Want to become a project management professional? Here is the step-by-step guide to getting PMP® certification - a globally recognized project management certificate.
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| PMP Certification |
How to Get Project Management Professional Certification: Step-by-Step Guide to Become a PMP
What is Project Management?
Project management is defined as setting specific goals and then planning, implementing, controlling, and completing that work by achieving the defined criteria for success. Successful project management is achieved when project objectives are achieved within specific conditions, such as: scope, time, quality, and budget.
The project is the pursuit of a specific goal that aims to produce a distinctive product or service compatible with the customer's goals.
Project management is determined by setting a specific beginning and end, so it is necessary to know the conditions for obtaining pmp training and certification, which will work on managing the production method and developing technical skills and distinguished management strategies.
What Does a Project Manager Do?
A project manager plays the lead role in planning, executing, monitoring, controlling, and closing projects.
Project managers organize and plan work teams in order to facilitate the achievement of project objectives. Their work starts with training in project management or as part of a team and with their attention to detail, excellent communication skills, and seeking to know the requirements for obtaining a project management professional certification in order to increase their management capabilities.
The project manager's job is to organize; Therefore, the project manager must ensure that each of the management’s plans works in the correct form, at the correct time, and in conformity with other departments.
In order to complete the project on schedule, it must monitor the progress of each project task and ensure that they work together to achieve the goals as a whole.
Project Management Certificate
Project managers certified with PMP are appointed by governments and businesses; Where the PMP exam is made available on the global network of Pearson VUE test centers.
After knowing the conditions for obtaining a PMP certificate, the project management certification exam consists of 200 multiple-choice questions, with one correct answer out of four other answers.
PMP exam result is obtained upon completion of the exam, and the level of proficiency in each group level is evaluated; It is divided into four levels, and the areas of quality management, integration management, and time management are among the most difficult areas in the exam.
Why Should I Get a PMP Certification?
If you want to obtain a PMP certificate recognized all over the world in the field of project management, you should know why you need this certificate.
(PMP - Project Management Professional) certification is the most important certificate in project management worldwide. There is a very important aspect that pushes you to obtain this certificate, which is that you will learn a wide knowledge in the field of project management, and this knowledge will help you to build a new mindset and a new way of thinking and identify new methods that help you as a project manager. This will also increase your awareness of your responsibility towards all aspects of the project, including the project team, helping them and directing them to complete the project to the fullest within the constraints of schedule, budget, and resources.
The Benefits of PMP Certification
Although professionals abide by the rules of work, ethics, and professional conduct; However, obtaining a PMP certification reflects a high level of professionalism and expertise, and thus increases credibility.
Obtaining a PMP certification is not easy or simple although obtaining PMP certification can present many opportunities for a project management consultant. This certification increases his credibility, and thus enables him to increase the fees he requests for project management.
The benefits of obtaining a project management certificate are as follows:
Increase the value of services: As obtaining a PMP certificate can contribute to a higher billing rate, although education and experience increase the basic income when providing project management consulting services. However, fulfilling the conditions for obtaining a PMP certificate increases the chances of employment and accreditation.
Grow the number of clients: Project Management Institutes have nearly 2.9 million members worldwide. The increase in the number of members indicates an increase in the number of companies looking for professionals, obtaining a PMP certificate is one of the distinguishing factors that help in getting a high-paying job.
Provide international accreditation: One of the most important features of obtaining a PMP certificate is the provision of international accreditation. If the project manager works with international companies, obtaining a PMP certification increases the fulfillment of international standards and requirements.
Increase credibility: If you want to get a PMP certification you will require specific and strict guidelines that reflect professional expertise, education, and knowledge. The PMP certification requires taking the exam in addition to experiences ranging from three to five years, including 4,500 to 7,500 working hours.
After we know the answer to why I should get a PMP certificate, let's find out how to obtain it.
PMP Certification Eligibility Requirements
The PMP certification reflects the professional and educational experiences of an individual who specializes in project management. Project management reflects a person’s ability to complete a project, manage it, and do hard work in order to achieve the project’s goals.
The PMP certification is one of the best project management certifications that employers look for. Candidates must meet the requirements for obtaining a PMP certificate, which are as follows:
Group A: PMP certification eligibility requirements within Group A include that the individual possesses a secondary certificate or its equivalent from a high school diploma or obtaining an associate's degree (or global equivalent). Group A requires a minimum of 5 years (60 months) of unique non-overlapping professional project management experience and approximately 7,500 hours of project direction and 35 hours of project management education.
Group B: The requirement to obtain a PMP Type B certification requires a Bachelor's degree (four-year degree) or global equivalent and a minimum of 3 years (36 months) of unique non-overlapping professional project management experience, 4,500 hours spent on leading and directing, and 35 hours of project management education.
Continuing Certification Requirements (CCRs): You must earn 60 Professional Development Units (PDUs) in three years and report them to PMI to renew your credentials. PDUs include activities such as researching, writing articles, speaking on topics related to project management or participating full-time in project management.
How to Get a PMP Certification
To obtain the PMP certificate, you need to fulfill some eligibility criteria mentioned above;, the first of which is that you are required to complete (4,500) hours of work in the field of project management if you hold a university degree, or (7,500) hours if you hold a high school diploma or associate's degree or its equivalent.
After that, you will be required to complete (35) hours of training in the field of project management. The provider of the training material is accredited by the Project Management Institute (PMI).
You will need to register on the PMI website and pay the exam fee, the exam includes (200) multiple-choice questions, and the predominant nature of the questions is to ask situations that you may experience as a project manager, and the duration of the exam is (4) hours... Note: If you want to take a break during the exam, the exam timer will not be stopped.
Be ready to answer questions within all phases of the project. The questions are distributed in the exam as follows:
- (13%) The start-up phase of the project.
- (24%) The planning stage of the project.
- (31%) The project implementation phase.
- (25%) The project follow-up and control phase.
- (7%) The project completion stage.
After obtaining the PMP certificate, you will need to renew it every three years by earning 60 PDUs per 3-year cycle. You can earn 60 professional development units by learning or teaching new topics in the field of project management, writing a book, participating in events or activities related to project management, and the like.