Once you get PMP® certified, you need to earn a certain number of PDUs in order to maintain your certification credentials. What are PDUs? PDUs or Professional Development Units are a part of PMI’s Continuing Certification Requirements (CCR) program which you need to earn every three years once your certification credentials expire. PDUs are one-hour blocks of time that you spend learning, teaching others, or volunteering.
You need to gain 60 PDUs to maintain your Project Management Professional (PMP)® certification. PMI Talent Triangle™ offers you the opportunity to continue your learning and development process by aligning it with the PDUs which you need to earn to renew your certification credentials. Also, you need to choose between the opportunities and ways provided under education and giving back to the profession to earn these PDUs. Once you earn these PDUs, you need to claim them to earn your online PMP certification.
8 steps to claim your Education PDUs
It is mandatory for you to submit and claim your PDUs in order to earn your PMP® certification. The most efficient way to record your PDUs is by using CCRS. In order to maintain active certification status, you need to record your PDUs and complete the renewal process. You can claim your PDUs in these 8 easy steps:
1. Log in to PMI.org.
You need to log in to the PMI website using your login credentials. Once you log in, you need to click on ‘Report PDUs’.
2. Course or training
In the next landing page, you need to click on ‘Course or Training’ under Education.
3. Enter the name of a provider
Once you enter the name of a provider, the system looks for PMI-approved providers within the search. However, you are also allowed to enter a third-party provider’s name into the field.
You need to select a provider from the list in order to get pre-approved activity information in the claim form. But if you have taken a course or activity offered by a third-party vendor which is not pre-approved by PMI® for its PDUs, you just need to type the name of the provider into the field and do not select any provider from the list.
4. Select a PMI-approved provider
Once you select a PMI-approved provider, CCRS will only return the training or courses that are already associated with that provider.
Typing three letters into the Activity field will search for any activity which matches in the CCRS directory. Do not select any activity from the list if you have taken a course or training activity from a third-party vendor, as it will pre-populate the rest of the form with the information from a pre-approved provider and activity. You just simply need to type the activity name into the field.
5. Fill the remaining fields on this form
- If you have taken training with a PMI® approved provider then you just need to select the dates of the activity. Once you select the provider and activity from the list, the other activity details will be pre-populated into the claim form.
- You need to complete all the fields to provide the details for the claim is you have taken education activities offered by third-party vendors who are not pre-approved by PMI®.
6. Enter or modify the PDUs that align with the PMI Talent Triangle™
- You can modify the Talent Triangle™ PDU values for PMI-approved activities that are pre-populated in the claim form is you didn’t stay for the entire activity. You may modify Talent Triangle™ PDUs to values below the maximum limit for the activity.
- You need to manually enter PDU values under the Technical skill area if you have taken training from any third-party provider. Again, you need to enter PDU values for Leadership and Strategic skill areas manually. If you hold multiple certifications, these PDUs will automatically be shared across all your certifications.
7. Agree
In the next step, you need to click on ‘I agree this claim is accurate’.
8. Submit
Once you agree to the terms, you need to submit your PDU claim. Once you click on the ‘Submit’ button, you will receive a transaction notification which shows multiple Claim IDs for multiple certifications and allows you to print the notification or continue to reporting another claim.
Steps to claim ‘Working in the Profession’ PDUs
As a PMI® member, you can earn PDUs for working in the profession in numerous ways. Few of them are as follows:
- Create new content: You can earn PDUs for maintaining your PMP® certification credentials by writing project management books and articles for professional print or electronic publications. You can also write blogs for your company or organisation, or present a podcast or webinar.
- Volunteer Service: Provide professional services to an organisation or group outside your employer in order to earn the required PDUs for maintaining your PMP® credentials. This might include any elected offices that you hold for a project management organisation. PMI® offers numerous volunteer opportunities too.
- Doing your job: You can also claim PDUs by practicing project management professionally. You can maintain your credentials by working as a project manager every day.
Follow the below steps to claim your PDUs under ‘Working in the Profession’:
Step 1: You need to log in to the PMI® website using your log-in credentials to claim your PDUs for working in the profession and select ‘Report PDUs’ and Cat F for the PDU category and click on ‘Next’. But you will need to ensure the following in order to complete the PDU request:
- Workplace name
- Workplace address
- Date started
- Date completed
- Number of hours completed
- Further, you need to consider the Processes and Knowledge Areas that you use in your practice and be prepared to select each of those.
