PMP PDU Requirements for Maintaining Your PMP Credential

PMP® Certification is among the best project management courses in the world. Getting a PMP certification takes some time and effort apart from the required academic and professional experience.  The purpose of the training is not only to familiarize the candidate with project management concepts, but it should also give the candidate an understanding of how to apply the concepts in real projects. 35 hours of training by one of PMI’s authorized training partners (ATP) is also one of the requirements you need to fulfil before taking the PMP Exam. 

You will need to understand the concepts and practices in project management, learn how to apply them, make a learning plan, and prepare yourself for the PMP exam. Once you clear the PMP exam you can call yourself a Project Management Professional. Completing 35 PDUs is a requirement for the PMP Exam. The PMP certification comes with a three-year validity period. You do not have to take the PMP exam again to keep your certification valid. You could retain your certification by earning PMI PDUs. PDUs are Professional Development Units issued by PMI. You are required to earn 60 PDUs in three years to be able to retain your PMP certification. In this article, we will learn about how you can earn PDUs and maintain your PMP certification. You will earn 35 PDUs in the PMP training and certification program. Please remember that these PDUs do not contribute towards the PDU requirement for certification renewal.

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Types of PMI PDUs

PMI PDUs are broadly classified into two. Education and Giving Back to the Profession. There are different methods through which one can earn these PDUs.  

• Education PDUs

These are PDUs you can attain by attending a PMI authorized training program. 1 hour of learning is considered equivalent to 1 PDU. You need a total of 60 PDUs over the course of three years to retain your PMP certification. You are allowed to earn the full 60 PDUs this way. You will need to earn at least 35 Education PDUs.  

• Giving Back to the Profession PDUs

You can participate in a PMI event or volunteer for PMI to gain PDUs. You are allowed to gain only 25 out of the required 60 PDUs under this method. 

Best Practices for Satisfying PMP PDU Requirements

To be eligible for the PMP exam you will need to have 35 PDUs. The PMP Training program is scheduled for 35 hours. You could gain the required PDUs by using this method. There is relaxation for this requirement if you are holding a valid CAPM® certification. In this case you do not need any PDUs to attempt the PMP Exam.

There is a breakup of how the PDUs should be earned to retain your PMP Certification.  PMI has the concept of a PMI Talent Triangle®. They have identified three areas of knowledge that need to get covered for retaining your certification. It is displayed as an image where each area has an equal importance.

You need a minimum of 35 education PDUs. You can opt to get the remaining 25 PDUs in the same way or opt to get it as Giving Back to the Profession PDUs.  

Within the 35 PDUs you require a minimum of 8 hours in each category. That brings us to 24 PDUs, the rest of the 11 PDUs can be attained from any category. 

Technical knowledge refers to domain specific topics that are related to project, program, or portfolio management. These include the technical needs you will need to perform your job. 

Leadership refers to the knowledge and skills needed to direct, motivate and to give guidance to others to meet project goals. 

Strategic and Business Management refers to the proficiency you have in terms of organization and industry. It refers to the ability to drive better outcomes and drive performance.  

You can review the course that you have done or the ones you plan to do from this perspective to ensure that you include at least 8 PDUs from each of the three categories. 

If you are opting to get Giving Back to Profession PDUs you will need to ensure that only up to 8 PDUs can be earned towards recertification by practicing your skills in a professional setting. 

The remaining PDUs will need to be earned through: 

• Creating content like blogs, articles, videos or giving webinars  
• Giving a presentation or giving a talk at a PMI event or conference 
• Spending time mentoring and teaching others 
• Volunteering for PMI

PMP PDU Requirements for PMP Certification Renewal

There are plenty of training providers that offer online PMP course training. Look for courses that guide you even beyond certification. Apart from earning the 60 required PDUs in the way explained above. PMI also requires you to pay a recertification fee. This fee will be discounted if you are a PMI member. You can check the rate at your location on PMI’s page.  

9 Ways to Fulfill Your PMP PDU Requirements 

The diverse options available to earn PDUs can get a little confusing. So let us look at each of the options available. There are a multitude of options available because PMI wants you to explore your areas of interest and add skills that will help you in your particular industry. 

1. PMI’s Knowledge Shelf 

PMI Knowledge Shelf is a part of PMI’s virtual library. It is a learning resource through which you can improve your understanding of concepts and clarify the doubts you have. 

2. PMI Publication Quizzes  

PMI Publication quizzes are also an interesting way to earn PDUs.  

3. Volunteer Service

Volunteering for PMI can give to Giving Back to the Profession PDUs. This does not cost anything except your time and effort. 

4. Registered Education Provider (R.E.P.) Courses 

This option lets you take up certification courses by PMI’s Registered Education Partners (REP) 

5. PMI Global Congresses  

PMI Global Congresses are events through which you can earn more PDUs. Check PMI’s Events page to see if you have any upcoming events that you can attend. 

6. PMI Community Offerings

Becoming a PMI member will allow you to gain access to a wide range of events through which you could earn PDUs for free. 

7. Professional Activities   

Practicing PMP concepts at your workplace will let you earn up to 8 Giving Back to the Profession PDUs 

8. Self-Directed Learning  

These are courses you can do on your own where you can earn PDUs at your convenience. 

9. Educational Programs by Outside Providers  

PMI recognizes some organizations not registered with PMI to deliver courses that also contribute to earning PDUs. 

Earn Free PDU for PMP Renewal 

There are several ways to earn free PDUs. Creating content, speaking at PMI events, volunteering for PMI etc. are all legitimate ways to earn PDUs. Earning Giving Back to the Profession PDUs are limited to a maximum of 25. You can earn this in a lot of separate ways including by practicing PMP concepts at work (capped at a maximum of 8 hours). 

To earn 35 or more Education PDUs you can attend instructor led sessions that are recorded or live. Some of the online courses are available for free even if you are not a PMI member. You can claim all 60 PDUs over 3 years to renew your PMP certification.

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Claim Your PDUs 

All the PDUs you earn will have to be uploaded to PMI’s Continuing Certification Requirements System (CCRS) to meet the PMP renewal PDU requirement. Login to PMI’s CCRS page to start your recertification process.  

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Renewal Process for PMP Certification 

KnowledgeHut’s online PMP course provides training and helps you prepare for the PMP exam. It will also help you understand what is needed to maintain the PMP certification. 

After logging in PMI’s CCRS page you can log the PDUs you have earned in the respective category. Proceed to renew your certification by paying the certification renewal fee. 

Your certification gets renewed for three more years. 

Renewal Fees 

PMP Certification renewal fees vary from location to location. You get a significant discount if you are a PMI member. Please find the fees applicable in your area on PMI’s page.  

What Option is Best for PMP Certification Renewal? 

There is no correct answer to this question. How you choose to earn PDUs is up to you and your needs and interests. If you are interested in earning a higher certification you can earn plenty of PDUs and retain your PMP certification as well. 

If you do not have the time to spare to enroll in a course you can attend webinars or take up self-directed learning to earn your PDUs. You can always supplement our PDUs by volunteering, teaching others, practicing PMP concepts, and creating content. The purpose of recertification is to ensure continuous learning. You get to pick how to achieve that learning based on what is useful to you. Whatever method you choose make sure it meets all the specific requirements by examining the breakup of activities.