Studying for the PMP exam was no easy task, but you did it, earned your certification, and now you’re a certified project management professional. This can open doors in your career and help you really feel fulfilled in your work. However, the work isn’t over. Like most licenses and certifications, your PMP certification doesn’t last forever. Every three years, you will need a PMP renewal.
The good news is, you won’t have to take the PMP exam again in order to renew your PMP certification. So what do you need? Let’s get into the process in today’s blog.
Why You Need a PMP Renewal
By the rules of the PMI, your PMP certification will only last for three years. So if you plan to remain a project management professional for longer than that, you will need a renewal. It’s also just good sense. The PMBOK is constantly being updated as the project management industry grows and changes. Remember the information in your review of the PMBOK about continuous improvement? The same thing applies to your certification. Your PMP renewal shows that you are continuing to grow as a project manager.
What Steps Do You Need To Take For a PMP Renewal?
You can track your progress through the PMP renewal process by accessing your portal on the PMI website and selecting “Continuing Certification Requirement System.” The main thing that you’ll need is to build up PDU points. Professional Development Units, or PDU, represent one hour that you spend either learning, teaching, or volunteering within your field. You can report these through this portal or review your existing PDU points to date.
Step #1 – Earn 60 PDUs Within the 3 Year PMP Renewal Cycle
In order to renew your PMP certification, you need to earn 60 Professional Development Units (PDUs), broken down into 2 categories: Education and Giving Back. You will need at least 35 of these points to go into Education; on the other hand, you cannot report more than 25 Giving Back PDU points. All points need to fall under the PMI Talent Triangle including “technical project management,” “leadership,” and “business/strategy management.” One hour is worth 1 PDU. Some of the ways you can earn PDU points include:
Earn PDU Points in Education
- Course or Training. Online or classroom training from a registered education provider (REP) recognized by the PMI, as well as PMI seminars or events.
- Organization Meetings. These are limited to 2 PDUs per meeting and refer to networking events or professional meetings that include education.
- Online Digital Media. Educational references found online, such as: webinars, videos, podcasts, online training, etc.
- Reading. Education through the written word, such as books, blogs, articles, or whitepapers.
- Informal Learning. Learning on the job from mentors or through discussions with experts.
Earn PDU Points in Giving Back
- Practitioner. Essentially, using what you’ve learned in projects at work.
- Content Creator. Writing articles, blogs, whitepapers, etc., to educate others on project management processes.
- Presenter. Sharing your knowledge as the presenter of a seminar, conference, or network event. Must line up with the talent triangle to be reported.
- Mentor. Sharing expertise by mentoring others, teaching, or coaching.
- Volunteer. Volunteering for PMI chapter activities or committees by registering on the PMI Volunteer Relationship Management System.
Reporting PDU Points For PMP Renewal
It’s not enough to put in the work. You will also need to report your PDUs. Under the CCRS, the “Report Links” tab will offer a form requesting the following information:
- Provider name or ID
- Activity name or ID
- Activity Dates
- PDU points claimed (1 per hour)
After filling this out, submit your points. You will receive a report that explains which PDUs were approved, claimed, or rejected. The good news for overachievers out there is that even if you earn over 60 PDU over the 3-year cycle, up to 20 points can then be carried over to the next cycle! Plus, you’ll have laid a foundation for furthering education.
You may apply for PMP renewal as soon as you have earned all 60 of your PDUs, without waiting for the end of the 3-year cycle. If you do not choose to do so, start to work towards your renewal about 90 days before the end of the cycle.
Step #2 – Fill Out the Application for PMP Renewal
As soon as you have enough PDUs, you can fill out the application for PMP renewal. This application is easy to fill out online, but you can also download it and fill it out offline. Make sure that you have your contact information, member ID, and payment information included on the application. After filling out the application, you will be asked to confirm again that you will honor the PMI code of ethics. The PMP renewal fee will be due upon approval. Check out the PMI portal for details.
Step #3 – Pay the PMP Renewal Fee
So now the question you’ve probably been wondering: how much is the PMP renewal fee? This depends on whether or not you are a PMI member. For PMI members, as of June 2022, renewal is only $60 USD. For non-PMI members who wish to renew their PMP certification, the PMP renewal cost jumps up to $150 USD. Keep in mind that you’ll need to pay annually to renew your PMI membership if you go that route ($129 USD).
Step #4 – Wait For Confirmation From PMI of Your PMP Renewal
Once your application is posted and paid, you should receive confirmation from the PMI that it has been approved. You should also be able to see that your status is active and “in good standing” on their website. If you don’t see this, contact PMI immediately to sort things out. If your PMP renewal was incorrectly filed, your certification will be suspended for up to one year beyond the CCR cycle, which could cause a hassle for both you and your project management career.
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