile App | Requires Internet |
| Technology Aids Rating | (4 / 5) |
(4 / 5) |
(4 / 5) |
(4 / 5) |
(4 / 5) |
 (4.5 / 5) |
(4 / 5) |
Study Aids |
|||||||
| Presentation Handout | Downloadable | No | No | No | Downloadable | No | Yes |
| Video Content | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Audio Content | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| Course Workbook | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Study Guide | No | No | No | No | Yes | No | No |
| Chapter End Quizzes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Final Mock Questions | 600+ | 600 | 450 | 150 | 150 | 300 | 600+ |
| Formulas Sheet | No | No | No | Yes | No | No | No |
| PMBOK Guide Process Chart | No | No | No | No | No | No | Yes |
| Flashcards | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Study Plan/Checklist | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Tips & Tricks | Yes | Yes. As part of the course. | No | Yes. As part of the course. | Yes. As part of the course. | Yes | No |
| Glossary | No | No | No | No | Yes | No | No |
| Bonus Material | a) Advanced PMI Exam Strategies – Email Course. b) Sample Exam Score Worksheet. c) Contact Hours Worksheet. |
a) 13 exciting storyline challenges. b) Summary of key knowledge points. c) Multiple self-assessments. d) Offline video walkthrough of learning modules. |
a) 1 live mock exam solving session. b) 1-year instructor mentorship & support. |
a) Blank Process Matrix. b) Earned Value Practice Exercises. c) Project Plan Stack Exercise. d) Earned Value Formula Map. |
Project Plan “Pyramid” Study Aid. | Scenarios and case studies. | None |
| Course Demo | Not Available. You can check their PMP demo. | Available | Not Available | Available | Available | Not Available | Not Available |
| Study Aids Rating | (4.5 / 5) |
(4 / 5) |
(4 / 5) |
(4 / 5) |
(4.5 / 5) |
(3.5 / 5) |
(3.5 / 5) |
How is Student Support Provided? |
|||||||
| Medium | Email & online forum. | Email, Facebook group & chat. | Email & chat. | Email, chat, & phone. | Email & phone. | Email, chat, & online forum. | |
| Instructor/PM Expert Support | Yes. | Yes. | Yes. | Yes. | Yes. | Yes. | Yes. |
| Community Support | Yes. | Yes. | No. | No. | No. | Yes. | No. |
| Technical Support | Yes. | Yes. | Yes. | Yes. | Yes. | Yes. | Yes. |
| Support Rating | (4 / 5) |
(4 / 5) |
(4 / 5) |
(4 / 5) |
(4 / 5) |
(4 / 5) |
(3 / 5) |
Financial Attributes |
|||||||
| Access Period | Till you pass your exam | 1 year | 1 year | 1 month | 90 days | Lifetime | 1 year |
| Refund Policy | 90 days. Conditions apply. | 30 days. Conditions apply. | 3 days. Conditions apply. | 5 days. Conditions apply. | 24 hours. Conditions apply. | 7 days. Conditions apply. | 30 days. Conditions apply. |
| 100% Pass Guarantee | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No |
| Price | USD 259 | USD |
USD 200 | USD 219 | USD |
USD 399 | USD 377 |
| Financial Rating |  (4.5 / 5) |
(4.5 / 5) |
(4.5 / 5) |
(4 / 5) |
 (3 / 5) |
 (2.5 / 5) |
 (3.5 / 5) |
| Overall Rating | (4.2 / 5) |
(4.1 / 5) |
(4.1 / 5) |
(4 / 5) |
(4 / 5) |
(3.6 / 5) |
(3.2 / 5) |
| Buy At Discount | Reveal Coupon & Buy | ||||||
Note: Open this url if you don’t see the discount coupon code.
Appendix – Criteria for Determining the Top CAPM Training Program
Program Highlights
- PM PrepCast was originally designed for PMP exam prep. This course contains a very detailed orientation of CAPM topics, which is very helpful in passing the exam.
- PM PrepCast is available in two variants – Basic & Elite. PM PrepCast Elite is a combo product that includes PM PrepCast Basic & PM Exam Simulator (650 practice questions), and a few other exam prep products as detailed in the table above. PM PrepCast Basic is a regular online self-learning course.
- PMTraining program is very well structured and includes a number of study aids. You can buy addtional simulated tests for a special price of USD 49.
- Master Of Project course is available for 1 month, 1 year & lifetime access for USD 62, USD 327 and USD 570 respectively. I have considered 1 year access for the comparison.
