Getting certified is a great step in any project manager’s career. As an internationally recognised and popular certification, many project managers look to the PMP Certification as a worthwhile route to professional excellence. However, before you can start working on the course you will need to find out if you are eligible as a candidate.
PMP asks for two specific requirements prior to being accepted onto the certification course. These are:
- Project management experience
- Project management education
Here we investigate what these requirements actually mean, and how you can find out if you are eligible for PMP certification.
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project managementProject management experience
For project managers with a further education background (A level, BTEC, GNVQ etc.), PMP requires that you have a minimum of five years of project management experience, during which time at least 7,500 hours were clocked up as a leader or director of the project. Unfortunately, if you did not previously complete at least further education you will not qualify for the PMP certification route.
Project managers who possess a degree (BA, BSc etc.) don’t need so much work experience. In this situation only three years of project management experience are required, of which 4,500 hours minimum must have been spent leading a project. In both situations you will need to have gained this work experience within 8 years of applying for your PMP certification.
The term ‘project management experience’ can be slightly misleading as, according to the PMBOK Guide, you don’t need to have held a position where you were referred to as the ‘project manager’. It’s not about what people called you, it’s about what you did and the responsibilities you have held. In essence, if you have defined a project, developed a delivery plan, communicated with stakeholders and obtained acceptance of delivery at the end of the project, you may well have the experience they are asking for.
Project management education
The project management education requirement is somewhat easier to fulfil. You only have to clock up 35 hours of project management education, and it can stretch back beyond the 8 year window of the first requirement. The courses you can claim for this include those covering:
- Project budget
- Project communication
- Project scope
- Project schedule
- Project risk
- Project quality
- Project procurement
The training can be delivered by a variety of bodies, including schools, colleges and distance learning companies. Remember, however, only the hours spent on project management topics can be claimed under this requirement, and one hour of teaching is equal to one hour for the purposes of this criteria.
So, are you eligible?
If you think you are definitely eligible, great; you can happily go and apply for your PMP certification now. However, if you are concerned that you might not have enough hours, or that some of your experience may not be relevant, do not give up. The PMI website gives lots more details on what can and cannot be claimed for this certification, and you can download the useful PMP Handbook from there too. Speak to a PMI Registered Education Provider (REP) about your situation and you could find out you can claim a lot more than you thought.