PMP Qualifications and levels

PMP Qualification Explained

The PMP qualification is coordinated by the Project Management Institute (PMI). PMI is the world’s largest organisation for the project management profession. PMI is a US-based non-profit organisation established in 1969.

The PMP qualification is based on the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBoK). PMI maintains the global standards for project management practice through the following; professional development resources, industry research, career resources, leading events, volunteering opportunities, and networking.

Table of Contents

The PMI’s project management qualification is in 2 levels, which are explained below:

CAPM is for individuals with little or no experience in project management.  Also, the CAPM qualification confirms your understanding of the basic knowledge, terminology, and processes of effective project management.

Prerequisites/eligibility

  • A secondary degree (high school diploma, associate’s degree or the global equivalent)
  • 1,500 hours of project experience
    OR
  • 23 hours of project management education to be completed before sitting the exam

Target Audience

The CAPM qualification is for the following:

  • Individuals entering the project management profession. They include students, recent graduates and career starters
  • Professionals transitioning careers
  • Entrepreneurs; and
  • Any other person who is interested

How to get certified

Getting certified involves the following:

Project Management Education

Harrybaker provides you with the required 23 hours of project management training. To learn more about the training visit our PMP training page.

Exam Registration

To get certified, you are required to register for the CAPM exam on PMI’s website. Firstly, create an account with them. After that, fill out the application. Then, submit your application. Your application can either be approved or not. Upon approval of your application, you will be asked to pay the exam fees.

Exam Fee

The exam fee for a non-member is $300 while it is $225 for a member of PMI. The membership fee is $139.

Exam sitting

You can take the CAPM exam in either of the following ways:

  1. Online proctored exam
  2. Centre-based exam.

Want to know more about how to register for the exam? See our How to register for the PMP exam page to know more.

Exam Format

  • Multiple-choice questions
  • 150 questions in total
  • 3 hours

Recertification

To maintain your CAPM qualification, you must retake the exam every five years.

PMP is for experienced professionals who wish to validate their competence and knowledge in leading and directing projects and teams.

Prerequisites/eligibility

  • A secondary degree (high school diploma, associate’s degree or the global equivalent)
  • 7,500 hours leading and directing projects
  • 35 hours of project management education
    OR
  • Four-year degree
  • 4,500 hours leading and directing projects
  • 35 hours of project management education

Target Audience

The PMP qualification is for the following:

  • Project managers
  • Associate/Assistant Project Managers
  • Project directors
  • General managers
  • Project Managers
  • Team Leads/Team Managers
  • Project Executives/Project Engineers
  • Anyone who has an interest in project management and meets the requirement.

How to get certified

Getting certified involves the following:

Project Management Education

Harrybaker provides you with the required 35 hours of project management training. To learn more about our training visit our PMP training page.

Exam Registration

To get certified, you are required to register for the PMP exam on PMI’s website’. Firstly, create an account with them. Thereafter, fill out the application. Then, submit your application. Your application can either be approved, selected for audit or rejected.  Upon approval of your application, you will be asked to pay the exam fees.

Exam Fee

The exam fee for a non-member is $555 while it is $405 for a member of PMI. The membership fee is $139.

Exam sitting

You can take the PMP exam in either of the following ways:

  1. Prometric Centre-based test.
  2. Paper-based test.

Want to know more about how to register for the exam? See our How to register for the PMP exam page to know more.

Exam Format

The certification exam has

  • 200 questions
  • Multiple-choice
  • You have four hours to complete it.

Recertification

To maintain your PMP qualification, you must earn 60 professional development units (PDUs) every three years. PDUs measures your time spent partaking in professional development and learning activities. Moreover, these activities allow you to earn PDUs and ultimately aid your growth and development as a practitioner. You can earn PDUs in the following ways:

  • Education – Learning opportunities that allow you to expand and enhance your technical, leadership, or strategic and business management skills. If you take other courses by Harrybaker, you can earn these PDUs.
  • Giving back – Activities that enable you to share and utilize your knowledge and skills as a means to contribute to and help build the profession.

A detailed explanation on how to earn PDUs can be found in the Continuing Certification Requirements (CCR) Handbook which can be found on our resources page.

Recertification Fee

The fee for a renewal is $60 for members and $150 for non-members.

Are you considering PMP?

At Harrybaker we’re determined to ensure learners pass the PMP exam at the first sitting. My only question is, will it be you?

Please complete the form below to submit an enquiry