- Simplilearn’s course is priced differently in different countries. You can check the price in your country by clicking here. It is available at special discount on this blog.
- Velociteach’s course is also available for 1 month, 3 months & 6 months access for USD 219, USD 349 and USD 499 respectively. I have considered 3 months access for the comparison.
Rational for Rating
I have compared and rated the programs on 5 different parameters. You can look at the details of these parameters in the Appendix below. Here is the rational for the ratings:
- Technology Aids – I would have given a 5 star rating if the providers were giving a fully-featured Learning Management System (LMS) and a mobile app. There is something or the other missing in each program. Hence, I have given a lower rating of 4.5 and 4.0 depending on the quality of the LMS and availability of videos on mobile devices.
- Study Aids – I have given the rating based on the quantum and utility of study material given by the providers.
- Study Assistance – I have given the rating based on the quality and type of support given by the providers.
- Access Period – I think 90 days is more than enough to prepare, study and pass the exam. Nonetheless, I have given 4 star rating for 90 days or 3 months access and 5 star rating for more than 90 days access.
- Content Quality – I have given rating on content quality after critically reviewing the videos and other study material.
I have also given a fair consideration to pricing and refund policy while arriving at the ratings as CAPM is an entry level exam and you should save as much as you can without compromising on technical factors like quality & content.
Key Parameters Of An Online CAPM Training Course
What are the key factors or attributes that makes a self-learning CAPM online training course good? What are the things that you should look out for before enrolling in such a course? Here is a list of key parameters that are must for a self-learning online course.
– This is not an essential feature of a online PMP practice exams. You can buy practice tests from a non-ATP also. However, practice tests from a ATP give much more confidence.
Authorized Training Partner (ATP) – This is not an essential feature of a online CAPM course, as a non-ATP can also issue a 23 contact hours certificate. However the certificates issued by a ATP are pre-approved by PMI.
23 Hours Certificate – Many training providers give access to the online training material but they do not issue the 23 contact hours certificate. Many professionals require certificate before they can apply for the exam. I believe it is better to look for a training course that issues a 23 hours certificate.
Native Language Trainer – The exam is conducted in English. A course designed by a native English language trainer would have correct English grammar and idioms and the videos/audios would have correct pronunciation. It becomes little bit more difficult to follow a non-native English language instructor.
Technology Aids – The availability & quality of Learning Management System (LMS), and accessibility of eLearning material over mobile devices are very important for an on-demand program. LMS keeps track of your progress and learning through mobile devices can save you a lot of time.
Study Aids – A CAPM online course should provide additional study material besides the video and audio content. The video and audio content is good for understanding the concepts, but actual learning comes from practice tests, downloadable workbooks, formula guide, glossary etc.
Study Assistance – Many courses provide study support through emails, private forum discussions, and webinars; while some others do not provide this feature. Since you will be studying on your own, you would periodically need support to clarify your doubts. You might feel lost in the absence of study assistance.
Access Period – I believe duration of access period for eLearning course should not be less than 90 days. I think 90 days is more than enough to prepare, study and pass the exam.
Content Quality – The quality of content is another important aspect of a CAPM online training course. You would have to study & understand things on your own. Good content quality would go a long way in making your life easier. The written content, pictures, graphics and illustrations should be clear & readable (in presentations & videos). The speech quality should be excellent in both video & audio content – the instruction should be clear, well-paced, and without any discernible accent. Overall, the content should be engaging & interesting.
Other Factors While Evaluating A Course
Refund Policy – You may want refund of your money in an exceptional circumstance. It is good to go with a provider that offers some sort of refund policy.
Pass Guarantee – Some courses provide a pass guarantee. Generally, under such a guarantee, the training provider would either refund your fees or allow you to continue to access the course till you pass the exam. A pass guarantee is not a bad attribute in itself. If all the other things are equal, then pass guarantee could be an icing on the cake. Otherwise, do not get swayed by it. Do you want to enroll in a course to fail the exam? You neither want your money back nor waste time & money on additional CAPM attempts. So, a better approach is to invest your time & money in a good, credible, and popular course.
Disclosure: I have not received any compensation (in cash or kind) from the Authors or the Training Companies or anyone else associated with any of the training courses. But this article contains affiliate links – it means that, if you click & buy from these links then, I will receive a small commission. This commission helps me in maintaining this blog for free. However, you don’t pay anything extra. I do not actively use any of these products since I am already certified. But, I recommend only those products that I believe will definitely help the certification aspirants.
Company logos taken from respective company websites.