Procedures to apply to sit for the PMP Certification Exam
The following is a summary of the steps needed to apply for the PMP® Exam (full details are documented in the PMI® Handbook available at www.pmi.org )
- Determine your eligibility to take the exam (see below)
- Create an account with the Project Management Institute (PMI)® at the www.pmi.org website
- Sign up for PMI® membership (optional)
- Fill out and submit the online application for the Project Management Professional (PMP)® exam
- Receive acceptance from PMI® (they usually take a week to review your application)
- Pay the exam fees
- (At any point until now you may get audited in which case you will need to complete the audit steps before continuing)
- Receive approval from PMI® allowing you to schedule the exam (they will send you an eligibility code)
- Schedule your test at the Pearson VUE website (www.pearsonvue.com) using your eligibility code.
- Take the test at either a Pearson VUE testing location or at home as an online proctored exam at the date and time that you had scheduled
- You will receive results immediately upon completion
There are no set dates for taking the PMP® exam. You can schedule the exam for any date and time that is suitable for you, subject to availability.
Eligibility Requirements to take the PMP® exam
If you hold a bachelors degree you need to show 36 months of relevant work experience.
If you do not hold a bachelors degree you need to show 60 months of relevant work experience.
Relevant experience means any Project Lead or Project Management experience, no matter how small or how large the project, nor which industry. All experience must be within the last 8 years (listing any experience longer than 8 years prior to the application submission date will be ignored on your application).
The PMP® Exam
The PMP® exam itself is 3 hours and 50 minutes long (230 minutes) and you will answer 180 challenging multiple choice questions that will test your knowledge of PMP® principles and the PMI® framework.
All 180 questions are selected at random when the exam starts and are non-adaptive. There are three sections of sixty questions each with an optional 10-minute break between each 60-question segment. Once you have completed and submitted a 60-question segment, you will have no access to those questions again. Each 60-question segment consists of random questions from any area of the syllabus.
After you have completed the exam you will receive the results immediately and a pass means that you are PMP® certified and can use the PMP® designation immediately.
At 1st Choice Project Management Training we are fully focused on helping you pass your exam the first time.
PMP stands for Project Management Professional. It is a globally recognized credential for project managers that signifies their mastery of project management skills and knowledge.
To apply for the PMP exam, you will first need to register an account with the Project Management Institute (PMI) on their official website (www.pmi.org). Then you must fill out the application for the PMP exam. Required information for the PMP exam includes your work experience over the last eight years and your education level. Once you submit your application PMI will take a few days to review your application. Once they have approved your application you will then pay the exam fee and schedule your test.
The PMP exam application fee varies depending on your PMI membership status; for PMI members the exam fee $405, while for non-members, it is $575. PMI membership is optional and costs $139. However, as a PMI member you can enjoy discounted rate for the PMP exam and other PMI exams too, as well as additional benefits and resources.
Eligibility is based on whether or not you have a bachelor’s degree. If you hold a bachelor’s degree, you need to show 36 months of relevant work experience. If you do not hold a bachelor’s degree, you need to show 60 months of relevant work experience.
Relevant experience means any project lead or project management experience, no matter how small or how large the project, nor which industry. All experience must be within the last 8 years of the date of your application. In addition, you need to show 35 hours of professional education related to project management or leadership. Our PMP classes fulfil the 35 hours of the education requirement.
For the PMP exam application, you’ll need to provide details regarding your educational background, project management experience, and contact hours of formal project management education. For each project listed, be prepared to submit contact information for verification of your work experience in case you get audited. When you sign up for one of our PMP classes we will assist you in writing your project experience.
The PMP audit process is a random selection of applications by PMI to verify the information provided by candidates, including their education and project management experience. If selected for an audit, you’ll be asked to submit supporting documentation, such as diplomas, certificates, and a verification from your contact person to authenticate your work experience. Failure to provide such information within the time frame given by PMI will result in forfeiture of the exam application.
PMI typically takes around 5 to 10 business days to review your PMP exam application once it’s submitted. If your application is selected for an audit, the review process may take longer, depending on how quickly you submit the required documentation.
After your PMP exam application is approved by PMI and after you have paid for the exam, you will receive an eligibility ID and instructions on scheduling your exam. The PMP exam is administered by Pearson Vue (www.pearsonvue.com), and you have the option of taking the test in-person at a Pearson Vue testing center, or virtually as an online proctored exam. The exam can be scheduled on any available date, time, and location that suits your preference.
The PMP certification exam is considered challenging by many, as it requires a thorough understanding of project management principles and practices. You also need to be aware of exam techniques to navigate through the ambiguous exam questions. At 1st Choice Project Management Training we focus on passing the exam the first time, and teach you all the tips and tricks to navigate through these challenging questions.