Taking the PMP course and passing the associated exam is an important part of any project manager’s career progression.
Fortunately, there are a number of PMI-certified online institutions that offer the course at a very good price.
So how should you choose the best online PMP course for you? This depends on whether you are simply after exam prep assistance, or require more comprehensive online PMP training.
To help you in your search for a suitable provider, we have selected 5 top-rated online Project management courses to give you an in-depth account of what you can expect should you take the course.
For our findings at a glance, just head to the table below. For a detailed look at the PMP course curriculum, plus full reviews of the selected courses, keep on reading.
Table of Contents
Best Online PMP Training – Top 5
TOP PICK: MASTER OF PROJECT ACADEMY | EDUREKA PMP CERTIFICATE | COLLABERA- | INTELLIPAAT | WHIZLABS |
Package | 35hrs of Online | 35hrs of Online | 6hrs E-Learning | Self-Study, 60hrs PDU® |
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Best PMP online training – The Reviews
Regarding the online REP, their quality of online training differs depending on their tutors and PM syllabus, and this allows for the identification of REP institutions that offer some of the best online PMP certification training.
What follows are 5 of the best REP institutions currently providing PMP online training today.
1. TOP PICK: Master of Project PMP Training Bundle
This is a well-conceived online project management training program that bundles all of Master of Project Academy’s top PMP courses: the full PMP, Microsoft Project, and Agile Scrum courses are delivered in one comprehensive package.
It is geared towards project practitioners in the business and IT fields, and its hands-on training sessions are tailored towards adapting the PM career of the learner towards market needs.
It is packaged into 6 courses that feature 400+ lectures that take more than 60hours to complete.
This online training bundle is designed as self-paced that allows the learner to schedule when to learn.
Also, once the learner enrolls in the course, (s)he gets lifetime access to the online lectures which can be accessed at any time. Upon completion of the training, a course completion certificate is provided.
The PMP training that comes with this training bundle is PMI-approved. The entire training bundle is designed and offered by the Master of Project Academy. The bundle comes with 2 free courses: Free PMP and Agile Scrum training.
This bundle includes the following 3 training courses:
- PMP Certification Training,
- Microsoft Project Training,
- Agile-Scrum Certification Training.
The bundle is tailored to equip the learners with PM knowledge and skills that make them competitive in the business and IT world.
Based on its course outline, this bundle is specially designed for project managers, associate/assistant project managers, project consultants, project executives, team leaders/managers, software developers, and project engineers.
The individual courses included in this bundle are concisely described hereafter.
To begin with, there is the PMP certification training that encompasses 35 contact hours of PM training and 300+ lectures.
There are also 750+ PMP practice questions which are designed to test the PM knowledge acquired as well as familiarize the learner with the real PMP exam.
This familiarization is further consolidated by a sample PMP certification exam. The course also provides a PMP cheat sheet that includes mnemonics which makes it easier for the learner to remember key concepts along with principal terms related to project management.
The PMP course covers the project management framework and life cycle, management process groups, and each of the 10 knowledge areas, and thereafter a process group view.
It is also important to note that before beginning the PMP certification training, the learner is given a 30minutes free PMP training that encompasses learning about the basics of PMP including what PMP certification is, its requirement, application steps, PMP audit, and the PMP exam itself.
The next course offered is the Agile and Scrum certification training which encompasses 10+ hours of training and 50+ lectures.
There are also 150+ practice questions and a mock exam. There are also Scrum cheat sheets provided.
Before commencing this certification training, the learner is given a 30minutes free Agile-Scrum training which encompasses learning about Agile methodologies, Extreme Programming, Lean, Kanban, and the Scrum Framework among other introductory topics.
The third certification course offered is the Microsoft Project training which encompasses 4hours of training and 50+ lectures. It focuses on Project plan creation, real-life project management, and budget-saving tricks.
This bundle also comes with PMP Exams and Mathematics lectures where two realistic PMP exams are provided along with 400+ sample PMP Examination questions and 20+ supporting lectures. There is also a lesson covering PMP maths.
