The 21st century is the age of ruthless competition. To survive in this era of ruthlessness, you got to have the tools at your grasp. For a project manager, in the past, it was easy to get projects and jobs. But now, without proper certifications, you just cannot expect to get jobs. Also, if you want to grow your career as a project manager then certifications can really help your cause.
If you want to see your career grow at a rapid pace then Get PMP® Certification or Project Management Professional certification is what you need. Also, if you are looking for growth in your salary then PMP certification can really help you because a study has shown that the PMP certified professionals earn 23% more than the non-PMP certified professionals.
Now, you will be thinking about how you can get certified as a PMP professional. Well, there are some easy steps that you have to go through in order to get certified as a PMP professional and grow your career in the sector of project management. In this article, let’s have a look at those simple steps.
- Eligibility Criteria
The first and the foremost thing that you have to do in order to get PMP certification is to fulfil the eligibility criteria. Now, PMI or Project Management Institute is not asking for something which is very hard to fulfil for you as a project manager. As a matter of fact, PMI has kept the project management criteria to quite basic things and as a professional project manager; you are expected to meet that requirement quite easily. Let’s have a look at the requirement set by PMI for PMP certification. Now, before getting into the eligibility criteria, you should know that there are two scenarios in which you can be deemed as an eligible candidate for PMP certification:
Scenario 1
- Candidate must have a 4-year degree
- Project management experience of 36 months at least
- 4500 hours of experience in leading multiple projects
- Project management training of 35 hours
Scenario 2
- Candidate must have a secondary degree
- Project management experience of 60 months at least
- 7500 hours of experience in leading various projects
- Project management training of 35 hours
Here, you must note that you have to produce documented proof of the credentials specified in the eligibility criteria. Otherwise, you may not get deemed as an eligible candidate for the PMP certification.
- Become a Member of PMI
Now, many have argued that becoming a member of the Project Management Institute or PMI is not worth it. But, what you need to realize that becoming a member of the PMI has certain benefits. The first and the foremost thing that you will get after becoming the member of PMI is you can download the latest version of PMBOK® Guide (A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge). Apart from that, the PMP certification exam fee can really be costly. In this regard, you have to understand that once you become a member of PMI, you will also get a huge amount of discount with your PMP exam fee. So, if you don’t want to be a lifetime member of PMI then you can also become a member for the first year only. Also, local PMI chapter membership will allow you to take part in PMI workshops.
- Go for a PMP Course
Once you are a member of PMI, it is time for you to go for a PMP course from a registered education provider where you will be able to complete that quota of 35 hours of training. It is an important part of your journey of becoming a PMP certified professional. This training will also help you to clear the exam in one go. So, as a PMP certification aspirant, you have to make sure that you go through this course from a registered education provider. Otherwise, your training may not get counted as a fulfilment of eligibility criteria.
- Apply for the Exam
Once you are done with the training, it is now time for you to apply for the PMP certification exam. Well, the application process is a bit tricky and you have to be very careful while filling up the form. One silly mistake might result in cancellation of your application. To apply for the exam, you have to go to certification.pmi.org. After that, you have to pay for the exam fee. If you get audit mail then you will have to submit the documents asked in the audit. If you don’t get any audit mail then you will get an authorisation email and if you have got an audit mail which only 5% to 10% of the applicants get, once you complete the audit process and submit the document, you will get the authorization mail that will authorize you to sit for the exam.
- Read the PMBOK® Guide
PMBOK® Guide is the centre of the PMP examination. When you are attempting the PMP certification exam, PMBOK® Guide is something that you have to read and understand in a proper manner. If you don’t do that then it will become difficult for you to clear the exam. Basically, this reading and understanding of PMBOK® Guide will not only help you to clear the PMP certification exam but it will also help you to become a better project manager in your field. Once you understand the guidelines given in PMBOK® Guide, you can rest assured there will be no one stopping you.
- Schedule the PMP Exam
The authorization mail you get will have an authorization code which you will have to enter once you visit Prometric site to schedule your examination. After you have received the authorization mail, you will have 1 year within which you have to schedule your exam and sit for it. So, once you have got the authorization mail, head over to www.prometric.com and schedule your exam once you are ready for it.
- Take the Exam and Clear It
After scheduling the exam through Prometric, it is time for you to attempt it. You will get 3 attempts to pass the exam during the eligibility period. You will have to pay the exam retake fees for that. Once you start the exam, you will get 4 hours to complete the examination. You will be presented with 200 questions to answer them. The cut-off score of this exam fluctuates a lot. Once you are done with answering and submit your paper, you will get your result instantly. If you pass the exam then you can use PMP credentials from there onwards to improve your career.
Final Thoughts
Finally, this is the entire rundown of the process you have to follow, in order to become a PMP certified project manager. There is no doubt that the journey is tough but the rewards you will get once you complete this journey. You will be able to achieve staggering growth in your career as a project manager once you get the certification. So, embark on this journey of PMP certification because you can rest assured your hard work will pay off.
