Project Management Professional
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Project Management Professional (PMP) is a certification in project management. It is managed by the Project Management Institute and is based on the PMP Examination Specification published by PMI in 2005. Most exam questions reference to PMI's ANSI standard A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge, abbreviated to PMBOK Guide.
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[edit] Overview
The PMI (Project Management Institute) has three levels of certification, starting with the CAPM (Certified Associate in Project Management) which is the basic level and is intended as certification for project team members. The PMP (Project Management Professional) is the second, higher level of project management and considered the standard of all PM certifications. Individuals who have passed the PMP certification test successfully and have met the PMI requirements for documenting their professional experience are entitled to use the abbreviation PMP with their names. A new certification, PgMP (Program Management Professional) has been introduced by the PMI in late 2007, for Program Managers.
[edit] Verification
Certification claims can be verified through the PMI's Web site at www.pmi.org/CertApp/Registry.aspx
[edit] Eligibility Criteria
A high school diploma is required to be certified. A Project Management Professional has also met specific education and experience requirements, has agreed to adhere to a code of professional conduct, and has passed an examination designed to objectively assess and measure project management knowledge. In addition, a PMP must satisfy continuing certification requirements (through professional development) or lose the certification.
Requirements include a candidate to have completed a high school degree or equivalent, performed 7,500 hours in a lead role directing tasks, performed tasks associated with being a Project Manager over a period of 60 months within the past 8 years, and completed 35 hours of education specific to Project Management and aligned with PMI methodologies. Persons possessing a bachelor's degree only require 4,500 hours leading and 36 months of experience.
The candidate is also required to pass a test to demonstrate his or her knowledge of Project Management. The test consists of 200 multiple-choice questions.
Candidates who do not meet the minimum requirements for the PMP certification can apply for the Certified Associate in Project Management or CAPM examination.
[edit] Examination process
After a candidate's application is approved by PMI, she or he may schedule an examination at any of a large number of Prometric testing centers. A variety of times are available, including weekends and after "normal working hours." The examination is a multiple choice test, which can be taken either on a computer or in written form. Candidates must answer 200 questions in 4 hours (though 25 serve as trial questions and do not count toward the final score. Candidates will not know which ones are dummy when taking the exam - implies that candidate has to answer 200 questions to the best of their ability) and must have a success rate of at least 60.5% (106 out of 175 questions).
[edit] CCR cycle
The PMP status is granted for a period of three years (CCR Cycle, beginning January 1 after the exam). During this time, PMPs have to collect 60 PDUs (Professional Development Units) to maintain their professional accreditation.
