The name depicts that their main focus is to provide “Knowledge”. They have training experience of more than 8 years. They aim to up-skill the next generation workforce. During this tenure, they have provided several trainings to various industries and corporate. They offer a vast range of portfolio that includes management as well as technical training programs. Agile is one of their popular training program which is offered in 68 countries across the globe. In eight years, Knowledgehut has over 200 courses and 120,000 learners across 70 plus countries.

Knowledgehut Instructors Pool

Knowledgehut has a large pool of around 500 instructors who are qualified in their relevant fields. Their instructors are from India, Singapore, United States, New Zealand, Canada, Germany, Australia, United Kingdom, Indonesia, Hungary, Ireland and many more. Knowledgehut has more than 100 instructors for Agile Management course category and more than 30 instructors for Knowledgehut PMP Training course category.

Below are some of the samples to get you a high-level idea of their trainers’ profiles:

1. Anu Smalley, United States

Smalley is a Certified Scrum Trainer providing education and coaching, consulting services to clients across the United States. Anu’s passion lies in Product Management. She has been a Product Owner for a number of years, she focuses on coaching Product Owners, Product Managers, and Business Leaders.

2. Soumik Sen, India

17 year of industry experience and established core competency in the areas of ITSM Advisory, he is responsible for consulting clients in achieving business objectives through improved processes by facilitating the implementation of industry-proven best practices and IT models reference frameworks. He has consulted more than 100 organizations in different geographies on ITIL Practice Framework, COBIT, ISO 20000 & ISO 27001 standard implementation. Soumik has trained more than 10000 professionals on ITIL, COBIT & ISO.

Knowledgehut Program Offerings

As I mentioned above, Knowledgehut has more than 200 courses in its portfolio. These courses are available across several countries. Also a long list of trainers from different countries with a variety of skill set and expertise to best fit for the trainer positions within this portfolio.

These courses are categorized in different areas. Some of these areas include:

• Project management
• Agile Management
• Data Science
• Cloud Computing
• Quality Management
• Business Management
• Mobile App Development
• Programming
• Big Data
• IT Service Management
• BI and Visualization
• Soft Skills
• IT Security

Knowledgehut PMP Training Program Offerings

Agile Management is their mainstream offering with 68 courses within this category. It is followed by web development with 29 courses, then Project Management is the next mainstream course category. In the project management category, Knowledgehut offers 22 courses, some of these courses include:

• PMP Certification
• CAPM Certification
• PMI-RMP Certification
• Change Management
• Program Management Professional
• Prince 2 Foundation and Practitioner Test
• Oracle Primavera P6 V8
• Contract Management and Negotiations Strategy Masterclass
• Microsoft Project 2016
• Financial Management for Project Managers
• Leadership And Communications in Projects
• Project Management Techniques
• Project Planning and Monitoring
• Fundamentals of Earned Value Management

Knowledgehut PMP Training Program

Knowledgehut PMP training program is one of their mainstream offerings as I mentioned above. The reason behind this is the fact that the value of PMP Certified project managers being well accepted across the globe. Furthermore, properly trained project managers are recognized as fundamental to business success.

Therefore, Knowledgehut PMP training program makes sure that the aspirants are prepared to pass the project management certification exam on their first attempt.

Knowledgehut PMP Training fulfills the pre-requisites set by PMI to write the PMP exam. Knowledgehut is a Global REP for PMI®, Inc. The Knowledgehut PMP training course gets you 35 contact hours which satisfies the PMI contact hour requirement. Knowledgehut PMP Training courses are offered in flexible delivery modes. These delivery modes include classroom and e-learning as well as virtual. Knowledgehut PMP training course also offers 6 Full-Length Mock Exams featuring 1200 practice questions.

What Is The Eligibility Criteria of PMP Certification?

The eligibility requirements for the PMP certificate are as follows:

When you complete the Knowledgehut PMP training, you will receive a Certificate of Completion. This Certificate of Completion acknowledges that you have acquired the necessary 35 hours of professional development training. When applying for the PMP exam, you will need to provide PMI a copy of this certificate in case your application is selected for the Audit.

Remember, this Knowledgehut PMP training completion certificate is just a step towards preparing for the PMP Exam. It is important to note that the PMP Certificate will be delivered only if you pass the exam. The average success rate for the PMP exam is just over 60%. In the past, the passing grade was declared as 61% by PMI. However, the PMI does not disclose the exact score or success percentage anymore. After updating the PMP certification exam, they made the grade different for each candidate and now it depends on the difficulty level of the questions.

What Are The Available Knowledgehut PMP Training Formats?

Knowledgehut is a Global REP for PMI®, Inc that offers a plethora of advantages to cater to the needs of every PMP® aspirant. Once you enroll with Knowledgehut PMP training, you get access to 35 hours of classroom training along with free access to 90 days of E-learning as well as online instructor-led training. The main formats of Knowledgehut PMP Training can be classified as:

1. Live, instructor-led online training

The first format of Knowledgehut PMP training is offered in a live, instructor-led format. This format provides flexibility to the candidates in terms of location. Even though the candidates have to make themselves available for the course duration to attend the class, this is the best option for the learners as it has no constraint of location dependency. Also, students do not need to travel to go to the premises for training. This Knowledgehut PMP Training format supports Anyplace training for busy learners. Also, it assures the full preparation and application support to mark exam success.

You can view the schedule of the trainings on their website and choose the option that suits you for the registration. The price of this Knowledgehut PMP Training is discounted from original price USD 899 to USD 699. This discount is offered until a certain time so the early birds can take advantage of this discount. This course format is offered on the weekdays as well as over the weekends.  For the weekdays, the duration is around 10 calendar days with half-day sessions. Whereas for the weekends, the duration is around three weeks with half-day sessions.

2.  Instructor-led, classroom training

Knowledgehut PMP training courses are also offered in the instructor-led classroom training format.

You can view the schedule of the trainings on their website and choose the option that suits you for the registration. The price of these Knowledgehut PMP Training courses is discounted from original price USD 1099 to USD 899. This discount is offered to a certain time so the early birds can take advantage of this discount. This course format is offered on the weekdays as well as over the weekends.  The duration of this instructor-led classroom training format is 2 full training days.

Along with this Knowledgehut PMP Training course, you get:

• 90 Days of Free LVC Access
• Face-to-Face class for maximum benefit
• Thorough exam prep

You can choose your desired locations and view the schedule according to yours. However, in this Knowledgehut PMP Training format, you may have a problem with the lack of availability of scheduled sessions. Even for the limited availability of the sessions, the locations are not declared for some of them. Hence the candidates may have to reach the contact person for the relevant inquiries and details. 

Furthermore, the two training days does not cover the contact hour requirement. Hence we can say that this Knowledgehut PMP Training format covers the expedited course in classrooms and the rest of the contact hours are earned through the 90 days of free LVC access.

3.  E-Learning

Knowledgehut PMP training courses is also offered in an e-learning format. This format brings the flexibility of time and location. So the candidate can prepare for the PMP exam at this own pace from anywhere at any place. All they need is a computer, valid credentials and an internet connection to login to the e-learning application.

The price of this Knowledgehut PMP Training course is USD 399. On registration to this course, you get 180 days access to the e-learning course contents. The main features provided with this e-learning Knowledgehut PMP Training format include:

• 15 audio-visual modules covering all course topics from PMBOK® Guide
• 35 PDUs on completion of 35 hours of e-learning
• 13 hours of online content
• PMP® eBook in downloadable format and PMP® exam blueprint
• A question bank with 300 questions on all knowledge areas
• Tips and tricks to pass PMP® in the first attempt

4. Corporate Training

In addition to the aforementioned training formats, another option of Knowledgehut PMP Training is the corporate training format. The corporate training addresses the group and employees’ training needs. These trainings’ curriculum and schedule are based on the need for corporate clients.

One can reach out to Knowledgehut to inquire about any topics not listed to acquire information on the courses of your choice. You can request a quote for Knowledgehut PMP training program. To do that, you are required to fill a request form with your contact details, the number of participants and the detailed query you need to get quotes on. Once you submit the form, a contact person from Knowledgehut will follow up with you.

Knowledgehut PMP Training Experience

It is important to mention here a couple of significant aspects of Knowledgehut PMP training experience. This experience depicts Knowledgehut’s partnership with the candidates to lead them to success. The significant points are:

• PMP® EXAM APPLICATION FRAMEWORK AND ASSISTANCE

You can get expert assistance with PMI® Registration, PMI® Membership, PMI® Application Form Filling and Review of your PMI® Application.

• PMP® EXAM SUCCESS FORMULA

Knowledgehut Exam Success Formula is planned for your maximum learning benefit, including six full-length mock exams, practice questionnaire, Math formulae, PM templates, and also exam tips.

• CERTIFICATION JOURNEY SUPPORT

You can take advantage of their email support from instructors in all aspects of the certification. Right from enrolling for exams to solving your doubts post-workshop.

Knowledgehut PMP Training Contents

PMP® exam is considered as one of the most complicated exams across the globe. It consists of 200 questions which you need to answer within 4 hours, and you need to get a minimum score (determined based on the difficulty level of the questions). You can overcome all the hassle of continuing your PMP® certification journey by taking up a training course with a PMP training provider like KnowledgeHut.

Knowledgehut PMP training is inline with PMBoK. The sessions follow the knowledge areas to complete the overall Project Management process framework. Following are the contents of Knowledgehut PMP Training course:

1- An introduction to PMP® Certification Course

• What is PMI® & PMBOK® Guide?
• Evolution of the Project Management Institute
• Certifications offered by the PMI®
• PMI® contact resources
• What is PMP®?
• Prerequisites for the PMP® Exam
• PMP® Exam Syllabus
• How is the PMP® Exam Structured?

2- Project Management Framework

• What is a Project?
• Project Management and Operations Management
• Program and Portfolio Management
• Project Management Office (PMO)
• Portfolio, Program, Project – A High-Level View
• Mission, Vision, Goal, Strategy, Objective and Tactic
• Organizational Strategy
• Project’s Link with Organizational Strategy
• Strategic Alignment of Projects
• Business Benefits
• Benefits Realization
• Business Value
• Constraints
• Organizational Systems
• Enterprise Environmental Factors
• Organizational Process Assets
• Project Life Cycle vs. Product Life Cycle
• Role of a Project Manager

3- Project Integration Management

• What is Project Integration Management?
• Role of the project team
• Role of the project sponsor
• Project selection methods
• Project charter and role of the project manager in charter development
• Lessons learned for continuous improvement
• Project Integration Management Knowledge Area Processes

4- Project Scope Management

• What is Project Scope Management?
• Product Scope vs. Project Scope
• Project Scope Management Knowledge Area Processes

5- Project Schedule Management

• What is Project Schedule Management?
• What is Project Schedule?
• Gantt Charts
• Network Diagram
• Estimation
• Schedule Network Analysis Techniques
• PERT, PERT Analysis, Critical Path Method and Schedule Compression
• Project Schedule Management Knowledge Area Processes

6- Project Cost Management

• What is Project Cost Management?
• Differentiate between Cost Estimating and Cost Budgeting
• Key Terminology in Project Cost Management
• Earned Value Technique
• Project Cost Management Knowledge Area Processes

7- Project Quality Management

• What is Quality?
• What is Quality Management?
• Cost of Quality
• Seven Basic Tools of Quality
• Project Quality Management Knowledge Area Processes

8- Project Resource Management

• What is Resource Management?
• Roles and Responsibilities of the Project Sponsor
• Functional Manager vs. Project Manager
• Conflict Management
• Motivation Theory
• Project Resource Management Knowledge Area Processes

9- Project Communications Management

• What is Communication?
• Communication Methods, Technology, and Channels
• Basic Communication Model
• Key Terminology in Project Communication Management
• Project Communication Management Knowledge Area Processes

10- Project Risk Management

• What is Risk?
• Project Management Risks
• How is Risk & EMV calculated?
• Risk Classification
• Decision Tree Analysis
• Risk Reserve & Contingency Reserve
• Key Terminology in Project Risk Management
• Project Risk Management Knowledge Area processes

11- Project Procurement Management

• What is a Contract?
• Different Types of Contracts
• Advantages and Disadvantages of contract types
• Key Terminology in Project Procurement Management
• Project Procurement Management Knowledge Area Processes

12- Project Stakeholder Management

• Who is a Stakeholder?
• Stakeholder Register
• Various Analytical Techniques for Stakeholder Analysis
• Managing stakeholder engagement and relationship
• Key Terminology in Project Stakeholder Management
• Project Stakeholder Management Knowledge Area Processes

13- Ethics & Professional Conduct

• PMI’s Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct
• Vision and purpose of the Code
• To whom does the Code apply?
• Structure of the Code
• Aspirational and Mandatory Conduct
• Responsibility and Ethics Complaints
• Description of Respect, Fairness, and Honesty

Does Knowledgehut Offer Any Continuing Education Programs?

The long list in the Knowledgehut courses is helpful to get trainings and claim them as the PDUs within the continuing education programs for the PMP renewals.

Guarantees and Policies

Money-Back Guarantee

Knowledgehut commitment to you is that they will be available for guidance along the way and their goal is to have you pass the exam the first time.

Knowledgehut claims that the candidates will pass the PMP certification exam based on the guidelines they provide to them along with their own efforts to prepare for the PMP examination. However, they provide the money-back guarantee in which they will reimburse you the class cost.

Their money-back guarantee mechanism is as follows:

• The 1st Exam must be taken within 45 days of the PMP® 35 PDUs training class.
• If unsuccessful on the 1st exam, you may retake Knowledgehut PMP Training (for free) as many times as you like.
• If unsuccessful on the 2nd exam, you MUST retake Knowledgehut PMP Training (for free) before taking the exam for the 3rd time.
• The 3rd exam must be taken within 30 days of the retaken class.
• If you fail the 3rd exam, please share the payment proof of Exam Registration (third attempt) and Knowledgehut shall reimburse you the class cost in full.

Refund Policy

Knowledgehut caters for the registration cancellation through the refund policy. According to this policy:

• Any registration canceled within 48 hours of the initial registration will be refunded in full after deduction of 5% transnational cost of the refunded amount.
• Refunds will be processed within 30 days of receipt of the written request for a refund.

PUBLIC – CLASSROOM & VIRTUAL TRAINING (PAID PARTICIPANT):

This will include registrant application to any of scheduled public Knowledgehut PMP Training classes, and where the registrant has already paid for the class. The terms and conditions below, would not apply to registrants signing up by way of a Purchase Order. All cancellations and reschedules must be notified over email.

E-LEARNING (PAID PARTICIPANT):

This will include registrant application to any of their listed e-learning programs. All cancellations must be notified over email.

What Are The Reviews of Knowledgehut PMP Training?

Knowledgehut PMP training has bagged very good reviews which are good indicators of their effectiveness. There are many reviews available on their website that are pertinent to their success exam stories.

For reference, below are some of the snapshots:

Knowledgehut PMP Training Reviews

Pros & Cons of Knowledgehut PMP Training

Everything has its pros and cons. So below are my findings for Knowledgehut PMP training, please read it until the end.

Pros of Knowledgehut PMP Training:

• Highly qualified team with project management experience and in-depth knowledge 

Knowledgehut training has a large pool of around 500 instructors who are qualified in their relevant fields. Their instructors are from various countries across the globe. These countries include but not limited to India, Singapore, United States, New Zealand, Canada, Germany, Australia, and the United Kingdom.

Knowledgehut has more than 100 instructors for Agile Management course category. They have more than 30 instructors for Knowledgehut PMP Training course category.

• Money-Back Guarantee

Even though Knowledgehut claims that the candidates will pass the PMP certification exam based on the guidelines they provide to the candidates, they also provide the money-back guarantee in which they will reimburse you the class cost if you fall in the policy crier.

• Extensive course material

The course outline of Knowledgehut PMP training is in line with the PMBoK. The Knowledge Areas addressed in PMBok are the driving factor of the Knowledgehut PMP Training course outline. They provide the following material to the course participants:

• • 15 audio-visual modules covering all course topics from PMBOK® Guide
  • 35 PDUs on completion of 35 hours of e-learning
  • 13 hours of online content
  • PMP® eBook in downloadable format and PMP® exam blueprint
  • A question bank with 300 questions on all knowledge areas
  • Tips and tricks to pass PMP® in the first attempt

• Content includes sample exams to check your knowledge

Knowledgehut PMP training course also offers six Full-Length Mock Exams featuring 1200 practice questions. These exam prep sample questions that help the candidates to assess their readiness and identify the gaps.  Furthermore, with these tests, you can fully rehearsal and practice the PMP Certification Exam.

This helps you to assess how you would answer the questions you can see in real exams. Hence you can identify the areas of strength and weakness.

Cons of Knowledgehut PMP Training:

• No Guarantee of Classes 

Knowledgehut does not guarantee that every scheduled class will be held. There could be any reason for which Knowledgehut may cancel their scheduled classes. Though in this case, Knowledghut will either give a full refund or offer a full credit to a future workshop.

Considering the fact that PMP aspirants are pretty much busy in their professional activities, it is quite difficult to reschedule such deviations. As many times it takes a couple of months or weeks to plan ahead for the trainings. This is one of the major setbacks for the aspirants as it may halt or deviate from their plans.

You may refer to the policy excerpt for the cancellation by the Knowledgehut.

• Limited classroom training sessions

The duration of this instructor-led Knowledgehut PMP Training classroom format is 2 full training days. Along with this course, you get 90 Days of Free LVC Access.

You can choose your desired locations and view the schedule according to your location. However, in this Knowledgehut PMP Training format, you may have a problem with the lack of availability of scheduled sessions. Some of the upcoming sessions have location whereas, for some of the courses, the locations are to be declared. So for the ones who want to plan ahead of ample time may need to reach Knowledgehut’s contact person to get more details.

• Classroom trainings are 2 days of duration.

 The duration of this instructor-led classroom training format is 2 full training days. Along with this Knowledgehut PMP Training, you get 90 Days of Free LVC Access. The two training days does not cover the contact hour requirement. Hence we can say that this Knowledgehut PMP Training covers the expedite course in classrooms and as a supplement, you get 90 days of free LVC access which compensates for the rest of the contact hours.

• No Show Policy

Any rescheduling of classes must be done prior to 15 days, to get the full credit for a future training. If that candidate does not show up for their scheduled Knowledgehut PMP Training class and they did not reschedule with Knowledgehut earlier, there will be no refund even if notified within 3 days of the registered course schedule.

There may be some situation where you can not anticipate upfront for what is going to happen and intimate 30 days prior to class. This policy seems a bit stringent and non-realistic.

• Cost – Performance Ratio

Cost – Performance refers to a product’s ability to deliver performance, for its price. Certainly, the products offered by Knowledgehut are higher in price, so the performance ratio with the higher price makes it average. Obviously, the products with a lower price/performance are more pleasing but only if you exclude other factors.

For me, one of the providers with the best cost-performance ratio is Master of Project Academy. Master of Project Academy PMP Training is reasonably priced, additionally, they have several enrollment options which start from $67/month. Also, Master of Project Academy PMP Training has a 99.6% first-attempt pass rate and they had more than 100,000 past students.

Alternatives for Knowledgehut PMP Training

After considering all the pros and cons of Knowledgehut PMP training programs, you may think that it is not a good fit for you. In other words, you may like to explore other PMP training programs. We have explored the other PMP training programs which can be a Knowledgehut PMP training alternative for you.

You can read our Top 10 PMP Training post to see all PMP training options and ratings.

#1 Knowledgehut PMP Training Alternative: Master of Project Academy

Founded in 2012, Master of Project Academy helped more than 100,000 professionals in more than 180 countries. The biggest advantage of Master of Project Academy is providing you as many flexible plans as possible. Self-paced PMP training, in-person PMP Training, instructor-led PMP live sessions. Starting from $67/month, you can find comprehensive PMP training materials to get ready for the PMP exam. All you have to do is opting for the best option you would like to enroll.

You can see our complete review and details about Master of Project Academy PMP programs.

#2 Knowledgehut PMP Training Alternative: Brainsensei

Another Knowledgehut PMP training alternative can be Brainsensei PMP programs. Brainsensei offers e-learning PMP course. This course is in line with the PMBOK. Furthermore, the course covers the 35 PDU requirement of PMI to write the PMP Examination. The cost of Brainsensi PMP course is relatively lower due to the e-learning format. However, there are other good options available which are more cost-effective.

#3 Knowledgehut PMP Training Alternative: Velociteach

If you have lots of money that you do not consider how much you will pay for the PMP training, you can go for the Velociteach PMP option. While there is no significant difference in their virtual or in-person PMP training programs, they ask for around $2,500 to attend their program. This option is well-known by the founder of the organization who is Andy Crowe. He has a PMP book as well and maybe that is why Andy Crowe PMP platform is significantly more expensive than the other options in the market.

#4 Knowledgehut PMP Training Alternative: Project Management Prepcast

Another Knowledgehut PMP training alternative can be Project Management Prepcast PMP programs. Cornelius Fichtner, who is an experienced project management expert, is the founder of Project Management Prepcast platform. They have self-paced PMP options. However, they do not offer in-person or instructor-led PMP classes which is a big negative for this alternative.

#5 Knowledgehut PMP Training Alternative: Simplilearn

Simplilearn PMP programs can be considered as a Knowledgehut PMP training alternative as well. Simplilearn offers self-paced and instructor-led PMP training programs. However, they have a very unfair pricing strategy. If you are visiting their page from India, you can enroll in training costs as low as $100 (they show pricing in INR, which is a local currency for India) while visitors from Europe or the United States can see more than $600 for the same self-paced content material. You can read all the pros and cons of Simplilearn PMP Programs.

#6 Knowledgehut PMP Training Alternative: Project Management Academy

You can consider Project Management Academy PMP Programs as a Knowledgehut PMP training alternative as well.

Project Management Academy PMP course indeed provides a good course structure with good success rates. However, the cost is pretty high. The course formats include Instructor-led classroom and virtual classroom. You can read all the pros and cons of Project Management Academy PMP Programs.

#7 Knowledgehut PMP Training Alternative: Udemy

You might have heard of Udemy, which is a learning platform where several instructors place their content and students can purchase and enroll in their curriculum. You can consider Udemy PMP programs as a PMP training alternative. However, keep in mind that the instructors you see on Udemy may not be there after your purchase the next day. Moreover, their content may not be 35 contact hours. This is a very big problem for Udemy PMP programs. Even though many programs advertise that they suffice 35 contact hours requirement of PMP exam, their content is far below of 35 contact hours if you a little bit look on the training page. You can see our comprehensive review of Udemy PMP programs.

End of Review

In summary, PMP certification is a crucial business requirement for senior-level project leader roles in all globally. Thus, this certification is the best for Project Leaders, Assistant Project Managers, Team leaders, Project Engineers, Software Developers or any professional wishing to become a project manager.

PMP credential gives you the knowledge of project management hence, it is an approval of your global professional experience. In short, the advantages of PMP include high market value, increased reliability, and in many cases higher wages.

Knowledgehut PMP training indeed provides a good course structure with good success rates. The cost comes in the medium range. However, there are certain factors you can consider in their different training formats. Their course formats include Instructor-led classroom, online virtual classroom, e-learning, and corporate training formats. If you want to check the latest Knowledgehut PMP training offerings, you can check on their website.

There are other good options available which are more cost-effective than Knowledgehut. So Knowledgehut PMP training is just one option so I strongly suggest you look at other options!

The post Knowledgehut PMP Training – 100% Review – All Pros & Cons appeared first on Project Hipo.

We have explored the major PMP training providers based on several factors including but not limited to: course content, delivery methods, customer service, pricing plans, practice materials, and refund/pass guarantee. The following is the summary of the Top 10 PMP training providers and their rating over a 1-5 scale:

• #1 Master of Project Academy (4.8/5)
• #2 Simplilearn (4.6/5)
• #3 Brainsensei (4.5/5)
• #4 Project Management Academy (4.4/5)
• #5 Velociteach (4.3/5)
• #6 Invensis (4.2/5)
• #7 Knowledgehut (4.1/5)
• #8 Grey Campus (4.0/5)
• #9 PM Training (3.7/5)
• #10 Udemy (3.1/5)

You can see the detailed review, rating categories, and further information throughout the post.

Tip: Do not skip – There is a summary and detailed review of the top 10 PMP training providers ahead.

PMI has more than 470,000 members in 207 countries, which make them the world’s largest project management association, and it has globally certified more than 740,000 PMPs. This is the mere reality to grasp the importance of PMP and it is also an indicator of PMP certified professional induction trends in the market.

Why Should I Get PMP Certification?

Project Management Professional (PMP) is a certification offered by the Project Management Institute (PMI). PMP is a globally known professional certification as it is an endorsement of project management knowledge and experience. With the repute PMP carries, it is the best option for the project management aspirants.

If you are interested to advance your career in the field of project management, there is no best way other than earning the PMP Credential. PMP certification requires the aspirants to have relevant experience and knowledge of the project management processes. Without any doubt, it also requires a serious effort to obtain the credentials. A PMP certification acknowledges your passion for achieving your targets. Your PMP credentials showcase your abilities, efforts, knowledge, experience, and consistency. It also helps you earn respect among peers and team members. All the effort is worth it when you compare the advantages it brings to the PMP certification holders.

Benefits of PMP Certification

PMP brings various benefits to the certification holders. These include high market value, increased credibility and in many cases, a higher salary.

