PMP® Certification
The Step-by-Step Process

On this page: About – Prerequisites – The Preparation and Exam Process – The 35h Seminar – The Application at PMI – Mentored, Self-Directed Learning – The Exam – Exam Success

About the PMP Certification

SPONSORING OPPORTUNITIES FOR EMPLOYERS

In these rose-colored text boxes, I recommend sponsoring opportunities for employers. There is also a downloadable version.

Interested in my PMP prep class? Download the Data Sheet here.

The certification to become a Project Management Professional (PMP) is challenging. Its main target audience is project managers in internal, cross-functional projects.

However, it is also very effective in improving cross-corporate project business on both sides:

Contractors
– winning and performing more profitable projects
– happier customers

Customers
– better standing towards vendors in the project

Other groups that benefit from the PMI certification are

PMO personnel
Freelancers
Consultants in project management/project business management

This page describes the process and how an employer can successfully help sponsor the PMP certification for employees. It reflects the certification process of August 3, 2021. PMI reserves the right to change the process at any time. In such cases, this page will be updated ASAP, so come back from time to time and check for updates.

The graph below shows the astonishing success of the PMP certification since it became available globally. When will you join this success story?

This free help augments your preparation training.
To find a date and book a seat in an open preparation seminar, please click here.

To enquire about corporate in-house training, click here.

Step 1: Prerequisites

SPONSORING OPPORTUNITIES FOR EMPLOYERS

Assure your project managers that you are prepared to sponsor the certification process in both money and time.
Bring in experts to help your employees selected for certification understand the prerequisites and pre-screen their work history to assess whether they meet these requirements.
Give your project managers confidence in your full support during the entire process.

In short: Begin the process with the exam in mind, but do one step after the other.

PMI defined four groups of candidates. In case of uncertainty, we help candidates assign themselves to the right group and pre-assess their experience. (Ask here)

Group 1: Individuals holding a secondary degree

Such as
– high school diploma,
– associate degree, or
– global equivalent
Experience required in managing projects:
– 60 months
– Maximum verification period prior to application: 8 years
Specific project management education: 35 contact hours*

Group 2: Individuals holding a four-year degree

Such as
– a bachelor’s degree or
– a global equivalent
Experience required in managing projects:
– 36 months
– Maximum verification period prior to application: 8 years
Specific project management education: 35 contact hours*

Group 3: Individuals holding a degree from a GAC** accredited program

Such as
– GAC bachelor or
– GAC post-graduate
Experience required in managing projects:
– 24 months
– Maximum verification period prior to application: 8 years
Specific project management education: 35 contact hours*

Group 4: Individuals holding the CAPM certificate

Candidates must fulfill the requirement of 60 or 36 months experience in project management (see Groups 1 and 2).
No further requirements must be met.

Source: PMP Examination Content Outline, p. 11
_______________

*: My PMP seminar meets this requirement.
**: GAC Global Accreditation Center, a PMI unit accrediting Academic education programs

This free help augments your preparation training.
To find a date and book a seat in an open preparation seminar, please click here.

To enquire about corporate in-house training, click here.

The Preparation and Examination Process

The typical process to become PMP-certified:

Note: The PMP Study Workbook is a condensed replacement for the voluminous original PMI literature. It comes with my classroom and online seminars.

This free help augments your preparation training.
To find a date and book a seat in an open preparation seminar, please click here.

To enquire about corporate in-house training, click here.

Step 2: The 35h Seminar

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Arrange a seminar program inhouse for a group of three or more attendees; or alternatively, sponsor the participation of individuals in an open class at a training provider.
If you are interested in our program, download the seminar datasheet.
Select a trainer who will be there for your employees not only during the seminar but for the entire process until they start the exam; and make sure the person is knowledgeable about PMI and the exam.
Assure your project managers that failing the test is not a problem but dropping out would be.
PMI uses CREDLY badges to help validate that a person is certified. If you chose a trainer, check if the person is an Authorized Training Partner Instructor for PMP classes.

In short: Make sure you get the best value for the money you are prepared to invest in your project managers.

PMP Prep Seminar

PMI accepts 35 contact hours seminars performed by

Training providers
– ATP-accredited*
– non-ATPs
Companies as trainer-led on-site training
Trainer-led virtual seminars
Mixed on-site/virtual classes

Not accepted:

“On-demand” classes that are not trainer-led
Books
Videos

A typical PMP preparation class is 35 hours from Monday to Friday, 7 contact hours a day (+ 1h lunch break).

Internal seminars may be split in two sessions, e.g. 2 days and 3 days.

*: ATP – Authorized Training Partners

Source: PMP Examination Content Outline, p. 13

Find our PMP Seminar Data Sheet here.

This free help augments your preparation training.
To find a date and book a seat in an open preparation seminar, please click here.

To enquire about corporate in-house training, click here.

Step 3: The Application at PMI

SPONSORING OPPORTUNITIES FOR EMPLOYERS

Ensure that a trainer is available for mentoring – helping the candidate to write an application that will be accepted by PMI.
Further, ensure that the trainer will be available for mentoring in case of issues during the application and testing process and that the person is experienced and sufficiently connected with PMI to help resolve the issues.
Sponsor at least one year of membership at PMI ($139). This cost will be paid back through a discount for the exam of $150.
Membership comes with benefits, such as the free download of core documents (PMBOK Guide 7th Ed., Agile Practice Guide, and more).

