PMP Certification: Eligibility, Cost, Renewal Process & More

Project management is one of the fastest-growing and widely recognized professions, with over a million PMP Certification holders globally. An increasing number of businesses are seeking to hire project managers who certify as project management professionals offered through the Project Management Institute (PMI).

The Project Management Professional (PMP) certification is a globally recognized certification given by the PMI (Project Management Institute) to candidates who pass a comprehensive exam that tests the candidate’s ability to manage the people, processes, and business goals of a project.

The candidates who pass the PMP exam become globally recognized and certified associates in project management. The PMP Certification is applicable in virtually any industry, including business, health, information technology (IT), and construction.

Here’s everything you need to know to start your Project Management Professional (PMP) journey.

WHY THE PMP?

A PMP Certification opens doors to outstanding career opportunities for professionals in any industry or location. Moreover, it enriches the candidate’s project management skills and displays their ability to manage and lead challenging projects. Some of the benefits of acquiring a PMP Certification is as follows:

• Globally Accepted and Recognized - PMP is one of the most in-demand credentials for almost every organization and industry. As a PMP you can work globally in any industry or location as skills remain relevant across the globe.CIO magazine ranks PMP as one of the top and most prestigious project management certifications in North America.
• Higher Salaries - According to a salary survey by PMI , project management professionals earn 23% more in comparison to those without a PMP Certification. Moreover, according to the list of top-paying IT certifications as of 2022, PMP ranks 4th with an average salary of $111k/ year.
• Professional Growth - Acquiring a PMP Certification can add to your professional growth, leaving you to enhance your knowledge and skills in the project management domain. PMP certification also increases your market value.You can work in various roles as a project manager, program manager, operations manager, IT director, and so on.
• Learn new skills - It is not easy to pass the PMP exam. It takes a lot of time to study and prepare. It necessitates mastering the topic and learning the principles of each project management approach. Communication, leadership, organization, team management, resource management, issue solving, conflict resolution, and time management are among the hard and soft skills you'll acquire. Finally, you'll learn about project management best practices and current trends.
• Job Prospects - According to a report compiled by PMI, employers will ultimately require 87.7 million individuals to work in different project management-oriented roles by the year 2027. And ultimately about 200,000 new project management jobs will be introduced from the year 2017-2027 in the US.

PMP ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

There are various educational and professional experience requirements that the candidates must meet to even apply for the PMP Certification exam. PMP eligibility criteria depend upon the various factors and experience levels. Before you take off your journey to become a PMP certified, it is important to follow a few PMP eligibility criteria for the next step.

The experience required shows your soft skills and team-building capacity whereas your educational level shows that you have enough practical and theoretical background for the certification. However, the experience level you hold changes with the educational qualification and it might change with time.

You must fall under either of the following eligibility criteria:

PMP EXAM COST

As of 2021, the PMP exam fee structure has changed and the PMP exam fee has been revised. You might be wondering what might be the PMP exam fee for the coming year? Worry not, in this section, we have included all the information that a candidate must know before filling out the PMP application form. You can opt for the PMI membership by paying Rs9,963 a year, with a one-time Rs772 application fee, making the exam a bit cheaper in comparison to non-membership.

WHAT’S ON THE PMP EXAM?

• The PMP exam Pattern is a combination of multiple-choice, multiple responses, matching, hot area, and limited fill-in-the-blank.
• The candidates need to answer 180 questions (the previous exam was 200) for 3 domains within the duration of 230 minutes.
• About half of the examination represents predictive project management approaches and the other half represents agile or hybrid approaches.

The type of questions on the exam usually falls under 3 main domains. Here is the weightage for each domain and topics of questions

APPLICATION PROCESS & RENEW PROCESS

• Create a PMI.ORG Account - The first step in the application process is registering yourself on the official PMI website by creating your account. Now, it is optional but you can opt for the PMI membership at $129/year with a one-time $10 application fee.
• PMI membership comes with its perks including free digital copies of the PMBOK guide,
• Check the Eligibility Criteria - This step involves confirming whether you are eligible for the PMP exam or not. Go through the eligibility criteria as mentioned above before you proceed to the next step.
• Complete and Submit the Online Application- After checking your eligibility, you can start filling out the application form that is available on the PMI website. Here are the sections that you will come across in your application form.
• Education Section: In this section, you have to mention all your academic qualifications including your highest level of education, name of institution, the field of study, country of education, and so on.
• Professional Education: Under this section, you have to mention your 35 hours of project management education or training.
• Experience Section: As the name suggests, you have to mention all your project management experience.

After carefully filling out all the required details, you can submit your application form on the online portal itself.

• PMP Application Completeness Review and Fee Payment - PMI will now take about 5 days to review your application form to ensure it is complete. After 5 days, you will receive a confirmation email for your application approval. After which you can move on to pay the exam fees.
• PMP Audit - PMI conducts audit checks on a random basis and if PMI selects your application for an audit, you will receive an email.
• After receiving the email, you will have to provide all the required supporting documents such as copies of the diploma, certificates, and so on.
• You have 90 days to submit your audit material, and PMI will take up to 5-7 days to process your audit.
• Pay the Exam Fee - The next step involves paying the PMP exam fee after receiving the email for the same. The PMP exam fee is $405 (PMI Member) and $555 (Non-PMI members).
• Schedule the PMP Exam Date - After completing all the above steps, you can schedule your exam date.

