Top 8 Ways To Earn PDUs For Maintaining Your PMI Certification

Professional Development Units (PDUs) have to be earned for all PMI certifications (apart from CAPM) by following the laid down norms of the Continuing Certification Requirements (CCR) program. Here are 8 ways to earn PDUs for retaining PMI certification.
You have achieved your PMI certification and are competent enough to take up your responsibilities as a project manager. But is that enough? No! You have to ensure that the certified competencies bagged by you remain updated and relevant by accessing all the opportunities for earning PDUs. As you look around for ways of enriching your certification, you must strive to earn PDUs through the activities that are relevant and consistent with the same.
Do you have a fair idea of the PDU amounts needed and the activities that qualify for your certification? At all times, ways of earning Professional Development Units (PDUs) should be on top of your mind and discussions. If you are proactive in your planning, you will find the ensuing PDU procurement processes easy, consistent and fast enough to meet your requirements.Go for these top 8 ways to earn PDUs and make them an integral part of your professional life; you will be glad you did!
Earning PDUs through Easy Ways
1. Adopt the Role of a Practitioner
It’s best to work in specific domain areas that permit you to apply your skills and abilities in line with your certification. Go for practical settings wherein you can use your competencies actively, sustain your status of being certified, and take your professional graph to the next levels of success.
2. Attempt a Quiz!
Looking for ‘Category A’ PDUs? PMI® publication quizzes are the right way to go as they can help you earn 1/3rd of the total number of the required number of PDUs straight away. At just $10 per quiz, you can earn 0.5 to 2.5 PDUs upon scoring 80% or higher. The number of earned PDUs would obviously depend on the CCR requirement and the nature of quiz taken by you.
3. Attending Meetings
Being a part of local events, activities and meetings related to your profession offers plentiful opportunities to learn, network and earn PDUs. In most cases, professional meetings that have an educational component to boast of allow you to earn 1-2 PDUs. Third parties, organizations and PMI chapters often host such meetings on a regular basis across the year. Check for the PMI events calendar here.
4. Day Job PDUs
In case you are working as a project manager, you can be assured of earning at least 1/4th of the total number of PDUs (Category 2H) needed for recertification. For instance, by practicing project management services, annually, for a minimum of 1,500 hours, you are in a position to earn 5 PDUs each year, and a maximum of 15 PDUs across three years.
5. Creation of Project Management Knowledge
If you are seeking Category D PDUs, go ahead and author/ co-author newsletters, articles, whitepapers, books or periodicals for creating new knowledge pertaining to project management. From webcasts to podcasts and presentation of project management courses, you may adopt any pertinent method to earn yourself one PDU for every hour spent in the preparation and delivery of such activities. Do know that when you earn PDUs in this category, they count towards the 45 PDUs that you are allowed to get in categories D, E and F.
6. Read and Read More!
As you already know, reading is one of the best ways of learning. In this case too, if you adopt the habit of self-directed reading, especially on topics related to the certification held by you, you can be assured of earning valuable PDUs at the end of your endeavors. Read as many articles, blogs, whitepapers and books as you can to stay better informed. Additionally, checking out available content on PMI’s Store and project management sites will support your professional development in more ways than one.
7. Earn PDUs via Volunteer Services
By volunteering as a committee member, elected officer, or project manager at a project management association in your town or city, you can earn one Category E PDU for every hour of rendered services. Here too, the PDUs earned would contribute to the maximum of 45 PDUs permitted for categories D, E and F. All you need to do is access the events taking place at your local PMI® chapter and get involved. Don’t forget to ask for a letter or certificate as an acknowledgement of your participation and confirmation of the earned PDUs.
8. Academic Training in Formal Classrooms (PDU Category B)
Enrolling for educational courses that are formal and of academic nature, and pertain to project management, can fetch you 10 to 15 PDUs each semester. If paying up for such courses is not a burden, then look around for project management courses in state/private colleges and institutions. Your grade reports and transcripts will be required for confirming the PDUs earned.
Way Forward
Regardless of your learning preferences or budget, it will surely do you good to follow these methods of earning PDUs. Just be consistent in your efforts and keep having fun as you move closer to gaining your recertification.
All the best.