Project management professional: What is required to get pmp certification?

For Project managers, the project management professional certification is a highly desirable credential that offers quite an insight into the Project management methodologies, techniques and practices. The PMP certification is a globally recognized qualification that adds an edge to the overall Project management career. It is termed as the most acknowledged qualification for those who are associated with the various aspects related to Project management or desires an overall outlook in the project management domain.

The project management professional (PMP) credential is governed by the Project management Institute which is commonly termed as PMI. The PMI is the main regulating body for the project management professional qualification and therefore all the updates and the upgrades are formulated and issued by the Project management institute. Recently the project management professional certification examination was updated by the Project management Institute.

In this paper, we will try and cover all the characteristics that are crucial to know before making your mind for getting the Project management professional (PMP) certification. So keep following this space for more information.

Let us begin by understanding some crucial aspects related to Project management professional (PMP) certification. The PMP certification is regarded as benchmark for the professionals who are involved in Project management. It covers all the essential skills that are required for establishing a great career as a Project manager. The project management professional certification includes enhancement of the problem-solving skills that are required by the Project managers while handling and managing uber complex projects. It also encompasses Project management best practices. Moreover, maintenance of budgets and its intelligent allocations is also covered as a part of the Project management professional (PMP) certification. During the PMP certification training, the professionals get a scope to master the methodologies mentioned in the Project management Book of Knowledge, commonly referred as PMBOK, it is also termed as the ultimate guide for mastering Project management and to excel in the PMP certification exam.

To begin let us consider what are the prime roles and responsibilities of a Project manager.

Who is a Project Manager?

A project manager is someone who is well qualified and has an overall knowledge regarding every facet of project management. Their main roles and responsibilities include planning, acquisition and execution of a project that requires an expert eye.

Project managers are the leaders in the Project management processes and they are the ones who steer the projects towards ultimate completion. No team or team members can function properly without the interference of a Project manager. The whole success of the project depends on the contribution of a Project manager. All the core responsibilities in an organization are taken care of by a Project manager and therefore his or her role is indispensable. The entire project is overseen by a Project manager who utilizes his or her skill set in order to implement the desired methodology to get desired results from the stage that takes place throughout the entire project management life cycle.

There are several roles that are played by a Project manager in an organization and that are as follows:

• First and foremost, Project Manager designs, organizes, implements and completes projects within the given deadline and the budget allocated by the organization. Therefore budget planning is another skill that a Project manager needs to be expert in.

• Secondly, a Project Manager also decides whether a particular resource fits with Project management planning. If yes then its effective utilization is considered to achieve great results that are already desired by the enterprise.

• Another important role that is played by a Project manager is the efficacious enforcement of professional and social responsibility.

• Project manager's work is to run assessments in order to come up with an analysis regarding the hindrances and the constraints along with the assumptions.

• They are also responsible for the constant tracking of the team’s performance through utilization of the performance trackers. This way they are able to exercise control over the team’s performance.

• It is again a duty of the Project managers to run assessments regarding the potential risks so that they are able to come up with the right and exact approach that can be utilized in order to prevent such situations.

If we consider the above-mentioned roles and responsibility then it could be concluded that the work and the role of a Project manager are indispensable in an organization and he or she is the one who is omnipresent as far as the ongoing projects are concerned.

The Project management professional (PMP) certification offers an extra boost to your career goals so if you have made up your mind regarding the Project management professional certification then let us consider the eligibility requirement for PMP.

What is required to get PMP certification? And what are the basic eligibility requirements and criteria for the Project management Professional (PMP) certification?

For taking the Project management professional certification the candidates must have an overall understanding of the exam pattern along with the total comprehension of all the domains that are related to Project management. The methodologies, techniques and practices must have been underwood well not only for qualifying the PMP examination but to be able to exercise their learnings in a real-life environment and situation while handling complex projects.

