Outside of the UK, the PMP (Project Management Professional) Certification from the PMI (Project Management Institute) is the most widely recognised qualification for Project Managers.
Who are the PMI?
The PMI is an international organisation with the mission of promoting best Project Management practices, and promoting the profession across all industries. It produced the Project Management Book of Knowledge (PMBOK), which is a collection of Project Management tools and techniques.
PMP does not have a focus on any one particular methodology, and it has a more stringent accreditation and continuing maintenance process than other methodologies.
Pre-requisites for PMP Certification
Before you can apply for PMP Accreditation, you will need to have the following:
- Secondary degree (high school diploma, associate’s degree or the global equivalent)
- 7,500 hours leading and directing projects
- 35 hours of project management education
OR
- Four-year degree
- 4,500 hours leading and directing projects
- 35 hours of project management education
Note that these pre-requisites are for the PMP Certification – there are many other certifications issued by the PMI as part of their program – these include:
- Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)® certification
- PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP)® certification
- PMI Risk Management Professional (PMI-RMP)® credential
- PMI Scheduling Professional (PMI-SP)® credential
- Portfolio Management Professional (PfMP)SM credential
- Program Management Professional (PgMP)® credential
The focus for this post is on the PMP Certification. If you do not meet the pre-requisites for PMP Certification, it may be worth looking at one of the others on this list (e.g. CAPM), as a stepping stone to get started, or at PRINCE2 (see my other post on PRINCE2 Certification Training)
Another important element of PMP Certification, is that there is a requirement for CCR (Continuing Certification Requirements), meaning that it must be actively maintained by ongoing professional development.
For details of this you can refer to the PMP CCR Requirements, and for a detailed breakdown of this and other aspects of the application and exam process, please see the PMP Handbook
Options for PMP Certification Training
Now we’ve covered the pre-requisites and application process, what about passing the actual PMP exam? What PMP Certification training is available?
The exam is a 200-question multiple choice test, which you will have 4 hours to complete (Note that there will be changes to the PMP Exam which take effect from 1st Nov 2015 – details can be found at PMP Exam Changes)
As usual there are a number of ways you can access PMP Certification Training, and which one you go for will depend largely on your learning preference (online or classroom-based), your location, and of course your budget.
Online PMP Certification Training
If you’re new to Project Management, or to PMP, then the first thing I’d recommend is to sign up to the mailing list on PM-PrepCast – here you will get access to a good selection of free PMP resources which will really help you start the process through the PMP Certification Process.
There are a few paid options here also if you want to go ahead and take the exam, and these free resources will give you a good indication of the quality you can expect. If you do decide to proceed with one of the paid options, you’ll be covered for the 35 contact hours of education you need as a pre-requisite to sitting the PMP Certification Exam (the material is pre-approved for this)
If you’re happy with the online route to learning, then this is the option I’d recommend, as the material is excellent and will prepare you well for the exam – this is also one of the most popular courses to achieve the PMP Certification exam, so far having been used by over 32,000 Project Managers.
Classroom-based PMP Certification Training
Classroom training for PMP Certification normally takes place over approximate 10 days of intensive study with a training provider. Note that this time will not normally include the exam and on completion of your training, you will normally be provided with a course completion certificate and will then have to go on to register, pay the exam fee, and complete the exam. Current PMP Certification exam fees can be found in the PMP Handbook
For classroom-based PMP Certification training, check out options from Simplilearn, who offer classroom courses worldwide
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