What is PMP? Project Management Professionals

What is PMP? PMP is a popular credential that stands for Project Management Professional. PMP is an industry-recognized certification for project managers. Project Management Professionals (PMP) are the driving force behind the success of any organisation. Skilled PMPs are in high demand across the world. According to research, Project  Management Institute (PMI) estimates that firms will need nearly 2.2 million PMP annually through 2027.

A PMP Certification will help you learn the industry’s best practices and demonstrate your skills to potential employers. It will also prepare you for the challenges that lie ahead in the future and perform to the best of your skills and abilities.

Table of Contents

1) What is PMP® certification?

2) Why should you get PMP® certification?

3) Who can apply for PMP® Certification?

4) Prerequisites for PMP® certification 

5) How to obtain PMP® certification?

6) PMP® certification cost

7) Renewing your PMP certificate

8) PMP Exam structure

9) Benefits of PMP® certification

10) Conclusion

What is PMP® certification?

PMP is an acronym for Project Management Professional, a certification offered by Project Management Institute (PMI). It is a globally recognised certification for project managers that prepares the candidates to manage people, processes and various methodologies of project management. This helps the professionals in delivering the project requirements on time and maintaining maximum client satisfaction. 

Worldwide, it is the most sought-after certification for project management. Suppose you are aspiring to become a PMP certified professional. In that case, this certification will help you showcase your experience, qualifications and skills required to handle project teams and manage the projects till their completion. 

The project management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) Guide is the main guide that assists in getting the PMP certification. PMI has released the latest version of PMBOK -7th edition in 2021, which helps aspirants stay updated with the latest methodologies and changes in the practices followed in the industry.
 

Why should you get PMP® certification?

Across the world, there are more than one million people with PMP certification, and this certification is tailored to match a PMP’s responsibilities in any industry, including human resources, healthcare, Information Technology (IT), and construction among many others. This certification will assist you in gaining skills to manage a project from the beginning till the completion and in leading your team throughout the completion.

PMI introduced the first project management certification in 1984. This certification is described as “a crucial tool for prospective project managers to test and showcase their ability to perform their duties” by Forbes. 

If you want to become a project manager or a PMP, you should choose this certification as the Project management industry recognises this as a professional standard. Adding the PMP certification to your profile will set you aside from your competitors for the same job role and you will accomplish the PMP job you always wished for.

Who all can apply for PMP® Certification?

Leadership and Management skills are qualities that shine in job positions like Project Manager. If you have the skills mentioned above, waiting for a window to translate them into a profession, then a PMP® Certification is the right choice.

Qualities such as delegation, encouraging team contribution, and efficient team management are essential to make you a better candidate for PMP certification. There are certain basic educational and professional requirements that are necessary to pursue a PMP® Certification. Some of the eligibility requirements are as follows:

a) Four-year degree: A four-year degree with a minimum of three years experience in professional project management is one of the requirements. This includes 4,500 hours of work done via directing projects and a minimum of 35 hours of Project Management education.

b) High School Diploma: A high school diploma with a minimum of five years of professional project management is the other alternative. This involves work experience in Project Management for 7,500 hours and a minimum of 35 hours in Project Management education.

Prerequisites for PMP® certification 

Ensure that you are equipped with these qualifications to be eligible for the PMP certification exam:

1) If you have a secondary education certificate from high school/associate degree, supplement it with 60 months of work experience in project management. This experience must be attained within the last 5 years from when you submitted the PMP certification application. Additionally, you need to have 35 contact hours (project management training from PMI authorised institutes) or a Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) certification

OR

2) If you have a four-year degree, supplement it with 36 months of work experience in any role in Project Management. In addition, you will be required to have 35 contact hours or a CAPM certification. 

If you do not qualify for these requirements, choose to take up the exam once again after you have completed the required work experience and the contact experience. 

Learn various Project Management approaches. Check out our Project Management courses!   

How to obtain PMP® certification?

Follow these steps to successfully add PMP certification to your profile:

1) Firstly, fill out the PMP application form, available on the PMI official website. It is available both online and in PDF format to download, print and fill. 

2) PMI will take you through the PMI’s certification handbook, which will help you decide which certification to take up based on your qualifications. PMI including PMP and CAPM provides many certifications.

3) PMI will take mostly 5-10 days to review the application submitted by you.

4) Post which, you will be contacted for fee payment.

5) PMI will send you the fee invoice once the payment has been verified.

6) After this, your application will be eligible for an PMP audit process

7) PMI selects applications randomly for the auditing procedure. When your application is selected for audit you will receive an email notification. 

8) You will have to submit these documents with your application:

a) The copies of your educational qualification - secondary/four-year degree

b) Proof of 35 Contact hours i.e Project Management Training

c) Signed copies of the project manager or supervisor as proof of work experience

9) After your application audit is successfully completed, PMI will send you an email containing your PMI ID and exam schedule-related information.