Step 2: If you see your name at the top of the landing page that means, you have successfully logged in.
Step 3: In the next step, you need to select ‘Maintain your certification: Earn and report PDUs’ which will appear on the drop-down list once you hover over ‘Certification’. Or, select myPMI.
Step 4: The above step will take you to a CCRS landing page where you need to select ‘Category F’ in the PDU category.
Step 5: Once you do that, you will land on a complete detail page where you need to select ‘Next’.
Step 6: In the next page, you will see that 5 PDUs are already displayed in the blank. You just need to click ‘Next’.
Step 7: Now you need to click on ‘Agree’ and then click on ‘Submit’ to claim your 5 PDUs.
Step 8: Once you complete the process, check your e-mail for confirmation from PMI®, as you should receive an e-mail from PMI.org indicating that you have successfully submitted your PDU request. This e-mail will be sent to the address which you have provided in your PMI.org profile.
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Ways to earn PDUs
You need to earn a total of 60 PDUs under the Continuing Certification Requirement (CCR) program. You can earn them by choosing the opportunities provided under:
- Education
- Giving back to the profession.
The following opportunities are offered by PMI® in order to earn the required PDUs in order to maintain your PMP® certification credentials:
1. Course or Training
You can earn PDUs by participating in educational training courses through instructor-led formal education courses or classes held in-person or online. It is a traditional and effective way to learn.
2. Organisation Meetings
You can attend professional meetings organised by Local PMI® chapters and third parties in order to gain the opportunity to learn and also to network as well as earn PDUs.
3. Online or Digital Media
You can customise learning and educational opportunities by choosing self-paced learning conducted online or through varied forms of digital media. This also allows you to earn PDUs to meet the CCR program needs.
4. Read
Earn PDUs by reading books, articles, whitepapers, or blogs and stay informed along with supporting your ongoing professional development.
5. Informal Learning
Even productive interaction with others can help you to earn PDUs in order to maintain your PMP® credential. For example, mentoring sessions or participating in a ‘lunch and learn’ session with your organisation.
You can earn the required PDUs for maintaining your PMP® certification credentials by choosing from the following opportunities available under Giving Back to the Profession:
1. Work as a practitioner
You get to apply your knowledge and skills in a practical setting each day while you work in a domain area related to your certification. This also allows you to earn PDUs in order to meet the CCR requirements.
2.Giving a presentation
You can use this opportunity to earn PDUs by giving a formal presentation to others and share the knowledge that relates to your certification.
3. Share knowledge
Sharing your domain knowledge to help others learn and grow can also provide you with the opportunity to earn PDUs to maintain your PMP® certification credential. You can either choose to mentor or teach or apply your subject matter knowledge towards activity in order to benefit others with your experience and perspective.
PMI®’s CCR Process
The following steps are involved in the process of your participation in the CCR program:
| Step 1 | Earn a PMI certification
Your CCR cycle begins on the day you pass your PMP® exam and lasts for 3 years.
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Step 2 | Participate in professional development activities
You need to take part in professional development activities in order to earn PDUs.
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Step 3
| Record and report PDUs
You need to submit your PDU claims for your certification through the CCR system (CCRS).
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| Step 4 | Fulfill CCR requirements
You need to earn enough PDUs in order to meet the CCR requirements for your certification.
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| Step 5 | Complete CCR application and pay renewal fee
You’ll receive information from PMI for renewal and provide payment.
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| Step 6 | CCR Renewal Complete
You need to follow guidelines in order to continue maintaining your certification.
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To conclude
PDUs, clearly, are an integral part of your PMP® certification journey. But you can’t restrict your activities or actions to just earning these PDUs. You need to claim these PDUs to avoid your certification credentials from getting invalid. You need to gain 60 PDUs within a period of three years in order to maintain the validity of your PMP® certification.
PMI®’s Continuing Certification Requirements (CCR) program supports your ongoing educational and professional development. There are various suggested opportunities and ways under CCR that allows you to earn the required PDUs to maintain your PMP® certification credential. One PDU is worth one hour of your project management training. You need to earn 35 PDUs under education and 25 PDUs under giving back to the profession. As a PMP® certified professional, you can claim your PDUs by visiting PMI®’s website.
