Did you get PMP® certified? Congratulations! It is not an easy feat to go through all the hard work in order to get your PMP certification. But your credential is valid for only three years. You must participate in the Continuing Certification Requirements (CCR) program of PMI to keep your credentials active.
As a PMP® credential holder, it is recommended by the Project Management Institute (PMI) to earn 60 PDUs (Professional Development Units) every three years. The CCR program encourages every PMP® certified professional to undergo educational and professional development activity. One PDU is equivalent to one hour of time that you spend in a Professional Development activity. There are multiple ways to earn these PDUs.
Maintain your PMP® certification with CCR and PDUs
Earning your PMP® certification is a big step but maintaining it should not be a big issue for you. The Continuing Certification Requirements (CCR) program offered by PMI is designed for you to grow and develop the skills that organisations are seeking in the present market scenario and at the same time you can maintain your certification status.
CCR is an easy-to-use online tool through which you can report your PDUs. The Professional Development Units (PDUs) can be calculated in blocks of one hour of time that you spend by learning, teaching others, or volunteering. You can maintain your PMP® certification status with PMI by accumulating and tracking these PDUs over a three-year period.
You need to earn 60 PDUs in order to maintain your PMP® certification exam. You can claim the required PDUs in two forms. They are:
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PMP® Certification renewal fees
Once you meet the PDU requirements of CCR, you can complete the renewal process of your credential at any point of the cycle. You will receive an electronic notification to apply for PMP renewal after PMI confirms that you have met the PDU requirements. You will be directed to submit the renewal fee payment on the online certification system as soon as you receive the notification. You should keep in mind that you must submit the payment in no later than 90 days after your cycle end date.
The CCR renewal fee for members and non-members are as follows:
PMI Membership Status | CCR Renewal Fee |
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PMI member | $60 |
Non-member | $150 |
Ways to earn PDUs through Educational activities - PMI Talent Triangle™
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Research shows that the ideal skill set which the practitioners need to possess should comprise of technical, leadership, and strategic and business management competency. This is called the PMI Talent Triangle™. These competencies can be explained as:
- Technical project management: This competency comprises of the knowledge, skills, and behaviors related to specific domains of Project, Program, and Portfolio Management.
- Leadership: This competency comprises of the knowledge, skills, and behavior specific to leadership-oriented, cross-cutting activities that help an organisation to achieve its business goal.
- Strategic and business management: This competency includes the knowledge and expertise required in the industry or an organisation that enhances performance and delivers the business outcomes in a better way.
The project management professional (PMP) course and activities included under the three components of the PMI Talent Triangle™ for the candidates to meet the 60 PDU bundle requirement prescribed by PMI are as follows:
Technical | Leadership | Strategic and Business Management |
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Life Cycle Management | Coaching & Mentoring | Customer relationship & satisfaction |
Time, Scope, Risk Management | Problem Solving | Benefits Realisation |
Estimation | Team Building | Legal & Regulatory compliance |
Agile Practices | Emotional Intelligence | Strategic planning & analysis |
Governance | Conflict Management | Operational Functions |
Data gathering and modeling | Brainstorming | Business acumen |
Earned value management | Influencing | Competitive analysis |
Performance Management | Listening | Market awareness |
| Interpersonal skills | Business models and structures |
You can choose from one of the following options under Education in order to earn the 35 PDUs under the CCR program offered by the Project Management Institute (PMI)®:
1. Course or Training
The online PMP certification course or training refers to the Instructor-led formal education courses or classes held in-person or online. Taking up the educational training courses is one of the effective and traditional ways to learn. You can choose the best-suited option from the plethora of options offered by PMI and third-party providers across the globe to earn 1 PDU of every hour of instruction:
- PMP certification courses offered by a PMI Registered Education Provider (R.E.P)
- Face-to-face and instructor-led courses from PMI SeminarsWorld®
- Educational events held by PMI chapter
- Academic education through programs accredited by the PMI Global Accreditation Center (GAC)
- Courses offered by other third-party providers
- E-learning On Demand courses.
2. Organisation Meetings
The activities, meetings, and local events are referred to as organisation meetings which provide you with an opportunity to learn and network with the other professionals. You can earn 1 to 2 PDUs by attending the events organised by PMI throughout the year.
3. Online or Digital Media
This comprises of the self-paced learning conducted online or through varied forms of digital media. You can customise your learning and educational opportunities according to your needs and suitability with the help of technology. There are numerous educational webinars, videos, and other types of digital content available online and on demand. You can earn 1 PDU by attending 1 hour of learning. The opportunities available through these resources are as follows:
- ProjectManagement.com
- PMI Online Courses
- PMI Registered Education Providers (R.E.P.s).