10) After the completion of these steps, you will have an entire year for the PMP exam preparation.

PMP certification cost

The total cost for a PMP® Certification depends on various factors like the examination fee, cost of purchasing the preparation courses, and PMP study materials.

The Project Management Professional Certification Examination by the Project Management Institute is offered to both PMI members and non-PMI members.

If you’re a Project Management Institute (PMI) member, you can have the PMP certification at a slightly cheaper cost when compared to non-PMI members.
 

Your PMP® certification will be valid for a total of three years. You can get your certificate renewed. We will have describe the renewal process in the next section.

Check out our course to develop program and project management standards. Register in Program Management Professional (PgMP)®! 

Renewing your PMP certificate
 

The PMP® certification is valid for three years but can be renewed or maintained by completing 60 Professional Development Units (PDUs). PDU is the hours you spent on authorised Project Management activities throughout that period. To renew your PMP certificate, you must pay £52 if you are a PMI member and £128 if you are not a member.

What is PDU in Certification renewal process?

Professional Development Unit or PDU is what helps in the renewal of your PMP® certificate. PMP Certifications need to be renewed every three years starting from the day you received your certification.

Earning 60 PDUs within three years is how you ensure your PMP Certification Renewal. The objective is to maintain active certification status as per the Continuing Certification Requirements (CCR) program. Constant renewal helps you stay in the loop with all the new updates and helps you improve your contribution to the profession.

Learn the basics of Project Management in this Introduction to Project Management course!

PMP Exam structure 

PMI introduced a few changes in the PMP® certification exam on 2nd January 2021, to level the exam with the emerging challenges that the PMPs are facing in the industry today. The earlier format contained 230 questions whereas the present exam consists of only 180 questions. The PMP exam questions are a combination of multiple-choice questions, situational responses, matching and fill-in-the-blank questions. You will be given a total of 3 hours and 50 minutes to complete the PMP exam along with a two 10 ten minutes break. The exam is available in 13 languages across the world

Current weightage of different domains in the PMP exam:

1) People - Weighted at 42 percent in the exam

Preparing for this section will help to gain the skills required to build and manage a team from the start till the delivery of the projects. Almost half of the questions in the PMP exam are based on team-building exercises, leadership skills, risk management and training your team among other related topics. 

2) Process - Weighted to 50 percent in the exam

The process section in the PMP exam focuses on testing your skills in managing your project throughout the process including budget management, maintaining timelines, and the implementation of various Project Management methodologies based on the scope of the project. 

3) Business Environment - Weighted at 8 percent in the exam

This section tests your competence to deliver a value-based project that brings value to the organisation and its clients. It tests your skills in managing projects while maintaining organisational values. It tests your ability to apply various project management approaches to projects. 

Learn more about the Waterfall Project Management methodology! Check out our Waterfall Project Management Course! 

Benefits of PMP certification

In a challenging career like Project Management, earning a PMP® Certification comes with several benefits. It can guide your career in various ways. Here are some of the major benefits of obtaining a PMP Certification.

a) Career Advancement & Opportunities

A survey conducted by PMI showed a 20% spike in the PMP salaries of certified professionals over the ones who weren’t certified. This points to the importance of having a PMP certification. It gives you more opportunities and hence allows career advancement.

PMP professionals work across various industries like the government, IT sectors, retail, and more. Thus, when it comes to opportunities PMP professionals can choose from a wide range of industries and openings.

b) New Skill

By enrolling in the course to become a PMP certified professional, you learn several new skills and values in your professional life. Professionally, technical skills and soft skills are a useful addition to your existing skillset to become a good Project Manager.

c) Global Recognition

Earning a globally recognised certification is a bonus for anybody’s resume. PMP being a globally recognised certification can add high value for you as a candidate. The skills and techniques learnt from the course can be applied to any kind of project.

d) Commitment to your Profession

Building your credibility as a PMP professional starts by associating your name with ‘PMP’ as a prefix. Since the certification is constantly updated, it shows how updated you are with the latest developments in the world of project management. It also reflects your desire to learn and improve your skills.

e) Join the club

There are about a million PMP certified professionals in the world today. In an attempt to promote networking, the PMI regularly organises events for them. Becoming a part of this club helps you build connections and expand your growth horizons.

f) Professional Growth

One of the biggest guarantees of a PMP® Certification being beneficial in professional growth is that the demand for PMP professionals is constantly rising. PMP certified professionals have an upper hand over the project managers who are not certified.

Also, check out our blog to prepare the top PMP interview questions to ace your interview!

Conclusion

In this blog, we explained what is PMP and how you can get PMP certified, as well as the benefits of this certification. We hope that this blog has cleared your doubts in this regard and motivates you to apply for the certification and enhance your skill set. 

Are you even considering Scrum? Find the difference between them in the PMP vs Scrum blog.