This training bundle can be easily customized and packaged as an online corporate training bundle which makes it affordable to organizations with large numbers of employees, as well as make the employee training exercise more efficient and effective.
Even so, the trainees must satisfy a set of prerequisite requirements as laid down by PMI. Therefore, it is recommended that one fulfills all the prerequisites of the PMP exam with the exception of PM training as this makes it easier for one to apply and quickly sit the PMP exam.
- Offers high-quality PMP certification training.
- Comes as a training bundle that covers all the PM knowledge areas that business and IT project practitioners must know.
- Offers 35 contact hours of PM training.
- Covers the entire breadth of PMP training course.
- Offers high-quality Agile and Scrum certification training.
- Offers high-quality Microsoft Project certification training.
- Provides practice questions and mock exams.
- Comes with cheat sheets which makes the recall process easier hence making it easy for the learner to ace the PMP exam and the other certification exams.
- Can be customized and packaged for online corporate training.
- Provides the 35 contact hours course completion certificate.
- Certification course and PMP exam package are relatively expensive
- Entire training bundle is tailored principally for business and IT project practitioners
- Learners must satisfy PMI requirements before enrolling for PM training
- The accredited learner must still work to collect 60+ PDUs for PMP credential renewal which ultimately makes the process of keeping the PMP certification costly.
Bottom-line
Master of Project PMP Training Bundle is a well-conceived and properly-designed online PM training that bundles PMP, Microsoft Project, and Agile Scrum into one package.
It is geared towards project practitioners in the business and IT fields, and its hands-on training sessions are tailored towards adapting the PM career of the learner towards market needs.
It is packaged into 6 courses that feature 400+ lectures that take more than 60hours to complete.
The broad scope of this training bundle along with its in-depth focus in each of its courses and provision of realistic practice questions and exams makes, in our opinion, the Master of Project PMP Training Bundle the best PMP online training available today.
2. Edureka PMP Certification Training Review
This is a well-designed online PMP-Exam Preparation Training that is designed to enable the learner to ace the PMP Exam in the first attempt, and it comes with 5 realistic mock tests and 1000+ PMP mock questions, along with an in-depth overview of the 5th edition of the PMBoK Guide.
It comes with 35 contact hours of instructor-led live online sessions which are packaged as 8-weekend sessions, with each session lasting 4.5hours.
It can also be customized as an online corporate training exercise where batches of employees can be efficiently trained in Project Management.
All the tutors are PMP-certified trainers.
This course comes with 5 mock tests, with each test having 200MCQs that are well selected to test the PM knowledge acquired as well as familiarize the learner with the real PMP exam.
The course provides a hands-on training approach that will help the learner develop their skills towards the market needs.
This course also gives the project practitioner lifetime access to the PMP Learning Management System (or LMS) maintained by Edureka.
The learner also benefits from 24hours, 7days-a-week expert support provided by Edureka.
Upon course completion, Edureka provides the learner with a course-completion certificate called the 35 contact hours certificate that allows the learner to apply for the PMP exam.
Introductory Slideshow from Edureka – Path to certified PMP
[slideshare id=50351115&doc=becomingacertifiedpmpv1-150709143407-lva1-app6891]Before enrolling, it is recommended that one fulfills all the prerequisites of the PMP exam with the exception of PM training as this makes it easier for one to apply and quickly sit the exam.
The main course objectives for this certification training are explained hereafter.
First of all, this training is designed to allow the learner to understand the best PM practices and PM standards as laid down by PMI.
Secondly, it allows the learner to get the 35contact hours that make him/her eligible to take a PMP exam.
The course is clearly designed to prepare the learner to pass the PMP exam in one attempt.
The online PMP training you receive is designed to give you knowledge on how project management fits into the overall strategy and operations of an organization.
Likewise, it enables the learner to understand, and quickly recall, the formal PM terms and also know how to apply PM principles in the work environment.
