PMP Certification is considered one of the highly regarded credentials in the industry. Today, there are more than 400, 000 Project Managers with the PMP certification. You could become part of this elite group and be successful in your career.
Project Management Professional(PMP) certification is administered by Project Management Institute(PMI), a global authority in Project and Program Management. The PMI has put together some prerequisite qualifications and requirements to apply for the PMP certification examination. This article goes through them and provides a step by step guidance to get your PMP certification.
Qualification:
If you planning to become a PMP, first check if you qualify to apply.
In order to apply for the PMP certification one must have demonstrated experience in project management. A four year degree and at least three yeas of project management experience is required. The experience should include 4500 hours of leading and directing projects. Alternatively, if you have a high school diploma with 5 years of project management experience (7500 hours instead of 4500) you qualify to apply for the PMP certification.
PDU Hours:
Once you determine that you qualify to apply for PMP, you ne pmp certification guaranteed pass ed to obtain 35 hours of project management education. They are commonly referred to as 35 PDUs. There are lot of in-class and online training providers that provide quality education and materials to acquire these PDUs. Refer to resources section for more details.
PMI members get discount on examination fee that outweighs the membership amount. So, it makes sense to become a PMI member from a monetary benefit perspective. In addition, the PMI membership provides you lot of other benefits including valuable information on project management, networking opportunity etc. For current membership fees checkout PMI website.
Apply for PMP Certification:
You can submit your application online through the PMI website. Make sure you submit all required documentation and fill them correctly. The application requires detailed information on your project management experience. Please gather that information and keep it ready to fill in the forms.
After going through PMBOK guide once, pick one good book on PMP exam preparation. There is no single book that i can recommend as everyone’s preparation style varies. Follow the resource section for some guidance in this area. Don’t try to read too many books as it may confuse you.
Scheduling the Exam:
PMP exams are conducted by Prometric centers. From the PMI website you can go to Prometric site and find a center that is convenient to you. Upon the approval of your application, you have one year to take the examination. Be sure to know the exact location before you go there on the exam day to avoid any last minute confusions.
In the Exam:
Take the examination and you are done! You have four hours to answer 200 questions. There is no negative marking. Exam provides an opportunity to review your answers before submitting them. So, make sure to review the answers you are not certain and don’t leave any question unanswered. Once you pass the examination you are a certified PMP.