Becoming a PMP – Is it worth the effort?
My company has offered me to become a Project Management Professional (PMP®). It is voluntary, so they will provide the means if I am willing to do the effort to pass the exam. So the first question that came to my mind was: Is it worth the effort? So I analysed what you need and what you get.
What do you need to become a PMP?
The PMP certification is managed by the Project Management Institute -PMI- (www.pmi.org). On their webpage you can find the requirements to apply to the PMP exam:
- Between 3 and 5 years project management experience depending on your educational background
- 35 hours of project management education
Once you are eligible, you have to pay the exam fee (between $405 and $555 depending if you are a PMI member or not). The exam is a 200 multiple-choice type questions that you have to answer in less than 4 hours.
The exam is not easy, and you have to work and study on your own apart from the 35 hour training course. In fact, this is what I think you have to take more into account if you are thinking of taking this exam. You must study some hours a week if you want to pass it.
You also be aware of the fact that this certification is not forever. Once you get it, it is valid for 3 years. To renew it, you have to obtain 60 PDUs (Professional Development Units) within those 3 years. There are different ways to obtain PDUs: professional experience as project manager, seminars, training courses, publishing articles… In my opinion, this is something you just need to plan, but it shouldn’t be difficult to accomplish.
What are the benefits of the certification?
The first obvious benefit is that you learn. No matter what your background is, you will learn something. Even if you know all the processes involved in project management, you will probably learn the terminology that is used by the PMI which is spreading as a standard.
You can also expect a better professional future once you are a PMP. You will either be eligible for a pay rise, or you will be selected to manage a bigger project. Or you may be able to get a better paid job if your company doesn’t value your certification.
More and more government agencies and big companies request a PMP certified project manager for certain projects. Without it, it doesn’t matter how good you are at project management. You are just not eligible.
In my opinion, I think it is worth becoming a PMP. You have to make sure you are committed to dedicate enough time and some money (if your company doesn’t pay it for you). But if you plan to work in the future as a project manager, the effort will pay off.
I have started studying and I hope I will be able to pass the exam within a couple of months!
Tags: certification, PMI, PMP, project management professional