CMI Level 3 – Equivalent to an A level

CMI Level 5 – Equivalent to a HND (higher national diploma) or foundation degree

CMI Level 7 – Equivalent to a master’s degree

Within every CMI level, there are 3 qualifications available:

1. Award
2. Certificate
3. Diploma

You will only receive Chartered Manager status if you achieve the Level 5 or Level 7 Diploma. 

All CMI qualifications are made up of units that correspond to learning topics. When you join a course, you need to select a certain number of units based on the ‘credits’ that are associated with them. 

The minimum number of units and credits for each qualification type can be seen in the table below.

(Note: the extended diploma requires you to do a certain number of ‘core’ units, as well as a selection of units that you choose.)

Being able to choose your own units means that you can tailor your qualification to your own or your organisation’s needs. At the very least, it allows you to focus on the topics that you find most interesting.

APM

APM is The Association for Project Management. 

Although it doesn’t have ‘Chartered’ in its name, APM is still a Chartered body. It’s actually the only Chartered body for the project management profession! Altogether, APM has over 35,000 individual members and upwards of 500 corporate members.

There are three different APM qualifications designed to suit people at each stage of their career:

Is APM a respected qualification?

Absolutely! An APM qualification is recognised and respected worldwide! This is largely because of the success many students have; an APM survey indicated that 86% of people who had completed an APM qualification had enjoyed greater project success as a result.

The same survey suggests that 94% of people who undertook the PMQ said it improved their self-confidence in their project management ability.

In fact, because employers recognise and respect the value an APM qualification adds to an individual’s skill set, it is often a necessary requirement included in project management related job ads.

Key benefits of CMI and APM at a glance 

• • Both qualifications are awarded by Chartered bodies, meaning they’re recognised and respected by employers 
  • Gaining either an APM or CMI qualification is likely to lead to a pay rise or promotion at work
  • Both qualifications have different levels available making them suitable for people with all levels of experience

Key differences at a glance

• APM qualifications are designed specifically for those looking to pursue a career in project management, whilst CMI is aimed at people looking to progress in all types of managerial roles
• APM qualifications are assessed through exams whilst CMI is assessed by written assessments
• APM qualifications are often critical to getting a project management related role. Many project management job adverts advise that it is a ‘must-have’ requirement. Typically, CMI qualifications are an added bonus for employers, rather than essential
• CMI courses offer you the opportunity to choose your own modules so you can focus your learning on what will most help you improve but APM does not
• APM’s PPQ  is significantly cheaper than CMI Level 7
• The APM qualification is substantially shorter. It takes upwards of 3 months to complete CMI, but you can complete APM in a maximum of 5 working days

CMI

CMI qualifications have a broader focus because, unlike APM courses, they are not specifically aimed at project management professionals. CMI qualifications aim to introduce you to a broad range of topics, techniques and skills to improve your ability to manage individuals and teams who are working to meet your organisation’s needs.

CMI is most often pursued by:

From writing CMI course content, we know that there is a catalogue of courses and a wide range of units available to study with CMI,  ranging from Equality and Diversity to Operational Planning. The opportunity to choose from a range of optional modules within certain CMI qualifications also means you are more able to design your CMI course to suit you!

APM

As we’ve established, APM qualifications are designed for people who want to focus their career on project management. 

They have different qualifications available depending on levels of experience:

APM

To undertake certain APM qualifications, you must have a certain level of project management experience:

(PFQ: No experience) 

PMQ: 2 – 4 years 

PPQ: 5 – 6 years

Exemptions can save you time, effort and money, so it’s definitely in your best interest to apply for them if you can.

CMI

Yes – CMI offers exemptions on Certificates, Diplomas or Extended Diplomas but NOT Awards. 

CMI will only award exemptions to learners who have gained qualifications from recognised Professional Bodies or Awarding Bodies which appear on the list of regulated qualifications within the last five years. 

If you believe you are eligible for an exemption, you must apply through your CMI centre. All exemptions applications are considered on a case by case basis and are agreed upon between the learner’s chosen centre and CMI.

APM

No – APM does not offer any exemptions.

If you have any qualifications that you think could help you when working towards your APM qualification, make sure you’re choosing the right course for you based on your previous work experience and qualifications!

Have a read through APM’s guide to make sure you’re choosing the project management qualification that is best for you.

Of course, we do see some exceptions where students take less or more time because of work or personal commitments, but, speaking from experience, this is average!

APM

PFQ: You will sit a one hour, 60-question, multiple-choice exam. 

Pass mark: 60%

PMQ: There are two assessment routes you could take to complete the PMQ

1. A three-hour essay-style exam with an additional 15 minutes of reading time at the start. You must answer ten out of sixteen questions.
2. If you are a PRINCE2 Registered Practitioner you will take a two-hour exam with an additional 10 minutes of reading time. In this paper, you must answer six out of ten questions.

Pass mark: 55%

PPQ: The PPQ assessment focuses on a pre-seen case study and is divided into three parts: 

1. A scenario assessment
2. An oral exam assessment
3. A written report

In total, this will last 2 hours 35 minutes and will take place on the same day.

Passmark: 60%

Astranti fees here when put on the website to be sure they’re as up to date as possible.

You will also have to pay registration and annual membership fees to CMI. The cost of your membership fees will depend on what course you are undertaking – the full list of fees can be on CMI’s website.

Generally, your CMI registration and marking fees will be included in your tuition provider fee, as they will be the ones creating your registration and submitting assignments for marking.

APM

The cost of your APM course fees will depend upon the course provider you choose. 

Check out APM’s list of providers to explore the course costs.