Project Management Professional

Project Management Professional (PMP) is a credential offered by the Project Management Institute (PMI). There are currently 618,933 active PMP certified individuals and 272 chartered chapters across 104 countries worldwide.

Exam syllabus

The PMP exam is based on the PMP Examination Specification, which describes tasks out of five performance domains:

1.     Initiating the project (13%)
2.     Planning the project (24%)
3.     Executing the project (30%)
4.     Monitoring and controlling the project (25%)
5.     Closing the project (8%)

The exam consists of 200 multiple-choice questions written against this specification. Twenty-five of the 200 questions on the exam questions are "shows" that are used to adjust the degree of difficulty and accuracy of the test and, as such, are not counted for or against a test taker. These questions are randomly placed throughout the examination. The test taker is scored only his mastery of over 175 questions. The numbers in parentheses the percentage of questions for each domain is described.

Item references

Each exam item (a question with its possible answers) has at least two references to standard books or other sources of project management. Most of the questions reference the PMI A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (aka the PMBOK Guide).

The Project Management Framework embodies a project life cycle and five major project management Process Groups:

1.  Initiating.
2.  Planning.
3.  Executing.
4.  Monitoring and Controlling.
5.  Closing.

encompassing a total of 47 processes.

Mapped to these five process groups are ten project management Knowledge Areas:

•  Project Integration Management
•  Project Scope Management
•  Project Time Management
•  Project Cost Management
•  Project Quality Management
•  Project Human Resource Management
•  Project Communications Management
•  Project Risk Management
•  Project Procurement Management
•  Project Stakeholder Management

The processes of these knowledge areas are described by their inputs, tools and techniques, and outputs. The PMBOK also emphasizes the interaction and interdependence between different process groups. For example, the outputs from one process may be used by one or more other processes as inputs.

Purpose

Government, commercial and other organizations employ PMP certified project managers in an attempt to improve the success rate of projects in all fields of knowledge through the application of a group and the evolution of the principles of project management standardized listed in PMI PMBOK Guide.

In December 2005, the PMP credential was tied for fourth place in the 10 Hottest Certifications CertCities.com s' for 2006, and in December 2008, it was number 7 of the top 10 certifications ZDNet. More recently, in 2012 and 2013, the PMP credential has been ranked as one of the top certification for CIO, Global Knowledge,

For 2014, the PMP certification has been ranked # 1 most valuable IT Career Finder in its "Top 10 Highest Paying IT Certifications for 2014" out of it, PMP Ranked # 5 Global Knowledge "15 Certifications maximum remuneration for 2014. "And # 8 Careerealism" Top 10 professional certifications for a bright future. "

Examination process

The PMP exam is offered as a computer-based test through the global network of Prometric testing centers. There is also a paper-based option for locations with no Prometric testing centers nearby. The exam consists of 200 questions ("items"). 25 are pre-release items, which are not included in exam scoring. The score is calculated based on the other 175 items. Each item has a key (the correct answer) and three distractors (incorrect answer choices).

Item writing

Item writing is an ongoing process at PMI and new items (questions with 4 answering options each) are added to PMI's collection of exam items while others may be removed from it from time to time. Item writers use the PMP Examination Specification to identify item contents and references (project management texts or standards) to verify the correctness of the item. Individuals who are active in the field of PMP exam preparation (trainers, courseware developers, book authors, etc.) are not allowed to participate in item writing sessions.

Pre-requisites to become eligible

Applicants must have completed a high school diploma or an associate degree with 60 months (7500 hours) of project management experience, or a bachelor's degree with 36 months (4500 hours) experience in managing projects. In both cases, applicants must also have 35 hours of project management training. The request for the examination and verification of education and experience is carried out on-line at SMEs. Candidates with no experience required may be considered CAPM, Certified Associate in Project Management, PMI also.

Continuous credential requirements

Continuous credential requirements are also called CCRs. To maintain the PMP qualification, 60 professional development units (PDUs) must be earned over a three-year cycle, from activities such as researching, authoring articles, speaking on project management-related topics, or being engaged full-time in project management. Credential holders may earn PDUs towards the maintenance of their credential through formal academic courses or courses offered by a provider (R.E.P. or Component). However, these are only two of the five categories of PDU earning opportunities in which a credential holder may participate.

Other PMI credentials

PMP (Project Management Professional) is one of eight credentials offered by PMI

• Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)
• Project Management Professional (PMP)
• Program Management Professional (PgMP)
• PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP)
• PMI Risk Management Professional (PMI-RMP)
• PMI Scheduling Professional (PMI-SP)
• Portfolio Management Professional (PfMP)
• PMI Professional in Business Analysis (PMI-PBA)

Examination process

Candidates who take the computer-based test receive their results (passed or not passed) immediately upon completion. PMI also evaluates proficiency levels in each project management process group from high proficiency to low proficiency in a score report which the candidates receive after the examination. Candidates who take paper-based tests receive their test results and score reports typically within 4 weeks.