CAPM Passing Score and Results: What PMI Publishes, What Your Report Shows, and Retakes

PMI does not publish a passing percentage for the CAPM, and it doesn't publish a number of correct answers you need either. The PMI Certification Handbook (revised June 2026) says the passing score for all PMI exams "is determined by sound psychometric analysis." Percentages you see on forums and prep sites, including an often-repeated 61%, are not current PMI figures, so don't build your plan around one.

How PMI sets the CAPM pass standard

The handbook calls PMI exams "criteria-based." In plain terms, PMI decides whether you pass by whether your performance meets the standard for a qualified person in the role being tested, not by comparing you with other candidates or grading on a curve. For the CAPM, the outline describes that target as knowledge of the common practices used by an associate-level project manager.

Three more facts from PMI's documents shape your score:

• Only scored items count. Of the 150 questions, 135 are scored. The 15 pretest questions don't affect your result, according to the CAPM Examination Content Outline.
• The 2023 update didn't change the scoring method. PMI's 2023 Exam Update FAQ says so directly.
• The model is reviewed. The outline says scoring experts review the scoring model periodically.

PMI's sample result report, a 2017 PMP example, adds how scoring worked at the time: each scored question was worth one point, and subject matter experts determined how many correct answers were needed to pass. That example is about the PMP, but it shows why a single "magic percentage" doesn't exist: the cut point comes from a standard-setting judgment, not a fixed share of 135.

What the CAPM score report shows

The handbook says that when you finish a computer-based exam, you receive a score report showing your overall pass or fail status plus diagnostic information on your performance in each domain. PMI says the domain feedback is meant to guide both passing and failing candidates.

The handbook doesn't name the rating levels. The names below come from PMI's public sample result report, the 2017 PMP example mentioned above, which uses four performance rating categories. They are paraphrased here; your CAPM report may use different labels or a different layout:

In the sample, the same four categories are applied to each domain. Forum posts from CAPM candidates use the same shorthand, such as "AT/T/AT/BT": one rating per domain.

A few timing notes from the handbook:

• Computer-based exams. The report comes at the end of the session, at a test center or online.
• Paper-based exams. These are used in mainland China, and the report arrives by email within 6 to 8 weeks.
• The PMP "preliminary" caveat. The handbook's note that end-of-session results are preliminary is written for the PMP. It also says you may call yourself a certification holder once PMI notifies you that you officially passed.

Reading your CAPM domain ratings

Domain ratings like these tell you where you stand relative to the standard, not how many questions you got right. You can't convert "Target in three domains, Below Target in one" into a score, and the ratings don't tell you a margin in points.

What the ratings are good for is targeting. Weight them by PMI's domain shares:

The question counts are Passy's rounding of PMI's percentages over 135 scored questions. A Below Target in Fundamentals or Business Analysis touches far more questions than the same rating in Predictive, so on a retake those domains usually deserve the most time. Lifting a Needs Improvement domain to Target matters more than polishing an Above Target one. To track the same four domains while you study, domain-by-domain progress tracking is planned for full CAPM prep.

CAPM retakes: three attempts in one eligibility year

PMI's handbook, outline and certification FAQ give the same rules, as checked on October 27, 2026:

The handbook and outline checked for this guide don't set a minimum wait between attempts inside the eligibility year. What limits you is the calendar: three attempts must fit in the year that started when PMI approved your application, or approved your audit. The retake fee amount isn't on PMI's public pages; the CAPM exam cost guide explains what is published and what to check in your account.

After a CAPM fail: a calm next step

A fail tells you that your overall performance fell short of PMI's standard on that form. It doesn't tell you by how much. PMI's 2017 PMP sample report describes Below Target as slightly below the minimum, so if your report uses that rating, a Below Target domain is not a reason to start from zero.

Before booking again, write down your four domain ratings and match them against the table above. Then rebuild your plan around the weakest heavy domains, and keep the others ticking over so they don't slip. The free CAPM retake planner turns your ratings and new exam date into a week-by-week plan. For targeted practice afterward, practice on one CAPM domain at a time is planned for full prep, and the CAPM study time guide shows how to rebalance hours by weight.

Once you pass the CAPM

The handbook and PMI's FAQ describe what follows:

• Digital badge. An email from Credly lets you accept a shareable badge. Use the same email address as your PMI account.
• Certificate. Download a PDF from certification.pmi.org under "My Certification."
• Registry. PMI lists certification holders in its online registry automatically. You can opt out, so absence from the registry doesn't prove someone isn't certified.
• Confidentiality. PMI doesn't disclose your result to anyone without your consent, except under a valid subpoena or court order.

Your first three-year CCR cycle starts the day you pass, according to PMI's CCR Handbook. You need 15 PDUs by the end of it, and activities completed before you earned the certification don't count. If you'd rather confirm your readiness before booking at all, Passy's 20 free CAPM practice questions are a quick first check, and the 150-question mock exam planned for full CAPM prep is scored at the end.