Moreover, this training equips the learner with the skills and knowledge of how to apply formal PM tools and techniques to process groups, which allows him/her to initiate, plan, execute, control, monitor, and close any project.
Another objective of this course is to train the learner on how to tailor the PM processes to fit the project scope, project characteristics, and internal and external influences to the executed project.
Additionally, it equips the learner with skills on how to use key artifacts to implement PM processes, as well as understand how to use the appropriate rigor to handle changes that occur to a project that is being executed.
Finally, the trainee learns how to analyze and integrate the different knowledge areas to PM implementation.
These areas include scope, cost, schedule, quality control, communications, human resource, procurement, risk, and stakeholder management.
This training course is designed to prepare the learner for PMP certification, and its curriculum aligns well with its course objectives.
This curriculum is packaged as 13 lessons which are described below. It starts off with an Introduction to PMP course and is then followed by a lesson on Project Management Framework.
This is then followed by a lesson in Project Management Process. Afterward, there is one lesson for each of the knowledge areas which adds up to 10 lessons.
This means there is a lesson for each of the following:
- Project Integration Management,
- Time Management,
- Scope Management,
- Cost Management,
- Human Resource Management,
- Quality Management,
- Risk Management,
- Communications Management,
- Stakeholder Management,
- and Procurement Management.
This training course is tailored for project practitioners and project managers in all fields.
- Offers high-quality PMP certification training.
- Offers 35 contact hours of PM training.
- Covers the entire breadth of PMP training course.
- Provides 1000+ practice questions and 5 mock exams.
- Can be customized and packaged for online corporate training.
- Provides the 35 contact hours course completion certificate.
- Learners must satisfy PMI requirements as regards to PM training.
- The accredited learner must still work to collect 60+ PDUs for PMP credential renewal which ultimately makes the process of keeping the PMP certification costly.
Bottom-line
Edureka PMP Certification Training is a well-designed online PMP-Exam Preparation Training that is designed to enable the learner to ace the PMP Exam in the first attempt.
It comes with 5 realistic mock tests and 1000+ PMP mock questions, along with an in-depth overview of the 5th edition of the PMBoK Guide.
It also comes with 35 contact hours of instructor-led live online sessions which are packaged into 8-weekend sessions, with each session lasting 4.5hours.
3. Collabera-TACT PMP Training Course Review
This is a well-designed online PMP-Exam Preparation Training that is designed to enable the learner to ace the PMP Exam in the first attempt, as well as understand the project management lifecycle.
It comes with 35 contact hours of instructor-led live online sessions. It can also be customized as an online corporate training exercise where batches of employees can be efficiently trained in Project Management.
All the tutors are PMP-certified trainers. Likewise, its hands-on training sessions are tailored towards adapting the PM career of the learner towards the market needs.
This course also gives the project practitioner lifetime access to the PMP Learning Management System (or LMS) maintained by Collabera-TACT.
The learner also benefits from 24hours, 7days-a-week expert support provided by Collabera-TACT.
Upon course completion, Collabera-TACT provides the learner with a course-completion certificate called the 35 contact hours certificate that allows the learner to apply for the PMP exam.
Before enrolling, it is advisable that one fulfills all the prerequisites of the PMP exam with the exception of PM training as this makes it easier for one to apply and quickly sit the exam.
The main course objectives for this certification training are explained hereafter.
First of all, this training is designed to allow the learner to understand the best PM practices and PM standards as laid down by PMI.
Secondly, it allows the learner to get the 35contact hours that make him/her eligible to take a PMP exam.
Any student that follows the course properly will able to take the PMP exam and also pass it during the first sitting.
By taking the course you will provide an insight into how project management fits into the overall strategy and operations of an organization.
By the end of the course, the learner will fully understand the formal PM terms. They will also know how to apply PM principles in the work environment.
This training will help equip the learner with the skills on how to apply formal PM tools and techniques to process groups. The result of this will allow him/her to initiate, plan, execute, control, monitor, and close any project.