• Global Recognition and Recruitment

Organizations are looking to recruit the best project managers who have their skills globally recognized. PMP certification is one of the must-have requirements. Even if PMP is not mentioned as a must-have requirement, it is a big advantage in the recruiting criteria. The PMP credential not only brings value to the individuals but also the organization profiles get richer when they have PMP certified project managers. These companies are given the edge in the evaluation by their client organizations.

• Value in Current Organization

The PMP certification earns individuals with recognition and gives value to their current organization as well. The PMP certified project managers are given more challenges because of their recognized skills. They are consulted because of their knowledge and skills with respect to project management’s best practices. Also, PMP qualified senior resources are highly considered for the promotion to fill in the project manager vacancies. The PMP certification can take you to the next level in your organization.

• Salary Advancement

One of the lucrative benefits PMP brings to the project managers is an advancement in the salary. According to an independent survey, PMP holders are drawing 20 percent more salary as compared to their non-certified counterparts. This is a great return on investment you spend on the certification activities. In other words, the investment you made on the PMP certification takes you to the next level with tangible benefits throughout your career span.

• Diversity and Growth

The beauty of the PMP certification is that it does not bound you to a specific industry, even though the degrees lay the foundation within a specific industry. The PMP certification lays a foundation of the project management knowledge and skill-set on top of that technical skills. It paves the path towards the management ladder with a strong foundation and recognition. PMP builds the knowledge of fundamental project management processes along with tools and techniques.

Why Should I attend PMP Training?

PMI lays out quite an extensive requirement criteria to appear in the PMP exam. These requirements are very well thought to ensure that the project management aspirants with the education level, relevant work experience, and relevant training get the opportunity to appear in the exam. These three dimensions play an important role to select the right candidates.

What should I consider when choosing PMP Training?

It is quite obvious that once you understand the importance of contact hour criteria, you will look for the best possible options while choosing the best among them. But what makes any institute a good candidate for being your trainer. You must be curious about how to choose PMP training and based on which criteria. The aforementioned benefits can also serve as the criteria for choosing a PMP training.

You can identify your requirements, and see how those requirements are being fulfilled by the PMP Training providers. So you can evaluate their training capabilities to best fit your needs. So, first of all, you must differentiate the PMP training providers based on their eligibility. Some of these criteria will be based on the PMP requirements and some of them will be based on your personal priorities.

Main Points of Consideration;

This may include the following list:

• Do I get 35 contact hours after attending this PMP training programs?
• Is the training provider well known for its PMP training? What are the success rates?
• What are the available training formats for PMP training?
• Does the training program offer the flexibility of location and time?
• Are the trainers well experienced?
• Does the curriculum cover the PMP Exam topics?
• Do I get training material to prepare for the PMP Exam after the training?
• If I opt for the e-learning PMP training format, what will be the duration of online access?
• Will I get a completion certificate to fulfill the PMP exam requirement?
• Whether the PMP training will help me assess my readiness through exercises, quizzes, practice tests, mock sessions, etc.?
• Will the institute back me up for my PMP application submission?
• What is the fee being charged by the PMP training provider? Is it the best cost-effective PMP training?
• What if I fail in the exam in my first attempt? Will the institute support me in re-appearing?
• Are there any refund policies?
• What if I find that I cannot attend my scheduled class? Can I transfer to the upcoming PMP training?

There are main questions that generally come to the mind of candidates. So when you are looking for PMP training providers, you can use these criteria points to choose the best PMP training provider.

What is the Best PMP Training?

Considering the aforementioned list of questions, I have shortlisted the questions within categories as in the below table:

Based on these categories, we have reviewed top 10 PMP training providers, rated them on a 0-5 scale and provided insights about each option. review the options and opt for the best PMP training for you.

Top 10 PMP Training – Comparison & Review

In this article, we will give you a detailed overview of each of the top 10 PMP training programs. Before that, you will see summary table and overview of our review.

The reviews also provide various aspects that you can consider to assess the suitability of the PMP training option as per your preferences. Also, with each option, we’ve covered the main aspects which are segregated in three categories: Course Standing, Training Method & Materials, and Pricing & Refunds.

Summary Table

The below table depicts a summary of the PMP training options. For details of each of the training programs, you can visit the detailed review of these training providers on the specified links with each of the option we have provided after the table in specific paragraph of each PMP training option.

(Click on image to enlarge).

Note that the values depicted in the table above are subject to change. However, the information is helpful to give you an overview of the options. You can visit the training provider website for more information.

#1 PMP Training Option – Master of Project Academy

Master of Project Academy is founded in 2012 and helped more than 100,000 professionals in more than 180 countries. The main benefit of the Master of Project Academy is that they offer as many flexible plans as possible for the PMP certification candidates: Self-paced PMP training, in-person PMP Training, instructor-led PMP live sessions. Starting from $67/month, you can find comprehensive PMP training materials to get ready for the PMP exam. All you have to do is opting for the best option you would like to enroll.

• PMP Training Recognized by PMI? –  Yes Master of Project Academy is recognized by PMI and it has a leading 99.6% first attempt pass rate in project management certification exams
• Does it provide the certificate of completion for 35 contact hours? –  Once you complete training in Master of Project Academy, the certificate of completion is automatically emailed to you.
• Is the course aligned with PMBOK? Master of Project Academy course is based on the latest edition of PMBOK published by PMI.

Training Method and Material

• Delivery Method – Online, Self-paced, Virtual or In-Person – Master of Project Academy offers all forms of PMP training: in-person, self-paced and virtual.
• Practice Questions – Master of Project Academy courses provide more than 2,100 PMP practice questions

Pricing and Refunds

• Pricing Options – Starting from $67/month, Master of Project Academy provides one of the most flexible and affordable pricing options for PMP training
• Refund/Pass Guarantee – Master of Project Academy offers a 30-day refund guarantee in the first 30 days of the first transaction if you did not exceed 10% of the course materials.
• Free Demo Materials Available? – Master of Project Academy provides several free PMP materials. You can check their Free PMP Training.

Overall Rating of Project Hipo: 4.8 out of 5

You can read our complete review and details of the Master of Project Academy PMP training.

#2 PMP Training Option – Simplilearn

Simplilearn was founded in India in the year 2009. Simplilearn started as a project management blog, to share information and advice to candidates. Subsequently, the Simplilearn PMP training became popular which turned the organization into one of the leading online trainer providers. They have over 400+ courses and over 1 million trained professionals which is an indicator of Simpleton’s success story.

Simplilearn offers online training in areas such as cybersecurity, cloud computing, project management, digital marketing, and data science, where technologies and best practices are rapidly evolving and demand for qualified candidates is far above the supply.

• PMP Training Recognized by PMI? Simplilearn is a PMI R.E.P (Registered Education Provider) like many other companies. Hence the PMP training offered by Simplilearn is recognized by PMI.
• Is the course aligned with PMBOK? The course is fully aligned with the latest version of PMBOK which is offered by PMI.
• Does it provide a certificate of completion for 35 contact hours?  On completion of the PMP training course offered by Simplilearn, you get a certificate which proves that you have made 35 contact hours. Hence you are therefore eligible to have the PMP Exam. The evaluation criteria include attendance, qualification in simulation test and successful evaluation of the project.
• Free Demo Materials Available? –  You get a preview session which is available on Simplilearn.

Training Method and Material

• Delivery Method – Simplilearn offers a blended learning approach that combines online courses, virtual live instructor-led classes, and 24/7 training support.
• Training Material – PMP Simplilearn training includes 17 lessons, tips, and tricks, 8 sector case studies, lecture readings, section-level quizzes, 20 sector scenarios, 6 practical projects, 7 simulation tests (200 questions each).
  • You can go to the course page and download the 12-page PMBOK Guide—Sixth Edition PMP Course Agenda in the “Course Preview” section. The total video duration is 8 hours 38 minutes and 5 seconds.
  • Practice Questions –  Simplilearn provides 7 simulation test papers and 200 questions each. A single simulation test will take around 4 hours. So, 7 simulation tests will take around 28 hours.
  • Quizzes and Scenarios – Additionally, there are chapter quizzes, 8 industry case studies, 20 industry-based scenarios, 6 hands-on projects. As all this content will take a long time, consider a preparation time up to 2-3 months if you can daily work 2 hours a day.

Pricing and Refunds

• Pricing Options – The PMP training is available all around the world, but with different prices. For example in India, the same PMP training is 8,999 Indian Rupee which is equivalent to 129 USD. Whereas, self-paced PMP training is 499 USD in the United States. So the price of PMP training for students from the US is almost 4 times higher than for students from India. Similarly, for European countries, the cost of the training is 699 Euro which is equivalent to 779 USD. So the price of PMP training for students from Europe is almost 6 times higher than for students from India.
• Refund/Pass Guarantee:
  • If you cancel 7 days (or more) prior to the event, 10% of the total paid fee will be deducted and the remaining amount will be refunded to you.
  • If you cancel within 7 days (or less) of the event, no refunds will be made.

Overall Rating of Project Hipo: 4.6 out of 5

You can see our complete review and details about Simplilearn PMP programs.

#3 PMP Training Option – Brainsensei

Brainsensei was founded by Dr. John Estrella and Chris Stafford. Dr.John is a successful entrepreneur, he is the author of six books and several courses. He was awarded a scholarship by the Project Management Institute (PMI) Educational Foundation for his doctoral studies. In addition to this, in 2012 he received Queen Elizabeth II, Diamond Jubilee Medal. Whereas Chris Stafford, PMP, MBA, a co-founder of Brain Sensei, has 20 years of project management experience,

The breaking point of the theme offered by Brainsensei is: “Getting your online certification shouldn’t be painful”. So they set out to create an online learning system that not only works but makes learning interesting. They claim that it should be fun and easy as possible to achieve everything you want from your career. Getting the right certification is the first step.

Brainsensei Complete PMP® Exam Prep Course is an online self-paced course – you can take as long as you like or as quickly as you like to go through all their material.

• PMP Training Recognized by PMI? – Yes – Brainsensei is a Registered Education Provider (R.E.P.) of the Project Management Course.
• Is the course aligned with PMBOK? The names of these modules clearly depict the breakup of Brainsensei PMP training with respect to Process Areas including Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring & Controlling, and Closing. Their training course is in line with  PMI PMBok
• Does it provide the certificate of completion for 35 contact hours? – When you complete the Brainsensei PMP training, you will receive a Certificate of Completion. This Certificate of Completion acknowledges that you have acquired 35 hours of professional development training.

Training Method and Material

• Delivery Method – It is important to note that Brainsensei only offers an online self-paced course. Which means that other formats like instructor-led live classrooms as well as instructor-led virtual class formats are not available.
• Training Material – Brainsensei PMP exam prep course is packed with a huge amount of material as well as 4 full practice exams. That’s over 900 practice questions. One can take and re-take any part of the course as many times as they like within 180 days (6 months) access period.

Pricing and Refunds

• Pricing Options -The course is offered in different modules. Each module earns you PDUs:
  • Brainsensei PMP Program Module 101: Initiating Projects. The cost of this module is $99.99. And the access is given for 6 months. This module earns you 4 PDUs/Contact Hours.
  • Brainsensei PMP Program Module 102: Planning Projects. The cost of this module is $174.9. You have 6-month access. This module earns you 7 PDUs/Contact Hours.
  • Brainsensei PMP Program Module 103: Executing Projects. The cost of this module is $89.99 and the access is for 6 months. This module earns you 3 PDUs/Contact Hours.
  • Brainsensei PMP Program Module 104: Monitoring & Controlling Projects  The cost of this module is $174.99 and the access is given for 6 months. This module earns you 7 PDUs/Contact Hours.
  • Brainsensei PMP Program Module 105: Closing Projects.  The cost of this module is $64.99. You will have 6-month access. This module earns you 1 PDUs/Contact Hours.

• Refund/Pass Guarantee:
  • If you complete the 35-hour Complete PMP Exam Prep course but you can not pass the PMP exam within one calendar year from the date of course purchase, Brainsensei will provide another 90 days access to the 35-hour Complete PMP Exam Prep course for free. In case you fail a second time, Brainsensei will also provide another 90 days free access to the 35-hour Complete PMP Exam Prep course. If you fail a third time, Brainsensei will refund your initial purchase.

Overall Rating of Project Hipo: 4.5 out of 5

You can see our complete review and details about the Brainsensei PMP programs.

#4 PMP Training Option – Project Management Academy

Project Management Academy offers training programs in the areas of Project Management, Agile Management, Business Analysis, Quality Management, and IT Management.

Project Management Academy PMP program guarantees that the aspirants are ready to pass the project management certification exam on their first attempt. They offer their PMP training program as a 4-day PMP boot camp. The courses scheduled by Project Management Academy are guaranteed to run on listed dates. You can find the training course at your convenient location or online.

• Is the course aligned with PMBOK? – Yes, the course is fully aligned with latest version of PMBOK which is offered by PMI. Their course outline includes Project Management Framework, Integration Management, Scope Management, Schedule Management, Cost Management, Quality Management, Resource Management, Communication Management, Risk Management, Procurement Management, and Stakeholder Management.
• Does it provide a certificate of completion for 35 contact hours? – Yes, When you complete Project Management Academy PMP Program, you will receive a Certificate of Completion which is evidence that you have earned 35 hours of professional development training. When applying for the PMP exam, you will need to provide PMI a copy of this certificate in case your application is selected for the Audit.

Training Method and Material

• Delivery Method – They offer the instructor-led programs at the training facilities of Project Management Academy. They also offer Virtual classroom format is 4 days of web-based e-learning with a live instructor. With these programs, you receive 6-months access to the online training portal. They also deliver the in-house PMP training course on client facility or any location of client preference.
• Training Material – With the registration of this course you get the following extensive material:
  • Post-class tutoring and application assistance tool
  • A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) 6th Edition
  • Print copy of all course materials (binder)
  • A PMP Strategy Guide (booklet)
  • PMP exercises and games
  • PMP training aids (laminates and booklet)
  • Over 2,000 PMP exam prep sample questions
  • Realistic 200 questions mock PMP exam
  • Access to additional web-based video lectures
• Practice Questions – Their course material includes more than 2,000 PMP questions. They also offer 200 questions PMP mock exam.

Pricing and Refunds

• Pricing Options – The original cost of instructor-led training is $2,895 USD. And the original cost of virtual classroom training is also $2,895 USD. These rates are subject to discounts and the discounted rates are also displayed on the website.
• Refund/Pass Guarantee -They have a money-back guarantee but to fulfill the criteria you have to appear three times for PMP Examination within 120 days. Usually, a PMP candidate would take time to prepare longer for their 2nd attempt, so this time-bound activity is tricky to achieve.
• Success Rate? – According to the statistics they claim to have more than 99% success rate. They have also specified their success rate statistics for the last 9 years on their website.

Overall Rating of Project Hipo: 4.4 out of 5

You can see our complete review and details about Project Management Academy PMP programs.

#5 PMP Training Option – Velociteach

Velociteach is a leading training provider with more than fifteen years of contribution to the advancement of the Project Management field. The company inception was in the year 2002 when Andy Crowe, a leader in the IT project management industry, left his high-profile career to pursue his passion. His aim was to empower others to learn project management in a simple, dynamic way that also encouraged personal and professional growth.

Since its inception, Velociteach has worked closely with organizations from a wide range of industries. Velociteach PMP programs’ main purpose is to provide the companies with the best project management training available on the market.

• Is the course aligned with PMBOK? – Yes, Velociteach PMP training is based on the PMBOK® Guide—Sixth Edition.
• Does it provide a certificate of completion for 35 contact hours? – Yes, when you complete the Velociteach PMP Program, you will receive a Certificate of Completion. This Certificate of Completion acknowledges that you have acquired the necessary 35 hours of professional development training.
• Delivery Method – Velociteach offers programs in in-person as well as virtual formats. The in-person courses are offered at limited locations within a couple of states of the USA. However, candidates from across the globe can opt for the virtual classes which are also conducted by the instructors but provides the flexibility of location. The virtual format of Velociteach PMP training is offered through the GoToMeeting website.

Training Method and Material

• Training Material – With the registration of this course you get the following extensive material:
  • e-learning Online Course
  • Workbook with Mind maps
  • Flashcards
  • Audios
  • PMBok Textbook
  • Practice Questions
  • Quick Reference Guide
• Practice Questions – The content of the Velociteach PMP course includes more than 2,000 PMP exam prep sample questions that help the candidates to assess their readiness and identify the gaps. There are practice tests in the PMP course package. Each of these tests includes 200 questions. With these tests, you can fully rehearsal and practice the PMP Certification Exam.

Pricing and Refunds

• Pricing Options – Velociteach offers a live 4-day PMP Exam Prep Course. They offer this course in in-person or virtual formats. The price of both these course formats is $2,447 which makes it quite an expensive course. Not only for the virtual classroom but also for the in-person formats.
• Refund/Pass Guarantee -Velociteach PMP offers a 100 % refund of tuition fee if the candidate takes one of their Instructor-led, Live/Virtual Certification Prep courses and doesn’t pass the exam after 3 tries within 1 year of the original class date. This is a quite reasonable time to re-appear in case of failure. So this brings a reasonable aspect of the money-back guarantee. Furthermore, if a candidate takes a Velociteach PMP or CAPM class and does not pass the exam in one year of their class date, they may attend a virtual class free of charge.
• Success Rate? – Velociteach PMP has bagged very good reviews which are good indicators of their effectiveness.

Overall Rating of Project Hipo: 4.3 out of 5

You can see our complete review and details about Velociteach PMP programs.

#6 PMP Training Option – Invensis

Invensis Learning was founded in the year 2000 by Arvind Rongala. The headquarters of Invensis PMP Training Provider is in Wilmington, US.

Thereby, Arvind initiated the launch of Invensis Learning as the training and certification branch of Invensis Technologies. They have offices in the US, India, and Australia, thus he ensured that the company becomes a trusted training partner for many Fortune 1000 clients and gain global recognition within a short time.

They offer courses in various categories such as Project Management, IT Service Management, IT security and Governance, Quality Management, Agile Project Management, DevOps, and Cloud Courses.

Invensis PMP Training has globally trained 10,000+ students and they are a trusted partner for Fortune 500 companies, small and medium businesses and government organizations to deliver globally recognized training and certification programs.

• PMP Training Recognized by PMI? – Yes, Invensis is a registered education provider of PMI.
• Is the course aligned with PMBOK? – Yes, their PMP training is based on the PMBOK® Guide—Sixth Edition.
• Does it provide a certificate of completion for 35 contact hours? – Yes, You will achieve 35 contact hours (PDUs) certificate when you complete the Invensis PMP Program. Which fulfills the PMP requirement set by PMI.

Training Method and Material

• Delivery Method – Invensis offers training in the following formats:
  • Classroom Training: It is an interactive public classroom session delivered by highly qualified trainers with extensive project management experience.
  • Live Online Training:
    • It is an instructor-led live online session. You can attend from anywhere.
    • This training is conducted on weekends from 10 am to 6 pm
  • Corporate Group Training: It is a customized instructor-led on-site group training for enterprises. Moreover, it is a cost-effective training
• Training Material – Invensis PMP Training methodology is coupled with high-quality courseware. This has enabled organizations to achieve high impact learning with increased knowledge, performance, and competence.
• Practice Questions – They offer real Life exam prep questions and free guidance on progressing in your career as a certified professional

Pricing and Refunds

• Pricing Options
  • Cost of this training is USD 1395. They offer a discount on registration with multiple courses as well as for multiple participants. For instance:
    • On PMP course with Cobit 5 foundation course, avail 20% off
    • By registering 5 or more participants, avail 12% off on PMP Live online or Virtual training
• Refund/Pass Guarantee -Invensis PMP Training is not offering any guarantee on the training or the content. And thereby they don’t have any refund policy.
• Success Rate? – Over 95% of Invensis learning participants obtain their PMP within 6 weeks
• Support? No, they have no online forums for aspirants to support or raising the queries

Overall Rating of Project Hipo: 4.2 out of 5

You can see our complete review and details about Invensis PMP programs.

#7 PMP Training Option – Knowledgehut

Knowledgehut has training experience of more than 8 years. They aim to up-skill the next generation workforce. During this tenure, they have provided several trainings to various industries and corporate. They offer a vast range of portfolio that includes management as well as technical training programs. Agile is one of their popular training program which is offered in 68 countries across the globe. In eight years, Knowledgehut has over 200 courses and 120,000 learners across 70 plus countries.

Knowledgehut has a large pool of around 500 instructors who are qualified in their relevant fields. Their instructors are from India, Singapore, United States, New Zealand, Canada, Germany, Australia, United Kingdom, Indonesia, Hungary, Ireland and many more. Knowledgehut has more than 100 instructors for the Agile Management course category and more than 30 instructors for the Knowledgehut PMP Training course category.

In the project management category, Knowledgehut offers 22 courses. PMP Training is one of them.

Knowledgehut PMP Training courses are offered in flexible delivery modes. These delivery modes include classroom and e-learning as well as virtual. Knowledgehut PMP training course also offers 6 Full-Length Mock Exams. 

• PMP Training Recognized by PMI? –  Knowledgehut is a Global REP for PMI
• Is the course aligned with PMBOK? –  The course outline of Knowledgehut PMP training is in line with the PMBoK. The Knowledge Areas addressed in PMBok are the driving factor of the Knowledgehut PMP Training course outline
• Does it provide a certificate of completion for 35 contact hours? – Yes, the Knowledgehut PMP training course gets you 35 contact hours which satisfies the PMI contact hour requirement to sit in the PMP exam.

Training Method and Material

• Delivery Method – Knowledgehut PMP training is offered in a live, instructor-led format. This course format is offered on weekdays as well as over the weekends. For the weekdays, the duration is around 10 calendar days with half-day sessions. Whereas for the weekends, the duration is around three weeks with half-day sessions. Knowledgehut also offers PMP training courses in the instructor-led classroom training format. With these course, you get 90 Days of Free Access. They also offer e-learning courses. On registration to this course, you get 180 days’ access to the e-learning course contents.
• Training Material –With the registration of this course you get the following extensive material:
  • 15 audio-visual modules covering all course topics from PMBOK® Guide
  • 13 hours of online content
  • PMP® eBook in downloadable format and PMP® exam blueprint
  • Tips and tricks to pass PMP® in the first attempt
• Practice Questions – They provide a question bank with 300 questions on all knowledge areas. They also provide six full-length mock exams featuring 1200 practice questions.

Pricing and Refunds

• Pricing Options – The price of this Knowledgehut PMP online Training is USD 899. And the price of PMP classroom training is USD 1099. These prices are subject to discount. And the price of this Knowledgehut PMP Training course is USD 399.
• Refund/Pass Guarantee -Even though Knowledgehut claims that the candidates will pass the PMP certification exam based on the guidelines they provide to the candidates, they also provide the money-back guarantee in which they will reimburse you the class cost if you fall in the policy criteria.
• Success Rate? – Knowledgehut PMP training has bagged very good reviews which are good indicators of their effectiveness.

Overall Rating of Project Hipo: 4.1 out of 5

You can see our complete review and details about Knowledgehut PMP programs.

#8 PMP Training Option – GreyCampus PMP Training Program

GreyCampus established as a leading education platform. It provides services in the areas of certification training for working professionals and test preparation for competitive examinations.

GreyCampus provides a range of courses on project management certifications like PMP and PRINCE2, Big Data, Data Science, Service Management, Quality Management, Six Sigma, IT Service Management, DevOps and Cloud and others. Grey Campus has trained more than 150,000 students across 50+ countries leveraging a pool of 500+ expert instructors.

In addition, they specialize in instructor-led blended certification training programs in project management, Six Sigma and IT service management and other areas.

They believe that instructor-led training augmented with online resources is the most optimal training learning environment which leads to the best results.

• PMP Training Recognized by PMI?– Yes, GreyCampus is s a Global PMI Registered Education Provider
• Is the course aligned with PMBOK? – Being a REP, they ensure that this course is in alignment with the most updated version of the PMP exam content outline.
• Does it provide a certificate of completion for 35 contact hours? – Yes, All of their formats come with a 35-Contact Hours’ education certificate which fulfills the prerequisite of your PMP certification eligibility.

Training Method and Material

• Delivery Method  – They provide three different learning formats. These formats include in-person classes, online classes, and a self-paced online course.
• Training Material – With the PMP training from Greycampus, you get an official copy of PMBOK Guide, Free access to a dedicated one day live exam solving session. In addition to this, you get 30 days access to an instructor via email for clarifications and guidance.

• Practice Questions – GreyCampus conduct additional hands-on examination review- once every month- for participants of instructor-led training variants. This review session involves a live simulated test, which demonstrates the reason and rationale behind answering each of the 200 questions. You will require to contact the assigned training coordinator after you register to book your seat for one of the sessions.

Pricing and Refunds

• Pricing Options – Greycampus offers an online self-learning program at the cost of $300. They also offer live online training program which comprises of live over-the-web lectures. This program is available at a cost of $699. In addition to this, Greycampus also offers a Classroom training program. The cost of this program varies as per batch and location. The cost range is $899 to $1.599.
• Refund/Pass Guarantee – GreyCampus PMP Training offers 100% Money back guarantee
• Success Rate? – Greycampus have an audited PMP Exam pass rate of 99.4%
• Support? GreyCampus provides 30 days post-program instructor support PMP Training for their live online and classroom courses,

Overall Rating of Project Hipo: 4.0 out of 5

You can see our complete review and details about GreyCampus PMP Training Programs

#9 PMP Training Option – PM Training Program

PM Training was founded in the year 2004 by Christopher Scordo PMP, ITIL. So, Christopher Scordo is the founder and managing director of PM Training. In addition to this, he is also the author of many bestselling exam preparation books.

