Project Management Professional

Project Management Professional (better known by its acronym PMP; hereinafter, PMP) is a credential granted by the Project Management Institute (PMI).

Re-certification

The Project Management Institute expresses all the policies and procedures for actively maintaining the PMP certification in its Continuing Certification Requirements (CCR) Handbook. All PMP certification holders are expected to understand and comply with those policies. The information in this wikipage section is sourced from CCR Handbook updated on 29 January 2019 for the convenience of PMP holders only. However, this wikipage section information may be incorrectly formatted, titled, and/or outdated. CCR Handbook is the official publication and serves as the source of truth.

CCR Program Overview

PMI’s Continuing Certification Requirements (CCR) program supports the ongoing educational and professional development of our certification holders so they are always prepared to meet the demands of today’s complex business environment. The purpose of the CCR program is to:

• Enhance continuous learning and development among certification holders
• Provide direction in development areas to ensure relevancy of certified practitioners
• Encourage and recognize individualized learning opportunities
• Offer a mechanism for attaining and recording professional development activities
• Sustain the global recognition and value of PMI credentials

Everyone who earns the PMI certification must actively maintain their certification through participation in the CCR Program and renewal of their certification every 3 years. Partaking in professional development and learning activities allows certification holders to earn Professional Development Units (PDUs), fulfilling the continuing certification requirements and ultimately growing and developing as a practitioner.

The Project Management Institute acknowledges that each individual has different professional needs and desires. The CCR program is designed to be flexible so that it can adapt to those needs and allow PMP certification holders to customize their CCR activities. The CCR program provides a general framework and guidance -- PMP certification holders are expected to determine their ultimate CCR and development path.

Requirements Overview

All PMP certification holders must earn PDUs to actively maintain their certification. These PDUs can be earned through various professional development activities that center on one of two areas:

1. Education. Learning opportunities that allow PMP certification holders to expand and enhance their technical, leadership, or strategic and business management skills.
2. Giving back to the Profession. Activities that enable PMP certification holders to share and utilize their knowledge and skills as a means to contribute to and help build the profession. There CCR requirements for the PMP certification are outlined below:

CCR requirements for the PMP certification

Certification Cycle	Total PDUs Required	Education (Minimum PDUs)	Giving Back (Maximum PDUs)
3 years	60	35	25

The Project Management Institute divides education PDUs in three domains, all of which comprise the PMI Talent Triangle®:

PMI Talent Triangle® requirements for the PMP certification

Skill Area	Definition	Minimum PDUs	Maximum PDUs
Technical	Knowledge, skills and behaviors related to specific domains of project, program and portfolio management. The technical aspects of performing your job/role.	8	19
Leadership	Knowledge, skills and behaviors involved in the ability to guide, motivate and/or direct others to achieve a goal.	8	19
Strategic & Business Management	Knowledge of and expertise in the industry/organization, helping you align your team in a way that enhances performance and better delivers business outcomes.	8	19

Formatted differently, the education requirements can be broken down as detailed below:

Minimum talent triangle requirements for the PMP certification

Technical PDUs Required	Leadership PDUs Required	Strategic PDUs Required	Remaining PDUs – across any area of PMI Talent Triangle	Total Minimum Required
8	8	8	11	35

CCR Process

There are a few key steps that encompass the process around participationin the CCR program.CCR Renewal CompleteFollow guidelines for continuing to maintain your certificationComplete CCR application and pay renewal feePMI will send information to renew and provide paymentFulfill CCR requirementsEarn enough PDUs to meet the CCR requirements for your specific certificationRecord and report PDUsAs you earn PDUs, submit your PDU claims to PMI via the CCR system (CCRS)Participate in professional development activitiesIn order to earn PDUs you’ll need to participate in professional development activities.Earn a PMI certificationThe day you pass the exam, your CCR cycle begins and lasts for a 3 year period

PDUs

Main wikipage: PDU

PDUs are the measuring unit used to quantify approved learning and professional service activities.

