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Project Management Institute (PMI)

The Project Management Institute (PMI) is a global nonprofit membership association, best known for its Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) and the Project Management Professional (PMP) credential. With more than 600,000 members in 208 countries, PMI is the world’s largest project management certification, and has certified more than 1 Million PMPs globally.

The PMI Certification Program began in the early 1980s with the PMP credential, and PMI has since added several other certifications. Its entry-level certification is the Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM). There are also several upper-level certifications that focus on program management, portfolio management, agile practices, risk management, business analysis and scheduling. Although no PMI credential is a mandatory prerequisite for any other PMI credential, you’ll see some suggested certification ladders later in this article.

Becoming a PMI member offers a lot of benefits, including access to digital editions of all PMI global standards and the PMBOK Guide, as well as discounts on certification exams and renewals. Anyone can apply for membership. There are three membership tiers available: individual, student and retiree. Individual membership costs $129 plus a $10 application fee. Individual members can renew annually for $129. Former members who are now retired can join for $65, and students pay only $32.

Project Management Book Of Knowledge (PMBOK)

The Project Management Book Of Knowledge (PMBOK) Guide is an accumulation of best practices and standards for project management. It is an entire combination of processes, best practices, terminologies, and guidelines that are accepted as standard within the project management industry. PMBOK is considered valuable for companies as it helps them standardize practices across various divisions, tailoring processes to suit specific needs, and prevent project failures.

The body of knowledge collection is constantly growing as practitioners around the world discover best practices or new methods, it must be regularly updated and disseminated, which is overseen by the Project Management Institute (PMI).

Initiating • Planning • Executing • Monitoring and Controlling • Closing
Integration • Scope • Schedule • Cost • Quality • Resource • Communications • Risk • Procurement • Stakeholder

Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)

The Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) certificate is PMI’s entry-level certification. It is ideal for people interested in a career in project management who have little relevant experience. Achieving the CAPM credential indicates you understand basic project management concepts, terminology and processes.

A candidate must pass a single multiple-choice exam. In addition, PMI requires a high school diploma (or equivalent) or associate’s degree along with 1,500 hours of project experience, or 23 hours of PM education, before taking the CAPM exam.

Project Management Professional (PMP)

The Project Management Professional (PMP) certificate is an aspiration for professional project managers. It is one of the most popular and respected project management certifications in the world (PMI reports more than 740,000 PMPs worldwide) and can boost your salary. It is also popular in information technology, human resources, sales and marketing. According to PMI’s Earning Power: Project Management Salary Survey, Eleventh Edition, PMPs earn a reported 22 percent more than non-PMP certified project managers.

The PMP requires a high school diploma or associate’s degree (or equivalent), and five years of project management experience with 7,500 hours or more spent leading projects, plus 35 hours of project management education. If you have a four-year degree or equivalent, it requires three years of project management experience with 4,500 hours or more spent leading projects plus 35 hours of PM education. In addition, all candidates must pass an exam.

Program Management Professional (PgMP)

The Program Management Professional (PgMP) certificate is aimed at program managers who can efficiently juggle several major projects simultaneously while meeting business objectives. Getting the PgMP certificate requires a high school diploma, associate’s degree or equivalent, 6,000 hours (four years) of project management experience, and 10,500 hours (seven years) of program management experience. You can also have a four-year degree or equivalent, 6,000 hours (four years) of project management experience, and 6,000 hours (four years) of program management experience. All experience must have been obtained over no more than 15 consecutive years.

In addition, candidates must submit an application documenting their professional experience, which is vetted by a formal review panel, and then pass a written exam.

Portfolio Management Professional (PfMP)

The Portfolio Management Professional (PfMP) credential holder manages business portfolios, aligning projects, programs and operations (portfolio components) with business objectives and priorities. Getting the PfMP certificate requires a high school diploma, associate’s degree or equivalent, and 10,500 hours (seven years) of portfolio management experience, or a four-year degree with 6,000 hours (four years) of portfolio management experience. Candidates must also have at least eight years of professional business experience. All experience must be obtained within 15 consecutive years.

As with the PgMP credential, candidates must submit an application and pass a written exam.

Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP)

The PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP) certificate is well versed in agile practices of project management and knows how to use appropriate tools and techniques efficiently. Candidates must have recent general project experience that includes 2,000 hours on project teams, although a current PMP or PgMP credential can be substituted. On top of that, recent agile project experience is required – 1,500 hours on agile project teams or with agile methodologies, along with 21 hours of training in agile practices. Project team experience must have been earned within the preceding five years, while agile-specific experience must be within the past three years.

PMI updated the PMI-ACP exam on March 26, 2018, to include terminology from the 2017 Agile Practice Guide.