Since its inception in 2004, PM training is into professional certification test products on certifications such as PMP, CAPM, ACP, Scrum Master, and ITIL. PM Training is a provider of course offerings such as PMP, PgMP, CAPM, PMI-ACP, and RMP.

• PMP Training Recognized by PMI? – Yes, PM Training is a PMI registered education provider (REP) for PMI Products
• Is the course aligned with PMBOK? –  PM Training’s PMP Training courses and products adhere to all PMI guidelines.
• Does it provide a certificate of completion for 35 contact hours? – After attending the PM training course, you will attain 35 contact hours. This is a prerequisite to appear for the exam.

Training Method and Material

• Delivery Method – PM Training PMP Training institute offers training in 2 modes i.e. instructor-led live classes and self-learning format. They offer both of these formats in online mode. In addition to this, PM Training’s PMP training institute also offers private classes to organizations worldwide in both live onsite and live online training formats.
• Training Material –  Once you enroll in the class, you get:
  • Instant mail confirmation and instructor follow-up starts
  • Extensive study tool with each class which includes offline exam preparation tools, a comprehensive class manual, and access to realistic exam simulation tools
  • You get free membership to PM Training’s online exam practice system
  • And you will get access to over 1000 PMP Practice exam questions, answers, and detailed explanations.
  • You get 90 days access to course material

• Practice Questions – Once you register to this course you get access to over 1000 PMP Practice exam questions, answers, and detailed explanation.

Pricing and Refunds

• Pricing Options – PM Training conducts the PMP Boot camp training course is an on-demand course available full time through the website. The course of this cost is 348 USD. The live class online format is available on weekends and evenings. The price of this course is USD 1148.
• Refund/Pass Guarantee – Students will receive a full refund up to 7 days prior to the original class start. Otherwise, there will be a $150 cancellation fee for multi-week classes and a $ 250 cancellation fee for Boot camp classes.
• Success Rate? – The first-time pass rate is 97%.
• Support? A one-on-one session with the instructor to answer questions and clarify concepts. Another feature is email access to PMP instructor in case you have additional questions or feedback on PMP Related topics

Overall Rating of Project Hipo: 3.7 out of 5

You can see our complete review and details about PM Training PMP programs.

#10 PMP Training Option – Udemy Training Program

The Udemy founder, Eren Bali, along with the co-founders, Oktay Çağlar and Gagan Biyani, have a common goal: to make quality education more accessible and to improve lives through education. Udemy is a platform where instructors, business, and students register. They provide course development tools for the instructors. Instructors can upload videos, PowerPoint presentations, PDFs, audio files, and live classes and students register to these published online courses.

Udemy also provides mechanisms where teachers can interact with users through online discussion forums. They offer courses for different walks of life which includes entrepreneurship, health, fitness, language, academics, art, music, and technology. So is the case with Project Management training. So if you decide to spend your time & money on a PMP course material, Udemy has PMP options that might satisfy your need but only to some extent.

Most courses are free and most are less than $100. However, it is more important to note here that Udemy does not authenticate the professional value of the course. As there is no independent validation of the course. Mainly instructors are responsible for their courses. So we can say that they are more like online publishers of the courses.

Standing of the course

• PMP Training Recognized by PMI? –  The majority of Udemy courses do not include a qualification certificate recognized by an employer or other educational institution.
• Is the course aligned with PMBOK? – There is a variety of courses available for PMP preparation. There is a risk that all of these courses may not be aligned with PMBOK. So you have to search for the right course among the huge list of courses.
• Does it provide a certificate of completion for 35 contact hours? – After completing a training program, you will receive a certificate of completion showing your knowledge of the subject. However, PMI may not accept the training content as a valid 35 contact hour training. So you have the risk of getting PMP training that is not compatible with the content of the PMP.

Training Method and Material

• Delivery Method –  Udemy offers courses in a self-paced online format. You can register for a course and learn the course at your own pace.
• Training Material – Since there is a huge list of courses in the category of project management and the course contents of each course are subject to their creators. In other words, we can say that there is no standardizing of the course content across all the project management courses. However, it is a must for a Udemy course to include videos, quizzes, documents, and exercises. This is useful for learning the subject thoroughly.
• Practice Questions – Quizzes and exercises are usually part of the course. You can see the course material on the landing page of the course to evaluate prior to buying the course.

Pricing and Refunds

• Pricing Options – Most of the Udemy courses come under the price of $100. But you need to ensure that you choose the best course based on the enrollments and ratings.
• Refund/Pass Guarantee -Udemy courses offer 100% Money back guarantee
• Success Rate? -There is no specific rate of success I could find for Udemy PMP.
• Support? – You can communicate directly with the authors for learning purposes and interact with the authors. You can ask questions and share your concerns without interfering with them.

Overall Rating of Project Hipo: 3.1 out of 5

You can see our complete review and details about Udemy PMP Training Programs.

PMP Training Conclusion

In summary, PMP certification is a crucial business requirement for senior-level project leader roles and PMP credential gives you the knowledge of project management. Hence, it is the approval of your global professional experience. In short, the advantages of PMP include high market value, recognition, increased reliability, and in many cases higher wages.

In this article, we provided you with PMP Top 10 training programs which are offered to the PMP aspirants across the globe. The purpose of the article is not to compare these training programs. However, we aim to provide helpful information to the PMP aspirants so they can get the high-level idea of these PMP Top 10 training programs.

These PMP training providers offer training in different formats. The course formats include Instructor-led classroom and virtual classroom. In addition to this, you can opt for a group and online training. The cost of their course ranges and varies based on the training format. These training providers also offer practice exams and questions; so the candidates can assess their readiness and work on the gaps. Many of these training providers have their money-back policies.

I think the provider with the ideal cost-performance ratio is Master of Project Academy. Master of Project Academy PMP Training is reasonably priced, additionally, they have several enrollment options which start from $67/month. Finally, Master of Project Academy PMP Training has a 99.6% first-attempt pass rate with a very good refund policy.

If you want to check the latest PMP course offerings, you can check on their website to get the latest information regarding these training providers.

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PMP Study Guide Can Help You Bring professional rewards

The dynamic global market always has demands for the project manager role to ensure the challenging projects turn into success and add value to the organization. This brings a lot of opportunities to project management professionals. So what could be better than acquiring the PMP credentials if you want to pursue your career in the project management field? PMP credential is an endorsement of recognized skills and knowledge of the professionals.

In addition to this, there are many benefits PMP brings to qualified professionals. The PMP exam is not an easy task. It requires the candidates to fully prepare for the PMP Exam. Likewise, project management aspirants look for the possible ways that can help them to get them well prepared for the PMP Exam. The PMP certification requirements are quite demanding for the aspirants and it is not easy to clear the exam unless you are fully equipped with a PMP study guide to qualify for the exam.

Rewards of PMP Credential

There are many advantages you can reap after you got your PMP certification. When you have your PMP certification you will have a big advantage over your peers who are non-certified. Some of the major benefits of PMP certification include:

Global Recognition of Skills:

• The PMP validates your understanding of the overall context of the methods. Therefore, PMP offers best practices, the latest developments in project management and the ability to learn tricks and techniques. This is what gives you an advantage over others.
• Your colleagues and communities will see you as a coach and mentor based on both your credentials and your practical experience.
• You feel more assured that you are at the forefront of your distinguished accomplishment, which provides a strong base for your career development.

You Are Recruiters’ Favorite:

• Recruiters look for the best-fit candidates who can add the values which make them more appropriate for the projects. Because the value that you would add to their organizations will make their profiles more prominent.
• PMP credentials help organizations to get better scores while procuring project management services.
• The PMP certification stands out as an endorsement of the candidate’s expertise, skills, and experience. It makes it much easier for hiring managers to test applicants with such endorsements.
• Most organizations make it compulsory for candidates to have PMP certification.

Improvement of Salary:

• You may expect a hike of at least 20% in your salary after obtaining your PMP Certification.
• The project managers within various industries earn higher salaries as compared to their non-PMP peers within the same industries. You may review the average PMP salary you would earn by industry, experience, and location.
• PMP certification also increases job stability, because even with fewer positions on the market, 
  businesses will be more interested in recruiting and retaining PMP accredited project managers.

In this section, we will talk about the different steps of the PMP Study Guide.

PMP Study Guide – Step #1

This is the very first step of the PMP study guide. Because first, you need to know what you need to do in order to attain your objective.  So for PMP certification, you need to know the PMP Certification requirements that are set out by PMI. Knowing these requirements will help you set out your PMP study plan for the PMP Exam. The main aspects that set by PMI as PMP exam criteria include education, experience, and training. These very well defined criteria are good enough to assess the knowledge, experience, and approach of the PMP candidates. The following table depicts the PMP exam criteria:

Let’s discuss these PMP certification requirements a little bit more in detail.

Education

Education is the foundation requirement of the PMP Exam. According to the criteria you should have at least have a high school diploma or associate’s degree or global equivalent. If you have a graduation degree it is a plus as it will reduce the work experience requirement from 5 years to 3 years.

Experience

The experience requirement is subject to your education level. In case you have a bachelor’s degree, the required experience is 3 years (36 months) which you can interpret as work experience of 4,500 hours. You must have experience of at least 4,500 hours if you are planning to sit in the PMP Exam provided you have a bachelor’s degree. Likewise, if you have a high school diploma or associate’s degree or global equivalent the required experience is 5 years (60 months). In this case, you require work experience of 7,000 hours to fulfill the criteria.

Training

PMP training requirement is a must to sit in the PMP Exam. According to PMI criteria, you must have 35 contact hours of PMP training. So you must include a formal PMP training to your PMP study guide. For this requirement, you may explore many options available in the global market.

PMP Exam Application – Requirements

Though you have to fulfill the aforementioned PMP exam requirements before applying for the PMP Exam, however knowing how to fill your PMP application is also important at this stage. Please note that you should also keep in mind while filling in the application that PMI may randomly select your application for the audit. All you have to do is to arrange for the evidence for what you have claimed in your PMP Exam application.

Education: You need to fill in the details and level of your degree you have qualified while applying for the PMP Exam.

Experience: If you have worked on projects in any capacity, you should be able to claim these hours depending on the different phases of the project that you have been working on. Based on your education, you should specify your projects and your effort in terms of time. So you can cover the required time span based on your education. For each project, you should mention the start date and the end date. During each project time, you should mention your effort in terms of hours within each phase of the project.

Training: As you are applying for the PMP Exam when you already have your training certificate of 35 PDUs so filling in the details of the training is quite simple.

PMP Study Guide – Step #2

Now you know the different aspects of the PMP exam requirements, let’s move to the 2nd step of the PMP study guide. Obtaining professional training should be your second step in your PMP study guide. Training is a mandatory requirement to sit in the PMP Exam. This requirement seems very simple but it is quite tricky as you need to choose one training from many options provided by different vendors. Many of the vendors are available who provide the PMP trainings. Now what you choose should be based on a good assessment of the training provider.

Choose your training programs

The second step of the PMP study guide is important because the PMP exam is not a simple exam. It is more likely that the candidates have a higher tendency to fail the PMP exam if they are not well prepared. That’s why when assessing the training providers you should not keep any redo scenario in case. In other words, you should choose the one that can help you get your mission accomplished in a single try. So you do not have to repeat the trainings and preparations again. Generally, there are various aspects you should consider to filter the most feasible option:

• Whether the training is comprehensive and covers all the aspects of the PMBok?
• Will the training satisfy the PMP exam criteria of 35 PDUs?
• Whether I should opt for classroom training, virtual online or e-learning training format?
• What is the study material I will get with the training?
• What is the duration of the training?
• Will the training give me the flexibility to follow my own pace or do I have to follow any stringent schedule?
• Are there any mock-up tests and quizzes?
• Are there any testimonials of the training provider?
• What is the success rate of the training provider?
• What is the reputation of the training provider?
• Is the training cost feasible for me?
• Will I get a better return on investment?

These are the few consideration points that you need to keep in mind while assessing the training providers.

Training

When you are choosing the training, you need to select the training format. In other words, the choice of training format will be the first step to move forward with the training. Candidates choose the training format as per their feasibility. You can look for the following training formats and make a choice according to your priorities to fulfill PMP training requirements. These formats include:

• In-person Classroom Training

In this format, training providers offer instructor-led training within their premises. These trainings are generally of a duration of 4 days which fulfils 35 contact hours requirement of PMI to sit in the PMP Exam. Training providers publish their calendars on their website so the candidates can find and select the training with respect to dates and locations. If you opt for this training you will have to follow the schedule and be on the premises for the training sessions. This may be a hassle if you are working on tight deadlines as these sessions do not have the flexibility of repeat. Once you miss the class you will have to find ways to cover up the gap with your colleagues or through the provided material.

There are some cases when the candidates have the flexibility to adjust their schedules or they are willing to attend the classroom trainings. Such candidates find in-person classroom training the best option.

• In-person Virtual Classroom Training

Another option of PMP training format is the virtual classroom training format. In this format, you also get instructor-led training. But this training is carried out in a virtual environment so you do not have to travel to a specific venue to attend the class. All you need is a computer and an internet connection. Or you can even connect using mobiles or portable devices. This format provides flexibility in terms of commute as you do not need to travel to attend the class and you can just join the class from anyplace. However, following the timing is important.

When candidates look for in-person trainings but they are not willing to travel to attend the class. Hence, Virtual Classroom training can be a good option for such candidates.

• E-learning Online

Another option that gives a lot of flexibility to the candidates and also provides a lot of expansion in the outreach of the training providers, is the e-learning format. In this format, you are not bound to follow any specific date and any specific location. So you get the flexibility to learn at your own pace. Generally, you get duration based access to the extensive material produced by the training providers. There are many cases where the candidates look for flexibility in terms of both location and time. Such candidates prefer the e-learning format.

These trainings are great events that prepare you for the certifications. Considering that the aspirants are professionals and must be busy in their jobs, finding time to attend the training could be a bit difficult for them.

PMP Study Guide – Step #3

Once you get the PMP training, you are on the next step of the PMP study guide and it is to prepare and assess yourself for the PMP Exam. At this stage of the PMP study guide, you must have already gone through the formal training for PMP exam preparation. But during this self-study period, you should start your practice through the materials you have been provided during the training. On top of that, you can prepare your own notes which can help you reinforce your learning while taking notes you should follow a PMP prep book.

As you know, PMI offers various benefits to the registered members. You will have free access to download standards, guides and other valuable material relevant to project management. This also includes the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK). The entire content is available on PMI’s website pmi.org.

You can even prepare your own flashcards. These are the best tools to revise the main points. As these are just short notes of the topics. So instead of going through long study material, you can review and remember with the help of these short notes. You may also acquire flashcard products from training providers as training providers also offer such products for the ones who are willing to buy these additional products and get an advantage during their preparation. However, when you opt to buy flashcards from the market, you certainly have to pay for such tools.

Many well-known education providers have prepared flashcards which are available in different qualities and numbers. For instance, you can look for RMC Hot Topics Flashcards, or you can find Flashcards (Test Prep) by Crowe, Andy as well as the reasonably priced flashcards from Master of Project Academy.

PMP Study Guide – Step #4

Once you have completed your PMP exam materials, it is time to move to the next level of the PMP study guide and it is to start practicing with PMP practice questions. For this step of your PMP study guide, you can find a variety of quizzes, practice exam mock-ups being offered by training providers. In addition to this, the practice exams are also being offered as separate products by those training providers.

The training programs provide you with the study material that may include quizzes, games, practice tests, and simulations. In this way, you can assess your readiness for the exam, identify the preparation gaps and cover them with the revisions.

For this step of your PMP study guide, you should start first with the quizzes and PMP questions that are provided during the training. Then you can expand your practicing horizon. You can start finding questions on the internet and try solving them. This will help you get more and more practice as you will see a variety of questions and keep on looking for the answer in various scenario-based questions.

Another approach is to dive deep into the test environment and mock practice. You can look for exam simulators and with them, you can get the feeler of the actual exam. You can practice through these exam simulators to assess your time management and response accuracy. Thus it will enable you to identify your strengths and weaknesses. Once you identify these areas you can prepare for your specific areas and cover any gaps you identify during these the simulations.

Exam Simulators

Many training providers also offer the exam simulators as an individual product, for instance, RMC and Master of Project Academy. RMC offers the PM Exam Simulator. You get 90-day access to practice 1600 plus sample PMP Exam questions. Also, Master of Project Academy provides a PMP Exam Simulator consisting of 7 simulation exams or a total of 1400 PMP online exam questions. They offer a lifetime access plan or a monthly plan which gives flexibility to the candidates to choose as per their feasibility.

PMP Study Guide – Step #5

Now comes the most crucial part of the PMP study guide that shapes up the improvisation. At this stage of the PMP study guide, you must already have gone through the study material and started practicing through tests, quizzes and simulations. You need to review your performance in these tests, practice sessions, and quizzes. So try to note your performance and identify your strengths and weaknesses. This will help you ratify your positioning.

Once you identify your weak areas, you definitely need to strengthen your knowledge in these areas. In this regard, you will have to go through your notes and ensure the base concept is learned and the mapping of the concept with the specific situations is also clear. So you are fully equipped to attempt such situation based questions in your PMP Exam.

Further, you also need to frequently go through the topics that are identified as your strength in the previous practice tests. First, you need to ensure that your understanding is reinforced in these areas and you can be an expert in these areas. In this way, you can secure better marks through your areas of strength.

I would suggest that after some practice and reinforcement, you should be able to start coaching. You do not need to be a professional coach to start this. Besides, you can start looking at the PMP questions that other candidates have asked for clarification and understanding. You can join different PMP forums for this purpose.

PMP Study Guide – Step #6

If you can score over 70% from practice tests, you can schedule your PMP exam. This is the 6th step of your PMP study guide. Go through your PMI profile and schedule your PMP exam. In order to schedule the PMP exam, you must have registered for your PMP exam with PMI and you should have received your authorization to test prior to scheduling your test appointment at Pearson VUE testing locations. After authorization from PMI,  you will have one year to schedule the PMP exam date and take the exam. If you do not sit for the PMP exam in one year, you will have to restart your PMP application.

Scheduling through Pearson VUE

Provided you meet these pre-requisites you can set your appointment by logging in to PMI.org and navigate to Schedule Exam. This will direct you to schedule your exam through Pearson VUE from where you can select your exam for which you are authorized. Once you select your exam, the screen will display the booking method options available. You will be scheduling your exam for a future date at a test center.

PMP exams are conducted by Pearson VUE test centers. However, Pearson VUE test centers do not offer only the PMP exam. There are several other certifications, language and skill tests offered by these test centers. You will have to schedule your test as per the availability of the slot in the test center of your choice. Based on the available slots, you can book one for your PMI Exam. So you can set the date and time of the PMP online exam you want to sit in. Depending on the location and business of the test center, you might not find an early available slot for your PMP exam date. Therefore, it is recommended that you schedule your PMP exam at least one month before the date you plan to sit for the exam

In the meantime you still can get ready for the exam date, go over your notes and continue practicing.

PMP Study Guide – Step #7

Now is the final step of the PMP study guide. This is the time to sit for the PMP exam and get your PMP certification! Before the exam day, you should get good sleep and get rest so you can feel fresh at the time of the exam. Another key factor is that you should be cool and calm. Also, there should be no sign of stress. In the previous steps of the PMP study guide, you have practiced frequently so that it must become your norm now.

On the day of your examination, please arrive 15 minutes before your scheduled appointment. You must sign in, present the required identification and provide your PMI ID number. In addition to this, you may also be asked to provide the confirmation number you received when scheduling the appointment. Furthermore, you should have your identification documents with you. These may include government-issued identification. The identification must be current and must match your name exactly as it appears on the scheduling notification, for example, a valid driver’s license, valid passport or valid national identification card.

What is the PMP Exam?

PMP exam is a computer-based online exam of 4 hours of duration in which you have to attempt 200 Multiple Choice Questions. PMP online exam has questions with four options, of which you need to pick one correct answer. There is no negative marking but the positive responses count towards the passing score. You can take breaks but the timer will not stop so if you plan to have short breaks during the examination you must keep in mind that it will reduce the time to attempt the questions.

Read the questions carefully and eliminate the incorrect answers from the provided choices. Choose the most appropriate according to the context of the question. You can mark the questions that you feel you need to answer later or you need to review later during the exam. If you complete your PMP exam and you still have time left, you can spend this time to review your answers.

Once you complete the test by pressing the submit button or the duration of the test is lapsed. The online test allows you to receive your score immediately. Provided you have passed the PMP online exam you get the “Congratulations” message on the screen. So your mission is accomplished!

Upon passing, you are approved to use the PMP credential for 3 years. Once you got the PMP, you must earn 60 PDUs every three years to retain your certificate, so do not forget to earn and report PMP PDUs.

PMP Study Guide – Summary

In this article, we shared with you a PMP Study Guide with 7 steps to help your PMP success. The PMP study guide takes your step by step from knowing the PMP requirements to appearing in the PMP Exam. Once you know the PMP requirements, you will need to obtain professional training. In this step of the PMP study guide, we discussed various formats that are available for the training. Also, we reviewed what you need to consider to choose the training program that is ideal for you.

Once you obtain the training, you need to prepare and then assess your readiness for the PMP exam. In this step of the PMP study guide, you will have to review your performance in these tests, practice sessions, and quizzes. So try to note your performance and identify your strengths and weaknesses. If you can score over 70% from practice tests, you can schedule your PMP exam. This is the 6th step of the PMP study guide, Go through your PMI profile and schedule your PMP exam. Finally, we arrive at the last step of the PMP study guide: the time to sit for the PMP Exam and get your PMP certification!

We hope the PMP study guide will help you in your PMP exam preparation and you find this article helpful to achieve the PMP certification.

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Content Outline of this Post:

What is the PMP Certification?
What are the PMP Certification Requirements?
How can I apply for the PMP Certification Exam?
What is the PMP Certification Cost?
What is the PMP Certification Exam Structure?
What Are the PMP Certification Knowledge Areas?
What Are the PMP Certification Exam Formulas?
How Should I Study for the PMP Exam?
How Can I Earn PMP PDUs?
When is the Next PMP Certification Exam Date?
What is the PMP Certification Exam Passing Score?
What Are the Benefits of PMP Certification?
How can I Renew PMP Certification?
What Changes in the PMP Certification Exam and When?
Conclusion

What is the PMP Certification?

Project Management Professional (PMP Certification) is the most significant and industry-recognized certification for project managers. PMP certification is truly global i.e. once you become PMP certified, you can work virtually in any industry, any location, using any methodology irrespective of any geography or domain.

PMP Certification benefits employees as well as employers. In regard to employee salary, PMP certified individuals garner a higher salary (20% higher on average) than non-certified individuals. And, in regard to employers, in the organizations having more than 1/3 of PMP certified project managers; more of the projects get completed on time, on budget and meeting original goals.

PMP Certification signifies that PMP certified individuals speak and understand the global language of project management. Further, PMP Certification connects you to a community of professionals, organizations and experts worldwide.

History of PMP Certification                     

It all started with ESA (Project Management Ethics, Standards and Accreditation) when a project team assignment was initiated at the suggestion of Matthew H. Parry. Matthew H. Parry served at different positions such as Chairman from 1977-1978, President 1976 and Vice President (Functional Operations) and he wanted to professionalize the project management. After 2 years, a special report on August 1983 was issued. This report mentioned that The ESA project has proposed a Code of Ethics for project management which is included in this special report.

A proposed set of topic areas that would constitute the framework for the unique body of project management knowledge and that are critical to the recognition of a project management profession was also presented. Also, the set of topic areas may serve as the basis for developing minimum standards for entry into the field, a task being worked on by PMI Certification Committee chaired by Dr. M Dean Martin. The set of topics may also serve to guide the development of the first nationally accredited Master of Science in Project Management Degree Program.

Six areas of knowledge were established: Human Resources Management, Cost Management, Time Management, Communication Management, Scope Management, and Quality Management. 26 people were listed as contributors to the ESA Report.

The PMBOK

Under the direction and guidance of R. Max Wideman, First Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) got developed. A detailed report on the development of PMBOK was mentioned in the August 1986 Special Issue of Project Management Journal.

Discussions were held at PMI ’86 and written suggestions were received till Dec 1986. Thereafter, revised drafts were approved by the PMI Board of Directors during a meeting on March 28, 1987, which became effective on 1^st September 1987. This product became the basis for the development of the Project Management Professional Certification (PMP Certification) Program. Later Procurement got added in the August 1986 report and Risk Management got added prior to approval by PMI Board.

Evolution of PMP Certification

A detailed report got published in March 1984 Project Management Journal about “PMP Program: Certifying Project Managers”. This report detailed the process for becoming certified and identified 3 areas in which points could be earned towards certification i.e. Education, Experience and Service

As a result, the First Certification Examination was held on October 6, 1984, in Philadelphia.

There are currently 850,000 active PMI members and more than 750,000 active PMP credential holders globally.

What are the PMP Certification Requirements?

