About PCA

What is Project Management Capability Assessment (PCA) ?

The APM Body of Knowledge is considered to be the definitive document for professional Project Management competencies and underpins the APM Professional Programmes of which the Certification Programme is the basis of a European professional qualification for Project Managers.

PCA is the only development and training assessment tool based on the APM Body of Knowledge and can be used in two key areas -

• To identify an Individual’s training needs or key areas of focus for their continuing professional development.
• As an assessment of a candidate’s knowledge in Project Management when considering an internal appointment or external recruitment.

Knowledge is only one contributory factor to an Individual’s overall performance. To succeed in any role a person must have the appropriate personal attributes and experience needed for the task in hand. PCA does not cover these areas but we do run an Assessment Centre which combines the assessment of personal attributes, knowledge and experience.

The scoring system within PCA is such that by using a series of questions with more than one correct answer we are able to judge someone’s range of understanding on various topics. This scoring system makes PCA both a very flexible and accurate diagnostic tool.

Many organisations have used and are using PCA in support of the development of their Project Managers and it is possible to compare a group of people against our database as an indicator of how an organisation’s Project Management compares with others.

In support of the test we offer a one-to-one debriefing session whereby one of the test’s authors or a trained evaluator will discuss the areas for review with the candidate. The interview will identify whether the candidate truly has a need for training in the topic or if the answers are due to misunderstanding of the terminology or a company specific orientation. Many candidates enjoy the debriefing as it allows them to clarify misunderstandings and to identify very real development needs including training. This motivational effect and acceptance of development and training is a very satisfying outcome for all parties.

Following completion of the assessment, you will be given an overall score, and identified areas for review. If you require an additional written summary, this can be provided at an additional cost (see price list) and the results are normally emailed to you within 2-3 working days.