PMP Application Samples: Your Guide to Success

Starting from IT to manufacturing, today, project managers are essential to oversee the projects, motivate the teams and ensure that work is completed within the deadline. The Techopedia 2023 study highlights the importance of project management in catering to 92% of business successes creating an increased need for certified Project Management Professionals (PMP).

Are you thinking about getting your PMP certification to grow your career in project management but confused about filling out the PMP application. So, let me walk you through the PMP application sample and guide you through each step. 

What is the PMP application?

To start, let me introduce you first to the basics of PMP (Project Management Professional). 

PMP is a globally accepted professional designation whose certification is provided by the Project Management Institute (PMI).

On the other hand, a PMP application is a document serving as a formal request directed for PMI to accept my candidature for the PMP certification examination.

So, being a project management professional, my goal was to guide the teams towards project goals. With a PMP certification, like me, you can also apply for a project manager role in some of the reputed companies globally. 

Now, from my experience, designing and providing PMP applications involves lots of inputs; they are:

• Educational Background.
• Project management experience.
• Training certificates (if you have previously gone for one).
• Documentation of hours of leading a team (for directing a project).

Thus, when I submitted these details, the certification authority scrutinized my application to review my project management knowledge. Additionally, for a PMP application, I must declare that I will adhere to the PMI Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct. 

You can follow PMP application examples to fill out your application accurately. Accepting and affirming the PMI rules and regulations showcases my commitment and readiness to advance my career in project management. 

I also suggest PMI certification seekers not focus on the industry but project management experience they have acquired. To get a chance in the PMP certification program your application should include the following to ensure PMP accepts your eligibility:

• Your work should be in a professional capacity. I recommend not putting in any self-work experience.
• The work experience that PMI recommends putting in the sample must be strictly in project management. 
• My recommendation is to include one or more process groups (Initiation, planning, execution, monitoring & planning, and closure) described in the PMBOK. PMBOK is an acronym for Project Management Body of Knowledge. 
• Do not include any overlapping experience, and follow the PMP application sample to create a proper application for PMI. 
• One of the tricks that I will share is, if possible, not to leave any project management domain blank. 

I recommend that you gather experience in all five process groups of PMI; missing even one of them may invite rejection. If you are a diploma holder, then it is suggested that you provide a net experience of thirty-six months. 

Additionally, it is good to show experience that is not more than older than 8 years. PMI always accepts candidatures from well-known professionals for the industry's project management procedures. 

While reviewing available PMP application samples, you should also check how they describe the length of their project management experience. Generally, I would suggest you provide a detailed description of your experience in between 200 and 500 words. Some details you may include are:

• Project Objectives
• Role (Your experience here)
• Outcome (Project outcome here)
• Responsibilities (What you helped with in the project course)
• Lastly, deliverables are produced at the project conclusion. 

Generally, creating detailed documentation in the PMP application template might be challenging, provided low word count. So, it is suggested that you properly review experiences that are worth mentioning in the PMP application form. 

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Samples of PMP Application

To help PMP application seekers design their own PMP templates and fill them out, I have provided a few examples. These PMP application samples are mostly created to help you create your own. Let us see some of the samples below:

Example of PMP Application: Template 1

1. Project Title: IT Infrastructure Upgrade
2. Organization: XYZ Corporation
3. Role: Project Manager
4. Project Duration: January 2023- December 2023
5. Total Hours: 1,200

Now, you need to focus on the PMBOK (Project Management Body of Knowledge) process groups. The process groups, as mentioned before, include 5-specific stages of project management; they are:

1. Initiating 

During the initiation phase, I (mention hours spent) conducted a thorough stakeholder analysis. The main idea behind this is to identify the key stakeholders associated with the project. You can also include a line or two about the project charter here, depending on the type of projects you have done. Define the project scope and objectives clearly in this section, and I recommend some stakeholder input here. 

2. Planning Phase

In this phase, I recommend mentioning the hours invested in creating a comprehensive project plan. Some necessary details to include here are cost, quality, resources, and risk management practices. Mention how you were able to give project deliverables on time and monitor for timely progress. Check for a PMP application sample available over the internet to write this part. 

3. Execution Phase 

In this phase, my recommendation will be to put a lot of effort into specifying everything. Start by mentioning the number of hours put into this phase. State things like procurement needs for the projects that you handled. Next, my recommendation will be to present the key challenges you faced while managing teams and how you solved them. It is a good practice to include how you solved any issues arising out of communication issues. 

Read More: Project Time Management

4. Monitoring and Controlling Project

Start by mentioning the hours invested in this phase, track project progress, and use performance metrics. As far as the recent PMP application sample available, it would be best if you mentioned corrective measures when it tends to deviate. 

5. Closing Phase of the Project

Mention the hours spent conducting project review meetings and documenting the process. Lastly, mention if the stakeholders accepted the project deliverables. Now, write about the closure of the project contract and how the project was closed successfully. 

Now, in the next example, let me outline another project PMP application sample focusing mostly on the steps. 

