How to get PMP certification?

How to get PMP certification?

Are you an ambitious project manager? Or, do you wish to build your legacy in the project management profession? Then, we suggest you get a PMP certification as soon as possible. Now, if you are wondering about how to get a Project Management certificate, you are at the right place. Stay on this page and learn about the exam, certification, and benefits that you could gain from the Project Management profession. Firstly, let us see what a Project management Professional or PMP is! 

What is Project Management Professional Certification?

The internationally recognized and most sought-after professional designation, Project Management Professional or PMP is provided by the Project Management Institute (PMI). The PMP® certification follows agile, hybrid, and predictive approaches. Moreover, it helps you to improve project leadership experience and expertise in any field of work. Consequently, it allows you to upgrade your career as a project leader across various industries. Meanwhile, top employers and government bodies believe that PMP-certified professionals could improve the success rate of projects since they adopt a standardized and advanced set of project management principles.

What is PMI?

PMI is a U.S.-based non-profit professional organization. Further, the services provided by PMI include education, development of standards, networking opportunities in local chapters, research, offering accreditation in project management, and hosting seminars, training, and conferences.

Why do you need a PMP certification?

If you are eager to get a ‘PMP certification’, you should also know the good reasons to facilitate your journey in pursuing the certification. Let’s have a look at the top three reasons to become a Project Management Professional.

Salary Hike: A PMP-certified individual can earn more by getting a salary hike. Recent survey reports on the PMI salary states that there is a 20% increase in salary if you have a PMP certificate. Thus, the salary of PMP managers is much higher than what the non-PMP managers get.

Job opportunities: It is estimated that almost 22 million new jobs will be created in project management by the end of the year 2027. Meanwhile, PMP has become a prerequisite to applying for Project manager job roles in leading organizations. Indeed, gaining the PMP credential and acquiring the necessary skill set of a project manager will trigger your career.

Industry recognition: The PMP certificate is an internationally recognized credential. Unlike other certifications, PMP allows you to work with any organization of any industry. Moreover, the value of PMP certificates is so high that the demand for PMP managers is increasing.  Organizations believe that PMP certified managers can increase the success rate of projects in any industry. Further, the PMP credential will constantly impel you to get up-to-date with the developments and changes in industry standards.

Process of the exam:

The PMP exam is based on performance domains and there will be 20o multiple-choice questions. The MCQ is prepared according to the PMP code of ethics and PMBOK specification. Meanwhile, it is a closed book exam and you cannot seek help from friends or cannot use any reference materials. The proficiency of the candidate on 175 questions decides their exam score. Earlier the PMP exam scores were based on five performance domains. However, from the year 2021, the PMP exam is based on three performance domains.

Given below are the five performance domains in the PMP examination:

1. Project Initiation (13%)
2. Planning the project (24%)
3. Executing the project (31%)
4. Monitoring the project and controlling it (25%)
5. Closing of the project (7%)

*The numbers within the parenthesis depict the percentage of questions from each domain.

PMP certification cost

The PMP certification cost includes PMP exam fees, study material cost, training cost, and re-examination cost. Each country has different certification costs and the estimated PMP cost in India is around Rs.42000 to 55000. Meanwhile, the PMP cost in the U.S. is approximately around $900 – $1500 whereas in UAE it is around 999 AED to 17000 AED. Though getting a PMP certificate might look expensive, however, it will be a great investment for your career. Above all, PMP is a globally accepted credential that would certainly open the door to boundless opportunities for project managers at a global level.

How to get a PMP certification

Here we will discuss the major steps that you should follow to become PMP certified.

Eligibility:

Requires Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent with 60 months of working experience in Project management and 7500 hours of work experience as a project manager. You also need to attend 35 hours of project management education.

Training:

Choose a good institute and training course to prepare for PMP exams. Ensure that the training institute you wish to join is an authorized PMI training institute.

PMI Membership:

To save certification costs you should get a PMI membership. In addition, it would help you to get the PMBOK guide and latest study materials.

Exam registration:

Try to be specific while mentioning your work experience in the online application. Also, ensure that the description meets the PMI standard. Upon submission of the application, you will receive an approval email from PMI within 10 days. Finally, you need to pay the fee for the exam.

Clearing the PMP exam:

• Choose the date and time of the exam after the fee payment
• One of the PMI-certified centers at your location will conduct the exam.
• The result will be announced immediately after the exam. But the certification will be done later.
• Try to maintain the certification after clearing the PMP exam.
• Try to gain 60 PDUs (Professional Development Units) within three years and update it on the PMI website.

Always remember that only a solid professional who effectively manages the projects can achieve a ‘PMP certification’. However, building a strong network with PMP individuals across the globe will ease the exchange of ideas, knowledge, and opportunities.