Education PDU activities must be related to the skill areas of the PMI Talent Triangle and topics that are substantiallyconsistent with domains and knowledge areas represented within the respective exam content outlinefor your certification. The exam content outline can be used as a resourceto provide examples of topics and concepts for education activities.CertificationExam Content OutlinePMPPMP Exam Content OutlinePgMPPgMP Exam Content OutlinePfMPPfMP Exam Content OutlinePMI-PBAPMI-PBA Exam Content OutlinePMI-ACPPMI-ACP Exam Content OutlinePMI-RMPPMI-RMP Exam Content OutlinePMI-SPPMI-SP Exam Content OutlineEach professional development activity yields one PDU for one hour spent engaged in the activity. Some limitations apply and can be found in theWays to Earn PDUssection that discusses PDU activities and associated policies. Fractions of PDUs may also be reported. The smallest increment of a PDU that can be reported is 0.25. Thismeans that if you spent 15 minutes participating in a qualifying PDU activity, you mayreport 0.25 PDU. If you spend 30 minutes in a qualifying PDU activity, you mayreport 0.50 PDU.

Ways to Earn PDUs

There are many opportunities and ways to earn PDUs. The CCR program organizes PDUs based upon the type of developmentactivity conducted.Detailed below you will find a description of each activity, examples, and any associated policies. EducationCourse or TrainingInstructor-led formal education courses or classes held in-person or onlineParticipating in educational training courses is a traditional and effective way to learn. There are many outlets for these activities offered by PMI and third-party providers across the globe.Training courses offered by a PMI Registered Education Provider (R.E.P.)Educational events held by a PMI chapterFace-to-face, instructor-led courses from PMI SeminarsWorld®e-Learning On Demand coursesAcademic education through programs accredited by the PMI Global Accreditation Center (GAC)Courses from other third party providersPDU Rules: 1 hour of instruction equals 1 PDUWhen only a portion of a course relates to topics relevant to the PMI Talent Triangle skill areas, calculate PDUs by the percentage of the overall curriculum focused on the applicable topicReport each course separately. Entire degree programs will not be recognized for PDU credits, only individual coursesDocumentation required for audit: Registration form, certificate or letter of attendanceOrganizationMeetingsMeetings, activities and local events related to the profession Professional meetings that include an educational component provide an opportunity to learn and also to network. PMI chapters and third parties host these activities throughout the year on a local basis. Your organization may conduct professional events as well.Search the PMI events calendarCheck for chapter events near youPDU Rules:Typically limited to 1–2 PDUsDocumentation required for audit:Registration form, letter of attendance of other form of documentation confirming participation in event

Online or Digital Media Self-paced learning conducted online or through varied forms of digital mediaTechnology allows you to customize learning and educational opportunities to your schedule and needs. Many educational webinars, videos and other types of digital content are available online and on demand. Look into the opportunities that are available through these resources.ProjectManagement.comPMI Online CoursesPMI Registered Education Providers (R.E.P.s)PDU Rules:1 hour of learning equals 1 PDUQualifying activities must be relevant to PMI Talent Triangle skill area topics, meet a specified purpose, and use knowledgeable resourcesDocumentation required for audit: Evidence supporting your reported learning, including notes from and dates of activities conducted.Note: PDUs will be reported automatically if the projectmanagement.com account is linked to the PMI.org account containing the certification/credential.ReadSelf-directed reading that is relevant to the certification you holdReading is a valuable component of learning, and there are countless reading materials pertinent to the profession. You can read books, articles, whitepapers, or blogs to stay informed and support your ongoing professional development. Check out some of the available content.PMI’s StoreProjectManagement.comPDU Rules:1 hour of learning equals 1 PDUDocumentation required for audit: Evidence supporting your reported learning, including notes from and dates of reading.Informal LearningEducational opportunities focused on structured discussionsSometimes learning comes through interaction with others. You can earn PDUs by engaging in structured professional discussions with others, for example while you’re being mentored or participating in a “lunch and learn” session with your organization.PDU Rules:1 hour of learning equals 1 PDUDocumentation required for audit: Evidence supporting your reported learning,including notes from and dates of activities conducted.

