Key Steps To Obtaining And Maintaining Your Project Management Certification

Acquiring and preserving your Project Management Certification is an easy process with these suggested steps. Find out what all you need for making yourself an efficient PMP certification holder.
There is plenty of information available on the web regarding smart ways of taking and succeeding in Project Management examinations. However, it is certain that even after going through this information you will face various challenges in terms of figuring out the appropriate point to begin. This article provides a step by step guide towards becoming a proficient PMP holder; it also offers useful information for sustaining the certification.
Essential Steps towards Obtaining the Certification
Step 1: The first essential step towards this process is to enroll online for membership in Project Management Institute (PMI). It is essential to undertake this step way before you even start your preparations for the PMP exam. Check out all details regarding membership fees and exam requirements on the official PMI website before moving ahead.
Step 2: The second step is to earn the required contact hours for qualifying for the PMP certification examination. It is essential that you earn PMP education of 35 hours for obtaining the certification. You can opt for either online or classroom training for the same. Remember, online courses are more economical in comparison to classroom trainings.
Step 3: Once you have earned those 35 hours of PMP education, you can apply for certification online. In the application itself, you need to provide details of your PMP experience in terms of hours. Once submitted, your application would be reviewed and audited by the authorities at PMI. Thereafter, you will be notified of the essentials such as exam fee details and instructions for exam scheduling, etc. Do know more about obtaining contact hours here.
Step 4: The next step would be with regards to booking the exam once you receive an email about exam scheduling from PMI. It is best to book with the help of a booking function provider at least 2 months before your expected schedule as the slots are limited. If you move on with a targeted date of examination you will be more focused on the preparation process by the time the examination time arrives. You have 12 months time in hand to take up the examination from the date when your application was actually approved by PMI. So, take up the exam within 1 year as it is an eligibility criterion.
Step 5: The next step would to be select the best study materials to prepare for the PMP examination. There are many books available online that can be selected for aiding your preparation. PMI specific forums are also equally effective for providing requisite materials for this exam. You can access a few of these forums from the page available on the PMI website. Also, strive to attempt as many sample questions from a wide number of available mock PMP exams on the web. You may like to use PMP exam simulators that are extremely helpful in preparing for the certification exam.
Step 6: The last essential step is about taking up the exam confidently and bingo…. Pass! If you follow the above 5 steps proficiently, you will definitely sail through the exam effortlessly. The PMP certification exam is a two to three hours long process. It is composed of 200 objective type questions out of which 25 are trial questions that are not scored absolutely. The remaining 175 questions are essentially scored and account for your acquired pass percentage.
Ways to Maintain Your Project Management Certification
Obtained your PMP certificate? Well, it is all yours for a life span provided your annual dues are clear and you depict enduring involvement in pre-defined and spontaneous project management activities.
Cleared Dues
Make sure that the dues related to PMI are up-to-date. You may also opt to join a local chapter that involves minimal fee. Interest groups like Communities of Practice are always beneficial to join. Being a local chapter member, you can enjoy several benefits like opportunities for networking, attending regular meetings, getting discounts, and availing the chances of volunteering in project management related events.
Enduring Involvement in Activities of Project Management
Enduring involvement determines active participation in activities related to project management. It also pertains to staying up-to-date with recent trends by ongoing education. Professional Development Units (PDUs) are the main elements to measure your contribution towards ongoing PMP education and progress. You are eligible to earn 1 PDU per hour of involvement in official PMP activities. There are various modes of earning PDUs and it is very essential to keep good track of them in a safe central record-keeping place. Know more about how to earn PDUs here.
There are broadly two categories that allow you to earn PDUs: Education PDUs and Giving Back to the Profession PDUs. In case of the former, there is no limitation on the number of PDUs that you can earn. You can accrue them through the learning programs offered by the PMI registered providers of education. Also, you can get hold of them through continuing learning programs and self-directed education processes.
There are three ways of acquiring the second category of PDUs. For instance, you can accrue them via the creation of PMP knowledge assignments, through volunteer services, or by working as a project management professional. It is obvious that obtaining PMP certification is not an easy process; more so, it is a tough task to maintain that certification. But with proper knowledge and efficiency, both the aspects can be achieved easily.
So, initiate process of acquiring your PMP Certification and work best for preserving the same!