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What is a PMP® Certificate?

Carol Francois
Carol Francois

A PMP&reg certificate is a Project Management Professional certificate that is issued by the Project Management Institute®. This certificate is a professional credential that is used by project managers all over the world to indicate their skills and education in project management. The PMP® certificate is widely used by information technology project managers, but has been in place for engineers, design teams, and architects for many years. All these roles require a significant amount of project management skills. These skills are typically after five to ten years of working experience.

There are two requirements to obtain a PMP® certificate, a combination of education and experience and successful completion of the PMP® examination. The requirements are based on the skill sets and career level that meets the program requirements. It is important to note that it is not possible to obtain a PMP® certificate early in your career. The level of experience required indicates that you would have to be in a position of responsibility for at least four years before you would be able to start accumulating the project management hours required.

A person must successful complete and pass the PMP examination in order to achieve a PMP certificate.
A person must successful complete and pass the PMP examination in order to achieve a PMP certificate.

The PMP® certificate requires either a post secondary degree or five years project management experience. People with a degree must have obtained three years project management experience to qualify for the exam. All experience must be documented, with reference letters and support from the supervisor or manager who can validate your role in the project.Both applicants are required to complete 35 hours of project management courses.

There are specific skills and tasks that must be included in this work experience in order for it to qualify toward the project management hours. The PMP certificate provides a very detailed list of their exact requirements and will reject any experience that does not meets these standards. Take the time to read these requirements with care.

The PMP exam is comprised of 400 multiple choice questions and is offered four times a year in multiple locations around the world. The exam is four hours long and is usually held in a large hall or auditorium. The application fee varies, but must be paid in advance to qualify for the exam.

In order to prepare for the PMP exam, there is a PMP exam preparation courses offered by a wide range of educational institutions and private schools. These courses are quite expensive, ranging from $1,500 to $5,000 US Dollars (USD). If you are going to take a preparation course, select one from a firm that offers a pass guarantee. If you don't pass, you can retake the course for free. They are more motivated to ensure that you are prepared.

Discussion Comments

andreww

Another way to future proof your career is to always keep acquiring new skills and get certified. PMP Certification is great if you're at a project management level or aspire to be.

anon96015

Great tip at the end about the pass guarantee! Thanks.

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    • A person must successful complete and pass the PMP examination in order to achieve a PMP certificate.
      By: Photographee.eu
      A person must successful complete and pass the PMP examination in order to achieve a PMP certificate.