An objective of the course is to train the learner on how to tailor the PM processes to fit the project scope, characteristics, and internal and external influences to the final project.
The student will also finish with the ability to apply key artifacts to implement a wide range of PM processes. This will also help furnish you with the skills to handle changes that occur as a project is being executed.
The student will also be given the skills to analyze and integrate the different knowledge areas to PM implementation.
Scope, cost, schedule, quality control, and communications form part of this, as do human resource, procurement, risk, and stakeholder management.
This training course is designed to prepare the learner for PMP certification, and its curriculum aligns well with its course objectives.
This curriculum is packaged into multiple lessons which can be categorized into introductory and knowledge areas lessons.
The 3 introductory lessons cover an Introduction to PMP course, Project Management Framework, and Project Management Process.
Afterward, there is one lesson for each of the knowledge areas which adds up to 10 lessons.
Like all courses that follow the designated curriculum, you will receive a lesson for each of the following areas: Project Integration Management, Time Management, Scope Management, Cost Management, Human Resource Management, Quality Management, Risk Management, Communications Management, Stakeholder Management, and Procurement Management.
This training course is tailored for project practitioners and project managers in all fields.
- Offers high-quality PMP certification training.
- Offers 35 contact hours of PM training.
- Covers the entire breadth of PMP training course.
- Can be customized and packaged for online corporate training.
- Provides the 35 contact hours course completion certificate.
- Learners must satisfy PMI requirements with regards to PM training.
- The accredited learner must still work to collect 60+ PDUs for PMP credential renewal which ultimately makes the process of keeping the PMP certification costly.
Bottom-line
The Collabera-TACT PMP Training Course is a well-designed online PMP-Exam Preparation Training that is designed to enable the learner to ace the PMP Exam in the first attempt, as well as understand the project management lifecycle.
It comes with 35 contact hours of instructor-led live online sessions. It can also be customized as an online corporate training exercise where batches of employees can be efficiently trained in Project Management.
4. Intellipaat PMP Online Training Course Review
This is a well-designed online PMP-Exam Preparation Training that is designed to enable the learner to ace the PMP Exam in the first attempt, as well as understand the project management life-cycle.
It comes with 35 contact hours of instructor-led live online sessions. All the tutors are PMP-certified trainers.
The hands-on training sessions that the course provides are designed to facilitate the career of the learner towards the market needs.
This course also gives the project practitioner lifetime access to the PMP Learning Management System (or LMS) maintained by Intellipaat.
The learner also benefits from 24hours, 7days-a-week expert support provided by Intellipaat.
Upon course completion, Intellipaat provides the learner with a course-completion certificate called the 35 contact hours certificate that allows the learner to apply for the PMP exam.
Before enrolling, it is advisable that one fulfills all the prerequisites of the PMP exam with the exception of PM training as this makes it easier for one to apply and quickly sit the exam.
The main course objectives for this certification training are explained hereafter.
First of all, this training is designed to allow the learner to understand the best PM practices and PM standards as laid down by PMI.
Secondly, it allows the learner to get the 35contact hours that make him/her eligible to take a PMP exam. The outcome of the course is to give you the ability to pass the exam with flying colors.
The learner should fully understand how project management fits into the overall strategy and operations of an organization, by the end of the course.
The learner will be given the knowledge to quickly recall the formal PM terms. Important lessons on how to apply PM principles in the work environment are also provided.
This online PMP training will give the student the ability to apply PM tools and techniques to process groups. Initiating planning, executing, controlling, and monitoring projects in an efficient and professional manner are all skills that the course is designed to provide.
The course is designed to train the learner on how to tailor the PM processes to fit a number of key project variables. You will have the skills to fully understand the project scope, project characteristics, and internal and external influences.
The learner should have the skills to use key artifacts to implement PM processes by the end of the course.
This will help you apply the appropriate rigor to handle changes that occur to a project during its executing.
