Top PMI Project Management Certifications 

The need for project managers in every sector is rising. In the coming years, global companies will need over 88Mn individuals to work in project management positions.

We see that recruiting companies look for individuals with project management certifications. However, which certificate to opt for depends on the type of project manager you desire to be.

From associate project management to professional accreditation, the Project Management Institute provides various certifications for project professionals and those who want to pursue a career.

Ensure that acquiring a certification is never a piece of cake. To pass the stringent credential test with flying colors, you must put much effort into attaining the same, including specialized formal training and several hours of experience.

Let's see PMI's top project management certification

PMI Certification and Top 6 Accreditations: Explained

Starting from entry-level to professional ground, PMI provides a variety of project management certifications that helps you in improving your career in the project management domain.

A PMI accreditation is handy as the human resource market demands project management skills. 

The most prestigious PMI certification is the Project Management Professional (PMP) credential. However, other accreditations are suited for professionals in various career stages.

1. Project Management Professional (PMP)

It's a globally renowned and prestigious certificate that exposes you to benefits such as increased credibility, handsome remuneration, and high market value.

Acquiring PMP certification is difficult, as you will have to meet the eligibility prerequisites by PMI. However, there are other reasons PMP is known to be project managers' most challenging credential test. Instead, its examination pattern and validation are stringent.

The PMP examination tests your knowledge of People, Processes, and Business Environment.

According to the 2019 Exam Content Outline (ECO), the PMP examination has undergone a couple of changes and came into effect in 2021:

• Knowledge domain areas have been reduced from five to three.
• No. of questions will be 180 instead of 200.
• The duration of the PMP exam is 230 minutes (approx. 4 hours), which contains a combination type of questions.

The PMP credential is excellent for individuals who have experience managing projects and are keen on up-skilling their careers.

2. Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)

CAPM is an entry-level certification offered by PMI to individuals hoping to manage projects, take on advanced roles, or add project management skills to their resumes.

The CAPM credential is a stepping stone to PMP certification that helps you gain knowledge on project management terminologies and concepts. Moreover, individuals with a CAPM tag can rule out PMP eligibility prerequisites.

3. PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP)

PMI-ACP is an industry-recognized accreditation that proves your net worth as an Agile practitioner. It strengthens you with confidence in a framework obtaining traction and adoption by leading companies. 

This certification is mainly pursued by project-managing individuals following Agile practices and trains them about the tool, techniques, and concepts employed in project management.

Who qualifies for the PMI-ACP credential?

• General Project Experience - 2,000 hours worked on project teams within the last five years or active PMP/PgMP certification.
• Agile Project Experience - 1,500 hours working on agile project teams or with agile methodologies in the last three years. This is in addition to 2,000 hours earned in General Project Experience.
• Agile Practice Training - 21 contact hours must be earned

4. Disciplined Agile

Disciplined Agile is a toolkit that targets the decisions you need to make, available options, and the trade-offs associated with the available options. It shows how you can effectively collaborate practices from Kanban, Scrum, SAFe, and other methodologies in a scalable manner. 

PMI provides four certifications in this field - Disciplined Agile Coach (DAC), Disciplined Agile ScrumMaster (DASM), Disciplined Agile Value Stream Consultant (DAVSC), and Disciplined Agile Senior ScrumMaster (DASSM). 

The certifications allow freshers to learn the fundamentals of the methodology and experienced Agile users to advance their skills. 

Who qualifies for the Disciplined Agile credentials?

• Must have three years of experience working in an Agile leadership position.
• Each certification also requires training program completion from a qualifying Disciplined Agile training center.

5. Professional in Business Analysis (PMI-PBA)

Business Analysis (BA) has become a competitive field of project management. However, becoming one can shift your career in a new direction while BA opportunities are rising.

The PMI-PBA certification tests you in assessment, planning, evaluation, monitoring, and other requirements related to BA aspects of project management.

Suppose you work with a project team and manage product development, or you are a project/program manager who performs BA. In that case, PMI-PBA certification is for these individuals.

Who qualifies for the PMI-PBA credential?

• Secondary degree (high school diploma, associate's degree)
• BA experience: 60 months
• BA educational training: 35 contact hours

OR

• Bachelor's degree or the global equivalent
• BA experience: 36 months
• BA educational training: 35 contact hours

6. Program Management Professional (PgMP)

The PgMP certification will help you develop a robust leadership approach to manage multiple projects and improve your efficiency in navigating complex activities. 

You will learn to use the tools and techniques efficiently and understand business strategy and program processes. 

The PgMP credential will take you through the PMI's five management performance domains and use a scalable framework to manage varying-sized programs. 

PgMP accreditation is designed for the senior-level practitioner who manages multiple related projects in a coordinated way.

Who qualifies for the PgMP credential?

• Secondary degree (high school diploma, associate's degree, or the global equivalent)
• Project management experience: 6,000 hours
• Program management experience: 10,500 hours

OR

• Four-year degree
• Project management experience: 6,000 hours
• Program management experience: 6,000 hours