Many students worry about the PMP audit process.
Specifically, the big concern is that they will be audited and then PMI will reject their application, saying that they do not meet the eligibility criteria.
So what should you do if that happens?
PMI will normally provide the reason for rejecting your application.
For example:
- You didn’t achieve the required training contact hours
- The projects you submitted are not classed as projects by PMI as they read more like operational tasks in the descriptions
- You used terminology that the reviewer was not familiar with
- You did not show that you were leading the projects, and instead, your descriptions showed you where only a participant in the project
- Your descriptions were too vague (which might happen if you are trying not to disclose sensitive details in commercially confidential projects)
- You did not explain your project management experience adequately
- The project management methodology used is unclear in your descriptions
There might be other reasons as well. Read your email carefully to understand why your application was rejected.
If you believe that you have been rejected incorrectly, you will need to reapply, making sure you change the elements that caused you to fail in the first place.
In our experience, candidates have had success in contacting PMI regarding their applications. You can email them, write to them, use the online chat or even call. Try to get hold of the exact reviewer who looked at your application. If you can contact them, you can learn what issues they spotted in your application so that you can address them.
Speaking to the audit team at PMI may enable you to speed up the review of your application. We’ve heard from students who have been given feedback on the day directly from the reviewers. Speaking to them may also give you other ways to address their concerns. For example, one applicant was allowed to verify email as long as the signatures emailed came directly from her references and not from herself.
One of our students who was audited got in touch with PMI to find out why. Here is what he had to say about the experience.
"I sent the audit team one of my revised responses to validate if it would satisfy the project description. I explained that I didn't want to waste my managers' time and I would appreciate it if they could review a sample first. The PMI audit team was kind enough to review my sample revision and confirm it was OK.
I know it seems like a hassle being selected for audit, but having gone through the process I feel more confident and proud that my work experience has been reviewed and approved by PMI. Hopefully, you will feel the same that your experience is getting the stamp of approval."
Now that you have a good idea about why your application wasn’t considered suitable, you can prepare your application again, addressing the concerns.
Ok, cool ... but what to do if my application gets rejected a second time?
You may guess it ... we will answer this question in the next lesson ...