A project manager who meets the following requirements should apply for PMP certification:

1. Lead and direct cross-functional teams to deliver projects within constraints of budget, schedule, and resources.
2. Responsible for all aspects of the project for the life of a project.
3. Indicate enough knowledge and experience to apply a methodology to projects that have well-defined project requirements and deliverables.

PMP Certification prerequisites are:

PMP Certification Education Requirement

An applicant should have a secondary degree i.e. high school diploma, associate degree or global equivalent

OR possess a four-year degree course

PMP Certification Experience Requirement

If an applicant has a secondary degree then he/she should have worked for 7500 hours of leading and directing projects

OR

In case an applicant has a four-year degree then he/she should have worked for 4500 hours of leading and directing projects.

35 Hours of Project Management Education or CAPM Certification

Either applicant should attend project management training for 35 hours so that he/she will get 35 contact hours (PDUs)

Or the applicant should be CAPM Certified i.e. Certified Associate in project management.

How can I apply for the PMP Certification Exam?

It takes only 3 steps to become certified. There are 3 steps to fill the application:-

Step 1. Confirm that you are eligible

First of all, make sure that you fulfil PMP Certification eligibility requirements mentioned in the above section. That means you should have an education qualification mentioned in the section ‘PMP Certification Requirement’. Then you should have attended PMP training. Further, you should possess project management experience. Once you meet all prerequisites, then you are ready to fill the form.

Step 2 Gather your info

1. Document your experience and training by gathering information about projects you have led

• Where you have worked
• Your roles and responsibilities
• Duration of projects

2. The training you have completed

• Institutions attended
• Courses Completed
• Qualifying hours

Step 3: You need a PMI.org account to start filling the application form. You can save the application and can collect the required information as you go forward.

PMP Certification Exam application is easy but it is quite tedious and time-consuming since it asks for lots of information which may take some time.

There are 2 ways to fill out the form i.e. Online and Paper application.

PMP Certification Online Application

The application form has 3 sections.

The first section asks for general information. The second section asks for project management experience. And the last section asks for 35 Contact hours earned by attending project management education.

1. You need to fill the following information in the online application form which will guide you through the process

• Contact Information: Email, Address, Phone Number
• Education attained: School Attended, Level of Education Attained, Degree Date
• Domain Experience: Details of the projects, programs, and portfolios you have worked on. You should include qualifying hours, dates of employment, role, organization details, reference and experience summary
• Domain Education: Names of courses completed, institutions attended, dates and qualifying hours

Once you start filling the application, it remains active for 90 days.

PMP Certification Paper Application

Another way to fill the application form of PMP Certification is paper application. Hence this is an offline mode here, you have to send your application through courier. The application form is similar to the one discussed above.

PMP Certification Application Review Process

1. When PMI receives the application, they confirm that you meet the eligibility criteria, your experience and education is valid and consistent with the guidelines stated in certification handbook
2. Typically application review period will take 5-10 days.
3. A number of applications are randomly chosen for audit. PMI conducts application audits to confirm the experience and education documented on certification applications.

Payment

1. Once PMI notifies that the application is approved. Now it is time to make payment via an online system.
2. After that PMI receives the payment, PMI emails you the eligibility number that you can use to schedule your test appointment. This is valid for one year and you may take the exam up to 3 times during the year.

Schedule Test Appointment

You can schedule your exam appointment online or by telephone using eligibility code and scheduling instructions provided by PMI via email.

What is the PMP Certification Cost?

Of course, the cost is a vital component of PMP certification. Generally, we tend to include PMP Certification training and PMP certification exam fees and we forget the cost of time to be spent on studying for the preparation of the PMP exam.

Hence PMP Certification cost includes 3 costs i.e. Cost of PMP Certification Training + Cost of PMP Certification Exam + Cost of time spent in preparation for PMP exam.

1. PMP Certification Training Cost

 One of the prerequisites to appear for the PMP Certification exam is to attend at least 35 hours of project management training. You can attend this training in a training institute which can provide you 35 PDUs or 35 Contact hours.

Now that we are talking about PMP certification training cost, it depends upon whether you wish to take an online PMP certification course or a PMP certification course with a classroom format.

PMP Certification Classroom training cost may vary depending upon the country and place where you wish to attend. Generally, it ranges from 450 USD to 2100 USD. There is no fixed cost for the training.

Whereas the PMP Certification online course price will be less as compared to the PMP certification classroom training price. Online PMP certification training price ranges from 200 USD to 600 USD.

In PMP certification online mode, there are 2 modes:

• Online learning
• Instructor-led PMP training

PMP certification Online learning mode is a self-paced mode. Here you have the flexibility to attend the training program at your pace, location and convenient timings

Whereas in PMP certification Instructor-led training mode, you have the flexibility to attend from any location. However, you have to be present as per time slots of availability of instructor for the PMP course.

If we talk about PMP Certification instructor-led training cost, then it ranges from 750 USD to 3600 USD

You can read our Top 10 PMP Training post to see all PMP training options and ratings.

 2-  PMP Certification Exam Fee

Second cost is the PMP certification exam fee. After you have fulfilled the criteria of 35 Contact Hours, now you have to fill the application form. Once your application is accepted, you need to make the payment of the PMP Certification Exam.

If you are a PMI member then the PMP certification exam fee is 405 USD else you need to pay 555 USD.

And to become a PMI member, membership fees are as follows:

The duration of PMI membership is 1 year. Moreover, you get access to unlimited resources and webinars and materials at the PMI website.

As you can see above, it is advantageous to go for PMI membership and then to appear for the exam. Because you get the double benefit of saving money and access to unlimited PMP certification resources at the PMI website.

Likewise, you save money in the re-examination fee in case you fail the exam in the first attempt. Because the cost of the PMP certification re-examination fee is less for PMI members than non-PMI members.

3- PMP Certification Exam Preparation Time

Last but not least, the PMP Certification cost includes the cost of preparation time. This entirely depends on an individual’s project management background, experience and dedicated time to prepare for the PMP certification exam.

If you are a working professional then you can take 3-4 months’ target time and you need to spend studying 3-4 hours each day to prepare for the exam. In other words, if you cannot spare these many hours in a day then you can extend the months accordingly.

You must be coming across many training institutes with courses as “Pass PMP exam in 30 days” or “Crash PMP course in 30 days”. This is not an impossible target but even not an easy one. Because it will entirely depend upon the 3 factors i.e. background, experience in project management and time that can be devoted to the preparation of the PMP certification exam. However, this is possible in a reverse manner. This means that you have already prepared for the PMP examination in 2-3 months. Now as a final step for revision or clarification of queries, you are attending a PMP certification training as the last step before appearing for the PMP certification exam.

What is the PMP Certification Exam Structure?

PMP Certification exam has 200 multiple-choice questions and out of these 200 questions, 25 are pretest questions. This means that they will place these questions randomly in exam but they won’t score them. But the irony is that you need to attend all 200 questions with the same sincerity. Because you might not get to know which these questions are and where they are placed in the exam. The purpose of these pretest questions is to test the validity of future examinations.

As we know that there are 5 phases in a project i.e. Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring and Controlling and Closing. Hereby, the distribution of PMP certification exam questions is throughout these phases along with domain professional conduct and code of ethics.

Earlier there was a separate domain of Professional conduct and code of ethics in the exam. But now PMI has distributed questions pertaining to this domain uniformly among the five domains.

The Duration

Now coming to the duration of the exam, it is 4 hours. There is no break scheduled in between. This doesn’t mean that you cannot take any break. But this break time will be counted in your 4 hours exam time only. In other words, just keep in mind that the clock is ticking and will continue to count down even if you are on break.

Besides, before starting the exam, you will be shown an awareness session. This session will explain the navigation through the exam like how to select the answer, how to mark the question for later review, how to navigate later to the marked questions etc. Duration of this session is 15 minutes. Point to note is that you are not allowed to make any notes during this duration.

These 15 minutes duration is not part of 4 hours PMP Exam duration.

Here you will find a table referring the PMP certification exam questions distribution phase-wise

This is with reference to the latest PMP exam content outline updated on June 2015 and the PMP handbook updated on 1^st Apr 2019.

Sample PMP question

Question: The project manager meets with the project team to review the lesson learned from previous projects. In what activity is the team involved?

1. Manage Performance
2. Identify Scope
3. Identify Risk
4. Project team status meeting

The correct answer is C i.e. Identify Risk

Should I Use Any PMP Book in My Study?

PMP certification is not an easy nut to crack. In fact, it requires a thorough understanding of the subject and concept. There are many books available in the market to understand the content in detail. But there is no single book that covers the entire subject. Hence you need to choose a combination of books to prepare for PMP certification.

Should I use PMBOK in my PMP Study?

PMBOK is considered the main reference guide for the preparation of PMP certification. However, it is not easy to follow. But it is the foundation of PMP certification training material used across the globe.

PMBOK Guide is an exhaustive book. But it is written in such a way that it can be used with the intention of using it during implementation. However, if we focus only on PMP certification then it is not mandatory to use it. But you can use this book in combination with other PMP Study books to prepare for the PMP certification exam.

Salient Features of PMBOK Guide are:

• PMBOK Guide is the basis for the certification exam to qualify Project Management Professional i.e. PMP Certification
• It is a collection of best practices, standards, and procedure for project management
• Experts consider this book as a bible for project managers.
• PMI originally published PMBOK in 1996.
• Currently, the latest version is PMBOK 6^th edition. PMI released on September 2017
• Every 3 to 5 years, PMI releases a new version.
• PMBOK guide offers extensive coverage of project management knowledge areas, process groups, inputs, and outputs.
• This book has been prepared by many experts across the globe

Cons of PMBOK Guide:

• This book lacks clarity and readability
• PMBOK guide is just like a reference book
• It doesn’t have any tips and tricks to prepare for PMP exam
• PMBOK guide doesn’t have sample questions to practice at the end of each chapter

Should I use any PMP Prep Book in my PMP Study?

There are different ways to prepare for PMP Certification like reading online material, using flashcards, learning online via self-paced, studying books, etc.

If you are a person who is into studying through books, you can certainly try any of the following books along with PMBOK

1- PMP Exam Prep Book by Master of Project Academy

We will list a sponsored PMP prep book as the first PMP book in this list from Master of Project Academy PMP Training provider. However, we do not review our book to provide an unbiased review of all available PMP books. We have just listed the features and strengths of our PMP book.

After helping 125,000+ professionals to pass their PMP certification exam with a 99.6% first attempt pass rate, Master of Project Academy has published this PMP prep book. Majority of the PMP books in the market cover theoretical project management knowledge with outdated teaching style. The unique aspect of this PMP book compared to other PMP books in the market is PMP® Prep Book by Master of Project Academy content has been organized like a real project.

While learning PMP exam content, you will be able to see the practical implications of theoretical knowledge and this will help you to grasp the details of PMP exam content easily. PMP Prep Book by Master of Project Academy will help you to pass PMP exam in your first attempt.  

Unique features of the PMP® Prep Book by Master of Project Academy are:

– Real-life project examples
– 100+ Must-to-Remember Master Points for the PMP® Exam
– 100+ Flash Cards – Mapping Practice for important concepts
– 500+ PMP®  Practice Questions – Answers & Detailed Rationales
– 550+ Pages PMP eBook PDF downloadable right after your purchase!

Besides, unlike the other PMP book providers, Master of Project Academy provides a sample free PMP book for you to review the PMP Prep Book before your purchase.

2- Rita Mulcahy’s PMP Certification Preparation 

• This is the best seller book for PMP Certification
• The first edition of Rita Mulcahy was published in 1990.
• Latest edition i.e. 9^th edition got published in 2018
• It conveys all relevant Exam content in a focused and simplified manner
• Every chapter has numerous questions to practice
• There are lots of tips and tricks from PMP test takers which help new aspirants to prepare for PMP certification
• It is a real PMP guide which is easy to access
• A straightforward approach to complex material
• More than 400 practice exam questions throughout the book
• It helps an individual to practically implement the knowledge areas of project management
• Rita Mulcahy prepares PMP aspirants to handle questions related to real-life work issues
• It offers PMP practice tests for last-minute brush up before PMP exam

This book used to be most popular more than 10 years ago. But with the evolution of online learning and several PMP certification resources, it is not a monopoly anymore in PMP books.

3- Head First PMP

• Head First PMP is a brain-friendly book to study for PMP Certification
• It has a unique way of representing a concept in pictorial form
• It makes use of an innovative multi-sensory approach to learn the PMP content
• This book uses simple language which is easy to understand
• It offers a visual format to help you grasp the big picture of project management
• This book is based on a variety of graphics and visual learning instead of heavy text approach
• You will find a lot of visual aids to understand the content
• Also, they have used concepts, pictures, exercises, games, and fun examples with emotional content to make brain remember more appropriately
• High quality of instructional design that provides easy learning
• A unique feature of multiple learning styles
• Besides, they provide memory joggers, hints, tips and tricks for attempting PMP Certification questions.
• The author has written making use of illustrations, case studies which makes it fun to read.

4- PMP Study Guide by Kim Heldman

• This book is one of the best selling books for project managers but not for PMP certification preparation
• It is different from others in a way that most books follow the PMBOK Guide structure and are organized knowledge area but Kim Heldman has written Process Group-wise.
• This book gives complete coverage of topics written in the PMBOK Guide but also the arranging of the chapters is different.
• Each chapter of the book starts with a brief introduction of the topics and processes covered in the chapter
• Even though the book focuses on exam preparation, it also provides holistic learning of project management
• You will find “Real World Scenarios” at many places which provides a complete understanding of the topic
• The book is written in a conversational manner
• It is very easy to read even for a novice project manager
• The language of the book is easy to understand
• However, there are very few figures, tables, and diagrams which makes sometimes difficult to interpret the written word.
• Another advantage of buying this book is to get access to Sybex interactive online learning environment
• On the downside, there are very few questions at the end of each chapter

5- Andy Crowe

• This book is named as “Complete Study Guide for PMP Certification Exam”.
• It provides all the information project managers need to thoroughly prepare for and pass the test
• This book is clearly organized and presents the material in an easily understandable format
• It gives a clear explanation of all the concepts, processes, input, tools and techniques, output.
• It gives a link to 60 videos of Andy explaining the concepts
• You will find over 400 practice exam questions which include end of chapter quizzes and a simulated exam
• Andy Crowe book offers insider secrets, tips and tricks to prepare for PMP certification
• Meaningful exercises to strengthen mastery of key concepts
• Inside the book, they have given provision to write study notes
• One week subscription to Insite, Velociteach PMP’s e-learning portal with additional content like an extra 100 simulated practice exam questions

Can I Prepare for PMP Certification Online?

Yes, of course, you can prepare for PMP certification online. In fact, the classroom training was the traditional approach. These days, due to busy schedule and workload, candidates want to learn at their own pace. They want to balance work and personal life. Likewise, to prepare for the PMP exam, they need the flexibility to spare their time to prepare for PMP certification.

There are many benefits listed below:

1. Online trainings are more flexible as compared to classroom training. You can learn at your own pace and can choose your timing and location to attend the training.
2. They are cheaper in regards to price. Hence they are cost-effective.
3. Online courses ensure high-quality content
4. Moreover, it gives you the benefit to go through the content as many times as you wish to.
5. Also, you can spend more time or less time to attend a specific lesson on the training course. This means you have flexibility in time to spend on training and get ample time to understand the content and grasp the information.

How Much Can I Earn After I Get PMP Certification?

PMP certified professionals earn 20% more than their noncertified peers. Not only, this is a high paying job but also, PMP certification gives more opportunities for growth, more flexibility, and better job security. If you look at the 2017 survey in the US market, PMP certified professional salary is $119.3K if you compare it with a non certified professional who earns $99.1 K.

Even if you look for salaries of PMP certified professionals at glassdoor.com, it ranges from $118K -$174K in the United States.

How Should I Choose PMP Certification Training?

Generally, PMP certification training is conducted in 3 modes:

1. Classroom training: This is a traditional physical classroom training where you need to be available as per the timings of class and instructor. It gives the benefit of face to face interaction with the trainer. But it doesn’t give the flexibility to learn at your own pace. The disadvantage is that you have to give up your office work or put extra hours after the office to attend the training which might not be a preferred option for working professionals.
2. Self-paced online learning where you can attend training at your own pace, location, and timings. Hence this has the utmost flexibility to manage your time and attend the training.
3. Instructor-led virtual PMP certification training: This is similar to classroom training but it gives the flexibility to attend training from any location be it your office, home, etc. The disadvantage is that you have to be available as per the instructor’s time slot availability which is not convenient for working professionals. They have to juggle in office work and training.

Hence when making a choice for the best training provider, look for a few points like reliability, whether contact hours are recognized by PMI. Besides, go through the student’s testimonials to determine the pros and cons of the training providers. Further, check for refund guarantee, quality of the content in feedbacks and online reviews. Last but not least, the course should be cost-effective.

You can read our Top 10 PMP Training post to see all PMP training options and ratings.

What Are the PMP Certification Knowledge Areas?

Processes are grouped by Process Groups or Knowledge Areas. PMBOK is the main reference book for PMP Certification preparation. It is organized by knowledge areas to make you understand the specific area in depth. Hence in order to prepare for PMP certification, one needs to understand knowledge areas in detail.

Knowledge areas are the identified areas of project management and they are defined by their knowledge requirements. They are described in terms of their component processes, practices, inputs, outputs, tools, and techniques.

Knowledge areas are interrelated but they are defined separately from the project management perspective.

PMBOK Guide has identified 10 knowledge areas. These 10 knowledge areas are used in most projects most of the time.

10 Knowledge areas in the PMBOK Guide are:

1. Project Integration Management

This knowledge area concerns with coordinating all aspects of the project plan. It is highly interactive. This involves identifying and defining the work of the project and combining, unifying, and integrating the appropriate processes. Besides, it also takes into account satisfactorily meeting the requirements of the customer and stakeholders and also managing their expectations.

Project planning, project execution, project work monitoring, and change control occur throughout the project and are repeated continuously while you are working on the project. Monitoring the work of the project involves anticipating potential problems and issues and dealing with them before they reach a critical point. Change control affects the project plan which in turn affects the work of the project, which in turn can affect the project management plan so you can see that these processes are tightly linked. The processes in this area also interact with other processes in the remaining knowledge areas.

It includes 7 processes:

1. Develop Project Charter
2. Develop Project Management Plan
3. Direct and Manage Project work
4. Manage Project Knowledge
5. Monitor and Control Project work
6. Perform Integrated Change control
7. Close Project or Phase

2. Project Scope Management

This knowledge area concerns with defining all the work of the project and only the work needed to successfully produce the project goals. These processes are highly interactive. They clarify and control what is part of the project and what is not. Each process happens at least once and generally many times throughout the project’s life.

Project Scope Management covers both product scope and project scope. Product scope is related to the characteristics of the product, service or result of the project. It is measured against the product requirements to determine successful completion or fulfilment. The application area usually dictates the process tools and techniques you will use to define and manage the product scope. The project scope involves managing the work of the project and only the work of the project. Project scope is measured against the project management plan, the project scope statement, the work breakdown structure (WBS) and WBS dictionary.

It includes 6 processes which are:

• Plan Scope Management
• Collect Requirements
• Define Scope
• Create WBS
• Validate Scope
• Control Scope

3. Project Schedule Management

The third knowledge area is about estimating the duration of the project plan activities, devising a project schedule, monitoring and controlling deviations from the schedule. Collectively this knowledge area deals with completing the project in a timely manner. Time management is an important aspect of project management because it is about keeping the project activities on track and monitoring those activities against the project plan in order to ensure that the project is completed on time. Each process in this knowledge area happens at least once in every project and sometimes more. In many cases, particularly on small projects, Sequence Activities, Estimate activity duration and Develop Schedule are completed as one activity. In a small project, only one person is needed to complete these processes and they are all worked on at the same time.

It involves 6 Processes which are:

• Plan Schedule Management
• Define Activities
• Sequence Activities
• Estimate Activity Durations
• Develop Schedule
• Control Schedule

4. Project Cost Management

This knowledge area concerns with cost and budgets. The activities in this knowledge area set up cost estimates for resources, establish budgets and keep watch over those costs to ensure that the project stays within the approved budget. Project Cost Management knowledge area primarily concerns with the costs of resources. It also includes ongoing maintenance and support cost for software considered for the project. Depending upon the complexity of the project, these processes might need the involvement of more than one person. On small projects especially of smaller scope, cost estimating and cost budgeting are tightly linked. You can view it as a single process that a single person can perform over a relatively short period of time.

It involves 4 processes which are:

• Plan Cost Management
• Estimate Costs
• Determine Budget
• Control Costs

5. Project Quality Management

This knowledge area concerns with assuring that the project meets the requirements that it was undertaken to produce. It focuses on product quality as well on the quality of the project management processes used during the project. The processes of the Project Quality Management measure overall performance and monitor project results and compare them to the quality standards set out in the project planning process to ensure that the customers will receive the product, service or result they commissioned. It also supports continuous process improvement activities as undertaken on behalf of the performing organization.

It involves 3 processes which are:

• Plan Quality Management
• Manage Quality
• Control Quality

6. Project Resource Management

This knowledge area concerns all aspects of project management and personal interaction including leading, coaching, dealing with conflict, conducting performance appraisals and more. The processes of Project Resource Management ensure that the human resources allocated to the project are used in the most effective way possible. Each stakeholder requires the use of different communication styles, leadership skills, and team-building skills. A good project manager knows when to enact certain skills and communication styles based on the situation. The processes in this knowledge area ensure that the right resources will be available to the project manager and project team at the right time and place.

There is a distinction between the skills and competencies needed for the project manager to manage team resources versus physical resources. Here physical resources include equipment, materials, facilities, and infrastructure. And Team resources or personnel refer to human resources. Personnel may have varied skillsets and may be assigned full or part-time and may be added or removed from the project team as the project progresses.

It involves 6 processes which are:

• Plan Resource Management
• Estimate Activity Resources
• Acquire Resources
• Develop Team
• Manage Team
• Control Resources

7. Project Communications Management

The Project Communications Management knowledge area concerns with general communication skills, but they encompass much more than an exchange of information. Communication skills are considered general management skills that the project manager uses every day. The purpose of the processes in this knowledge area is to guarantee that all project information including project plans, risk assessments, meeting notes etc is collected, documented, archived and disposed of at the proper time. These processes also ensure that information is distributed and shared with stakeholders, management and project members at appropriate times.

When the project is closed, the information is archived and used as a reference for future projects. This is referred to as historical information in several project processes. Everyone on the project has some involvement with this knowledge area because all project members will send and receive project communication throughout the life of the project. It is important that all team members and stakeholders understand how communication affects the project.

Project Communications Management consists of 2 parts. The first part is developing a strategy to ensure that communication is effective for stakeholders. The second part is implementing the activities necessary to fulfil the communication strategy

It involves 3 processes which are:

• Plan Communications Management
• Manage Communications
• Monitor Communications

8. Project Risk Management

This knowledge area concerns identifying, analyzing and planning for potential risks, both positive and negative that might impact the project. This means minimizing the probability and impact of negative risks while maximizing the probability and impact of positive risks. These processes are also used to identify the positive consequences of risks and exploit them to improve project objectives or discover efficiencies that might improve project performance. Always remember that risk includes both threats to and opportunities within the project. At times, organizations combine several of these processes into one step. The important aspect of the Project Risk Management Knowledge area is to strive to identify all the risks and develop responses for those with the greatest consequences to the project objectives.

Risk exists at 2 levels within every project. It is important to consider the riskiness of the overall project which arises from the combination of individual project risks and other sources of uncertainty. Processes in these knowledge areas address both levels of risks in projects. Individual project risk can have a positive or negative effect on project objectives if they occur. Unmanaged threats may have results such as delay, cost overruns, performance shortfall, or loss of reputation. Opportunities that are captured can lead to benefits such as reduced cost and time, improved performance or reputation. Management of overall project risk intends to keep project risk exposure within an acceptable range by reducing drivers of negative variation, promoting drivers of positive variation and maximizing the probability of achieving all project objectives.

It involves 7 processes which are:

• Plan Risk Management
• Identify Risks
• Perform Qualitative Risk Analysis
• Perform Quantitative Risk Analysis
• Plan Risk Responses
• Implement Risk Responses
• Monitor Risks

9.  Project Procurement Management

This knowledge area concerns with processes involved with purchasing goods or services from vendors, contractors, suppliers, and others outside the project team. Also, it contains the management and control processes required to develop and administer agreements such as contracts, purchase orders, memoranda of agreements (MOA) or internal service level agreements (SLA). This process involves agreements that describe the relationship between 2 parties – a buyer and a seller.

For smaller organizations or start-up companies and those without a purchasing, contracting or procurement department, the project managers may assume the purchasing authority role to negotiate and sign contracts directly. For mature organizations, the actual procurement and contracting functions will be carried out by a separate department with the specific role to purchase, negotiate and sign contracts.

The project managers not only need to be involved along the way but also they should assist the procurement department with project input, they must also plan the amount of time that the procurements will take. The procurement process follows from start to finish. Processes define how procurement management works on a properly managed project and how it relates to the project life cycle and the project management process.

It involves 3 processes which are:

• Plan Procurement Management
• Conduct Procurements
• Control Procurements

10. Project Stakeholder Management

This knowledge area concerns identifying all stakeholders, analyzing their power, interest, and level of engagement, elicit their requirements and expectations and then evaluate and incorporate all of that information into product and project scope. Every project has stakeholders who are affected by or can affect the project in a positive or negative way. Some stakeholders may have a limited ability to influence the project work or outcomes. Others may have a significant influence on the project and its expected outcomes.