The PMP trainee also learns how to analyze and integrate the different knowledge areas to PM implementation.
Scope, cost, schedule, quality control, communications, human resource, procurement, risk, and stakeholder management are all important areas that are studied.
This training course is designed to prepare the learner for PMP certification, and its curriculum aligns well with its course objectives.
This curriculum is packaged into multiple lessons which can be categorized into introductory and knowledge areas lessons.
The 3 introductory lessons cover an Introduction to PMP course, Project Management Framework and Project Management Process.
Afterward, there is one lesson for each of the knowledge areas which adds up to 10 lessons.
This means there is a lesson for each of the following:
- Project Integration Management,
- Time Management,
- Scope Management,
- Cost Management,
- Human Resource Management,
- Quality Management,
- Risk Management,
- Communications Management,
- Stakeholder Management,
- and Procurement Management.
This training course is tailored for project practitioners and project managers in all fields.
- Offers high-quality PMP certification training.
- Offers 35 contact hours of PM training.
- Covers the entire breadth of PMP training course.
- Can be customized and packaged for online corporate training.
- Provides the 35 contact hours course completion certificate.
- Learners must satisfy PMI requirements with regards to PM training.
- The accredited learner must still work to collect 60+ PDUs for PMP credential renewal which ultimately makes the process of keeping the PMP certification costly.
Bottom-line
Intellipaat PMP Training is a well-designed online PMP-Exam Preparation Training that is designed to enable the learner to ace the PMP Exam in the first attempt, as well as understand the project management life-cycle.
It comes with 35 contact hours of instructor-led live online sessions.
5. Whizlabs PMP Online Training Program Review
This is a well-designed online PMP-Exam Preparation Training that is designed as a self-study program that comes with 60 contact hours of lessons that can enable a learner to ace the PMP Exam in the first attempt, as well as understand the project management life-cycle.
It comes with 5 full-length PMP mock exams with a total of 1195 MCQs. The hands-on training you receive will help focus your skills towards the market needs.
This course also gives the project practitioner lifetime access to the PMP Learning Management System (or LMS) maintained by Whizlabs.
The learner also benefits from 24hours, 7days-a-week expert support provided by Whizlabs.
[slideshare id=20744201&doc=whizlabsoverviewpmpcertificationofferings-130507132914-phpapp02]
Before enrolling, it is advisable that one fulfills all the prerequisites of the PMP exam with the exception of PM training as this makes it easier for one to apply and quickly sit the exam.
The main course objectives for this certification training are explained hereafter.
First of all, this training is designed to allow the learner to understand the best PM practices and PM standards as laid down by PMI.
Secondly, it allows the learner to get the 35contact hours that make him/her eligible to take a PMP exam.
Relatedly, it is designed to prepare the learner to take this exam and also pass it during the first sitting.
Next, this training is designed to enable the learner to know-how project management fits into the overall strategy and operations of an organization.
This all enables the student to understand the formal PM terms while also providing the skills to apply PM principles in the work environment.
The training will help equip you with the skills and knowledge of how to apply formal PM tools and techniques to process groups. The outcome should also give you the ability to initiate, plan, execute, control, monitor, and close any project.
By following the PMP course you will understand how the PM processes fit the project scope, project characteristics, and internal and external influences to the executed project.
The course provides the learner with key skills on how to use key artifacts to implement various PM processes. Another aspect concentrates on how to apply the appropriate rigor to handle changes throughout a given project.
Learning how to analyze and integrate the different knowledge areas to PM implementation is an important part of the learning process.
This includes scope, cost, schedule, quality control, and communications. Human resource management, procurement skills, risk, and stakeholder management are also focused upon.
This training course is designed to prepare the learner for PMP certification, and its curriculum aligns well with its course objectives. This curriculum is packaged into multiple lessons which can be categorized into introductory and knowledge areas lessons.
The 3 introductory lessons cover an Introduction to PMP course, Project Management Framework and Project Management Process.
