The Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification isn’t a technical certification, it’s a demonstration of your knowledge and ability to lead and direct project teams and delivery projects on time, on budget, and within the constraints of existing resources. Whereas a technical certification would demonstrate competency in the use of certain technologies or systems, the PMP demonstrates your ability to complete a project within the stated requirements and limits.

The PMP is offered by the Project Management Institute (PMI) and is a very valuable and difficult certification to obtain. If you’re a project manager who meets the eligibility requirements, you should consider obtaining this certification. In the defense industry, a PMP is a very important pre-requisite.

Eligibility Requirements

You must have a secondary diploma, such as a high school diploma, GED, or equivalent. Then, you must have five years of project management experiences with over 7,500 hours spent leading and directing a project. You must also have thirty-five hours of project management education.

If you have a four year degree, such as a bachelor’s or equivalent, then you need only three years of proejct management experience and 4,500 hours spent leading and directing project tasks. The requirement of thirty-five hours of project management education remains the same.
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Exam & Recertification

The exam is a grueling four hours with 200 questions and costs $405 to member of PMI and $555 for non-members. The credential maintenance cycle is every three years and requires 60 professional development units (PDU). You earn PDUs through activity and education, such as volunteering your services or attending seminars and conferences. It’s always valuable to start obtaining PDUs early in the three year cycle so you aren’t rushing to complete them in the last six months.

For more information, I recommend you review the PMI’s PMP handbook.