Always remember that engaging stakeholders should take place throughout the life of the project. In other words, you need to build and maintain positive relationships with stakeholders. Also, make sure that they continue to be involved in the project at a level necessary to make a success. Processes in this knowledge area support the work of the project team to analyze stakeholder expectations, assess the degree to which they impact or are impacted by the project. They develop strategies to effectively engage stakeholders in support of project decisions and the planning and execution of the work of the project. The skills of the project manager and team to correctly identify and engage all the stakeholders in a suitable way can mean the difference between project success and failure.

It involves 4 processes which are:

• Identify Stakeholders
• Plan Stakeholder Engagement
• Manage Stakeholder Engagement
• Monitor Stakeholder Engagement

What Are the PMP Certification Exam Formulas?

One of the areas to focus while preparing for PMP certification is PMP formulas. They are really significant to pass the PMP certification exam. You may find a number of simple and direct questions based on PMP formulas in the exam. Hence it is necessary to understand these formulas to have a good hold on scoring in the PMP certification exam.

I am going to list below most important PMP formulas categorized by knowledge area:

Integration Management

Economic Measures for Project Selection

Economic measures use a comparative approach. Organizations consider these factors when selecting a project.

• Internal Rate of Return (IRR):

This is the amount of money project that will return to the company that is funding it. It is how much money a project is making for the company? Generally, it is expressed as a percentage of funding that has been allocated to it.

For instance, if a company has 2 projects i.e. Project A with 12% IRR and Project B with 10% IRR, in which it can invest. The company will select project with the highest IRR. Hence answer is Project A.

• Present Value (PV):

This means the value today of future cash flows. It can be calculated by this formula:

PV = FV/ (1+r) raised to n

• Net Present Value (NPV):

This is the actual value at a given time of the project minus all of the costs associated with it. In other words, NPV is the present value of total benefits (income) minus the costs over many time periods.

Always remember, if NPV is positive, the investment is a good choice. Hence, choose a project with greatest NPV.

For instance, the organization has 2 projects i.e. Project A with 3 years to complete and has NPV of $40,000. Project B will take 5 years to complete and has an NPV of $75,000. Which out of the above is a better investment, the company should make in?

The answer is Project B. Note that the number of years is not relevant as it has been considered while calculating NPV

• Payback Period:

This refers to the length of time it takes for the organization to recover its investment in a project before it starts accumulating profit.

For instance, there are 2 projects i.e. Project A with a payback period of 5 months. And, Project B with a payback period of 15 months. Which out of the above will the organization select?

The answer is Project A. Point here to remember is the one should choose the project with a shorter payback period.

• Cost-Benefit Analysis:

This refers to a comparison of the expected costs of a project to the potential benefit it could bring to the organization.

Here if the benefit-cost ratio i.e. BCR is greater than 1, it means the benefit is greater than costs

And if the benefit-cost ratio is less than 1, it means costs are greater than benefits.

If the benefit-cost ratio is equal to 1, it means costs and benefits are equal.

Note that if the benefit is higher than the cost, the project is a good investment.

For instance, to choose a project out of 2 projects with different BCR values. Always choose project with higher BCR.

• Opportunity Cost:

This refers to the money you don’t get because you chose not to do a project. It is like when an organization has to make choice between 2 projects, it is always giving up the money it would not work on. In other words, it refers to the opportunity given up by selecting one project over another.

For instance, an organization has 2 projects i.e. Project A with NPV of $50,000, Project B with NPV of $90,000. What is the opportunity cost of selecting project B?

The answer is $50,000 because the opportunity cost is the value of the project not selected.

• Sunk Cost:

This refers to expended costs. Accounting standards say that don’t consider sunk cost when deciding whether to continue with a troubled project.

For instance, an organization has a project with an initial budget of $2,000,000. The project is half complete. And it has spent $3,000,000. Now at this stage, they are already $1,000,000 over budget. Should the organization consider the fact that it is already over budget when determining whether to continue with the project?

The answer is no; they shouldn’t consider this money as money spent is gone.

Schedule Management

• Three-Point Estimating:

This calculates a risk-based expected duration estimate for an activity by taking a simple average or weighted average of 3 estimates. Time and cost estimates use this formula

Standard Deviation =(P-O)/6 where P is a pessimistic estimate and O is an optimistic estimate of activity

Simple average: Another name is triangular distribution. Formula to calculate is  (P+M+0)/3

Weighted average: Another name is beta distribution. Formula to calculate is (P+4M+0)/6 where P is a pessimistic estimate, O is an optimistic estimate and M is a most likely estimate of each activity

• Float:

Generally, they use Float for schedule flexibility. It is the amount of time an activity or project can be delayed without delaying the project end date or early start date of the successor activity

Formula to calculate float is LS-ES or LF-EF Where LS is the late start of an activity, ES is early start of an activity

And LF is late finish of an activity and EF is early finish of an activity.

Cost Management

• Earned Value Measurement:

This is used in performance reviews to measure project performance against the scope, schedule and cost baselines. The earned value uses a combination of these three baselines known as performance measurement baseline.

Here are a few terms used in the following formulas:

• Planned Value is PV. It refers to as of today, what is the estimated value of the work planned to be done?

PV= BAC* Planned% complete  where Planned% complete =Given Amount/Total amount

• Earned Value is EV. It refers to as of today, what is the estimated value of the work actually accomplished?

EV= BAC*Actual% complete where Actual% complete=Actual Amount/Total Amount

• Actual Cost is AC. It refers to as of today, what is the actual cost incurred for the work accomplished?
• Budget at completion is BAC. It refers to, how much did we budget for the total project effort?
• Estimate at Completion is EAC. It refers to, what do we currently expect the total project to cost?
• Estimate to Complete is ETC. It refers to, from this point on, how much more do we expect it to cost to finish the project?
• Variance at Completion is VAC. It refers to, as of today, how much over or under budget do we expect to be at the end of the project?

If you are in a small project, it is easy to figure out whether you are on track. But, in a large project, when many people are doing lots of different activities. Some of the activities are on track, some are ahead of schedule and some of them are behind schedule. Hence if you want to track whether you are meeting the goal or not, the following formulas will help you to determine the same.

If you want to know whether you are ahead of or behind schedule then

Schedule Performance Index (SPI) =EV/PV. This means if SPI is greater than 1 that means EV is bigger than PV so you are ahead of schedule. If SPI is less than 1 then you are behind schedule because the amount you have actually worked (EV) is less than what you had planned (PV)

Now if you want to know how much ahead or behind schedule you are, subtract PV from EV.

Schedule Variance (SV) = EV-PV. This means if the variance is positive that means it is ahead of schedule. Besides, it tells you exactly how many dollars you are ahead. If variance is negative that means it is behind schedule. Also, it tells you how many dollars you are behind.

If you want to know whether you are over or under budget then

Cost Performance Index (CPI) =EV/AC. This means we are getting $ worth of work out of every $1 spent. Here ratio greater than 1 is good and less than 1 is bad.

If you want to know how much under or over the budget you are then

Cost Variance (CV) =EV-AC. This means the difference between what you planned on spending and what you actually spent. Here if the variance is negative, that means that it is over budget. If the variance is positive, that means it is under budget.

Remember that you are within your budget if CPI is greater than or equal to 1 and CV is positive. This means that your actual costs are less than the earned value which means the project is delivering more value than it costs.

And you have blown your budget if CPI is less than 1 and CV is negative. This means that your actual costs are more than the earned value.

In other words, your sponsor is not getting his money worth of value from the project.

Forecasting

The idea behind forecasting is that you can use earned value to come up with a pretty accurate prediction of what your project will look at completion.

Here you need your CPI to predict what your project will actually cost when it is complete.

• Estimate at completion (EAC)

It means as of now, how much do we expect the total project to cost

There are different formulas based on various situations:

Case 1: They use this formula when the original estimate was fundamentally flawed

EAC= AC+bottom up ETC where AC is actual cost and ETC is revised estimate for all the remaining work.

Case 2: They use this formula if no variances from BAC have occurred or you will continue at the same rate of spending

EAC= BAC/CPI where CPI refers to cumulative CPI

Case 3: They use this formula when current variances are thought to be atypical of the future

EAC= AC+ (BAC-EV)

Case 4: They use this formula when current variances are thought to be typical of the future and when project schedule constraints will influence the completion of the remaining effort.

EAC= AC+ (BAC-EV)/ (CPI *SPI)

• Estimate to Complete (ETC)

It refers to, how much more will the project cost? Or how much money the rest of the project will end up costing.

ETC = EAC-AC

• Variance at Completion (VAC)

It refers to, how much over or under budget will be at the end of the project?

VAC= BAC-EAC. Here, VAC will be negative if you end up spending more than your budget. And it will be positive if you spend less than your budget.

Points to remember for Earned value PMP questions

• EV comes first in each of the formulas
• If it is a variance then formula is EV minus AC or PV
• And, if it is an index then formula is EV divided by AC or PV
• If formula relates to cost, use AC
• If formula relates to schedule, use PV
• For interpretation of variances, a negative value is bad and a positive value is good.
• For interpretation of indexes of CPI and SPI, greater than 1 is good and less than 1 is bad
• And for TCPI, greater than 1 is bad and less than 1 is good.

Communications Management

To Calculate no of communication channels, we use the formula n*(n-1)/2 where n is the number of stakeholders

Procurement Management

Point of Total assumption (PTA): This only relates to fixed-price incentive fee contracts. And this refers to the amount above which the seller bears all the loss of a cost overrun.

The formula for PTA = (Ceiling price –Target price)/Buyer’s share ratio + Target cost

Where the ceiling price is the highest price the buyer will pay. Buyer setting the ceiling price is a way to encourage the seller to control costs. The ceiling price is a condition of the contract that both parties must agree to before signing.

How Should I Study for the PMP Exam?

There is not a single way to prepare for the PMP certification exam. Generally PMP certification training providers, internet blogs give assurance that you will pass the exam in the first try if you follow their study plan. But the success depends on many factors such as background, domain knowledge, experience in project management and institute from where you have attended training, etc. The first and foremost step in PMP Preparation is to have a robust PMP Certification Study Plan. It will guide you to prepare for the PMP exam.

Based on my experience, I am listing a study plan which can be helpful to aspirants preparing for the PMP certification exam

7-Step PMP Certification Study Plan:

1. Check the PMP certification requirement whether you are eligible to appear for the PMP certification exam. Check your project management experience and you must have attended 35 hours of project management education to get 35 contact hours from a training institute.
2. Set the target date to appear for the PMP certification exam. If you are a working professional, then you can plan for 3-4 months. If you can put 3-4 hours each day for studying else you can increase duration based on the time you can devote to study or prepare for the exam.
3. Read the PMBOK Guide along with one reference book i.e. Rita Mulcahy or Headfirst or any other good book.
4. The next step is while going through the material, start noting down the notes which will help you in the last weeks of preparation when you will have less time to go through the entire material again.
5. Further, once you have understood the subject and content, then practice is the key to pass the exam. Practice as much as you can. Try to choose questions bank from different sources or practice multiple PMP certification simulators to get the feel of the real exam.
6. After you have practiced questions, don’t forget to go over the incorrect answers. Figure out where you went wrong and go through the knowledge areas pertaining to those answers to understand the concept. And then practice again those questions to see whether this time they turn out to be correct or not. This way it will strengthen your weak areas and reduce the risk of selecting the wrong answer in the actual PMP certification exam.
7. Once you start scoring 80% and above in 4-5 PMP simulation exams that mean you are ready to appear for the PMP certification exam.

Should I Use PMP Question Bank?

PMP aspirants or professionals have different ways to prepare for the PMP certification exam depending upon the time, budget, and other work responsibilities. Generally, training providers and test-takers recommend practicing a lot of questions. Now either you can make use of question banks or PMP exam simulator. PMP question banks are books or PDFs which contain a large number of question database but in a plain simple format. Whereas a PMP exam simulator is a test engine program that allows an individual to practice tests that are similar in content, style as the actual exam.

Benefits of studying with a PMP exam simulator are:

1. They familiarize you with an environment similar to the actual PMP certification exam.
2. A simulator will accustom you to how exam features and functions will let you focus more on questions. Thus it will make you more comfortable with the user interface of the PMP certification exam.
3. It helps you to keep track of your time management for the PMP certification exam
4. It gives the aspirant the complete feel of the PMP certification exam
5. Besides, users get instant feedback of answers they attempt correctly or not
6. Moreover, it highlights the areas of weakness you need to put additional efforts on and areas of strength in which you excel.
7. Major aspect is that you will get to know how to pace yourself to answer 200 questions in 4 hours. Hence, it will increase the probability of passing the exam.
8. Last but not least, it will improve your confidence level with each sample exam you practice.

How Can I Earn PMP PDUs?

PDUS is a term for the Professional Development Unit. Generally, people confuse PDUS and contact hours.

If you are an individual who is preparing for PMP certification then you need to attend 35 hours of training from a recognized training institute. Afterward, they give you the certificate of 35 hours of training as 35 Contact hours. This is one of prerequisite to apply for PMP certification

Now suppose you are already a PMP certified professional then as part of the PMP renewal process, you need to earn 60 PDUS every 3 years to retain your PMP certification. After December 2015 CCR changes, it has become easy and flexible to earn PDUS.

You can choose them as per your interests and professional needs. PMI CCR process says that you need to earn at least 35 PDUS under Education Category. Here PDUS earned under the education category is mapped with three dimensions of the Talent Triangle.

Actually they are referring to the skills important to be successful in project management. For instance:

• If learning activities for the PDUS belong to process, tools and techniques in aligning the project with strategic goals then you to map them in the “Strategic” category
• If learning activities for the PDUS belong to Team Development which will help in achieving the project goal then you need to map them in the “Leadership” category
• And if learning activities for PDUS belong to PMP content outline tasks, and then you need to map them in the “Technical” category.

Point to remember here is that you can earn 1 PDU for each hour you spend in learnings related to PDUS earning.

There are several easy and popular ways to earn PDUS in 2 categories (Education and Giving Back) as mentioned below.

Sources for earning PDUS for Education Category are:

1. Courses or Training: This is one of the traditional methods of attending any training related to project management from a recognized training institute.

• Registered education providers (REPs) regularly organizes different programs or trainings to earn PDUS.
• Face-to-face instructor-led courses from the PMI seminars world.
• PMI local chapter conducts 2-3 days of Seminars and Conferences. They are chargeable.

2. Reading Books: Another way is to read books. If you have a passion for reading, you need to make a reading list in the area of project management, leadership, and strategic business management. In fact, you can earn a large number of PDUS in the ‘Read’ Category. This is the favorite category for book lovers who love to enhance the skills by reading books.

3. Organization Meetings: This is another source to attend meetings, activities and local events related to the profession which gives the opportunity to network and earn PDUS. Here, you can earn 1-2 PDUs in sessions related to the talent triangle component.

4. Informal Learning: Engage yourself in structured professional discussions with a team or different projects. For example Mentoring sessions, Brainstorming sessions or lunch and learn sessions.

Sources for earning PDUS for Giving Back Category are:

1. Working as a practitioner: If you are working as a professional in project management, and actively working on a project. Then you are contributing to this profession by applying your knowledge and skills. As a result, you can earn a maximum of 8 PDUs.

2. Creating Content: Do you have a passion for writing and have an interest in writing blogs and articles? If yes then you can write on project management or create content on project management and can earn PDUS.

3. Giving Presentation: Are you a good speaker and present some topics at seminars or conferences? If yes, then you can give a presentation on project management topics or best practices or emerging trends and can earn PDUs.

4. Sharing Knowledge: You can earn PDUS by attending knowledge sharing sessions with your team or peers.

5. Volunteering: Do you like contributing to social good as a volunteer? If yes, then the PMI chapter presents such opportunities from time to time. And based on your experience and number of hours you can devote, they screen your profile. Once they shortlist you then you can contribute and earn PDUS

6. Watching videos: There are many videos online or different forms of digital media for self-learning

7. Listening to Podcasts: Moreover, you can listen to podcasts where each PDU represents 60 minutes of learning. Hence for podcasts that are under an hour, just listen to a couple on the same topic and consolidate them.

8. Attending Webinars: PMI also conducts webinars that you can avail of if you are a PMI member. Trainers and training providers also conduct free webinars where you can earn 1-2 PDUS

When should I start earning PDUS?

You can start as soon as you attain your PMP certificate.

Can we transfer PDUS to the next cycle?

Yes, of course. If you have earned more than 60 PDUS then you can claim them in your next 3-year cycle. But PDUS, earned during the first 2 years of the 3-year cycle cannot be applied to the next cycle.

When is the Next PMP Certification Exam Date?

As such, there is no fixed schedule for the PMP certification exam. For the current version of the PMP certification exam, the last day for candidates to take is 30 June 2020. Hence the key is whenever you are ready for the exam, you can schedule your exam and sit for the exam.

What is the PMP Certification Exam Passing Score?

In the past, PMI published 61% as the passing score for the PMP certification exam (which means PMP aspirants need to correctly answer 106 or more out of 175 real questions). But now, PMI does not state any official score. They have adopted a more scientific approach by giving proficiency level (Proficient, Moderately Proficient and Below Proficient) or Target level (Above Target, Target, Below Target). PMI doesn’t state any information about the PMP certification exam passing score. They determine the score through sound psychometric analysis.

What Are the Benefits of PMP Certification?

There are different benefits of becoming PMP certified, not merely from your career point of view. But also for personality development; it boosts both your ability and confidence as well.

1. Career Growth

Many well-established organizations look for PMP certified professionals. Hence, clearing the PMP Certification exam will surely offer better career prospects. Becoming PMP certified improves your professional network. The more extensive your network in the PM field, the better for your career growth.

2. Boost your salary

PMP Certification provides an excellent advantage when it comes to earning potential. So being a PMP certified professional gives you an immediate edge over your counterparts when it comes to salary levels.

3. Industry Independent

PMP certified managers are not limited to one industry. Industries across various sectors seek competent professionals to ensure that projects are implemented productively.

4. Greater Responsibilities

PMP Credentials increase your knowledge, competency, and skills. As a certified PMP, you will have to manage large projects and satisfy multiple stakeholders. Handling such responsibilities will benefit you vastly. Because the experience you gain will help you identify early on any problems of a project from initiation to completion

5. Improved Career Opportunities

Being a certified PMP paves the way for better career opportunities as there is a massive demand for skilled project managers in various sectors. Thus certified PMPs get preference over non-certified project managers in the job market

6. Upgrades your leadership skills

It is the core responsibility of the project manager to bring all members of a team together as a single entity. They are accountable for identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the team to accomplish the project. Furthermore, they provide you an opportunity to acquire various leadership skills that vary based on project requirements.

7. Enhances Risk Management Skills

PMP Certification gives you knowledge of advanced risk management skills to identify and assess the probable risks and ways to mitigate the same. Having this skill is an added advantage as it safeguards organizational interests. This, in turn, increases product quality to a top-notch level which is beneficial for you as a PM, the team and organization too.

8.Enhances Problem Solving skills

Attaining PMP certification is proof of your proficiency in the domain. People will approach you for expert advice. They will trust you with your problem-solving skills, imaginative solutions and innovative approaches that ensure project success

9. Enhances People Orientation and Team Work

The primary responsibility of the project manager is to manage the team competently and lead it to attain all business objectives. Teamwork is a significant factor that determines the success or failure of the project. Hence, being a PMP certified project manager, you will be considered the main force behind successful project completion

10. Challenging projects

PMP Certification comes not only with more responsibilities but challenges too. When you are a certified PMP, projects that require greater effort and commitment to achieve business goals will fall into your lap.

11. Common Language

PMP certification makes everyone speak a common language within the project management field which makes communication more effective among peers

How can I Renew PMP Certification?

PMP certified individual needs to earn 60 PDUS in a 3-year cycle to renew the PMP certification.

Steps to renew the PMP certification are:

1. The first step is to earn 60 PDUs to meet the Continuing Certification Requirements (CCR) for your certification.
2. Afterward, you should enter PDUS in the online CCR system by entering the Provider name, Activity name, Activity Dates and number of PDUS claimed under 3 components of the Talent triangle. And click on the ‘Submit’ button. Thereafter you will receive an update on the number of PDUS accepted or rejected.
3. Then you have to fill the online renewal application by mentioning contact information along with payment details before submission
4. Next step is to agree to the code of ethics by PMI
5. Then the next step is to pay the renewal fee. Here if you are a PMI member, then you need to pay a discounted fee of 60USD. But if you are not a PMI member then you need to pay 150 USD for PMP certification renewal.

The Final Step

Once you have earned 60 PDUS then there is no need to wait for 3 years to complete. You can pay the fees and renew your certification. Nonetheless, PMI will renew the PMP certification date from the date of expiry only not from the date of payment of fees.

The final step is to receive the confirmation from PMI. And you will receive a certificate indicating a new CCR cycle. Next to your profile, your status is “Active” and “PMP in good standing”. In other words, once you have completed a single cycle, then a new 3-year cycle begins.

Let’s suppose that you are not able to complete your renewal within the completion of the CCR Cycle because you do not earn the specified amount of PDUs by the end of the third year of PMP certification. Then, you will be under the “Suspended” status up to 1 year after the CCR cycle. And further, it will no longer be valid.

What Changes in the PMP Certification Exam and When?

Every 3-5 years, PMI is conducting research on changing trends, the progress of profession, implications, etc. Hence it results in a new PMP exam content online.

Further, SME’s across the globe work with PMI to come up with a new PMP examination content outline on June 19. Thereafter 1 year later, this new outline will lead to an updated PMP exam.

Hence the last date to take the current version of the PMP exam is 30 June 2020.

A new PMP examination content outline was published on 30th June 19. This document defines the content of the PMP certification exam.

Changes in new content are:

The current PMP certification exam is based on 5 performance domains. But exams starting from 1st July 2020 will be based on 3 domains. PMP Exam Content Outline defines these domains in detail.

New PMP exam will require candidates to have experience in and answer questions from 3 domains:

• People (42%)
• Process (50%)
• Business Environment (8%)

PMI also clearly declares that about half of the exam will contain predictive project management approaches whereas the other half will contain agile or hybrid approaches.

Now the questions arise whether PMBOK Guide is going to change?

The answer is No. Currently, the PMP certification exam uses the PMBOK Guide 6^th edition as a reference book. We do not expect a new version i.e. 7th edition until 2023. Hence, the PMBOK Guide is not changing. And, we will use the PMBOK 6^th edition as an exam reference till 2023. As a result, no matter if you are planning to appear for the PMP certification exam before or after 1^st July 2020, you have to use PMBOK Guide 6^th edition as your reference.

Conclusion

PMP Certification is the most renowned and recognized certification across the globe in project management. PMBOK along with one supporting book is sufficient to prepare for the exam. The exam content keeps on changing every 3-5 years. PMP Certification exam is going to change after 1^st July 2020.

As for the benefits, a PMP certified individual garner a 20% higher salary than a non-certified individual. One can attend different modes of training depending upon the suitability. But the most preferred one is online training due to numerous benefits of cost-effectiveness, the flexibility of learning at own pace and location. Moreover, it is beneficial to become a PMI member and then appear for the PMP certification exam as it saves money and gives the additional benefit of networking, access to numerous resources, etc. To earn PDUS, choose an effective, reliable, high-quality content training provider who gives a 100% refund guarantee and high pass percentage rate.

The post PMP Certification – Must Know Things About PMP® Certification appeared first on Project Hipo.

There are four major steps in PMP application;

1. Create PMI Profile
2. Education Details (Academic & Professional)
3. Experience Details (Project Management Experience)
4. Exam Details & Submit Application

We will go over each step in detail with a sample PMP application in this post.

PMP Application – Step-by-Step Guide for PMP Application

PMP certification is one of the most popular, recognized, and important credential for project management profile in the industry. This certification will help professionals like you in becoming competent in handling projects. Besides, it helps in rising your career graph. 

PMP certification helps to familiarize the professionals with the concepts and techniques of effective project management. It addresses the requirements of project managers in project integration, quality, cost, human resources, risk and time. Moreover, it builds up skills in communication management. Hence, going for PMP certification is the right choice as it shows your commitment to the project management profession. Besides, it demonstrates credibility and also allows you to earn higher salaries. Furthermore, it raises your resume above the non-certified professionals, making you confident in handling projects and high market value. In a nutshell, PMP certification is the quickest way for project managers to earn a higher salary, better job opportunities, credibility in the market, better networking, more challenging projects, job security, enhancement in knowledge and skills and last but not the least global recognition.

As per the latest survey by Project Management Institute, PMP certified individual on an average has 25 % higher salary than non-certified professional.

PMP Requirements You Must Meet Before PMP Application

The first step for applying to the PMP exam is to fill the online PMP application form at PMI.org site. Now, there are 2 main requirements to be fulfilled before filling the application form for the PMP exam. Hence a candidate has to meet these PMP requirements before applying for the PMP certification exam.