In short: Create an environment that allows the candidates to give their best.

The application is done fully online.

The candidates must state

details on the highest education achieved (High school, bachelor, Master, etc.)
the provider of the 35 contact hours project management education
project experience (detailed description)

and accept the PMI Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct as binding.

This LinkedIn article gives some hints at filling in the application:

Membership at PMI:

We strongly recommend joining PMI as a member before submission of the application, to utilize the discount for members and get access to free PDF versions of source books:

PMBOK Guide 7th Edition
Agile Practice Guide
Process Groups: A Practice Guide
If necessary: Translations

Next Steps after Submission of the Application:

Possibly: Audit by PMI
A certain percentage of applications is audited by PMI. In such case, written confirmations of the information submitted online with the application must be submitted to PMI’s HQs.
Eligibility confirmed by PMI
Payment
– $655 for non-members*
– $405 for members*
– for more details see the PMI Certifications Handbook, p. 22
Eligibility ID submitted by PMI
Exam seat to be scheduled either from your personal PMI dashboard or directly at Pearson Vue using the eligibility ID generated by PMI.

Eligibility period: 12 months
Max attempts during this period: 3

*: Exam fees in Germany. Some countries have other fees.

The dashboard at https://my.pmi.org

This free help augments your preparation training.
To find a date and book a seat in an open preparation seminar, please click here.

To enquire about corporate in-house training, click here.

Step 4: Mentored, Self-Directed Learning

SPONSORING OPPORTUNITIES FOR EMPLOYERS

Ensure that the trainer has practice questions for the candidates for self-studies after the seminar and is available for help when the candidates need it.
Sponsor additional practice questions in the form of books or simulators.
Allow time for self-directed studies by the candidates.
Free practice tests and exam simulators can be found at
https://oliverlehmann.com/free/free-pmp-practice-questions
Our seminar includes access for students to the PM Prepcast Simulator. See our seminar datasheet.

In short: Ensure the preparation support goes on after the class.

After the seminar, the candidate will spend some time (recommended ~100hs) to read the source literature and work with other materials, such as:

Books
Practice questions

A reading list with the sections from the books that are essential for learning can be found at https://oliverlehmann.com/free/free-resources#list.

Note: My students receive a complementary PMP Study workbook that condenses the self-study phase and allows a stronger focus on working with practice questions.

Tons of free practice questions are available at
https://oliverlehmann.com/free/free-pmp-practice-questions.

Candidates looking for practice questions in other languages can use this collection with translation service (Membership benefit of academia.edu): https://www.academia.edu/50125301/180_PMP_Practice_Questions_2021_Edition_.

Ideally, the candidate should be able to ask the trainer when uncertainties or issues emerge during this period of self-study.

Also helpful is the “Project Management Certification Central” study group on LinkedIn, where practice questions are analyzed and discussed and candidates report their experience after the exam.

Further recommended:

Practice the Pearson VUE whiteboard

This free help augments your preparation training.
To find a date and book a seat in an open preparation seminar, please click here.

To enquire about corporate in-house training, click here.

Step 5: The Exam

SPONSORING OPPORTUNITIES FOR EMPLOYERS

For online proctored testing:
Provide a place for the candidate with a stable Internet connection and protection from disruptions during testing hours.
For examination in a testing center:
Consider the exam time working hours. The candidate has been directed by the employer to do the exam.

In short: Support the exam as much as you supported the preparation.

The exam will take 230 minutes. If you take the two 10-minute breaks, the duration will be 250 minutes.

There are two options:

Test at work or home in the form of Online Proctored Testing
Test at a Pearson Vue testing center (see image below)

A third option, paper-based testing, is available in exceptional cases.

Certain rules apply to protect the integrity of the exam. PMI will give you the details of these rules once you are eligible.

The exam can be taken in various languages; see PMI Certifications Handbook, page 6.

Inside a Vue testing center

This free help augments your preparation training.
To find a date and book a seat in an open preparation seminar, please click here.

To enquire about corporate in-house training, click here.

Step 6: Exam Success

SPONSORING OPPORTUNITIES FOR EMPLOYERS

Celebrate the success with your employee. This is his/her success, but show how much you value it.
Print business cards and other stationery with the acronym “PMP” behind the name.
Update corporate HR databases to make the title visible to the entire organization.
Inform customers, shareholders, and other stakeholders.

In short: Show your employee how much you value their achievements.

Interested in my PMP prep class? Download the Data Sheet here.

A score report as presented by PMI after the exam

Directly at the end of the exam, the candidate receives a preliminary score report, which states whether the person has passed or failed. The final score report (image above) will follow some days later after a forensic analysis PMI performs to identify fraudulent behavior,

In case of a “Pass” mark, the candidate is now PMP certified. The candidate is entitled to change public profiles and letter/mail signatures, print business cards, etc.

PMI will also include the person in