PMP Certification Renewal Process

Your PMP certificate is valid for 3 years, but you have the option of renewing or maintaining your certificate by earning 60 professional development units (PDUs). PDUs refer to hours that you have spent on accepted professional development activities during the 3 years of your certification.

HOW TO GET PMP CERTIFICATION?

Acquiring a PMP Certification is not difficult if you meet the eligibility criteria and follow the right study material. Here are some 5 steps to keep in mind if you want to get a PMP Certification.

Step 1: Meet the PMP Eligibility Criteria - Before applying for the PMP exam, you have to ensure whether you pass the eligibility criteria for the exam or not. To pass the PMP exam requirement, you need to meet either of the following:

• Secondary degree along with 35 hours of project management education, 7,500 hours of directing and leading projects, and a minimum of 60 months of professional project management experience.
• Four-year degree along with 35 hours of project management education, 4,500 hours of directing and leading projects, and a minimum of 36 months of professional project management experience.

Step 2: Apply for the PMP exam - Register yourself on the PMI platform and start your PMP exam application process. The application requires you to fill out various details from educational qualifications to project management experience. And then you can pay the exam fees and schedule the exam date.

Step 3: Prepare for the PMP exam - You can start preparing for your PMP exam by preparing a formal PMP study schedule. Most candidates take up to 8-12 weeks to prepare for the exam.

Step 4: Take the PMP exam - You can give your PMP exam either from a testing center or from the comfort of your home.

Step 5: Maintain Your Certification - The PMP exam is valid for up to 3 years, and to prevent giving the exam again after the validity expires, you have the option of maintaining the certificate by earning 60 PDUs. Check the PMP renewal process mentioned above.

TRAINING FOR THE PMP EXAM

The PMP exam requires training and intensive studying for at least a few months to ace it. In this section, we have briefly mentioned the best three PMP certification training programs that you must take when going for project management. Let’s discuss them one by one.

1. Google Project Management: Professional Certificate

   
   With a professional degree from Google, get started in the project management sector, which is seeing rapid expansion. Develop your strategic communication abilities while learning how to handle projects both traditionally and agilely. It’s a 6 months-long course that takes 10 hours of study a week to complete the course. What you will learn:
   • Learn in-depth the techniques and abilities required to be successful in a project management role at the beginning level.
   • Discover how to produce efficient project documentation and artefacts during the various project phases.
   • Focusing on executing Scrum events, creating Scrum artefacts, and comprehending Scrum roles, learning the fundamentals of Agile project management.
   Click here to Enroll for this Certification for Free




2. Techcanvass PMP Training

   
   One of the most esteemed and well-known project management qualifications is the Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification from PMI. Getting a PMP Certification can accelerate both your career and personal development.
   
   For a period of six weeks, the training course is delivered over the weekends by PMI Authorized Training Instructors. Many PMP aspirants trust our practical approach to preparing for the PMP exam.
   
   Why PMP Training Course from Techcanvass?
   • PMI-authorized and certified instructors
   • Have Online/Offline access to trainers and experts
   • Special Workshops/ Mock Practice sessions
   • Question Bank with 2000 Questions
   • 180-day access to Online Sessions (Flexi-Pass)




3. Techcanvass CAPM Training (Entry-Level)

   
   A complete training course with hands-on practice is project management training for novices. You may use it to learn how to manage projects in any industry.
   
   You will learn about all the project management methodologies, tools, and strategies in this course, and it will also assist you in getting ready for the prestigious PMI Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) Certification.
   
   The Project Management Body of Knowledge(PMBOK) serves as the foundation for the entry-level or associate-level PMI certification known as Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)
   Skills Covered:
   • Project Management Basics
   • Resource Management
   • Risk Planning and Management
   • Stakeholder Management
   • Requirements Management
   • Creating plan with MS Project
   • Project Planning and Scheduling

How PMP Certification is Compared with Other IT Certs?

Assume you want to work in the field of information technology. In that situation, there are a variety of IT project management certifications available, such as Six Sigma Green Belt and Certified Scrum Master, as well as totally specialized Agile methods, such as the PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP).

Your choice of certification should be based on your job title, industry, and level of project management expertise.

The majority of IT certifications are either created for or better suited to specific procedures, industries, or approaches. The PMP is a project management certification that focuses on the entire project, is applicable across all industries, and is internationally recognized. To be eligible for the PMP, you must have some project management experience.

OTHER PMP CERTIFICATIONS AVAILABLE

If you do not meet the eligibility criteria for the PMP Certification, or if the PMP credential is not the right fit for you, then you can also consider other project management certifications. Here are a few:

Agile Certification

Agile certifications demonstrate that you have the required knowledge and expertise in Agile concepts. We are listing down the most popular agile certifications that you can consider.

Scrum Certifications

A Scrum certification validates your knowledge and competency in Scrum project management principles. Candidates with a Scrum certification can become Scrum masters who use Scrum to handle and execute projects. Here are some Scrum certifications that you can consider.

Conclusion

PMP certification can help you get started in project management and give you a leg up on the competition. This clears up any doubts regarding whether or not to go for it. The fact that a professional with PMP certification is passionate about seeking a career in project management is recognized by the HR departments of numerous firms. At the start of their careers, PMP-certified professionals are not expected to take on leadership roles.
Techcanvass is one of the leading software training and consulting organization that provides various PMP certification training to follow your dream of becoming the leading project manager. We provide our students with one on one training sessions with a complete guide and a question bank for the preparation. With this, our highly trained instructors cover real-life projects and case studies and chapter-wise question answers too. If you want to accelerate your project management journey, join us today and live your dream tomorrow!

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