Side by side
Which project management certification fits where you are now?
The project management certification that fits you depends on what you can already document. Years of leading projects point to the PMP®; none yet points to the CAPM® or the Google Project Management Certificate; agile team roles have the PMI-ACP®, CSM and PSM I; and PRINCE2® 7 certifies one specific method. Every line below comes from the issuer's own pages, as of October 2026.
- Exam
- PMP
- Updated
- Oct 13, 2026
01Sort them by the entry gate
Every credential here has an entry gate, and the gate tells you more than the name. There are three kinds: experience you must document (PMP, PgMP®, PMI-ACP), a course you must sit (the CSM, and the training hours behind the CAPM and PMP), or nothing at all (PSM I, PRINCE2 7 Foundation and the Google certificate).
Upkeep varies as much. PMI® credentials renew on PDUs every three years, the CSM every two years, and PSM I is a lifetime certification. Pay data does not split certified from uncertified project managers; the closest public figures are BLS numbers for project management specialists.
Six Sigma belts and MBAs turn up in the same searches. They are a different kind of credential and are not compared here.
02The field at a glance
| Credential | Issuer | Entry gate | Exam | Upkeep |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PMP | PMI | 24 to 60 months leading projects, by education tier, plus 35 training hours | 180 questions, 240 minutes | 60 PDUs every 3 years |
| CAPM | PMI | Secondary diploma, age 18+, 23 hours of project management education | 150 questions, 180 minutes | 15 PDUs every 3 years |
| PMI-ACP | PMI | 2 years of agile experience in the last 5 (or a PMP), plus 21 hours of agile training | 120 questions, 180 minutes | 30 PDUs every 3 years |
| PgMP | PMI | Project and program experience within 15 years, plus a panel review | 170 questions, 240 minutes | 60 PDUs every 3 years |
| PRINCE2 7 Foundation | PeopleCert | None listed | 60 questions, 60 minutes, closed book | Renew every 3 years (60 CPD points) |
| PSM I | Scrum.org | None; no class required | 80 questions, 60 minutes, 85% to pass | Lifetime, no renewal fee |
| CSM | Scrum Alliance | A 16-hour CSM course | 50 questions, 37 correct to pass | Renew every 2 years with SEUs |
| Google Project Management Certificate | Google, on Coursera | No degree or experience required | Course assessments across 6 courses, about 240 hours | None listed |
Prices are left out on purpose: PMI's vary by membership and region, and PeopleCert's pages did not list PRINCE2 exam prices. Each head-to-head page quotes what its issuers publish.
03Who each one fits
- PMP
- You have led projects for years and a supervisor can confirm it. The tiers are on PMP requirements.
- CAPM
- You are early in a career or moving into project work. An active CAPM later covers the PMP's 35 training hours; see PMP vs CAPM.
- PMI-ACP
- Your work is agile delivery and you want that depth certified; see PMP vs PMI-ACP.
- PgMP
- You coordinate several related projects toward one strategic result; see PMP vs PgMP.
- PRINCE2 7
- Your organization or clients run projects on the PRINCE2 method; see PMP vs PRINCE2.
- CSM or PSM I
- You work, or want to work, as a scrum master on one team; see PMP vs scrum master certifications.
- Google certificate
- You want a self-paced introduction with no prerequisites. Google says it provides over 100 hours of project management education toward PMI credentials such as the CAPM (Google, as of October 2026).
04Certificates, certifications and overlaps
Is a project management certificate the same thing as a certification?
Not as these issuers use the words. The Google Project Management Certificate is a course program with assessments; the PMP, CAPM, PMI-ACP and PgMP are certifications earned through an application and an exam, and they lapse without renewal.
Do any of these count toward the PMP?
One does directly: an active CAPM gives the PMP's full 35-hour training credit. In the other direction, a PMP meets the PMI-ACP experience requirement and the project-experience part of every PgMP path (PMI, as of October 2026).
Which PMI certification should come first?
The one your record already supports. If you meet a PMP tier, the CAPM is not a required step; if you do not, the CAPM asks for no project experience at all.
05Sources
- PMI: PMP certification page checked Oct 13, 2026
- PMI: CAPM certification checked Oct 13, 2026
- PMI: PMI-ACP certification checked Oct 13, 2026
- PMI: PgMP certification checked Oct 13, 2026
- PMI Continuing Certification Requirements Handbook (April 2026) checked Oct 13, 2026PDU counts per credential
- PeopleCert: PRINCE2 7 Foundation checked Oct 13, 2026
- Scrum.org: Professional Scrum Master I checked Oct 13, 2026
- Scrum Alliance: Certified ScrumMaster checked Oct 13, 2026
- Google: Project Management Certificate checked Oct 13, 2026