Afterward, there is one lesson for each of the knowledge areas which adds up to 10 lessons. This means there is a lesson for each of the following: Project Integration Management, Time Management, Scope Management, Cost Management, Human Resource Management, Quality Management, Risk Management, Communications Management, Stakeholder Management, and Procurement Management.
This training course is tailored for project practitioners and project managers in all fields.
- Offers high-quality PMP certification training.
- Offers 35 contact hours of PM training.
- Covers the entire breadth of PMP training course.
- Can be customized and packaged for online corporate training.
- Learners must satisfy PMI requirements with regards to PM training.
- The accredited learner must still work to collect 60+ PDUs for PMP credential renewal which ultimately makes the process of keeping the PMP certification costly.
Bottom-line
Whizlabs PMP Training Program is a well-designed online PMP-Exam Preparation Training that is designed as a self-study program that comes with 60 contact hours of lessons that can enable a learner to ace the PMP Exam in the first attempt, as well as understand the project management life-cycle.
It comes with 5 full-length PMP mock exams with a total of 1195 MCQs.
Best PMP Certification Training: 2021 Course Buyer’s Guide
What does PMP stand for?
PMP is the acronym for Project Management Professional, which is an industry-recognized and internationally-recognized certification for professional project managers.
It is a not-for-profit organization called the Project Management Institute (abbreviated as PMI) which awards the PMP Certificate when one successfully completes and passes an exam called a PMP Exam.
This is based on knowledge and skills acquired from a PMI-authored standard textbook for PMP titled Project Management Body of Knowledge (simply shortened as PMBoK).
Best PMP Certification – why it is important?
The answer is simple. The PMP Certificate credits one as a certified project manager who understands the principles and knowledge areas of project management and can successfully apply the management principles to efficiently and effectively manage a project throughout its life cycle.
Enrolling in one of the best PMP certification programs and passing the relevant exams, will result in greater employment opportunities. It shows future employers that you are experienced in the field to confidently manage their projects.
So let’s take a look at what the role actually involves.
Defining the Project Management Professional role
A person employed as a PMP will be responsible for managing a project so that it can achieve specific goals or targets, for example, create a new product or equip employees with new skill competencies.
A project is defined as a temporary endeavor to achieve a specific outcome.
This definition highlights 2 key facts; temporary, it means that a project must have a start and end date; and secondly, it is expected to produce the desired output.
The project must therefore come to a definite end, and this can occur when the objectives are met or upon project termination when the project sponsor determines the set objectives are unlikely to be met or the output is no longer desired.
Explaining the project life-cycle
The project life cycle encompasses all the phases from the project initiation to its closure.
Projects are defined and limited by 3 main constraints, (also known as the triple constraints), which are time, scope, and cost.
Theoretically, any project can be successful if it supported by an unlimited budget and resource pool, and a long project timetable.
In real life, however, this is untenable as the resources are limited and the narrow project scope only allows for the project to be completed within the shortest time possible.
Managing the triple constraints of the project
One needs to manage these triple constraints as well as manage the project throughout its life cycle, and this activity is called project management.
Overseeing the project vs operational work
Project management is closely tied to program management and portfolio management, both of which link project management to a product life cycle.
Even so, project work is totally different from operation work.
For example, in a customer service software project, the project work focuses on creating a fully-functional software that can track customer complaints.
However, when this software is used to track the complaints of the customers, then this activity falls under operation work as it an ongoing repetitive work.
This software also requires constant maintenance in terms of debugging and regular updates, and this falls under the maintenance phase of a product life cycle.
Product life cycle vs project life cycle
Therefore when comparing the product life cycle to the project life cycle using the aforementioned software as a product example, it is evident that the project life cycle spans the phases from the inception of the idea of building the software till it is created as a fully-functional software.
On the other hand, the product life cycle starts with product conception, through the project life cycle which allows the product to enter the market, and then spans the lifetime of the product in the market till it is withdrawn or becomes obsolete (and hence makes no sense to continue releasing the product to the market).