In case of the project management professional certification, the candidates also need to make sure that they have attended the PMP certification training that is mandatory in order to receive the required Professional development units more comply referred as PDUs.

Every interested candidate is recommended to look at the guidelines and the PMP certification requirements issued by the Project management Institute as they have a set of formulated eligibility criteria that one has to follow if they are planning to get certified with the Project management Professional (PMP) Certification.

The major prerequisites that are needed in order to take the Project management professional certification are as follows:

If you are a graduate with a four-year bachelor's degree or any other educational equivalent that is accepted across the globe then you need to have the following requirements:

• Project management experience is a must for taking the PMP certification. Moreover, for a graduate, this experience should be for three years or 36 months. The candidate must not have any overlapping experience as it will not be considered.

• Experience with leading and directing projects is also mandatory for project managers who are planning to get certified with the PMP qualification. This experience needs to be 4500 hours in the case of graduates.

• Last but not the least, any individual who is planning to take the Project management credential must obtain at least 35 Professional development units (PDUs) that are required for the Project management professional certification exam.

If you are a non-graduate with a senior secondary qualification or any other educational equivalent that is accepted across the globe then you need to have the following requirements:

• Project management experience is a must for taking the PMP certification. Moreover, for a non-graduate, this experience should be of five years or 60 months. The candidate must not have any overlapping experience as it will not be considered.

• Experience with leading and directing projects is also mandatory for project managers who are planning to get certified with the PMP qualification. This experience needs to be 7500 hours in case of non-graduates.

• Last but not the least, any individual who is planning to take the Project management credential must obtain at least 35 Professional development units (PDUs) that are required for the Project management professional certification exam

There are certain sets of professionals who can particularly benefit from the PMP certification online and therefore it is suggested for them to take the Project management qualification in order to add an edge to their current working portfolio.

Who should do the Project management professional (PMP) Certification?

The following professionals can benefit a lot from the PMP qualification, they can opt for better opportunities and possibilities as far as career growth is concerned.

If you belong to the field of Associate project management, Project coordination, Project management, Project analysis, Team leading, Project sponsoring, IT Project management, Project leading, Product management, or if you are a part of a project team then taking the PMP online training is an ideal option as it will allow you the scope to extend your professional wings in varied horizons and will also be an exciting learning experience, to say the least.

Moving further let us now have a look at the monetary aspect related to the Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification. The cost is the major factor that plays a crucial role in deciding whether one would like to go for a particular training or not?

ALSO CHECK: Top Reasons why PMP certification is worth it?

How much does the Project management professional (PMP) Certification cost?

Cost plays a determining role in the overall certification process and therefore we are going to discuss the entire breakup of the cost that is associated with the Project management professional certification.

The PMP certification cost varies and depends on a single factor that is whether the applicant is a member of the Project management Institute or not. The PMP certification cost is different for a PMI member which is quite less when compared with the cost that a PMI non-member pays for the exact same Project management professional (PMP) Certification.

The Project Management Professional Certification exam fee for a PMI member is around $405. Apart from discounts the PMI members also enjoy certain services that are extremely helpful not only for the PMP examination but in general day to day challenges as well.

For the non-PMI members, the cost that they pay for the PMP certification exam is around $555 which is way higher than what the PMI members pay for the PMP exam. Apart from this, you will not get access to the PMP community as you are not a member of the Project management Institute (PMI).

The membership to the Project management Institute plays a vital role in the overall certification process and therefore it advised to always go for the project management professional certification with the PMI membership. Since we are talking about the PMI membership let us also consider the cost associated with the PMI membership.

The entire membership cost is around $139 wherein the candidate needs to pay the membership fees which is $129 and the rest $10 is taken as a one-time application charge. The validity of the PMI membership is for one year and you need to renew your membership by paying the membership charges only which is $129.

I hope this space and paper has helped you with your doubts relating to the Project Management Professional credential and would have given you an insight into how much time, effort and money are required if you are planning for getting certified with the Project Management Professional Certification