The Project Management Institute (PMI)® offers the Project Management Professional (PMP)® certification, which is one of the most sought-after certifications in the world. PMI® defines PMP certification as the application of knowledge, skills, and techniques to effectively execute projects.
Because this is a closed-loop certification system, only candidates who meet the eligibility requirements have access to the majority of the useful material from this institute. As a result, while project management can make your resume stand out, the PMP® certification process can be difficult for most of us.
In this article, we will walk you through the entire PMP® certification process, from checking PMP® certification eligibility criteria to renewing your PDUs.
Eligibility for PMP® Certification
You must have sufficient Project Management work experience to be eligible for the certification program. The following sections go over the primary PMP® certification requirements in depth.
A secondary degree with at least five years of project management experience, 7500 hours leading and directing projects, and 35 hours of project management education are required.
Or
A four-year degree and at least three years of project management experience are required, as well as 4500 hours leading and directing projects and 35 hours of project management education.
Experience in project management does not necessitate the use of a ‘project manager’ title. It implies that you must have taken on the responsibility of project management.
You must participate in all five process groups of the project management lifecycle, which are initiating, planning, directing, monitoring, and closing the project.
You should have completed at least 35 hours of project management education, which does not have to be from the PMBOK® Guide issued by PMI®. According to the PMI®, one contact hour equals one actual hour of training or instruction received. PMI® takes into account non-classroom training, such as online training.
You can obtain these 35 contact hours by attending training sessions, workshops, and courses offered by training organizations or institutes that offer relevant training courses.
Just make sure that all of these training sessions are properly documented – certificates, tests, and transcripts are all acceptable forms of documentation.
Filling Out the PMP® Exam Form
Once you’ve met the eligibility requirements, the next step is to complete the examination form. You must first create an account on the PMI® website before accessing the online application form in my PMI section.
If you prefer to apply offline, you can do so by downloading the paper application and mailing it to the PMI® US office via registered mail.
When using the online application system, make sure to finish the form filling process within 90 days. PMI® servers keep your data for 90 days before completely erasing it. The following are the primary parameters that must be entered into the form:
Information about you (name, address, contact info, etc)
a college/university diploma
Total number of completed contact hours
A list of all the projects that qualify for project management experience.
The section on ‘Project management experience’ near the second fold of the form will take the most time to complete.
You must include the project start and end dates, exact working hours broken down by the 5 process groups of the project management lifecycle, a point of contact with their information (manager, sponsor, colleague), and a description of work completed using PMI® terminology.
The work description is the most time-consuming section. You must document the work completed on each project, shortlist the project management experience gained from it, and then rewrite it using PMP® terminology.
After submitting the application, you will receive an acceptance confirmation within a week.
Membership & Fees for the PMP®
After submitting the application form, you will receive an email from the PMI® with instructions on how to pay the exam fees. The examination fee is currently USD $405 (member) and USD $555 (non-member) (non-member). Though becoming a PMI® member is not required, there are numerous benefits to registering for membership.
You can become a PMI® member for $129 per year. You will receive a free digital copy of the PMBOK® Guide upon joining, as well as free access to on-demand webinars, peer-written, and reviewed articles, and business and project management books in e-Reads & Reference.
Process of PMI® Audit
Once you have paid the PMP® examination fees, you will immediately know whether your application requires an audit or not. If you are chosen for the PMI® audit, you must provide proof of all the information you provided in your application within three months.
Education proof (photocopy of a college/university diploma)
Evidence of contact hours (printed contact hours certificate)
Signed reference letter for the contact person listed in the application’s projects. Each contact person’s original signed reference letter is placed in a separate envelope, which is duly signed over the flap by the contact person.
If the actual contact person is not available, someone else who is familiar with the applicant’s role can complete the procedure.
Place all of these envelopes and proofs in a single large envelope and send them to PMI® via registered mail. Within a week, you should receive a confirmation email.
Refund Policy for PMP® Exam Fees
If you decide to withdraw your application to take the PMP® examination, you must notify PMI® at least 30 days before the exam eligibility expiration date.
If you have not scheduled or taken the examination, you will receive a refund less a $100 processing fee. If you fail the Audit process, you will receive the same amount.
Renewal of the PMP® Certification
After passing the exam, your 3-year PDU cycle begins, and your PMP® certification will expire at the end of that time period. To keep your PMP® credential, you must earn an additional 60 PDUs every three years. However, you do not have to wait for the three-year cycle to end before renewing your PDUs. During the certification year, you can earn up to 60 PDUs.
PMI® has defined two categories for earning additional PDUs: education and giving back to the profession. One PDU will be awarded for each hour spent participating in professional development activities.
Formal education (No maximum limit for PDUs earned)
PDUs can be obtained by attending events such as seminars and workshops hosted by PMI® or PMI® Registered Education Providers (R.E.P).
PDUs can be earned by taking a PMI® Publication Quiz, which entails reading an article and correctly answering at least 70% of the questions.
PDUs can be earned by completing an academic course offered by a university or training institutes that are not registered by PMI®, such as your employer, corporates, or membership association.
Informal activities related to project management, project risk, project scheduling, or program management, such as reading articles, books, podcasts, or watching videos, can also earn you PDUs.
Giving Back to the Profession (Not more than 45 PDUs in a 3-year cycle)
Creating a new knowledge base for the topic of your expertise (authoring textbooks, articles, presenting a webinar, serving as a speaker for project management courses, etc.) can also earn you PDUs.
PDUs can be earned by providing non-compensated project management, project scheduling, or program management services to a third party.
You can also produce a letter or certificate from the organization recognizing your services for project management tasks.
Once you begin earning PDUs, you must update your information in the PDU Activity Reporting Form, which is available on the PMI® website. After earning 60 PDUs at the end of the three-year cycle, you can apply for credential renewal by paying the renewal fee of US $60 (members) and the US $150 (non-members) (non-members). Your new certificate will arrive in 6-8 weeks.
Continue to accumulate PDUs to keep your PMP® certification current. Best wishes on your certification journey!