4. Read
Did you know that you can earn PDUs for your CCR by reading? Yes, you can do that through self-directed reading that is relevant to your PMP® certification. Reading is one of the valuable components of learning and there are numerous reading resources available that is related to the profession. You can choose from articles, books, whitepapers, or blogs to keep yourself updated in order to support your ongoing professional development.
5. Informal Learning
You can also earn PDUs to maintain your PMP® certification by taking part in educational opportunities which focus on structured discussions. Sometimes, you get to learn from interaction with others. Also, 1 hour of learning under informal learning is equivalent to 1 PDU.
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Ways to earn PDUs by giving back to the profession
You can expand your knowledge and skills both personally and professionally while earning your PDUs to maintain your PMP® certification by giving back to the profession. This can prove to be a unique and great way to expand your horizons.
Choose from the following ways to earn your PDUs by giving back to the profession:
1. Work as a Practitioner
You can claim 8 PDUs per cycle by working as a practitioner and working in a domain area related to your certification. This enables you to apply your skills and knowledge in a practical setting. It also allows you to contribute to sustaining and growing the profession. These PDUs are only applicable to your current cycle and cannot be transferred.
2. Create Content
Did you know that you can give back to the profession by creating content? Yes, you can earn PDUs to maintain your PMP® certification by creating new knowledge resources for practitioners as well as the public at large. You can share your insight and knowledge with others and contribute to their ongoing learning by developing knowledge resources. You can earn 1 PDU by spending 1 hour on creating content and can create new content in the following ways:
- Authoring books
- Writing articles or blogs
- Creating webinars or presentations.
3. Giving a Presentation
There are many occasions like PMI chapter event, professional conference, or within your organisation where you can give a formal presentation to others and share the knowledge which you have gained during your PMP® certification journey. You can earn 1 PDU by spending 1 hour in giving a presentation.
4. Share Knowledge
You can help others learn and grow by sharing your domain knowledge. You also contribute towards the growth of the profession and enhance the practices that are essential to your certified role by sharing your skills with others. Even if you are involving yourself in mentoring, teaching, or applying your subject matter knowledge towards an activity, but others will be benefited from your experience and perspective.
5. Volunteer
PMI has an active community of thousands of volunteers who offer their support to the Institute and the profession by working in a wide range of roles. You can earn PDUs to maintain your PMP® certification by offering your domain-related services as a volunteer to non-employer or non-client organisations. 1 hour of volunteer service is equivalent to 1 PDU.
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Volunteering options offered by PMI
Are you trying to figure out a volunteering option to meet your CCR? There are numerous ways in which you can advance your career by contributing to PMI as a volunteer. These volunteering opportunities encompass a wide range of skills, interests, and goals.
PMI helps you to search for volunteering opportunity easily around the world with the help of their Volunteer Relationship Management System (VRMS). So, pick the right opportunity for you from the following options:
- PMI Board of Directors
- Board Support Committees
- PMI Educational Foundation (PMIEF)
- Member Advisory Groups (MAGs)
- Region Mentors
- Standards Committees
- Exam Development Volunteers
- PMI Awards Evaluators
- Presenters at PMI Events
- PMI Publication Reviewers (Knowledge Shelf, Bookstore reviewers, Project Management Journal® reviewers)
- Chapter Volunteers.
PMI Local Chapters
Become a member of your local PMI Chapter by paying a registration fee of $129 and a joining fee of $10 and take advantage of the knowledge and networking offered by it. The benefits of joining the local PMI Chapter are as follows:
1. Get access to the inner circle of local Project Managers
Grow your network with the other professionals who are driving the field of project management forward. The group might vary from those who have just started to those at the top of their careers.
2. Get easy access to exclusive events and seminars
Attend the chapter meetups and special guest talks to learn about the approach to facing new challenges from the professionals who have overcome similar obstacles in the past.
3. Discover relevant job opportunities
Get an opportunity to build your network with the local Project Management Professionals and get connections in companies located in your area to find new opportunities.
To wrap it up
Every professional has got different goals and interests, in the same way, there are different types of requirements across various industries. As you have read above, PMI offers a plethora of opportunity to you in order to meet the CCR program, enabling you to explore new options and new avenues.
You can choose the opportunities from education and giving back to the profession that suits you the best in order to fulfill the 60 PDU requirements to maintain your PMP® certification. You can read more about the Continuing Certification Requirements (CCR) by clicking here. Going further, getting a PMI membership exposes you to multiple opportunities which you can take in order to meet your CCR requirements.