The first and foremost requirement is to have the required education and experience level. Secondly, you need to have a project management education. Now let us understand these requirements in detail:

1. Education and Experience Level

If you hold a four-year degree or global equivalent then

• You need a minimum of 3 years of unique and non-overlapping professional experience in project management
• Besides, within the above time period, you need to lead or direct the project for at least 4500 hours (36 months)

Or

If you hold a secondary degree such as high school diploma or global equivalent then

• You need a minimum of 5 years of unique and non-overlapping professional experience in project management
• Besides, within the above time period, you need to lead or direct  the project for at least  7500 hours (60 months)

Note: Make sure that all the project management experience must have been accrued from the last 8 consecutive years before the submission of the PMP application.

2. Project Management Education

In project management education, you need to document at least 35 contact hours that you have earned from a training program. And the training program should address the learning objectives in project management.

One hour of classroom training equals one contact hour needed to meet this requirement.

It doesn’t matter when you have completed this training. What matters is that all the coursework must be completed at the time of your application.

PMP Application Step-by-Step

If you satisfy the requirements mentioned above for the PMP exam then you have 2 options to fill the application form. The first option is online mode and the second option is paper-based. We recommend filling application in online mode at PMI.org since it is faster and also recommended by PMI.

Now we will explain the steps to fill the application form in following headings with a high-level overview of PMP application along with images to make you understand the easy way to fill the application form.

Step #1 – Create a PMI Profile

• Go to pmi.org and click the ‘Register’ button
• A page will appear for ‘Create an Account’
• If you already have a PMI username and password then click ‘Login’. Else enter your information to create an account

• Now enter your personal information

• Select the current job title, the year you were born, total years of full-time work experience, the experience of managing projects that last over 4 weeks, what best describes how you view project management as it relates to your career, does your organization have a PMO or group devoted to project management? And primary organization focus and area of focus are optional fields

• Now enter the account information like username, password, and confirm password, select a security question and enter the answer for the security question.
• Now the ‘Create Account’ button will get enabled
• Click ‘Create Account’ button
• Now ‘Registration Confirmation’ page appears with a message “Your PMI.org account is good to go”

• Click on “Go to PMI Home Page”
• Click on the drop-down next to ‘Certifications’ and click ‘Apply Now’
• Certification Program page appears

• Click on ‘Apply for PMP Credential’
• It will take you to ‘PMP Application –Step 1: Education” page
• In “Education” step of your PMP application, you will be filling your academic and professional (35 contact hours PMP training) education details.

• First, you will submit your academic education background.
  • If you have a four-year degree or above, you will need to submit 36 months of project experience in the next step of your application.
  • If you have a secondary degree, you will need to submit 60 months of project experience in the next step of your application.

Step #2 – PM Experience Details

In “Experience” step of your PMP application, you will be filling your project experience details.

• If you have secondary degree, you will need to submit 60 months of experience.
• If you have four-year degree or above, you will need to submit 36 months of experience.

The application wizard will not allow new entries once you submitted the minimum requirements for PM experience. Therefore, provide the most recent experiences first.

Important: PMI expects to see your project management experience. Therefore, you must provide project management related terms in this step. (e.g. cost, change request, budget, schedule, sponsor, customer requirement, deliverable, reports… etc.)

• If you still want to make any changes, you can click the ‘Edit’ button

Step #3 – Exam Details & Submit Application

• Once you completed your application, click on “Submit Application” and your application will be sent to PMI for review.

What should I do if my PMP application hits the audit?

PMI (Project Management Institute) is a world-leading institute for project management. Hence, it takes a lot of consideration to scrutinize the applications for the PMP certification exam.

PMI Audit process is a very simple process that asks for confirming the details of eligibility criteria which you have filled in the application form against the documentation and signatures of concerned authorities.

In steps to apply for the PMP exam, once you make the payment then the PMP application goes for audit. It becomes quite confusing as to whether the application form is being rejected or PMI found some inaccurate details? But don’t get puzzled. Here PMI is just asking you to provide rightful documentation along with the details furnished in the application form.

Steps of PMI Audit process

The first and foremost step is to fill the application form as per the steps mentioned above. Secondly, once the PMP application form is complete then you submit the application to PMI for verification and approval. It takes roughly 5 days for the PMP exam application to be approved. Thirdly, you need to make payment of PMP exam fees

Once you pay the PMP exam fees, then PMI sends you an email. An email can be for 2 different things.

• Either PMI approves the application. That means it gives the go-ahead signal and you can schedule the exam. Then you can appear for the exam and get certified.
• Or your PMP application has come under audit. The audit is a random process to pick the application form so don’t panic. It just requires you to confirm your eligibility details with required evidence duly attested by senior or reporting manager.

The purpose of the PMI audit

The purpose is to keep the reputation and quality of certifications endorsed by PMI.

• PMI allocates 90 days to complete this process.
• Hence, if your PMP application goes for audit then you need to collect all the documentary evidence i.e. education details, contact hours or experience certificate.
• You will receive a PDF with all the details filled in via email. You need to get the signature from the reporting manager. Then prepare a packet and send it to the address mentioned in the email.
• Once they receive this packet and they roughly take 5-6 days to verify. Hence when they are done with the audit, you will receive an email stating that you can schedule the exam and appear for the exam.

During the course of an audit, PMI verifies following:

• Firstly, it verifies project management experience
• Secondly, PMI verifies formal education.
• Thirdly, it verifies 35 contact hours of project management education.

Steps to verify project management experience are:

• A reporting manager or senior person or supervisor who has knowledge of the experience on your application is required to review and then complete the “Project Management Experience Audit Report”.
• Once they complete the form, they are required to place the Project Management Experience Audit Report in an envelope.
• Sign his/her name over the sealed flap of the envelope and return the envelope to you via in person or by postal mail.

Note that PMI doesn’t accept faxed or scanned forms and they don’t accept incomplete submissions either.

 Step to verify attained education

• Applicant must include a certificate, transcript or diploma from the school with which you earned your degree.

Step to verify 35 contact hours of project management education

• The applicant needs to provide documentation demonstrating the successful completion of each course submitted which meets the requirements of 35 hours of project management education. You must include a certificate, transcript, or letter of attendance from the company, REP (Registered Education Provider), school or institute that provided the training.

Summary

PMP certification is the most prestigious certification in the field of project management. It is the quickest way for project managers to rise in their careers and avail numerous benefits. The best way to fill the PMP application form is online mode. It is faster and easier as compared to paper-based applications. You need to meet the education, experience and project management education requirement in order to apply for the PMP exam. PMI does the PMP audits on a random basis to maintain the credibility of PMP exams endorsed by PMI. They verify eligibility criteria against documentation and the signature of the concerned authority.

The post PMP Application – Step-by-Step Guide [New Method] appeared first on Project Hipo.

In this article, we will explain to you about the PMP exam, PMP passing score, PMP exam pass rate, and interpretation of PMP exam results. This will help you to understand about PMP certification exam, PMP passing score, and PMP exam pass rate in detail.

Before diving into the details of the PMP passing score and PMP exam pass rate, let us first talk about PMP Certification.

PMP Benefits

PMP certification is a globally recognized, most popular, and valuable credential for project managers in the industry. This certification shows that you have the experience, training, and competency to lead and direct the project. This recognition is seen through expanded marketability to employers and a higher salary.

PMP certification is worldwide recognized regardless of industry, profession, or geographical scope of operation.

Besides, as per the Project Management Institute survey, this PMP certification positively impacts project manager salaries by an average of 25% more than their noncertified professionals.

PMP certification holds the global standards of excellence for validating the skills and the knowledge essential in a project management team. It further ensures that PMP certified individuals speak and understand the global language of project management.

Moreover, PMP certification helps you to expand your network by connecting you to a community of professionals, organizations, and experts worldwide.

PMP Certification Eligibility Criteria

To apply for PMP certification, you need to meet the below PMP prerequisites or eligibility criteria:

1. Check your education and experience level against the eligibility criteria as per prerequisites of PMP certification mentioned below.
2. You need to attend project management training from a recognized training institute and earn 35 PDUs or contact hours.

Once you fulfil both PMP certification requirements, then you need to plan to appear for the PMP exam.

Remember that all the experience pertaining to project management must have been gained within the last 8 consecutive years prior to your submission of application.

Now, let us first talk about the PMP exam.

What is the PMP Exam?

To become PMP certified, you need to appear for the PMP certification exam. This exam is conducted by the Project Management Institute (PMI).

PMP Exam contains 180 questions. There are 230 minutes to complete the exam. The PMP Exam Questions will be a combination of multiple-choice, multiple responses, matching, hotspot, and limited fill-in-the-blank types of questions.

The main purpose of PMI to include these questions in the PMP exam is to monitor the performance of these questions and validate them for inclusion in the future exam database.

These questions are randomly placed all across the PMP exam. Here, the challenge is that you cannot identify these pretest questions in the exam as they are randomly placed.

You have to attempt all the questions with the same sincerity.

PMP exam is a closed book exam. Hence, you cannot refer to any material during the exam.

You will be given 4 hours to finish the PMP exam. Remember that there are no scheduled breaks during the examination. If you need then you are allowed to take the break but your exam clock continues to count down.

Before the PMP exam has started, you will get 15 minutes to go through the tutorial followed by a survey. It is not mandatory and this time is not included in the exam time of 4 hours.

Main points to remember for PMP Exam are:

1. This exam is just not a test of the information of the main reference book i.e. PMBOK Guide
2. You cannot pass the exam by only focusing on real-world experience.
3. PMP training in project management which is aligned to the PMBOK Guide plays a vital role in passing the PMP Exam.

Furthermore, this exam has been designed to objectively assess and measure project management knowledge.

Besides, certified PMP experts write and review all the questions on the exam. Moreover, these questions are mapped with the PMP Exam Content Outline to ensure that an appropriate number of questions are placed in the PMP Exam.

The basis of the PMP Exam is the blueprint contained in the PMP Exam Content Outline. This lists the percentage of questions contained in each project management process group.

Questions in the PMP exam are generally based on PMBOK Guide and Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility. Hence, PMP aspirant needs to demonstrate his proficiency in 5 domains.  The below table represents the percentage of questions pertaining to each of the domain areas.

PMP Passing Score

There is a common belief that 61% is the PMP passing score however it is not an official score announced by PMI.

In actuality, there is no fixed PMP passing score. The fact is that no two PMP candidates will get the same set of questions. Therefore the passing score will vary.

Moreover, it depends upon the difficulty level of the question you will get in the PMP exam. Besides, each question does not have equal weightage. If you are lucky enough to get easy questions in the PMP exam then the PMP passing score will be higher in your case as compared to the PMP aspirant who will get relatively more difficult questions. As a result, it becomes even more inconclusive to determine how much PMP aspirants need to score in order to pass the exam.

The best rule is to not worry about the PMP passing score. We recommend PMP aspirants to study well and practice multiple mock exams and questions from different sources. You should try to achieve 75% or more in your practice exams consistently to build your confidence and make yourself pass the PMP exam confidently.

PMP Exam Pass Rate

What was the past rate before?

In earlier times till 2005, PMI has set the PMP passing score as 68.5%. This means PMP aspirants need to correctly answer 137 questions out of 200 questions. After some time, PMI drastically increased the PMP passing score to 80.6% (This means you need to score 141 out of 175 questions correctly). Further then PMI observed that there was a reduction in the number of candidates at this score considerably. Then in 2 months time period, they revised the PMP passing score from 80.6% to 60.6% and it was last published PMP passing score. It means that PMP aspirants need to answer 106 or more out of 175 questions correctly.

Further in the year 2007, PMI changed the criteria for passing the PMP exam. It started declaring results through proficiency level for each domain in test results rather than percentages in each domain.

PMI adopted a more scientific approach by using the sound psychometric analysis to determine the PMP passing score. PMI makes use of subject matter experts across the globe that cross-references the data of how candidates have actually performed to make sure that level of difficulty on each PMP exam is justified.

What is the PMP Exam Pass Rate Now?

In the current state, when you appear for the PMP exam, test results will represent the proficiency level i.e. whether the PMP candidate is ‘Proficient’ or ‘Moderately Proficient’ or ‘Below Proficient’ in each of 5 domains. Now, you will not get to know the numerical percentage you have scored in each of the 5 domains.

PMP passing score is based on how you rank in each of the five Process Groups, compared to average global rankings of other exam takers and certified project management professionals.

It further ensures that the exam is fairly done to provide project management statistics and overall industry knowledge assessments on a global level.

The PMP exam pass rate is the total number of people who passed the exam divided by the total number of students sat for the exam.

PMP Exam Pass Rate = (Number of People Passed the PMP Exam)/ (Number of People Sat for the PMP Exam)

Of course, there are statistics in PMI for these numbers however they do not disclose this information. There are some guesses, interpreted numbers but no one knows the actual PMP exam pass rate.

Interpretation of proficiency levels to understand PMP result

PMI has not given any clear indication that what will be the combination of proficiency levels which lead to overall PMP results. On analyzing various reports of PMP exam results, we have derived below observations:

1. If PMP candidate achieves ‘Proficient’ in all 5 domains then undoubtedly you have reached the PMP exam pass rate.
2. Incase PMP candidates achieve ‘Proficient’ in 4 domains and ‘Moderately Proficient’ in 1 domain then you have reached the PMP exam pass rate
3. Incase PMP candidate achieves ‘Moderately Proficient’ in all 5 domains, then you may have reached the PMP exam pass rate.
4. If PMP candidate achieves ‘Proficient’ in 3 domains and ‘Below Proficient’ in 2 domains, then there is a high probability that you will pass the PMP exam
5. Incase PMP candidate achieves ‘Moderately Proficient’ in 4 domains and ‘Below Proficient’ in 1 domain then most probably you will pass the PMP exam
6. If PMP candidate achieves ‘Below Proficient’ in 3 domains regardless of what you have achieved in the other 3 domain then most likely you won’t be able to reach the PMP exam pass rate
7. Incase PMP candidate achieves ‘Moderately Proficient’ in 3 domains and ‘Below Proficient’ in 2 domains, then it is very likely that you will fail the exam
8. If PMP candidate achieves ‘Below Proficient’ in more than 3 domains, then most likely you will not reach the PMP exam pass rate.

Below find the sample of PMP Exam Report, we get once we pass the PMP examination

You can see Donald Wheeler’s full PMP pass report here.

Conclusion

There is no official PMP passing score or PMP exam pass rate declared by PMI. The last published PMP Passing score was 61%. Now PMI doesn’t declare the percentage you score in each of 5 domains. In fact, PMP exam results are based on proficiency level i.e. ‘Proficient’, ‘Moderately Proficient’, or ‘Below Proficient’. Hence, there is no fixed PMP passing score. The best way to go for the PMP exam is not to worry about the PMP exam pass rate. Try to focus on scoring more than 75% in your practice exams to sit and pass the PMP exam confidently.

Once you’ve earned your PMP, the next step is keeping it in good standing. You need to earn PMP PDUs to keep your PMP in good standing. Learn 11 Ways to Earn PMP PDUs.

The post PMP Passing Score – What is PMP Exam Pass Rate? appeared first on Project Hipo.

What is PMP?

Project Management is globally recognized as one of the very important roles within the organizations. This brings a lot of opportunities for professionals and aspirants. The demand for this role is due to the challenging nature of projects carried out by the organizations. There are a lot more complex technical and dynamic challenges to be faced and managed by project managers. On top of it, handling Agile teams while keeping efficiency and productivity is one of the most important factors.

This increase in demand brings motivation and passion to the project manager aspirants to pursue their careers in the field of project management. PMP credential is an endorsement of this motivation and passion. It is a must-have to move up the ladder. So every project manager needs to look for PMP certification requirements.

Furthermore, that brings a log of benefits to its holders. You must be well prepared prior to sitting in the PMP Exam. Therefore, knowing what it takes to prepare for the PMP exam, in other words, the PMP certification requirements, is the first step towards the PMP certification. Once you know the PMP certification requirements, you will be able to plan and pursue your goal in a systematic way.

Benefits of PMP Credential

There are many benefits you can reap after you become PMP certified. The PMP certification holders have quite an advantage over the project managers who are non-certified. Some of the main benefits of PMP certification include:

Global Recognition of Skills

PMP certification has global recognition. The certification is evidence of your knowledge of the project management framework. PMP validates your understanding of the overall process framework. Thus PMP brings exposure to the best practices, latest trends in project management and opportunity to learn tricks and techniques. This gives you a benefit against others. Also, your methodical approach to analyzing the problem develops with this understanding and experience.

In addition to this, your colleagues and groups see you as a coach and mentor based on your qualifications as well as your practical knowledge. Hence they prefer to discuss and seek your advice for the solution to project situations.

The PMP certification requirements are quite demanding for the aspirants and it is not easy to clear the exam unless you are fully equipped to qualify for the exam. Furthermore, the PMP certification requirements cover the dimensions of education, training, and experience which is a complete set to ratify and accredit the knowledge and experience of the candidates. So qualifying for the PMP credentials bring you recognition. Also, you feel more confident being in the limelight with your distinguished achievement which sets a stable foundation for your career advancement.

Hiring Organisations on the Lookout

Hiring organizations look for the best-fit candidates who can not only fit the job requirement but also can add the values which make them more appropriate for the projects. Consulting organizations always try to make their profiles more prominent. The PMP credentials always help such organizations to get good scores while procuring services by the implementing organizations. Because they have certain criteria to hire the consulting teams and each of these aspects helps the organizations to earn good points while evaluating the criteria.

Furthermore, PMP credential stands out as an endorsement of a candidate’s knowledge, skill, and experience. That makes the life of hiring managers much easier to screen the candidates with such endorsements. So the PMP certified candidates are their best shot. PMP certification proves beneficial during the shortlisting. Furthermore, PMP certified professionals get an advantage during the interview process. Such candidates have very good knowledge of the project management framework. Even many companies make it a mandatory requirement that the candidates should have PMP certification.

Improvement of Salary

You may expect a hike of at least 20% in your salary after obtaining your PMP Certification. This is one of the very attractive benefits of PMP. PMP is not a domain-specific certification which is one of the beauties of it. The project managers within various industries get more salaries as compared to non-PMP individuals within these industries. You may review the average PMP salary you would earn by industry, experience, location, etc. In the USA you may get $125,000 if you are in the pharmacy sector whereas in Canada you may get up to $115,000 when working in mining. Furthermore, PMP has consistently been the highest-paid IT certification. Also, the trend indicates that PMP salaries will continue to grow in the future as well.

Besides the salary advancements, PMP certification increases job security as even with the lesser jobs in the market, companies would be more keen to hire and keep the PMP certified project managers.

What are the PMP Certification Requirements?

The benefits of acquiring PMP credentials are lucrative and motivating. However, these do not come without effort. One must prepare very well for the PMP certification exam. The very first step for moving further is knowing the PMP Certification requirements set out by PMI. Once you meet these PMP certification requirements, you are eligible to sit in the PMP Exam.

PMI has set the PMP certification requirements quite diligently to cover various aspects. The main dimensions that are set as criteria include education, experience, and training. So the criteria are good enough to assess the knowledge, experience and the organized approach required to manage the projects.

The PMP certification requirements and their eligibility criteria are given in the below table.:

In this section we will discuss these PMP certification requirements:

PMP Certification Requirements: Education

Education plays a significant role in the experience requirement. To appear in the PMP Exam, you must at least have a high school diploma or associate’s degree or global equivalent. If you have a graduation degree it is a plus as it will reduce the work experience requirement.

How can I claim my Education in PMP Application?

Claiming your education is a breeze as you only have to mention your degree level and credentials as you already have obtained your degree/certificate after completion of your education program.

Evidence of Education – PMP Certification Requirements

In case your PMP application is selected for the audit, all you have to do is to include a copy of your degree/certificate in the response package. This will suffice for your education evidence and fulfill your audit requirement.

PMP Certification Requirements: Experience

Based on your education level, the experience requirement varies.

• In case you have a bachelor’s degree, the required experience is 3 years (36 months). In other words, you can say that work experience of 4,500 hours is required to fulfill the criteria of experience by the candidates. So you must have experience of at least 4,500 hours if you are planning to sit in the PMP Exam provided you have a bachelor’s degree.
• In case you have a high school diploma or associate’s degree or global equivalent the required experience is 5 years (60 months). In other words, you can say that work experience of 7,000 hours is required to fulfill the criteria of experience by the candidates. So you must have experience of at least 7,000 hours if you are planning to sit in the PMP Exam provided you have an associate’s degree or equivalent.

When you are looking at the experience requirement of 4,500 hours within 3 years, you can interpret this as 1500 hours per year or on average 125 hours per month requirement for the required time period.

It is also important to note that you do not really need to be a project manager during this time period. You may be working on these projects in various capacities. If you are working on the project in any capacity, you should be able to claim these hours depending on the different phases of the project that you have been working on.

How Can I claim my Experience in PMP Application?

In order to fill in the PMI Application form, you need to do some homework to avoid any anomalies within your experience claim. First of all, you need to list down the projects you have been working on during the time period that you are going to claim the experience. Then for each project, you should mention the start date and the end date. During each project time, you should mention your effort in terms of hours within each phase of the project.

Furthermore, you do not have to claim each phase within the project. For example, you are hired for a waterfall methodology based large project during the execution of the project, you should not claim any hours during the initiation phase of the project. So your claim will be subject to the phases you have been working on. Also if you have left the project before the closing phase, you do not have to claim for the closing phase of the project during your experience claim form. Additionally, you can not claim two overlapping projects within the time period. If you worked on multiple projects that overlapped in a single month, only one of those projects can count toward your experience requirement. The experience you have gained must be in a professional environment.

Evidence of Experience – PMP Certification Requirements

You should be very vigilant to claim what makes sense and especially what can be verified by your supervisors in case your application is selected for the audit.

In case your application is selected for audit, all you have to do is to get the print out of the PDF documents from your audit package organized by PMI and mail those documents to your supervisors. They will have to verify and sign off on each form you have sent to them. After the signing off they have to send the forms back to you. After you receive all the forms form your supervisors you will also include them in your Audit response bundle.

Please note that you may have worked on multiple projects which may require sign off from relevant supervisors. So each of the specified supervisors needs to verify their relevant project. Also, the supervisors do not have to send the verified forms directly to PMI.

PMP Certification Requirements: Training

PMP training is one of the PMP certification requirements. It is important to note that the PMP training requirement is a must to sitting in the PMP Exam. As per PMI criteria, you must have 35 contact hours of PMP training. So you must get formal PMP training. Even though on first look the PMP training requirement may seem to be one of the simplest PMP certification requirements, it really is a make or break game changer.

How do I Choose my PMP training?

As a matter of fact, the PMP Exam is not a simple exam. It is more likely that the candidates have a higher tendency to fail the PMP Exam if they are not well prepared. There are many training providers that offer PMP training programs. Also, there is a cost associated with the PMP training that you will pay to the training provider.

Now the big question is what should you look for the training and which PMP training is better to opt. There are many well-known training providers who have marked their global presence in the area of training. However, when you are evaluating the training, there may certain aspects you should consider for the selection of training providers. We must highlight some of the aspects that you can consider to choose the training provider. These aspects include

• Will I get a completion certificate to fulfill the PMP certification requirements?
• Is the training provider recognized for its PMP training?
• What are the formats they offer for PMP training?
• Does the training program suit my preference for location and time or any flexibility?
• Does the course cover PMP Exam topics?
• Are there any extra training material to prepare for the PMP Exam after the training?
• What is the duration of training in terms of calendar days?
• Will the training help me assess my readiness through exercises, quizzes, practice tests, mock sessions, etc.?
• Is the offered PMP training cost-effective?

In addition to the aforementioned points, you may also look for their policies like money-back guarantees, success rates of the training providers, feedbacks of the individuals who have been trained by them. Do they really accommodate any ad-hoc but necessary classes schedule changes?

Which training format to choose?

We mentioned that PMP training is one of the most important PMP certification requirements. So it is important to choose the best format for your needs. The training providers are trying their best to broaden their training horizons. Hence they offer various training formats. These training formats not only focus on expanding the customer base of the training providers but also these formats are very significant for the students.

You can look for the following training formats and make a choice according to your priorities to fulfill PMP certification requirements. These formats include:

• In-person Classroom Training
• In-person Virtual Classroom Training
• E-learning Online

These trainings are great events that prepare you for the certifications. Considering that the aspirants are professionals and must be busy in their jobs, finding time to attend the training could be a bit difficult for them. Whereas there are some other cases when the candidates have the flexibility to adjust their schedules or they are willing to attend the classroom trainings. Such candidates find in-person classroom training the best option.

However, there are some cases when candidates look for in-person trainings but they are not willing to travel to attend the class. Hence, Virtual Classroom training can be a good option for such candidates. Also, there are many cases where the candidates look for flexibility in terms of both location and time. Such candidates prefer the e-learning format.

Benefits of PMP Training

There are various benefits of PMP training programs:

• PMP training offers guidance through experienced trainers.
• The PMP training creates a great impact as they help the candidates to have a clear road map to achieve the target.
• You get the opportunity to interact with other project managers from various backgrounds and experiences.
• PMP trainings cover the project management framework, basic concepts of knowledge areas and processes with respect to the PMBOK published by PMI.
• The trainings provide a lot of practice material. You can practice through these exercises to reinforce your learning.
• Furthermore, training programs provide quizzes, games, practice tests, and simulations. They help you to assess your readiness, identify the preparation gaps and cover them with the revisions. E-Learning training programs play a significant role in this regard.

How Can I claim my 35 contact hours in the PMP application?

Along with your Education and Experience, you will need to specify your training along with the training provider detail in the online PMP application form. At this time you should have the PMP training certificate that endorses 35 contact hours.