Therefore the product life cycle encompasses the project life cycle along with operational work (including maintenance work) and other related work.
The reason Project Management Professionals are required
Project management requires one to successfully deliver the desired output, which can be a tangible output (such as a product, increased profit margins, or lower operational costs) or an intangible output (such as improved teamwork, improved staff morale, or training the staff with new skill competencies).
In most cases, project management requires one to deliver a successful tangible product.
Sometimes, related projects need to be managed in a coordinated fashion so that the organization achieves strategic benefits that cannot be achieved if the projects are managed separately as individual units.
To do so, these related projects are grouped together into a single program, and the project management principles are transferred and used as principles of program management.
Program management explained
The strategic benefits accrued from program management include decreased risk, improved management of existing dependencies, economies of scale, and optimal utilization of shared resources.
Even so, a project manager is expected to deliver a specific output, while a program manager is expected to deliver strategic benefits to the organization.
At times, business objectives necessitate related programs and projects to be grouped together into a portfolio, and then efficiently managed so as to gain strategic benefits.
The role of Portfolio Management
The principles of project management are foundational to portfolio management. Therefore, the overall business strategy of an organization drives it to invest in a portfolio, with the strategic goals of the portfolio requiring it to invest in different programs and standalone projects.
Ultimately, the portfolio investment ends up serving as a major resource pool for individual projects; and prudent management of these resources determines whether the organization actualizes its strategy or not.
Therefore, project management is part of the holistic process that allows any organization to shape and operationalize its overarching business strategy.
PMP Training Online (Certification Body and syllabus)
PMI are the organizing body behind standardized PMP certificate training. PMI has designed its PMP syllabus to conform to industry standards as well as ensure that it covers the entire breadth of knowledge areas related to project management.
Its ISO-certified PMBoK textbook is also recognized by ANSI (American National Standards Institute) as a standard work for PMP training.
PMI is a U.S-based organization that specializes in offering certification programs for project practitioners regardless of their skill level.
It has local chapters across the globe which allows project practitioners, regardless of their location, to access their services and knowledge bank. This has led to a number of institutions around the world offering PMP training online.
These chapters hold regular knowledge-sharing sessions and also provide a platform for networking among local project practitioners.
The first syllabus designed by PMI was the PMP course which was launched in 1981. Since then, PMI has developed other credentialing courses related to project management.
- Certified-Associate in Project Management(CAPM),
- Program Management Professional(PgMP),
- PMI-Agile Certified Practitioner(PMI-ACP),
- Portfolio Management Professional(PfMP),
- PMI-Scheduling Professional(PMI-SP),
- PMI-Professional in Business Analysis(PMI-PBA),
- and PMI-Risk Management Professional(PMI-RMP).
Our review focuses on the PMP certification which can be awarded to a competent project practitioner who satisfies the laid-down professional requirements.
The PMP Examination & Validation Period
PMP is not restricted to any industry domain and can be taken by a project practitioner in the defense, information technology(IT), pharmaceutical, manufacturing, or retail.
And as we covered above, PMI is the organization that sets and supervises the PMP examination, while PMP is a credential awarded to those who ace the exam.
According to PMI, the PMI credential is valid for a period of 3 years; and upon expiry, can be renewed for another 3 years.
This renewal is pegged on measuring the project management experience of the project practitioner.
PDU (Professional Development Units)
PMI measures this experience in terms of PDU (Professional Development Unit), and PDUs can be acquired in several ways which are broadly categorized into 5 PDU-earning opportunities.
For instance, if one attends a one-hour project management (PM) class delivered by an expert, then one is awarded one PDU; and if one writes a PM-related white paper, then one gains 5 PDUs.
According to the Continuous Credential Requirements (CCRs) published by PMI, one needs to acquire at least 60 PDUs in 3 years as this forms the basis of the renewal of the PMP credential.
