What You Need to Know About PMP Accreditation?

In recent years, project management has evolved as one of the globe’s triumphing new professions. According to the PMI survey, employers will need to fill over 2.2Mn new project roles each year through 2027, meaning project managers are in high demand.

This swift development, coupled with competitive industry remuneration, has encouraged many workforces and students to consider a career in project management.

But with so many novel arrivals to the industry, incentivized project managers are looking for different ways to distinguish them from the crowd. The Project Management Professional (PMP) accreditation holds the key for many.

What is PMP Certification?

PMP credential is a globally renowned accreditation for project managers awarded by Project Management Institute (PMI). Though the credential isn't required to work as a project manager in most roles, PMP reflects a person's technical skills and instills trust in future workforces and clients - serving as justification for promotion and handsome salary.

The average salary of project managers with a PMP certification is the US $112,000, and according to the PMI salary survey, the median salary for PMP holders in the US is 25% higher than those without the certification.

Prerequisites of PMP Certification Exam

Syllabus of PMP Exam

About half of the PMP certification exam will have predictive project management methodologies, and the other half will have agile or hybrid methods.

The PMP knowledge domains cover many essentials and understand concepts such as managing business environment changes, continuous improvement, and process analysis. 

According to the 2019 PMP Examination Content Outline (ECO), the credential covers three domains:

PEOPLE (42%)

The 'People' domain emphasizes the soft skills you require to lead a project team in the changing business environment efficiently.

Some of the tasks in this domain include:

• Conflict management
• Team leadership 
• Supporting team performance
• Ensuring adequate training for team members
• Project negotiation
• Stakeholder collaboration, and more.

PROCESS (50%)

The 'Process' domain strengthens the technical aspects of successful project management.

Some of the tasks in this domain include:

• Communication management
• Risk assessment and management
• Project execution to deliver business value
• Budgeting planning
• Plan and manage schedule, and more.

BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT (8%)

The 'Business Environment' domain displays the relation between projects and organizational strategy.

• Some of the tasks in this domain include:
• Plan and manage project compliance
• Determine project value and benefits
• Supporting organizational change
• Addressing external business changes

PMP Exam Format & Cost

• Total no. of questions: 180
• Question types: Combination questions (MCQs, fill-in-the-blanks, hotspot, etc.)
• No. of scored questions: 175
• No. of pre-test questions: 5
• Duration of the exam: 230 minutes (approx 4 hours)
• Exam mode: Online and offline

For the PMP test, there are two 10-minutes breaks. The first break appears when you complete questions 1-60 and review all the answers. Then, after you are done with 120 questions and confirm that all the responses are checked, you can take the next 10-minute break.

With so much new content to focus on, it's understandable that the new PMP test will facilitate a broader study scope to cover everything. However, there is much more to learn and outshine; therefore, the credential test will be more difficult.

The PMP certification exam costs for PMI members and non-members are as follows:

PMP Certification Renewal

Once you receive the PMP credential badge, ensure that you maintain the same by earning 35 PDUs over three years. After PMI confirms that you have met the PDU prerequisites, you'll receive a mail/message to apply for PMP certification renewal – asking you to make payments through the online certification system.

PMI will send the individual an updated certificate with new CCR cycle dates after processing the application and renewal fees. This usually takes around 6-8 weeks to get delivered through postal.

The credential holders must agree to comply with the terms of use, including audit norms agreements. The participant can renew the accreditation only after completing the audit and agreeing with all the terms and conditions during an audit.

The auditing done by PMI is random, i.e., PMI selects a group of PMI certification holders randomly, where they must submit supporting documentation to prove PDUs.

Therefore, credential holders must keep these PDU claiming materials for 18 months after the end of the CCR Cycle.

Conclusion

A PMP certification is a stepping stone to other project management accreditation, offering you a competitive edge in the market, a source of pride among peers, and several other perks.

Whether looking for marketability to workforces, clientele reputations, or annual income, the PMP credential is the best choice for project management enthusiasts globally.

To build a career in the project management field and develop your skills, enroll in the iCert Global PMP Certification Training Program, a PMI-approved training provider. The course will teach you how to plan, organize, execute, and direct successful projects irrespective of the scale or complexity.