As you'd expect of Project Management, getting your PMP Certification is a matter of following a series of steps, in a logical process. So, here they are.
So, in this lesson we will give you a brief overview of the major steps you need to take to become a PMP. We will explore all the details in the upcoming lessons.
What many aspirants still do miss is to review the most essential documents towards your endavour. So, if not done already now is the time to ,download the PMI's Project Management Professional (PMPĀ®) Handbook.
"The PMPĀ® Credential Handbook should be the first stop for anyone who intends to become a PMP."
Are you eligible?
PMP sets several criteria, with alternatives based on your highest level of educational attainment. You need to give PMI evidence of this, along with the additional pre-requisites.
- Secondary degree (high school diploma, associateās degree, or the global equivalent)
- 7,500 hours leading and directing projects
- 35 hours of project management education
or
- Four-year degree (or equivalent Bachelor's degree)
- 4,500 hours leading and directing projects
- 35 hours of project management education
Apply for PMP Certification
If you believe you can meet the eligibility criteria, submit your application to the PMI. They will ask you for:
- Contact information ā email, address, phone number
- Education attained ā school attended, level of education attained, degree date
- Domain experience ā details of the projects, programs, and portfolios youāve worked on including qualifying hours, dates of employment, role, organization details, reference, and experience summary
- Domain education ā names of courses completed, institutions attended, dates, qualifying hours
Get this together before you apply. Your application will stay open for 90 days.
The PMI may choose to check your information as part of a random audit sample, so don't be a fool and lie.
To get full detailed guidance through the application process please review the related module/lesson (coming right after this one ...).
PMI will Review Your Application
The PMI will take usually about 5 working days to check you meet the eligibility criteria. Sometimes this can take up to two weeks. Then they'll get in touch with you.
Cough up the Cash
Yup, now it's time to pay. Once you do so, you'll get your formal 'eligibility number'. Now you will have one year and three goes at passing your exam. So you can go ahead and schedule your first (and, let's hope, only) exam appointment.
Get a Test Appointment
PMI uses PearsonVUE to administer the test. You can take the exam online (proctored!) but they have test centers all over the world if you do prefer that option. Use your eligibility number to choose your location and schedule your test online, at PearsonVUE >>>
Build Your Project Study Plan
Congratulations, you are in the right place!
You'll need to consider what resources to use, how to schedule your time, where to study, and how to balance reading, learning, understanding, testing yourself, and sitting full exam simulations.
This PMP Exam Prep Roadmap will help you with all of that. Build your structured study plan later in this roadmap, we'll list the types of materials and resources you can use.
Practice Tests
It is not a mandatory part of the process, but I (and many, many already PMPs), recommend you do practice tests, ideally under simulated exam conditions.
These will show you what to expect, give you practice at taking the test, instill a sense of the timing, and - perhaps most importantly - let you know how ready you are.
When you are consistently scoring above 75% in every NEW mock exam you do, there is a good chance you are ready and can feel confident about doing the exam for real. Of course, there is no guarantee ...
Take the Exam
Our PMP Exam Prep Roadmap will give you lots of tips for taking the exam.
But the top tip is to plan that exam day as if it were a mission-critical project. I do recommend you even rehearse your travel route at the time of day you'll be going, so you can gauge traffic or public transport timings. You can also familiarize yourself with the center and check on the local signing-in procedures.
Another important tip is: DO NOT stay up late the night before, doing last-minute revisions. Just get a good night's sleep. It's no use cramming more stuff into your brain if it is functioning below capacity and can't retrieve it quickly or accurately.
It's Never Over! Continuing Certification Requirements (CCR) Program
PMP Certification represents an ongoing measure of your professionalism. So the PMI requires you to maintain it by keeping your learning going.
You will NOT have to do the exam ever again!
BUT, you will need to do 60 hours of continuing professional development every three years. You can earn the so-called "Professional Development Units (PDUs)" for every hour of learning.
More about this topic at the end of our roadmap.
In the next lesson, we will talk about the use and creation of a study plan. Again this is more an overview and should give you an impression and maybe also an impulse on how and where to start.
See you there,
Markus