Also Read: PMP Formulas

Example of PMP Application: Template 2

1. Project Title: Marketing Campaign 
2. Organization: ABC Group of Companies 
3. Role: Project Coordinator
4. Duration of Project: March 2022- September 2022
5. Total Hours Invested: 900 hours 
6. Initiating Phase (X hours): Identify project stakeholders, conduct interviews with stakeholders, develop a project charter, and obtain approval from stakeholder approval. Mention the project scope and objectives for the marketing team. 
7. Planning Phase (X Hours): Develop a marketing campaign, including a timeline, budget and resource allocation. Conduct a SWOT analysis and ensure proper communication with your customers across several channels. 
8. Executing Project (X hours): Mention the details of the tasks in the project and mention if you have reached deliverables by the deadline. 
9. Monitoring and Controlling (X hours): Monitoring campaign performance using some metrics. Status meetings and implementation changes in the plan need to be documented here. 
10. Closing (X hours): Conduct final campaign review and document results. Now, you need to create a final report mentioning campaign performance and lessons learned from the experience. 

Also Read: CompTIA Project+ vs PMP

Example of PMP Application: Template 3

Let me provide another example of PMP project management experience. I will briefly divide it into 4 different sections, with an example scenario:

1. Objective: To launch a new product line for 'JKLMN Clothing,' with a budget of Rs. X within 6 months. 
2. Role: Suppose you are a product engineer and stayed from Initiation till completion of the project. 
3. Responsibilities or Deliverables: Identifying stakeholders (part of Initiation), collecting requirements, developing project plans(part of planning), involving the team to carry out the work (execution phase), monitoring and controlling the project. Lastly, the project will be concluded by following closing requirements. 
4. Outcome: Clearly mention the project outcome, in this case, a new line of products for the clothing company. 

Please note that this is a brief outline of the PMP application sample that you may follow. You need to include the time required and other facets of your projects based on your experience. These samples explained above must give you a clear idea of how to document your project management experience in your PMP application. 

Before creating your own PMP application document, you need to ensure:

• The information provided is correct. 
• Use the complete limit of 500 words for the PMP application.
• Provide high-level details like I have shown in the above examples.
• Do not use "we"; your document must be in first person singular narrative. 
• Please do not write any confusing industry jargon; you will realize that in the examples, I used none. 
• Keeping this in mind, you can follow the samples I provided to fill out your own PMP application template. 

Also Read: Change Control Process

How to Use the Sample for Your Application 

To use the sample templates for your own PMP application, follow the steps that I mention below:

1. Gather Detailed Information

Identify your projects that are worth presenting in the PMP application. Ensure that in the chosen projects, you have demonstrated exceptional adherence to 5 process group needs as per PMBOK. Maintain a database of information for each project's title, duration, and the role you have played. 

Related Article: Responsibility Assignment Matrix

2. Understand the Process Groups 

As I have already given you a brief overview of the process groups, develop a thorough understanding of it. I have already mentioned the names of the five process group steps, so let me explain each part. 

1. Initiating: Includes activities like identifying stakeholders, defining the scope of the projects, and obtaining approval. 
2. Planning: This stage requires you to state the comprehensive plan of project management to go forward. I recommend covering the scope, schedule of projects, cost, quality standards followed, and risks to be mentioned here. 
3. Executing: Covers coordinating resources, managing teams, and ensuring that project deliverables are properly prepared. 
4. Monitoring and Controlling: This phase involves tracking project performance, conducting project check meetings, and implementing necessary corrective actions. 
5. Closing: Always mention the closing phase, emphasizing delivering deliverables. I also added stakeholder reviews and documented the lessons I learned. 

Also Read: Risk Management Strategies

3. Customize Your Template

As I have already provided a PMP application sample, you can create your own by deriving key ideas from it. Customize the templates as per your requirements and ensure they follow a narrative style of approach. 

Be very specific about your contributions and responsibilities in the project. Use specific PMI terminologies to help document everything that you have accomplished.

Read More: User Stories vs Use Cases-Common Points

4. Be Accurate Regarding Dates 

Double-check every information about the dates and hours you put in the documentation. Just letting you know from my experience that if there is any misinformation, then you are liable to be rejected immediately. Application audits in PMI organizations are very strict, so make sure they are absolutely truthful. 

5. Review the PMP Application Document 

Carefully review the application to spot any errors or inconsistencies in the data provided. Try to use good grammar by making sure to use free writing aid tools online. I used to make my mentors review the PMP application to spot any hard-to-spot difficulties in the document. Ensure you are able to clearly manifest your ideas in the PMP documentation.

Also Read: After PMP Certification What Next? 

Conclusion

In the realm of project management, becoming a Project Management Professional is one of the most challenging yet fruitful careers. When you apply for the position, you need to clear the PMP examination and fill out extensive documentation. To fill in your own PMP application, follow any of the PMP application samples I have provided here. 

I recommend you complete the PMP certification from a trusted and professional institute like StarAgile. With proper training, you can easily get a job with some of the reputed companies globally. Enroll in our certification training and set your career in the right direction. 

See Also: Risk Management Software

Frequently Asked Questions 

1. Can I copy the sample project descriptions directly into my application?

No, it is not advisable to copy the sample project descriptions directly from third-party sources. You should customize the PMP application sample descriptions to accurately reflect your personal experience in project management. 

2. What should I include in my project descriptions?

Under project descriptions, you can include your specific role and responsibilities in the project, objective of the project, activities in each process group, and project outcomes to reflect your personal experience.