Risk Management Professional (PMI-RMP)

The PMI Risk Management Professional (PMI-RMP) certificate recognizes individuals who plan and manage project risk strategy and processes, monitor and report on risk, and analyze special issues. Eligibility requirements include a high school diploma, associate’s degree or equivalent, 4,500 hours of project risk experience, and 40 hours of project risk management education. Or you can have a four-year degree or equivalent, 3,000 hours of project risk experience, and 30 hours of project risk management education.

Scheduling Professional (PMI-SP)

The PMI Scheduling Professional (PMI-SP) certificate is mostly needed in complex projects as they require an individual who focuses solely on creating and maintaining the schedule, ensuring resources are available. Getting the PMI-SP certificate requires a high school diploma, associate’s degree or equivalent, 5,000 hours of project scheduling experience, and 40 hours of project scheduling education. Alternatively, you can start with a four-year degree or equivalent, 3,500 hours of project scheduling experience, and 30 hours of project scheduling education. Candidates must also pass one exam.

Professional in Business Analysis (PMI-PBA)

The PMI Professional in Business Analysis (PMI-PBA) certificate closes the gap in one of the greatest contributing factors to project failure, which is poor requirements definition. Ensuring more accurate requirements definitions for all project stakeholders, which leads to improved business results and project outcomes.

To qualify, candidates must possess a high school diploma, associate’s degree or equivalent, plus 7,500 hours of business analysis experience, 2,000 hours project team experience and 35 hours of business analysis education. As an alternative, you must have a bachelor’s degree or equivalent, 4,500 hours of business analysis experience, 2,000 hours of project team experience, and 35 hours of business analysis education. All experience must have been obtained within the preceding eight years. Project team experience may be included within the 7,500 business analysis experience requirement, and the PMP or PgMP meet the project experience requirement. Candidates must also pass a written exam.

PMI Certifications

The PMI certifications is not a requirement for another PMI credential as a prerequisite, we suggest to begin with the CAPM or achieve the PMP for project management experience. Then, an individual with program management speciality could pursue the PgMP, or move into the PfMP if portfolio management is their expertise. Also, someone could branch out to the PMI-PBA for business analysis skills, or go ahead with PMI-SP for scheduling management practices, or the PMI-ACP for modern agile disciplines.

PMI Certifications Renewal

PMI allows credential holders to renew their certifications rather than repeating the entire application process, as with most certifications. The CAPM certification lasts for five years; credential holders must pass an exam to renew the certification. The PMP, PgMP, PfMP, PMI-ACP, PMI-SP and PMI-PBA credentials lasts for only three years. Depending on the certification, within the time period, renewing one of these credentials requires earning 30 to 60 Professional Development Units (PDUs), a one-hour blocks of time that an individual spends learning, teaching others, or volunteering. By accumulating and tracking these over your certification cycle, the credential holders can maintain their certification status with PMI. Based on the number of PDUs for maintenance, the PMP, PgMP, PfMP and PMI-PBA credentials all require 60 PDUs, while PMI-ACP, PMI-RPM and PMI-SP must obtain 30 PDUs to renew the credential.

Training and Resources

PMI maintains a comprehensive list of tools, training and other materials on its learning page. Topics include subjects such as agile practices, portfolio and requirements management, sustainability, estimating, governance, and risk management. Those seeking funding, grants, information on research events, case studies or instructor curriculums should explore PMI’s Academic Programs & Research page. PMI also maintains an updated list of Registered Education Providers (REPs) for practitioners looking for project management training and courses to earn PDUs. Moreover, project management practitioners looking for degreed programs can find a comprehensive list of approved programs at the Global Accreditation Centers (GAC) web page.

In addition to education-related resources, PMI offers resources for various leadership topics, such as portfolio, talent and benefits realization management, and access to its publications – PM Network, PMI Today and the Project Management Journal. PMI members also have access to more than 1,000 different project management tools and templates for presentations, project planning and more.

Jobs and Careers

Project management is an exciting field. PMI-certified project managers are highly sought after and valued by employers, which is reflected in their compensation. According to PMI’s job growth report, employers will look to fill around 2.2 million project-related jobs each year through 2027, with project managers earning an average of 82 percent more than their non PMI certified colleagues.

The best-known career path, particularly for CAPMs and PMPs just beginning their careers, is that of project manager. However, you’ll also find certified PMI professionals working as project coordinators, project schedulers, project management office directors or project managers for top-tier accounts. PMI-ACP certified practitioners frequently work as scrum masters or agile project managers. While more experienced practitioners, such as PgMPs and PfMPs, often find themselves managing and directing multiple programs or developing and managing strategic corporate portfolios. PMI-PBA certification holders frequently work in policy planning or business analyst roles. Project management professionals interested in managing and reducing risk may be attracted to roles such as value-based engineering coordinators and project managers or regulatory implementation and compliance. Regardless of your area of interest or preferred industry sector, project management-related careers abound, and the demand for PMI certified professionals is expected to remain strong.

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