Evidence of PMP contact hours – PMP Certification Requirements

Once you get training from a training provider, they must award you with a certificate of completion with 35 contact hours. All you have to do is get a copy of this certificate and add it to your Audit response bundle which you will send to PMI in response to the Audit selection.

What should I do if I do not satisfy PMP Certification Requirements?

If you do not fulfill the PMP certification requirements to sit in the PMP Exam, you do not have to worry. PMI offers certification opportunities to such aspirants which do not have the experience that fulfills PMP certification requirements. So there is still an opportunity to choose the path of certification.

Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) Certification is one of the internationally recognized certifications in Project Management which is also provided by the Project Management Institute. CAPM certification is for those who have less experience in the project management area or for those who are interested in pursuing their career path in project management.

The CAPM certified project managers also have many opportunities as compared to non-certified individuals without experience. In any typical project, there are team members who contribute their specialist skills whether these are related to software, construction or any other domain. These will help them to work better in a project environment, understand the challenges and work with the project manager in a more aligned manner.

The certification cycle of CAPM is 5 years. In other words, the CAPM certification lasts for five years. During the fifth year, your renewal period starts. For CAPM renewal you are required to sit in the CAPM Examination again. That means renewing your CAPM certification is not just a simple matter of sending in payment and obtaining continuing education units.

The way forward

Once you are CAPM qualified person, it does not stop you from moving forward to the next ladder in your career. You can opt for PMP Exam as soon as you fulfill the PMP certification requirements.

You may acquire CAPM certification at the start of your career. That validates your knowledge base of project management skills. Once you acquire CAPM credentials, you get 5 years of the certification cycle. It means that you do not need to renew your CAPM certification in this time period. So this ensures your affiliation and acknowledges your knowledge in the area of project management.

Furthermore, you get ample time to prepare for PMP while you complete the PMP certification requirements to sit in the PMP Examination. Therefore, rather than considering the renewal of your CAPM credentials, it is the best time to go for your PMP credentials which is more valuable because it takes you to the next level. So you can proudly move to this next level!

As your knowledge is already inline with the PMBOK and project management framework, your foundation to appear for the PMP is already set. Therefore you can say that one can appear after the completion of three years of professional experience provided they have a Bachelor’s degree.

PMP certification requirements: Conclusion

In this article, we have discussed the PMP certification requirements. Within each of the PMP certification requirements, we discussed what is required to apply for the PMP Exam through an online PMP application. In addition to this, we have briefly highlighted the evidence for each of the PMP certification requirements. So you can understand upfront what can be asked by PMI if your application is selected for Audit.

Likewise, we provided information about how can you provide the evidence for these PMP certification requirements just in case your application is selected for audit. In case your application is not selected for the audit, the evidence of your PMP certification requirements is not required. We also discussed the PMP training, main points to select training providers.

And last but not least, we also highlight the path of CAPM certification for those who do not fulfill the PMP certification requirements but they plan to pursue their career in the project management field. We hope you like this article and found the given information about PMP certification requirements is helpful for you to further explore PMP and CAPM certification.

The post PMP Certification Requirements – What are the PMP Requirements? appeared first on Project Hipo.

PMP is a certification provided by the Project Management Institute (PMI). PMP is a globally known professional certification. And globally realized as an endorsement of project management knowledge and experience of the accreditation holder. With the repute PMP carries, it is the best option for the project management aspirants to obtain PMP credentials. A PMP certification acknowledges your passion for achieving your goals. Your PMP credentials display your abilities, efforts, knowledge, experience, and consistency.

1- ) Apply PMP Certification Online

If you are interested in PMP certification online, then definitely you need to know how to apply for the PMP certification. And in order to apply, you need to understand the PMP certification requirements. These requirements are defined by PMI. These requirements are quite diligently defined by PMI. As these covers the various aspects of the candidate for assessing the qualification of the candidate. These include education, experience, and training. Being extensive enough, these criteria are used to assess the knowledge, skills, experience, and approach required to manage the projects.

The PMP certification requirements and their eligibility criteria are mentioned below:

Once you meet these PMP certification requirements, you need to fill in your PMP online application form along with the relevant information. The successful evaluation of the PMP application form makes the applicant eligible to sit in the PMP certification online examination.

Interesting point is that the application can be submitted online. So your life becomes easier to fill in the form and submit the application online. And you do not have to take print outs and send hard copies through postal mail.  In this section, we will discuss these PMP certification requirements.

PMP Certification Requirements: Education

Education plays a significant role in the PMP requirement. As experience requirement is based on the level of degree you have obtained. You must at least have a high school diploma or associate’s degree or global equivalent to appear in the PMP online Exam. If you have a graduation degree it is a plus as it will reduce the work experience requirement.

You need to declare your education at the time of the PMP online application. Claiming your education is a breeze as you only have to mention your degree level and credentials, as you already have obtained your degree/certificate from your school or college after completion of your education program.

There is an important point you should keep in mind while filling your PMP application. That there is a likelihood that your PMP application is selected for the audit. So you should also keep your records to provide evidence in order to respond and qualify in the application audit. In case your PMP application is selected for the audit, all you have to do is to include a copy of your degree/certificate in the response package. This will suffice for your education evidence and fulfill your audit requirement.

PMP Certification Requirements: Experience

As we shared earlier, the experience is another requirement to apply for the PMP certification. And this requirement is subject to your Education level. The PMP requirement regarding the experience is as below:

• In case you have a bachelor’s degree, the required experience is 3 years (36 months). In other words, you can say that work experience of 4,500 hours is required to fulfill the criteria of experience by the candidates. So you must have experience of at least 4,500 hours if you are planning to sit in the PMP exam provided you have a bachelor’s degree.
• In case you have a high school diploma or associate’s degree or global equivalent the required experience is 5 years (60 months). In other words, you can say that work experience of 7,000 hours is required to fulfill the criteria of experience by the candidates. So you must have experience of at least 7,000 hours if you are planning to sit in the PMP exam provided you have an associate’s degree or equivalent.

If you have the experience requirement of 4,500 hours within 3 years, you can interpret this as 1,500 hours per year or on average 125 hours per month requirement for the required time period. This high-level breakup gives you an idea of what you should look for while filling in your experience information in your  PMP application. Furthermore, it is also important to note that you do not really need to be a project manager during this time period. You may be working on these projects in various capacities and roles. If you are working on the project in any capacity, you should be able to claim these hours depending on the different phases of the project you have worked on.

Claiming your experience in PMP application

In order to fill in the PMI Application form, you need to do some homework to avoid any anomalies within your experience claim. First of all, you need to list down the projects you have been working on during the time period that you are going to claim the experience. Then for each project, you should mention the start date and the end date. Finally, you should mention your effort in terms of hours within each phase of each project.

It is important to note that within these years, you may have worked on some of the phases of a certain project. For instance, you have joined a company or a project during the execution phase of the project. In this case, you were not part of the initiation phase of the project. So you will only claim for those phases you have worked on. Or the project you had been working on was announced to be closed only after partial execution due to some external factors. Or you have left the project before the closing phase, you do not have to claim for the closing phase of the project during your experience claim form. Additionally, you can not claim two overlapping projects within the time period. If you worked on multiple projects that overlapped in a single month, only one of those projects can count toward your experience requirement.

Also while preparing your experience sheet you should consider your working history in terms of projects. You should also keep the contact information of your supervisor and the company you worked with during these projects.

Evidence of Experience – PMP Certification Requirements

Claiming the experience part is the most tricky part of the PMP application. You should be very vigilant to claim what makes rationale and especially what can be verified by your supervisors in case your application is selected for the audit.

As mentioned earlier, there is a likelihood that your application may be selected for audit. In case your application is selected for audit, all you have to do is to get the print out of the PDF documents from your audit package organized by PMI and mail those documents to your supervisors. Please note that you may have worked on multiple projects which may require sign off from relevant supervisors. So each of the specified supervisors needs to verify their relevant project.

Your supervisors will have to verify and sign off on each form you have sent to them. After the signing off they have to send the forms back to you. They do not have to send the verified forms directly to PMI.  After you receive all the forms form your supervisors you will also include them in your Audit response bundle. This may sound tedious but if you have planned it while filling in your application, you are on the right track and it is just a matter to follow what you have planned at the earlier stage.

PMP Certification Requirements: Training

Another PMP certification requirement is PMP training. PMP training is a must to sitting in the PMP Exam. According to PMI criteria, you must have 35 contact hours of PMP training. It means that you must get a formal PMP training that satisfies the PMP requirement of 35 contact hours. On the first look, the training requirement seems like one of the simplest requirements. But this is very critical. It is not complicated while filling in the form but is tricky based on the factors that from where you should acquire the training and fulfill 35 contact hours requirement.

There are various training providers who are providing training services. It means that you have to choose the one that suits your preferences and criteria. Prior to discussing detailed aspects of trainings, we must share with you information regarding the PMP application training part. Along with your Education and Experience, you will need to specify your training along with the training provider detail in the online PMP application form. At this time you must have already completed your PMP training. And hence you should have a training completion certificate from your service provider that endorses 35 contact hours.

Now, what if your PMP online application is selected by PMI for the audit. Once you get training from a training provider, they must award you with a certificate of completion with 35 contact hours. All you have to do is get a copy of this certificate and add it to your Audit response bundle which you will send to PMI in response to the Audit selection.

2- ) Get Ready for the PMP Certification Online

In the previous section, you have already gone through the PMP certification requirements to sit in the PMP online Exam. So now you have the information to take further necessary steps on how you will prepare yourself to fulfill these requirements and what will be your line of action after meeting the criteria.

Even though on first look, the PMP training requirement may seem one of the simplest PMP online certification requirements, but it brings a huge impact on your study roadmap and your readiness to appear in the PMP Exam. Even though experience and education play a vital role, but training sets the foundation for your PMP preparation.

PMP Exam is not a simple exam. If the candidates are not well prepared to sit in the exam, there is a likelihood that the candidate will fail the Exam. Hence the preparation is the only key to success. In this regard, your primary action is to choose the training provider that not only offers a PMP training program but their program is highly effective with a higher success rate.

There are many training providers not only in the local vicinity but the candidates also look for the training providers with a global footprint. There are many well-known training providers who have marked their global presence in the area of training as more students they have trained and more students have passed the exam, the higher the success rate and effectiveness of the training providers.

PMP Training Provider Assessment

You will have a lot of options to choose from. Hence you must have some criteria for the selection of your PMP training provider. You can find some basic questions below that can ease your data collection for better decision making. In other words, these questions can support the information you seek for a better assessment of the training feasibility. Training feasibility assessment is quite a subjective term in terms of your priorities to choose from.

We must highlight some of the aspects that you can consider to choose the training provider. These aspects include

• Will the PMP training program award me 35 contact hours on completion?
• What is the training provider’s success rate with respect to their students appearing in the PMP online Exam?
• Which training format is being offered by the training provider?
• What is the schedule of training programs being offered by the training provider?
• What is the duration of the training? How many calendar days?
• How much I will have to travel and how will I make myself available for the training?
• Does the training program offer the flexibility of location and time?
• What is the profile of the trainers?
• Does the training covers all the aspects of Project Management Body of Knowledge(PMBok)
• Is there any training material being offered by the training provider?
• Will this material be helpful in my preparation during the self-study phase?
• Is there any online material and online access I can get?
• Are there any exercises, quizzes, practice tests, mock sessions, etc. that can help me assess my preparation?
• What is the fee being charged by the PMP training provider? Is it the best cost-effective PMP training?
• What are the different policies of the training providers like transfer to upcoming training, refund policy, exam re-take support?

PMP Training Formats

We mentioned that PMP training is one of the most important PMP certification requirements. So it is important to choose the best format for your needs. The training providers are trying their best to broaden their training horizons. Hence they offer various training formats. These training formats not only focus on expanding the customer base of the training providers but also these formats are very significant for the students.

You can look for the following training formats and make a choice according to your priorities to fulfill PMP certification requirements. These formats include:

• On-Premises – Classroom
• Live – Instructor-Led PMP Certification Online training
• Self Paced PMP Certification Online training

PMP Training On-Premises Classroom

PMP training on-premises classroom training format means the classroom training session is offered by the training provider. Generally, these are full-day training programs and take 4 to 5 days of training camps. The candidates have to search for the nearest training event based on the schedule and location. These trainings give you the opportunity to have in-person i.e. face to face collaboration with the trainer and the session fellows.

Considering that the aspirants are professionals and must be busy in their jobs, finding time to attend the training could be a bit difficult for them. So one has to ensure that the schedule is properly followed once committed. Whereas there are cases when the candidates have the flexibility to adjust their schedule. Or they are willing to attend the classroom trainings. Such candidates find in-person classroom training the best option. But the cost factor is also an important element to choose such trainings. Generally, these are expensive trainings so one has to spend more on these trainings.

PMP Certification Online Training Live – Instructor-Led

There is another alternative to the PMP classroom training format which is the PMP Certification Online training instructor-led live training format. In this format, PMP Certification Online training is conducted through the virtual classroom. So there is no location-based event but it is a live event on the internet. Only the registered candidates are given access to these instructor-led virtual classrooms. The decorum of the format is pretty much like classroom training as far as the schedule is concerned.

The good part for the students is that they are not location bound as they get the flexibility to attend the PMP Certification Online training course anywhere. So one does not have to travel to a certain location to attend the event. All they need is equipment like a computer or PDAs and the internet to access their registered virtual classes. The students get interaction with the instructor as well as other colleagues. The control and command of the virtual room are with the instructor. These PMP CertificationOnline trainings are available at a lesser cost as compared to that of on-premises classroom trainings.

PMP Certification Online Training Self Paced

Self-paced PMP Certification Online training is another option available to the candidates. In this format the training providers grants online access to the training material for a specific time period. This training material is remotely available to the participants. Also, this is not live instructor-led so you are not bound to follow any specific time slot to attend the PMP Certification Online training. Furthermore, you do not have to drive to any specific location to attend the class. So you are equipped with the flexibility of location and time. In addition to this, there is a huge difference and cost-saving opportunity for the candidates when they opt for a self-paced PMP Certification Online training format.

Recommendation

When you are evaluating the training providers and their training formats. You should have these points into consideration. Your main aim should be to get feasible training from the best training provider which not only saves you bucks but also ensures your success while you get the flexibility of learning at your own pace, at your own choice of time and location. Furthermore, you have the privilege to repeat any topic you feel the gap in your preparation. You can get all these advantages in Self Paced PMP Certification Online training.

Other PMP Certification Online Preparation Materials

You get training material with your trainings as offered by the various training providers. However, it does not confine your option to choose any independent PMP Certification Online materials for your preparation. The training material you must be interested in is the one that provides you value in terms of cost-benefit, enhancing success probability through reinforcement as well as assessment tools like simulators, quizzes, exams, flashcards, and PMBok Standards, etc.

PMI membership benefits in terms of cost reduction in the PMP Exam fee, but there are also other benefits of being a PMI member. You will get these following benefits when you become a PMI member:

You will have free access to download standards, guides and other valuable PMP Certification Online materials relevant to project management. This also includes the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK). The entire content is available on PMI’s website pmi.org.

Furthermore, as another PMP Certification online material, you will get a variety of templates that help project managers to get the idea and apply these templates in project management activities. In addition to these, you get access to webinars and events. PMI offers discounted prices for the exam and re-exam fees. Even you get a discount on the PMP certification renewal fees which is applicable every three years.

PMP Exam Simulator

In addition to the PMI material, there are several other PMP Certification online preparation tools that are quite effective for learning and preparation purposes. One of the main tools is a simulator which can be very beneficial to the candidates for their PMP Exam preparation.

The biggest advantage of this simulator is the feeler of the PMP Exam environment. You can practice through these exam simulators to assess your time management and response accuracy. Thus this PMP Certification online material enables you to identify your strengths and weaknesses. Once you identify these areas you can prepare for your specific areas and cover any gaps you identify during these the simulations. So you gain a lot more confidence. Furthermore, you learn effective test-taking strategies. This will help you to manage the most critical aspect first, so your learning will be prioritized towards the most value-adding aspects.

Many PMP Certification online training providers also offer the Exam Simulators as a separate product. For instance, RMC and Master of Project Academy. RMC offers the PM Exam Simulator. This Exam Simulator provides you an “insider’s view” of the actual PMP Exam. You can study 1,600+ sample PMP Exam questions that are developed based on the current exam specifications. You get 90-day access. The cost of the exam simulator is $139.00.

Similarly Master of Project Academy offers a PMP Exam Simulator consisting of 7 simulation exams or a total of 1400 PMP online exam questions. After completing each exam, the results will be immediately seen with a detailed explanation of all questions and rationales. The Lifetime Access Plan is priced at $145, and the Monthly Plan is at $45 per month and can be canceled at any time.

Flashcards

Flashcards can be another effective PMP Certification preparation material for the PMP Exam. Many training providers offer flashcards as a separately. These can be one of your best tools as these are very handy. So you can take the flashcards anywhere with you. And you can study in small time breaks from your scheduled activities.

Flashcards are the best tools to revise the main points as these are just short notes of the topics. So rather than going through long study material, you can revise and recall with the help of these short notes.  You can even prepare your own flashcards with processes, knowledge areas, formulae, and many more.

Many well-known education providers have prepared flashcards which are available in different qualities and numbers. For instance, RMC Hot Topics Flashcards for Passing the PMP and CAPM Exams (Spiral-bound) are available for prices ranging from $19.00 $  to $50.00. Likewise, you can find Flashcards (Test Prep) by Crowe, Andy (2013) ranging from $54.00 to $989.90. These prices are based on whether these are used cards or new cards.

3-) PMP Certification Exam Payment & Schedule Process

When you complete your PMP Certification online exam application, PMI will share with you a notification to request the payment. So you should go back into the online certification system to complete the required steps. You will choose your examination delivery method and PMI will provide you various ways to make the payment. You can pay through credit card online or you can send postal mail to PMI. But the online payment will enable PMI to process your payment more quickly,

You can also mail a check, money order, credit card information or wire payment information to PMI. Payment is required to be issued with your application if you submit it via postal mail.

You can request a language other than English for your examination at no extra cost. You can also request test accommodations for your examination without any extra cost.

4- ) Sit For the PMP Certification Exam

Once you are eligible to sit in the exam, in other words, you have fulfilled the PMP Exam criteria. You have submitted your application. Then PMI reviews your application and approves it. Afterward, you pay the fee. Finally, you can take your PMP exam at your nearest Pearson VUE test center.

There are many Pearson VUE test centers worldwide, so you pick the one that is convenient for you. You will have to schedule your test as per the availability of the slot in the test center of your choice. Based on the available slots, you can book one for your PMI Exam. So you can set the date and time of the PMP Exam you want to sit in.

Once your schedule is booked you will visit the test center to sit in the PMP Exam. This is a computer-based online exam of 4 hours of duration. In the exam, you have to attempt 200 multiple-choice questions. PMP exam has questions with four options, of which you need to pick one correct answer. There is no negative marking but the positive responses count towards the passing score.

You are allowed to have breaks within these 4 hours. However, time management is crucial so that time is not lost in any unnecessary activity. Once you complete the test by pressing the submit button or the duration of the test is lapsed. The beauty of the online test is that it allows you to receive your score immediately. Wow! you can get your score immediately. Provided you have passed the PMP Exam. you get the “Congratulation” message on the screen. So your mission is accomplished! After passing the exam you are approved to use the PMP credential for 3 years.

5- ) Do Not Forget to Earn PDUs and Retain Your PMP Certification

Once you have obtained the PMP certification, you must renew your PMP certification every three years. PMI has also set criteria for renewal. According to these criteria, you must earn 60 Professional Development Units (PDUs) and then apply for the PMP renewal process.

There are more than 10 categories to earn PMP PDUs. You can earn PDUs through various methods. For instance, you can acquire training, or you can also conduct training, or you can participate in PMI activities and events. One of the most convenient and affordable way to earn PDUs is taking PMP certification online courses. While you earn your PDUs during the renewal cycle of 3 years, you can report these earned PDUs through PMI online portal.

PMI maintains the PDU history of the PMPs. So you can claim PDUs online as you earn. In your PDU history, PMI indicates how many PDUs are required and how many PDUs are pending for the current cycle. So you can plan your PDUs. On completion of the renewal cycle, PMI notifies you to renew your PMP credential. So you need to complete the 60 PDUs as well as you have to pay the fees. On submission of PDUs and renewal fees your PMP certification is renewed for the next three years cycle.

Summary: PMP Certification Online

In this article, we have shared with you all the required information about PMP certification online. You can opt for all the phases of the PMP Certification online from PMP certification online training to PMP certification online application. We recommend you to opt for the PMP certification online training. Because your main aim should be to get feasible training from the best training provider. This will not only save you bucks but also will ensure your success while you get the flexibility of learning at your own pace, at your own choice of time and location. Furthermore, you have the privilege to repeat any topic you feel the gap in your preparation. You can get all these advantages in Self Paced PMP Certification Online training.

Getting PMP certification online is the most affordable and convenient way. Once you acquire PMP certification, you have to renew it every 3 years. In these 3 years, you have to gather 60 PDUS. You can get these PDUs in different ways. You can choose many PMP Certification Online programs that can help you earn PDUs that you can claim for your PMP renewal.

The post PMP Certification Online – How to Get PMP Online in 5 Steps appeared first on Project Hipo.

Importance of PMP

PMP certification is a simpler way to get your career to a strong start for beginners. And, for experienced project managers, PMP certification will take you to the next step in your career.

If you are holding the PMP certification, it implies that you possess the expertise to manage the projects globally.

Attaining PMP Certification is a valuable asset to your career. Because it will help an individual to initiate, plan, execute, monitor, control, and close a project successfully across the varied industrial segments. Also, it will build your credibility in the industry. Besides, it can bag for higher billing rates from clients in projects. Further, it will open doors to new clients and offers international recognition.

Hence, investment in PMP certification is the right decision as it represents a high level of professionalism, shows your commitment to the project management profession, allowing for higher salaries as well raising your resumes above non-certified professionals, making you confident in handling projects and high market value.

Moreover, you will get the chance to collaborate and network with other project management professionals around the world. Furthermore, it connects you to a community of professionals, organizations, and experts worldwide. Therefore, it increases the chances of professional success and development.

PMP certification familiarizes professionals with the concepts and techniques of effective project management.

PMP Certification is the most crucial industry-recognized certification for project managers. Globally recognized and demanded, the PMP demonstrates that you have the experience, education, and competency to lead and direct the project.

Why you should renew PMP certification?

PMP certification is not an easy certification to crack. You need to put a lot of effort into studying, using the knowledge and experience required in managing projects in order to pass the PMP exam. Hence, it is hard to earn this certification.

Once you have achieved PMP certification then the next step which is very important is to do your PMP renewal. Else you will lose your credential. These days, it is required by many organizations when looking for a project management position. In many industries, it is a must to have certification for project managers. Hence, PMP renewal is very important while changing your job or looking for a position in project management.

Once you are a PMP certified professional then you need to earn 60 PDUs in a 3-year cycle in order to renew PMP Certification. If you don’t do your PMP renewal by end of 3^rd year then it will go in the suspended state till 1 year after the CCR cycle. Hence, you will no longer be able to avail of its benefits further.

The process to PMP renewal

• First of all, earn 60 PDUs within the 3-year cycle to meet the Continuing Certification Requirements (CCR) for your certification.
• Secondly, enter your PDUs in CCRS i.e. online CCR System. Here you need to enter the following details like Provider Name, Activity Name, Activity Dates and no of PDUs claimed according to 3 components of Talent Triangle.
• Thirdly, click the ‘Submit’ button. And you will get the information on the number of PDUs accepted or rejected.
• Next is to fill the online renewal application by entering contact information along with payment details
• Then, agree to the Code of Ethics by PMI.
• And, pay the PMP renewal fee. Here, you will get the information on how to make the payment.

If you are a PMI member, then you get the privilege to pay the discounted PMP renewal fee of 60 USD.

If you are not a member then you need to pay 150 USD to renew PMP certification.

• Then you will receive the confirmation from PMI. And further you will get a certificate specifying a new CCR cycle. You can see your status as “Active and PMP in good standing” next to your PMP profile.
• Finally, once you have renewed PMP certification then you have time to start planning for the next 3-year PMP renewal cycle.

Points to remember are:

1. In a 3-year PMP renewal cycle, if you have earned 60 PDUs by 1st year or 2^nd year then there is no need to wait for 3 years to complete. At that time, you can make the payment of fees and do your PMP renewal.

You do not need to bother about the PMP renewal date as PMI always renews the PMP certification date from the date of expiry of PMP certification rather than the date of payment of the PMP renewal fee.

2. There is a possibility that you do not earn the specified amount of PDUs within the 3-year cycle of PMP renewal. Hence, you couldn’t complete the PMP renewal within the completion of the CCR cycle. As a result, your status will be “Suspended” up to 1 year after the CCR cycle. Further, it will no longer be valid.

PMI Talent Triangle: PMP Renewal

In today’s competitive world, it is not enough to have ways of working skills only. These days, companies are looking for added skills in power skills and business acumen to support long-range strategic objectives that contribute to the bottom line.

Please note that PMI recently changed the PDU category names in the Education category. From now on the PDUs in the Technical Project Management category are replaced with “Ways of Working”; PDUs in the Strategic and Business Management category are replaced with “Business Acumen”; PDUs in the Leadership category are replaced with “Power Skills”.

