If you made the decision to get certified, I will list four steps that in my experience were useful to trace the path of certification.
Step 1: Decision
The PMP certification validates your skills leading and directing projects. To get it, first verify that you meet the requirements:
| Option 1 | Option 2 |
| - College degree – 36 months leading projects – 35 hours of project management training or CAPM certification® | - Secondary education certificate – 60 months leading projects – 35 hours of project management training or CAPM certification® |
Font: PMI
If you have verified that you meet the requirements, you will need to complete a web application, which is randomly audited by PMI. This application has sections such as:
| Education | Section to complete your academic studies (university or high school) |
| Experience in Project Management: | You must complete details of each project such as start date, end date, role, organization data (including a contact and their data), as well as the hours dedicated to each area of knowledge. In my case, so that the application is not very extensive, I followed some recommendations that I found in various sources such as documentation of PMI Y blog. For example, having to provide so many details, it is preferable to place your projects with a longer duration. In addition, the description does not allow many characters, so you can complete: objective, role, and task by area of knowledge in an abbreviated way, looking like this: OBJ: Objective of the project, AS Role, IN tasks you performed during the initiation stage, PL tasks in planning, EX tasks in execution, CO tasks in control, CL closing tasks. |
| Education in Project Management | Only entities certified by PMI can be selected to provide the training, ensure that the place where you prepare has it. There is a wide range of courses, in my case I studied at GPM. |
Immediately after completing the application, you will be able to make the payment.
Step 2. Preparation
As in any exam, the preparation will depend on the level of knowledge and experience, without a doubt there is no standard formula because it depends on our ways of learning.
Although education in Project Management is mandatory, I will detail some additional study materials that were very useful to me:
- PMB OK
- Preparation Books:
- Simulators: There are a variety of question banks on the internet that will allow you to know your level of knowledge and prepare for an exam that will last more than four hours, I opted for QuizPM.
Step 3. Examination
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the exam can now be taken online, for which PMI sends detailed instructions after making the payment from its website.
In my case, I took the exam online and among the topics to take into account, I recommend:
- The exam lasts 270 minutes, so practicing with the simulators will be very helpful.
- They verify that there are no people or noise around you, making it ideal to give it up very early to ensure peace of mind.
- Use network cable connection.
- If you have questions, ask the support staff with whom you can communicate by chat (in English).
- Take advantage of the break, to clear yourself a bit. The exam is divided into two parts and has a five-minute break. Before the start of the break, you will be given some time to review your advanced answers.
- Knowing the ways in which we control ourselves under situations of stress or nerves will help us to take the exam calmly.
The results appear immediately and tell you whether or not you passed the exam. The details of your results appear later on the page where you take the exam and the virtual diploma arrives in a maximum of three days to your mail.
In case the result was not approved, you can take the exam again at a lower price and analyzing your results will serve to focus on the study gaps.
Step 4. Maintain certification
After passing the exam you must renew your certification through PDU's. Since it expires after three years, you can train, write articles, obtain other PMI certifications, among other ways that will allow you to stay current in knowledge and enjoy continuing to improve your projects.
Evelyn
July 06, 2023 - 12:42am
Super good Nate! Thanks for the info 👏🏻
Natalie
July 06, 2023 - 3:38am
Thank you!