Giving Back to the ProfessionWork as a PractitionerWorking in your certified roleEach day, your work in a domain area related to your certification(s) allows you to apply your knowledge and skills in a practical setting. Using these competencies actively contributes to sustaining and growing the profession.PDU Rules:This activity has a maximum number of PDUs that can be claimed per cycle:oPMP, PgMP, PfMP, PMI-PBA –no more than 8 PDUs claimedper cycleoPMI-ACP, PMI-RMP, PMI-SP –no more than 4 PDUs claimed per cycleYou can claim Working as Professional PDUs onceper certification cycle.The PDUs claimed in this category count against the maximum PDUs allowed in the “Giving Back to the Profession” categoryThese PDUs only apply to your current cycle and cannot be transferred.Documentation required for audit: Proof of employment (job description)Create ContentCreating new knowledge resources for use by practitioners and the public at largeBy developing knowledge resources, you can share your knowledge and insight with others and contribute to their ongoing learning. There are many ways to create new content, such as authoring books, blogs or articles, or creating webinars or presentations.Become a content creator on ProjectManagement.comAuthor an article for theKnowledge ShelfPDU Rules:1 hour spent creating content equals 1 PDUDocumentation required for audit: Copies of publications, sample educational materials or course agendasGive a PresentationPresenting on topics relevant to the professionThere are many occasions when you could give a formal presentation to others, and share knowledge that relates to your certification. For example, you could speak at a PMI chapter event, professional conference, or within your organization. These are just a few examples. Consider the opportunities available to you.PDU Rules:1 hour spent presenting equals 1 PDUDocumentation required for audit: Copies of presentation.

Fees and Policies

After PMI confirms that you have met the PDU requirements, you will receive electronic notification to apply for certificationrenewal. Once you receive the notification, you will be directed to submit the renewal fee payment on the online certification system.PMI Membership StatusCCR Renewal FeePMI member*US$60Non-memberUS$150*Note:PMI’s membership renewal fee is different and separate than the certification renewal fee.You can complete the renewal process at any point in your cycle after the PDU requirements have been met by submitting payment. However, you must submit payment no later than 90 days after your cycle end date. After processing the completed application and the renewal payment, PMI will send you an updated certificate with the new active certification/CCR cycle dates. Please allow six to eight weeks for postal delivery.

Extenuating Circumstances

You may cancel your certification at any time. To do so, contact Customer Care in writing at customercare@pmi.org. PMI will refund one-third of the renewal fee for each full year of the renewed certification/CCR cycle that you have not usedfollowing the date of the written cancellation request.If there are other extenuating circumstances that prohibit you from completing the certification renewal process detailed in this handbook, please contact Customer Care. PMI will review all claims on a case-by-case basis.

Certification Status

Your participation in the CCR program and fulfilling its requirements determines your certification status. A certification holder can have one of the following certification statuses:

Active Status

Whenyou first earn a certification, you are considered to be in active status. When you fulfill all CCR requirements for your certification,including earning and reporting PDUs as well as submitting the renewal payment before thecycle end date,youarein good standing with an active status.Certificationholders in active status will beautomaticallylisted in the online Certification Registry. You can choose to be removed from the registry, so the absence of your name in the registry does not necessarily mean that you are not certified.

Suspended Status

If you do not satisfy the CCR program requirements within your current cycle dates, you will be placed in suspended status. The suspension period lasts one year (12 months). If you are in suspended status, you may not refer to yourself as a certificationholder or use the certification designation until you earn the necessary PDUs or complete the renewal process within the one-year suspension period.The date of your next CCR cycle will not change after you are reinstated to active status from suspended status. (The suspension period overlaps the time frame of your next cycle as shown here.)

Expired Status

If you do not earn the necessary PDUs or do not complete the renewal process within the suspension period, you will lose your certificationand go into an expired status. If you let your certification expire, you may not refer to yourself as a certification holder or use the certification designation. To attain the certification again, you will be required to reapply by completing a new application, submitting the associated fees and retakingthe examination.

Retired Status

If you are a certification holder in good standing and wishto voluntarily relinquish your active status due to retirement, you are eligible to apply for retired status. To qualify, you must no longer earn primary remuneration for practicing project management and must have been a certificationholder in good standing for at least 10 consecutive years.Once you are in retired status, you do not need to earn or report PDUs.To apply for retired status, submit a written request to PMI by email (Certification.CCR@pmi.org) or fax (1 6102392257). PMI will send you guidelines about retired status and a form to complete. There is also a US$100 processing fee.If you begin practicingproject managementagain, you can apply for active status again by contacting PMI’s Customer Care by email. Once you have active status again, you will be required to earn and report PDUs.

See also

• https://www.pmi.org/-/media/pmi/documents/public/pdf/certifications/ccr-certification-requirements-handbook.pdf