As a PMP certified, you need to earn a minimum number of PDUs in each of the skill areas of PMI Talent Triangle i.e. Ways of Working, Business Acumen, and Power Skills.

Here, the Project Management Institute’s CCR process defines that you need to earn at least 35 PDUS under Education Category. Hence, PMP PDUs earned under the education category are mapped with three dimensions of the Talent Triangle. You can choose them as per your interests and professional needs.

PMI Talent Triangle is a combination of Ways of Working, Business Acumen, and Power Skills. Hence, in order to stay competitive and relevant, you must develop all these skills.

Power Skills

It represents competency in guiding and motivating. It applies to all the certifications. For instance:  Brainstorming, Coaching and mentoring, Conflict Management, Listening, Negotiation, Problem-solving, and Team Building

Ways of Working

This category represents domain expertise or certification specifics skills

Business Acumen

It represents business-oriented skills. It applies to all the certifications. For instance: Benefits Management and realization, Customer relationship and satisfaction, Industry knowledge and standards, Competitive analysis, Legal and Regulatory Compliance, Strategic Planning, Analysis, and Alignment.

In reality, PMI is referring to the skills that are important for a project manager to be successful in project management.

For instance:

• If learning activities for PDUS belong to PMP content outline tasks, then you need to map them in the “Ways of Working” category.

• And, if learning activities for the PDUS belong to process, tools and techniques in aligning the project with strategic goals then you to map them in the “Business Acumen” category

• If learning activities for the PDUS belong to Team Development which will help in achieving the project goal then you need to map them in the “Power Skills” category.

Just make a note that you can earn 1 PDU for each hour you spend in learning related to PDUS earning.

PMP Renewal Step #1 – Earn PDUs

The PDUs stand for Professional Development Units. Generally, people mislead PDUs with contact hours.

Let’s suppose that you are an individual who is planning to appear for the PMP certification exam. Then you need to attend 35 hours of training from a recognized training institute. Once you complete the project management training, they give you the certificate of 35 hours of training as 35 Contact hours. This is one of the PMP prerequisites to apply for the PMP exam.

Now once you have become PMP certified then you need to earn 60 PDUs in the 3-year cycle to do your PMP renewal.

Hence, in order to renew your PMP, you must earn PDUs. There are certain PMP PDU requirements asked by PMI. You must earn PDUs based on these requirements.

PMP PDU Requirements

PMI describes PDU Requirements for PMP to earn 60 PDUs in a 3-year cycle.

That means if you have Project Management Professional (PMP) certification, you are required to earn 60 PDUs in a 3-year cycle.

These 60 PDUS can be broken down into 2 categories:

1. Education PDUs: Here, a minimum of 35 PDUS needs to be registered in this category.

Education PDUs is a required category. It is further categorized into 3 skills:

• Ways of Working, Business Acumen, and Power Skills
• You need a minimum of 8 PDUs for each skill.

2. Giving Back PDUs: This refers to sharing knowledge and applying your skills actively. It is important to contribute to the profession. Besides, it enhances your own professional skills.

Here, a maximum of 25 PDUS need to be registered in this category

Giving Back PDU is an optional category. It is further categorized into 2 categories:

• Working as a Professional: Here you can register maximum 8 PDUs
• Volunteering & creating knowledge: Here you can register a maximum of 17 PDUs.

Earn PMP PDUs

There are several ways to earn PDUS. However, the most convenient and affordable method is earning PDUs online. Especially, attending a 60 PMP PDU online course bundle will be a very easy way to earn PMP PDU hours.

Besides, other several easy and popular ways to earn PDUS in 2 categories (Education and Giving Back) are mentioned below:

Sources for earning PDUS for Education Category are:

1. Courses or Training: This way is considered as one of the traditional methods of attending any training related to project management from a recognized training institute. Ways to earn PDUS are:

• Registered education providers (REPs) conduct different programs or trainings on a regular basis to earn PDUS.
• Classroom Trainings or Instructor-led courses are organized from the PMI seminars world.
• PMI local chapter conducts 2-3 days of Seminars, PMI Updates, and Conferences. They are on a chargeable basis.

2. Reading Books: Another way to earn PDUs in this category is to read books. Here, if you have a passion for reading, then you can make a reading list in the area of Ways of Working, Business Acumen, and Power Skills. In fact, you can earn a large number of PDUS in the ‘Read’ Category. This is the favorite category for book lovers who love to enhance the skills by reading books.

3. Organization Meetings: Another easy way is to attend meetings, activities, and local events related to the profession. Further, it gives you the opportunity to network and earn PDUS. Here, you can earn 1-2 PDUs in sessions in reference to the talent triangle component.

4. Informal Learning: Last but not the least; you must engage yourself in structured professional discussions with a team or different projects. For instance: Mentoring sessions, Brainstorming sessions, or lunch and learn sessions.

Sources for earning PDUS for Giving Back Category are:

1. Working as a practitioner: This is the most common way in this category to earn PDUs. If you are working in the project management domain as a working professional who is actively working on a project. Then you are contributing to this profession by applying your knowledge and skills. Hence, you can earn a maximum of 8 PDUs.

2. Creating Content: Another way in this category to earn PDUs is to write project management articles or create project management content. But this will be more effective if you have a passion for writing and have an interest in writing blogs and articles.

3. Giving Presentation: Another easy way for trainers or speakers to earn PDUs in this category is to give a presentation on project management topics or best practices or emerging trends. Hence, if you are a good speaker or you have the ability to present some topics at seminars or conferences then this is a good way to earn PDUS.

4. Sharing Knowledge: This has always been the most effective way to earn PDUS by attending knowledge sharing sessions with your team or peers.

5. Volunteering: These days, lots of conferences and workshops need volunteers. In fact, PMI chapters give many opportunities from time to time. If you like contributing to social good as a volunteer then you can participate in these conferences and can earn PDUs.

6. Watching videos: Another interesting way to earn PDUs is to watch videos online or different forms of digital media for self-learning.

7. Listening to Podcasts: Likewise, you can listen to podcasts where each PDU represents 60 minutes of learning. Hence for podcasts that are under an hour, just listen to a couple on the same topic and consolidate them.

8. Attending Webinars: For PMI members, the easiest way to earn PDUs is to attend the webinar. And PMI conducts webinars on a regular basis. Besides many training organizations conduct free webinars where you can earn 1-2 PDUS

PMP Renewal Step #2 – Submit PDUs

Once you have earned PDUS, now you need to renew PMP certification by submitting PDUs to PMI from your PMI profile. PMI might ask for proof of enrolment in your PDU activities.

• Login to www.pmi.org and select ‘Certifications’ -> ‘Report PDUs on CCRS’

• On www.ccrs.pmi.org, Click ‘PDUs’ -> ‘Report PDUs’

• Now you can report PDUs under 2 sections i.e. Education and Giving Back
• To report under section ‘Education’ i.e. ‘Course or Training’, ‘Organization Meetings’, ‘Online or Digital Media’, ‘Read’ or ‘Informal Learning’
• Click on ‘Course or Training’

• Enter details of training or workshop you have attended for preparation of PMP exam such as Provider name, Course, Description, Date Started, Date Completed, URL (optional), Contact person (Optional), Contact Phone (Optional), Contact Email (Optional)

• Enter the PDUs Earned in the ‘PDUs Claimed’ section under 3 categories i.e. Ways of Working, Business Acumen, and Power Skills

• Select the checkbox ‘I agree this claim is accurate’
• Click the ‘Submit’ button
• Now you can see claim submission results with Number of PDUs and Status as ‘Submitted’

• Suppose you find out that you have incorrectly entered PDUs’ details. It could be a wrong number of PDUs entered or incorrect category or typo error
• Click ‘PDUs’ -> Claim History
• Click Activity you have just entered
• Then, click ‘Delete’ button

• Select a reason i.e. ‘Claim Entered in Error’, ‘Claim entered in under the wrong category’, ‘Duplicate Claim’ or ‘other’
• Click ‘Delete’ button
• All the information pertaining to this activity will get deleted
• If you want to edit the information in the activity you have filled, click ‘Retract and Edit’ button

• A Message box will appear.
• Click ‘Yes’ to continue and ‘Cancel’ to exit the message box
• Another option is to claim PDUs under Giving Back Category i.e. Work as a Practitioner or Create content or Give a Presentation or Share Knowledge or Volunteer option

• Select ‘Create Content’
• Enter details of Organization, Title, Description, Date Started, Date Completed, PDUs Claimed
• Click the ‘Submit’ button

And PDUs of this activity will be submitted in the ‘Giving Back’ category.

You can view all PDUs entered under ‘Claim History’.

Likewise, you can fill the remaining PDUs under any of the categories until you fulfill 60 PDUs to renew PMP.

PMP Renewal Step #3 – Pay PMP Renewal Fee & Renew PMP

After completing the PDU submission, you will see a link to PMP renewal in your PMI profile.

You should follow the link to pay the PMP renewal fee and upon payment, your PMP certification will be in good standing for the next three years.

You should earn 60 PMP PDUs every three years to keep your PMP in good standing.

• Make a note that you can start earning PDUs as soon as you become PMP certified. You don’t need to wait until the end of the 3-year cycle.

Generally, a question arises that can we transfer the earned PDUs to the next cycle?

The answer is yes, you can transfer earned PDUs to the next cycle. Suppose in the 3-year cycle, you have earned more than 60 PDUs but only those PDUs which you have earned in last year i.e. 3^rd year of the cycle can be transferred to the next cycle.

Conclusion: PMP Renewal

PMP renewal is critical for a professional since it is a hard-to-earn certificate which is asked by many employers. While you have it, do your best to earn PDUs and renew PMP certification.

Online PMP PDU course enrolment is the fastest and cheapest way to earn PMP PDUs. PDUs earned need to register in 3 categories i.e. Ways of Working, Business Acumen, and Power Skills.

You need to earn 60 PDUs in the 3-year cycle to renew PMP and keep your PMP status in good standing. That means you do not need to wait till end of 3^rd year to renew PMP. And, you can renew PMP as soon as you earn the required PDUs.

If you do not earn required PDUs within the CCR cycle of 3 years then your PMP status will go in the suspended state till 1 year after the CCR cycle and further it will not be valid.

PMP Renewal fee is 60 USD if you are a PMI member. If you are not a member of PMI, then the PMP Renewal fee is 150 USD. Hence, being a PMI member saves money in PMP renewal.

The post PMP Renewal – 3 Main Steps to Renew PMP appeared first on Project Hipo.

The project manager has to deliver their projects on time, on-budget results, with the available resources, and within the scope requirements. Thus, they need to learn how to integrate the organization’s need for the project with different project variables. Accordingly, project management is the application of the knowledge to different project activities and tasks to achieve this need as well as the skills, the tools, and the techniques.

Although project management practice is as old as human civilization beginning, it was not formally introduced until recently. PMI one of the leading institutes in the project management domain formulated the practice Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge. PMBOK Guide identifies five groups of project management processes Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring and Controlling and Closing. At the same time, the PMBOK  PDF Guide also identifies 10 project management knowledge areas. These areas are Scope, Time, Cost, Quality, Procurement, Human resources, Communications, Risk management, Stakeholder management, and Integration.

Importance of Project Management Training for Companies

Still interested in project management training? Now let’s explore the reasons why so many companies see it valuable. As a start, companies lose a lot of money due to the unorganized efforts spent on different change events. As a method of managing changes, project management offers a wide set of benefits. These benefits include having control over deliverable, effectively meeting business goals and meeting stakeholder expectations. In addition to the previous, effective project management helps in increasing the chances of success and delivering the right products at the right time. Moreover, it provides a great framework for resolving problems and issues, responding to risks in a timely manner. In addition to other benefits that can benefit the company business greatly. The following are some of these additional benefits:

• Optimizing resources use
• Recovering or terminating failing projects
• Balancing constraints influence on the project
• Managing changes in a better way

At the same, effective project management training offers benefits but the lack of effective project management training causes many disadvantages. These disadvantages include missing deadlines, overspending costs, poor quality, rework and uncontrolled expansion of the project as well as, failure in achieving the objectives for which the project was undertaken. Moreover, it may cause issues that exceed the project itself like stakeholders’ dissatisfaction and loss of reputation for the organization.

Project Management Training

So what is the right project management training? How does it look like? What is the proper outline for it? From what we described above you can draw the outline of what sufficient project management training should include. Thus, effective project management training must cover project management key concepts and frameworks. Also, it should include a clear definition of project manager roles and responsibilities. Then project management training should cover scope management, schedule management, cost management, and resource management. These, of course, besides quality management, stakeholders management, and communication management. Additionally, the PM training should cover risk management and procurement management. Finally, the training must cover the key knowledge area of project management which is called integration management. What we mentioned in this section are called knowledge areas

Project management training should also cover the project life cycle and process groups. Understanding the different project life cycles is essential for project managers. Different life cycles require different approaches and methodologies. Thus, a good PM training should automatically involve a clear description and explanation of different life cycles and how to approach them. Also, understanding the different process groups is crucial to understanding project management in general.

Evolution of PM Training Programs

Project management training originally focused on waterfall methodologies only but this lasted from the late 60s to the early 2000s. Ever since then a huge evolution in PM training programs took place and that increased the popularity of Agile project management approaches. Thus, the demand for Agile Project Management Training Programs is popular now as well. The growing popularity of Agile Project Management shifted some attention from waterfall project management. At the same time, waterfall project management didn’t lose its momentum completely since it promotes efficiency. Accordingly, this shift created a new need for mixed approaches. Thus, companies look for project management professionals who have knowledge of both project management approaches. The evolution made many changes concerning the way companies look at project management training.

For a starter, the project manager must have multi-skills to manages different project life cycles. Also, organizations and companies become less focused on adopting a specific methodology and they are now more focused on getting work done. At the same time, achieving efficiency whenever possible requires waterfall planning to take advantage of the predictive nature of some projects. On the other hand, Agile methodologies do not come cheap, it requires more cost wasting some time, resources. However, it offers horizons that can be not achieved by waterfall approaches. Some changes and projects do not have enough clarity for the project team to predict how to carry out tasks. Thus, making waterfall approaches ineffective and putting forward the question: what is the alternative? The right answer for this is Agile project management.

Now the companies are more keen to benefit from both approaches. Thus, most companies prefer PM training that covers both approaches Agile and waterfall.

What are the important points you must be careful when choosing a PM training?

Now that’s the million-dollar question and to answer this question we have to go back to the basics. We will list down the most important criteria that you can use to evaluate different project management training options. You can use these criteria together to decide the right PM training option. Accordingly, we will base these criteria on the key important points when choosing a project management training.

Training provider’s credibility

It might look obvious still worth mentioning as it’s almost the most important feature. Training provider’s credibility means their wide positive recognition and their reputation of delivering their promises. In addition to this, their connection with knowledge bodies like PMI, Axelos, Scrum Alliance, PMO Global Alliance, American Society of Quality, etc. is crucial. Normally, Registered Education Providers achieve this status through compliance with strict standards the certifying organization set. Thus, being one of the registered providers to any of the globally recognized institutions increases the provider’s credibility. In addition to this factor, reputation among project management professional communities also counts.

Instructor expertise and reputation

The second important and key point for your decision to select the right project management training provider is the expertise and reputation of the instructor. A well known and well-recognized instructor offers you confidence in the offered program. Still, there are additional factors that contribute to the instructor offering confidence in the program. These include their background in terms of experience in project management, their knowledge of different project management practices as well as, their studies, academic background, professional certifications, and memberships.

Curriculum and content outline

Moving on to another key important point which should contribute greatly to your project management training decision. This important point is the program content. As we explained before in this article, project management is a mix of knowledge areas and project has more than one approach for management. Thus, it only makes sense that a good project management training must cover these knowledge areas in addition to covering the different project management approaches. A program outline that covers waterfall and Agile approaches is a good choice that should offer you exactly what you need. However, a program that offers you additional required skills like training for project management tools is even more than just good, it is brilliant. So make sure to select a training program that offers you an integrated bundle of training which includes both approaches and other required skills.

Quality of the content

That one is an obvious one I presume, having content that covers everything is good but having quality issues is far from good. Many providers provide extensive material and content that does not provide proper examples for their material. Some even offer material with key errors in understanding project management knowledge. To be honest that may represent the majority of programs out there all over the internet. So you need to be careful not to fall in the trap of extensive material and content with low quality, because you will be trading quality for quantity. Also, the quality of the media which the content is offered through is also as important so keep that in mind as well.

Student reviews

Now we come to our last criterion here, student reviews. Students are the customers for the training providers they offer you their experience while dealing with the training provider. Thus saving you the burden of going through unpleasant experiences. The collective reviews of students provide you with an immediate insight into how satisfied are the provider students with their learning journey. A feature that allows you to escape poor experience easily and skip those providers with poor reviews. Also, student feedbacks and comments are as valuable as the rating itself or even more. Students usually provide any outstanding or outrageous experience they passed through with the provider. Thus giving you an exact image of what makes the provider good or bad and allowing you to get a full picture of how the experience might look like. You can read more about Project Management Courses.

Top 10 PM Training Programs

ِAs we explained the meaning of project management and the evolution of project management training, now we come to help you explore the top 10 project management training programs. Thus, we will list down our picks for the top 10 PM training program providers based on the criteria we explained earlier. Accordingly, we will offer you a list of these picks alongside a review of the benefits of each option. Also, we are going to go through the content outline of each program and what they cover. By going through this list we will help you to identify your best option for project management training and to have a good idea of the best available options. Accordingly, you will have sufficient knowledge of the best options out there, thus you can decide which option you should choose.

These options are carefully selected and reviewed at your disposal. We’ve collected them for the sole purpose of providing you with the collective knowledge of options to save your time. Thus we’ve searched for options with the highest review score and the best feedback. In addition to this, we chose the programs with the high quality of content, comprehensive content that covers key project management concepts as well as covering Agile project management and waterfall project management different methodologies. Also, we focused on PM training providers who have a high level of credibility and host top tier project management instructors. This way we ensure the listed project management training programs and providers satisfy the criteria we mentioned earlier.

#1 PM Training Program – Master of Project Academy PM Training Bundle

Master of Project Academy is in the project management training business for years and they have several types of PM training programs. The Master of projects has a well-deserved reputation among its students with very good student reviews. They have waterfall and Agile project management courses such as PMP training and Agile Scrum training. Master of Project Academy PM Training Bundle covers waterfall and Agile PM approaches plus MS Project Training. So, you make sure that you will learn conventional and trending PM techniques during your PM training program. Besides, you will learn how to use MS project step-by-step.

Bundle details and specifications

The whole bundle is 100% online which makes it a completely self-paced project management training program. The bundle includes 35 self-paced contact hours of Project Management Professional Certification Online Training designed by industry experts. The second course is 10+ contacts hours of self-paced Agile Scrum Certification Training. In addition to the previous courses, a Microsoft Project Training course offers 9+ contact hours which will help you to create realistic project plans. Also, the bundle includes 2,100+ practice questions which can help you to prepare for the PMP certification exam. In addition, it includes 7 complete PMP Certification Sample Exams which will prepare you to the exam. Also, Master of Project offers a step by step project plan creation via MS Project with a real project example. All of this, in addition to PMP and Agile Cheat Sheets and more. You can read more about PMP certification requirements.

PMP® Certification Training – 35 Contact Hours Online PMP Training

The PMP certification training is a gold standard for project management professionals with wide global recognition. It is based on the PMBOK guide 6th edition which covers project management new trends and emerging practices and it provides the concept of tailoring considerations. Also, it focuses on strategic and business knowledge and carefully outlines the role of the project manager. The course also includes a sample PMP practice exam. You can read more about the best PMP training programs.

#2 Project Management Plus Bundle Masters Program – Simplilearn

Another project management training provider we will list here is Simplilearn. Simplilearn offers a group of interesting project management training programs. This training program that we are going to talk about covers both waterfall project management and Agile project management approaches. In addition to this, Simplilearn also offers Microsoft Project training. This satisfies most of the project management training content outline. This allows you to acquire the knowledge for most up to date knowledge for project management training.

The offered PMP Plus Bundle mainly helps you to earn around 60 PDU for maintaining PMI certification active status. Also, it helps to develop the necessary key skills for professional project managers, in addition to improving your knowledge in multiple domains. The courses in this bundle include Project Management, IT Service Management ITIL, Lean Six Sigma Green Belt training. In addition to these, it also features Agile training course, Microsoft Project course, as well as Risk Management course.

This program enables you to implement quality to projects and apply the Lean Six Sigma approach as well. Furthermore, understanding Agile approaches and Scrum methodologies and also understanding and applying advanced risk management concepts and strategies. The program has the benefit of being self-paced training as well, so you are able to customize your learning path and pace. This project management training program also offers you access to high-quality virtual classes, e-learning, and real-life case studies. In addition, you can access quizzes at each chapter’s end, full simulation exams, and student community.

PM Plus Bundle Masters Program content covers the following training courses:

Project management professional

The PMP certification training is based on the PMBOK guide 6th edition and it covers both new project management trends and also emerging practices. It has a great emphasis on strategic and business knowledge. This course carefully outlines the role of the project manager.

Agile Scrum Master

This Agile training offers a deep dive and insights into the new trendy and highly popular Agile Scrum methodology. It covers the key concepts of Agile as a project management framework and how to lead project management teams. In addition to the prior, the training allows you to develop and deliver high-quality products.

Certified Lean Six Sigma Green Belt

This certification training course for Lean Six Sigma Green Belt covers the core principles of Lean Six Sigma and how to implement them for quality projects. Also, it integrates lean and DMAIC methodologies through case studies alongside real-life examples. The course aims to polish your skills and application of continuous process improvement.

Microsoft® Project

Intended to offer you the additional skill, this Microsoft Project 2013 Certification Training helps you to acquire the knowledge and application of the industry’s most popular project management tool. The Microsoft Project training course offers a comprehensive overview of project planning, scheduling, resource pooling, and consolidation. Introducing you to how to create customized reporting is another Microsoft Project skill obtained by this course.

ITIL® 4 Foundation

An extensive course over the IT service management popular framework ITIL. The course intends to introduce you to the key concepts and applications of the ITIL framework and prepare you for the ITIL Foundation certification exam.

PMI- RMP® Certification

This training course aims to upskill your knowledge and skills in risk management. The course introduces you to advanced techniques in project risk management. Also, this training course qualifies for PMI- RMP certification exam and prepares you for it.

#3 Project Management Training Bundle Program – Learning Tree

Since projects grow more complex, the need for having well trained and certified project managers became essential. The complexity of the projects is also growing in addition to the need for multi-skilled project management professionals. Accordingly, Learning Tree offers an integrated group of project management training. This bundle includes predictive waterfall project management training and adaptive project management training approaches. In addition, the programs cover Microsoft Project training as well. It also offers a variety of methodologies for both waterfall and Agile approaches. The group of training programs is offered separately through classroom, live online and on-demand learning formats. The project management training is can be scheduled through the Learning Tree’s website where you can select the training date that suits your calendar.

#4 Project Management Training Bundle Program – Global Knowledge

Global Knowledge is one of the top tier training providers that offer Project Management training programs that include wide content. Although Global Knowledge does not offer a bundle based training program, it still offers different sets of project management training courses. These project management training courses include different waterfall project management approaches in addition to offering different Agile project management training approaches. Still, the training courses are offered separately where you can select the set of project management training courses. Global Knowledge has an amazing reputation of top quality, however, it comes at a high price which is usually not affordable for many people.

Agile project management training

The training courses for Agile include Agile Project Management Foundation & Practitioner (AgilePM®) and Certified Professional in Agile Project Management (CPAPM). Also, they include packages for training and exams like Certified Scaled Agile Framework Leading SAFe® 5.0 and Certified SAFe® Product Manager / Product Owner Training and Exam in addition to Agile Project Management Foundation (AgilePM®) and Agile Project Management Practitioner (AgilePM®). The Agile training courses also include Agile Programme Management (AgilePgM®). Also, there are other various additional trainings including Agile Overview, Agile Project Management Black Belt /Green Belt, Agile for Teams and Agile User Stories.

Waterfall project management

This category includes project management training courses that cover different project management methodologies. These methodologies include PRINCE2 with its different levels from foundation to practitioner as well as PMI PMBoK 6th edition framework with its different certifications training.

Project Management Certification Exam Preparation

Summary of Project Management Training

In this article, we have explained what is project management, what are the main approaches of project management and the evolution of project management training. Also, we have discussed waterfall project management and Agile project management. Additionally, we have offered a list of criteria on how to select the right project management training provider. And finally, we have explored in detail the different offerings of project management training bundles and what they should include.

This article journey then concluded by listing down a list of the top  10 project management training bundle programs that fit the early defined criteria. This whole journey aimed to help you get a collective view of the best options you can pick from and then, provide you with insights into what these bundles contain and what value they can deliver. You should be aware of maintaining certification once you obtained it. For instance, you must earn PMP PDU points to retain your PMP certification. Scrum SEU points are required to renew your Scrum Alliance certification.

Overall, the provided list has more than one good option, however, we highly recommend that you focus on those options with great student reviews. Also, it is important that you make sure that the project management training provider is well recognized and has a well-recognized team of instructors. Finally, review the content outline as it’s an important indicator if it’s going to offer you the end-to-end content that you need.

We hope you have enjoyed this journey as we did and we wish you the best of luck in your journey.

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