PMP Certification Eligibility in 2022

Introduction 

The Project Management Professional (PMP) is a certification awarded to professionals who have met the eligibility criteria and passed the PMP certification exam. Since it is the most desirable and recognized certification in the project management industry worldwide, there is a strict PMP certification eligibility criteria.

There are two reasons for the PMP eligibility requirements. Firstly, project management is a serious profession; and, secondly, project management requires solid theoretical knowledge, and understanding of its techniques.

PMP Eligibility 

A PMP certification in a resume makes the employer more interested in the certified professional since they know that the certified professional has met the rigorous PMP certification eligibility criteria, and passed the exam. 

Therefore, before applying for the PMP examination, one must make sure that they fulfil the requirements of the PMP exam and other basic PMP requirements.

The PMP Exam Requirement is as follows:

• A secondary degree
• 7,500 hours leading and directing projects
• 35 hours of Project management education

Or, if the candidate holds a four-year bachelor’s degree:

• Four-year degree
• 4,500 hours leading and directing projects
• 35 hours of project management education

1. Education

A Project Manager must be able to read, write, prepare reports, make plans, and understand new concepts to make beneficial decisions. 

The educational criteria for PMP certification can be either a four-year degree (or global equivalent) or a secondary degree (high school diploma, associate’s degree or global equivalent).  This can be in any discipline.

2. Experience

A Project Manager is responsible for successfully initiating a project. They must also take care of the planning, design, execution, monitoring, controlling, and closure of a project. A PMP must understand the responsibility and possess managerial and leadership skills.

To meet the PMP eligibility, a secondary degree holder must have at least 7,500 hours of experience in leading and directing projects. A four-year degree holder can become eligible with a much lesser experience of 4,500 hours, in leading and directing projects. 

Note that the project management experience should be earned in the last eight consecutive years. The PM must also have experience in all domains of the project, from initiation to closing. 

3. Training 

Getting a PMP certification is not easy. In addition to 35 hours of project management education, and working on live projects, one also needs to pass the certification with at least 60PDUs, which requires guidance and training. This type of training can be obtained from either a PMI registered education provider (REP) or non-REPs. 

PMP Training Costs

The training cost varies from country to country, as well as the mode of training, like online classes or Instructor-led training. 

The following chart will give an idea of the PMP Certification training costs across different countries.

PMP Certification Exam Pattern

The Exam pattern for 2022 includes 200 multiple choice questions, to be solved in four hours covering the following stages of project management.

• Initiation
• Planning
• Execution
• Monitoring and Controlling
• Closing