PMP® certified Professionals are expected to adhere to the continuing certification requirements. Your career is a journey, and you’ll need to stay relevant
Certification Requirements :
Three years have passed by since you earned your PMP® Certification. During that time you’ve honed your Project Management skills, progressed in your career and met some great people. To top it all off, you have kept up with your continuing certification requirements and met your minimum of 60 PDUs. But how will you keep it?
In order for you to satisfy the Continuing Certification Requirements (CCR) Program and maintain an active credential status individuals who have attained the PMP® (Project Management Professional) credential must accrue and report a minimum of 60 professional development units (PDUs) during each CCR cycle, which is typically 3 years, complete an Application for Certification Renewal and payment of the renewal fee, and reaffirm PMI’s Code of Professional Conduct.
Is this an automatic renewal process or is there more involved?
Yes. Continuing certification requirements should be. There are four criteria that must be met to maintain your status as a PMP®.
- Obtain 60 PDUs within the three-year certification cycle: Obtaining PDUs is really essential in keeping your continuing credential requirements moving forward. One of the best ways to proactively plan your PDUs is to get creative and leverage one PDU opportunity upon another. For example, if you attend a PMI Chapter Meeting you will earn 1 PDU in Category A. Why not piggy-back on that PDU opportunity by taking an active role as a volunteer at the registration desk? This will give you credit towards Category E PDUs as it counts towards volunteer service. You’ll be at the Chapter Meeting anyway, so it is a great opportunity to use your time wisely and get the most out of the evening.
- Complete the Application for Certification Renewal to get your continuing certification requirements going: The easiest way to renew your PMP® certification is online. Here’s what you will do:
- Log in to your account at www.pmi.org.
- In the left sidebar there is a Certification Status block. Click on Certification and Application Information.
- Scroll to the bottom of the page and you will receive a message of whether you have accumulated the required number of Professional Development Units. If you do not have enough PDUs, you will need to take the steps necessary to acquire the required number of PDUs.
- If you have received the required number of PDUs, click on Begin the Renewal Process and follow the step-by-step instructions that will allow you to finish the process.
- Reaffirm PMI Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct and the PMI Certification Application/Renewal Agreement: this refers to the document that outlines the mission and values of the PMP® certified who are expected to approach every situation on an ethical manner.
- Pay the Renewal Fee (currently $60 for PMI Members): this is part of your continuing certification requirements so make sure that your membership pay on time.
Three statuses:
You have three full years from the date you pass your PMP® exam to renew your certification to remain in Active Status. Always keep your continuing certification requirements updated. This allows you to continue to use the PMP® designation.
Always maintain yourself in “good standing”, is there a PMP®. But, if you find yourself past the active date of your continuing certification requirements and have not met it, you can no longer call yourself a PMP® until those continuing certification requirements have been met. Your continuing certification requirements might be considered in Suspended Status and the overdue continuing certification requirements must be met within one year of your certification date. If you slip past this one year grace period, your PMP® certification will be lost and you will need to start all over again.
In addition, there is also a Retired Status. Anyone who has had their PMP® Certification for at least 10 consecutive years and is no longer paid for their Project or Program Management services can apply for this status.
Every PMP® certified is expected to adhere to the continuing certification requirements. Your career is a journey, and you’ll need to stay relevant as the profession evolves and as the needs of employers grow and change that is why you need your continuing certification requirements updated. Maintaining your continuing certification requirements is a significant competitive advantage. It keeps you relevant and helps you better position yourself as the answer to what companies demand.
PMP is a registered trademark of the Project Management Institute, Inc.