Has anyone taken both exams? How similar is the breadth of what you need to study for? I have my PACE certification, but was told by my HR department that they don't consider it a professional certification, so I plan on taking CAP in October. Are there ANY free resources that IAAP offers? ASAP gives you a 335-page study guide when you enroll for the exam which was very helpful. Is it too late to sign up for a study group?

Good morning Tammy!   I highly recommend Marie Herman's study group.   You can reach her in this forum.   Good luck!

I am not familiar with the PACE certification. I earned my now CAP rating way back when and the exam was very different. I did, however, for a number of years work with CAP candidates and I keep my certification active. If you go to the IAAP website you will find all the information you need about studying and applying for the exam: https://www.iaap-hq.org/page/CAP_Certification

Marie Herman does offer an excellent study program. Her Fall 2022 CAP Exam Study Group has started but new students are welcome any time: http://www.mrhenterprises.com/CAPStudyGroup.shtml

I doubt you will find many free materials. Even in my day, when the current specific study material were not available, we had to beg/borrow/purchase the recommended study materials. Believe me, there were a lot of recommended books at that time. Of course, the exam was very different.

Best wishes on a successful journey.

Hi, Tammy. I completed both. Depending on your preferred method of learning there are many options available. I highly recommend getting the study guide (electronic or paper). If studying with others works for you, I also recommend Marie Herman's study group. Feel free to DM if you have other questions. Best of luck on your CAP journey.

Congrats on taking this step in your development Tammy. I echo all the sentiments above. Would advise that if you join Marie's study group the only other tool you need is the IAAP approved study guide. Best of luck to you!

If you plan to take the CAP in the Spring, Marie Herman's next study group starts in December. I earned both my CAP and my PACE in the fall of 2020. I signed up for the PACE because my spring 2020 CAP was delayed with the onset of the pandemic, and we didn't know if it would be approved for virtual proctoring at the time. I appreciated the practical knowledge from the PACE studying, but don't know if I will maintain that certification. The CAP is an accredited certification, and as such is a more stringent and comprehensive exam. It will require a greater investment of time and money. That being said, it doesn't have to be expensive. My recommendation would be to purchase the official CAP Study Guide & eReader (various bundles depending on if you want the physical copy and how long you want access to the eReader) and joining Marie's 6 month study group (I think it is $100). Beyond that, I wouldn't purchase any additional materials unless you feel you need to go deeper in an area you're less familiar with. There are a lot of free resources you can supplement with - YouTube videos, quizlets, etc.

The PACE exam is definitely not a certification (though ASAP implies that it is certified, it is not). There is obviously overlap between the two exams.

You would at least want to pick up IAAP's CAP Exam Study Guide as a starter material. If you have not started preparing for the exam yet, honestly, 8 weeks is a very tight turnaround. It can be done, but you should be prepared to study a good 8-12 hours a week going forward.

If you would like information about my Fall (or Spring) study group, feel free to reach out to me in PM. You could still join, but just as an fyi, you would have a fair amount of reading to do to catch up. It's very doable, but it just requires commitment and time management to achieve.

Good luck!