Ways of acquiring PDUs are set down in the CCRs guide book. PDUs can also be acquired through a formal academic courses.
Introducing the Talent Triangle
In December 2015, PMI updated their CCRs to align to market needs and employer-identified skills as depicted in the Talent Triangle – a trinity of leadership, technical, and strategic business management expertise.
This ensures that the PMP holder is well adapted to the ever-evolving business environment. After acquiring at least 60 PDUs, one applies for PMP renewal online through the PMI website and then pays the requisite renewal fee after submitting their PDUs accreditation.
The PMP guide book
PMI releases a PMP guidebook, the PMBoK, every 4 years and the latest edition always serves as the standard textbook for all project practitioners, and exams are set from it.
Even so, there are application requirements that must be satisfied before one can be allowed to take the PMP exam.
Exam entry requirements
The requirements consider both experience and theoretical knowledge gained from formal education, and they are broadly classified into 2 categories.
The applicant needs to have a Bachelor’s (usually a 4-year) degree, 4,500hours of project management experience (or 36months of experience within the last 8 consecutive years), and 35 contact hours of PM training offered by a registered education provider (or REP).
In Category Two, the applicant needs to be a high school graduate, and have 7,500hours of project management experience (or 60months experience within the last 8 consecutive years) along with 35 contact hours of PM training offered by a certified REP.
Best Project Management Certification – Certified REPs
A REP is an educational institution that is registered with PMI, and authorized by PMI to provide PM training.
If the applicant fulfills the aforementioned application requirements, then an application needs to be submitted online to PMI and exam fee paid.
PMI then replies by sending back an authorization letter that allows one to take the exam. One must take the exam within a year after receiving the authorization letter.
Likewise, PMI does audit some randomly selected applications in order to ensure that they conform to the laid down requirements.
Therefore, the applicant should be ready to send to PMI all the requested (supporting) documents, including a course completion report from the REP.
Generally, it is recommended that one becomes a PMI member before filing for a PMP exam so as to benefit from the USD150 discount.
The PMP exam explained
The PMP exam is set to be completed within 4 hours. It has 200multiple choice questions (MCQs) of which 25 are considered pre-test questions that are not scored.
Therefore, the maximum score is 175, and there is only one correct answer with a wrong response to each question attracting a score value of zero as PMP does not have negative marking.
The applicant is not informed about the 25 pretest questions, which are randomly scattered throughout the test, and thus, all the 200 questions must be answered.
These 200 questions cover the following 5 performance domains; project initiation (13percent or 26questions), project planning (24percent or 48questions), project execution (31percent or 62questions), project control and monitoring (25percent or 50questions), and project closure (7percent or 14questions).
These performance domains represent each of the 5 process groups in the project life cycle.
The exam grading process
PMI grades each student on each one of the 5 process groups and then rates their performance in each process group using 3 grades; below-proficient, proficient, and moderately-proficient. Each student is then given an overall rating of a pass or fail.
The PMP Certificate Syllabus
The PMP syllabus is designed to cover the 5 process groups, 10 knowledge areas, and 47 processes related to PM. The PM discipline is divided broadly into 5 process groups that define a project life cycle.
These groups are project initiation, planning, execution, monitoring/control, and project closure. The processes related to each group must be applied fully to that process group before the project moves to the next phase.
There are 47 processes in the entire project life cycle. A set of specific processes need to be performed in a coordinated manner in order to meet the desired project objective, this constellation of processes is described as a knowledge area.
- Project Integration Management,
- Time Management,
- Scope Management,
- Cost Management,
- Human Resource Management,
- Quality Management,
- Risk Management,
- Communications Management,
- Stakeholder Management,
- and Procurement Management.
Best institute for PMP certification
There are different educational institutions that have been accredited as REP by PMI.
Some offer online PMP training, which allows any qualified project practitioner to enroll for PM training.
These institutions offer some of the best PMP certification training as compared to those that focus on classroom training.
thankx for lists of course institute