Project manager certifications are an excellent way for project managers to advance their careers and improve their skills. These certifications show employers that you are knowledgeable in the field of project management and are up to date on all current strategies. Obtaining a project management certification takes time and money, but it is an excellent investment in your future. We’ll go over some of the best project management certifications available in this article.
What exactly is a PMI certification?
PMI certification demonstrates that you have the necessary knowledge, experience, and education to contribute effectively to project, strategic, and organizational success. A PMI certification is an excellent investment in both your career and in yourself.
A PMI certification may be useful as the labor market increasingly demands project management skills. According to the PMI, the global economy will require 25 million new project professionals by 2030.
PMI Certifications:
Its (Project Management Professional) PMP Certification is the most sought-after and well-known certification. However, PMI also offers other certifications suitable for professionals at different levels of their professional careers:
- PMP Certification (Project Management Professional)
- CAMP Certification (Certified Associate in Project Management)
- PMI-ACP Certification (Agile Certified Practitioner)
- CPD Certification (Certified Project Director)
- PgMP Certification (Program Management Professional)
- PfMP Certification (Portfolio Management Professional)
- PMI-RMP Certification (Risk Management Professional)
- PMI-SP Certification (PMI Scheduling Professional)
- CompTIA Project+
PMP Certification (Project Management Professional)
With more than million certificate holders throughout the globe The PMP Certification is among the most sought-after and highly-respected certifications in the sector. The certification is an exam that is rigorous and assesses your ability to manage people, managing procedures and making business-minded choices.
The exam comprises 126 out of 180 scored questions covering topics including managing the scope of a project and involving stakeholders.
- Professionals with some project management experience who want to advance their careers.
- Who is qualified: If you have a bachelor’s degree, you must have 36 months of project management experience. You must also complete 35 hours of project management education (the CAPM certification can be used in place of this requirement; see below).
- Non-PMI members pay $555; PMI members pay $405.
CAPM Certification (Certified Associate in Project Management)
The CAPM Certification is ideal for those who are just getting started in project management. This certification will teach you the best standard practices for managing projects all over the world. If you want to take on more responsibility, manage larger projects, or expand your current role to include more project management, consider getting this certification. This certification also fulfills one of the prerequisites for taking the other certifications on this list. The Project Management Institute (PMI) administers the CAPM, which has the following prerequisites:
- A non-member fee of $300 or a member fee of $225
- A secondary education (associates degree or equivalent, high school diploma)
- By the time you take the exam, you should have completed 23 hours of project management education; the PMI offers online courses that meet this requirement.
PMI-ACP Certification (Agile Certified Practitioner)
The PMI-ACP Certification validates your knowledge of Agile project management, a project management style that emphasizes short sprints and adaptability. The exam consists of 100 scored items covering topics like problem detection and resolution as well as adaptive planning.
- Good for: Project managers with some Agile experience who plan to use Agile in their teams or organizations in the future.
- Who is eligible: The course prerequisites include 21 hours of Agile training, one year of recent general project experience (or a valid PMP or PgMP certification), and at least eight months of recent Agile project experience.
- Non-PMI members pay $495, while PMI members pay $435.
CPD Certification (Certified Project Director)
The GAQM’s Certified Project Director certification is the highest level of project management certification offered by the credentialing body. This certification is intended for experienced project managers who are in charge of multiple, complex projects and programmes. The certification focuses on managing, budgeting, and determining scope for multiple projects and project teams, as well as assessing and mitigating interdependent risks in order to successfully deliver projects.
- Price: $375
- Qualifications: Qualified candidates must hold a bachelor’s degree, a postgraduate degree, or the global equivalent, as well as one of the following certifications: a GAQM PPM certification; a PMI PMP certification; an APMG PRINCE2 Practitioner certification; or a GIAC CPM certification
PgMP Certification (Program Management Professional)
The PgMPCertification is intended for professionals who have advanced in their careers and can manage multiple projects to ensure a program’s success. PgMP holders are expected to be able to manage complex tasks across organizations, geographies, and cultures. To obtain the PgMP, you must first pass a panel review and then take a certification exam. The exam consists of 170 scored questions covering topics such as building relationships with stakeholders and assessing new or existing project risks.
- Good for: Experienced programme managers who have managed large, complex projects.
- Who is eligible: The PgMP is a relatively advanced certification aimed at those with several years of programme management experience. If you have a bachelor’s degree, you must have 48 months of project management experience (or a PMP) and 84 months of programme management experience in the last 15 years (high school diploma or associate degree).
- Non-PMI members pay $1,000, while PMI members pay $800.
PfMP Certification (Portfolio Management Professional)
If you’ve successfully managed one or more portfolios for an organization, the PfMP Certification can be the stamp of approval. A panel review and a multiple-choice exam are part of the certification process. The exam has 170 scored questions on topics such as maintaining a communication strategy and monitoring portfolio performance.
- Good for: Portfolio managers who have advanced to the executive or senior levels of their careers.
- Who is eligible: To apply for the PfMP, you must have 96 months of professional business experience in the last 15 years, or 84 months of portfolio management experience if you only have a high school diploma or an associate degree. If you have a bachelor’s degree, that number drops to 48 months of portfolio management experience.
- Non-PMI members pay $1,000, while PMI members pay $800.
PMI-RMP Certification (Risk Management Professional)
The PMI-RMP Certification is intended to validate the advanced professionals’ risk management abilities. The certifications held by PMI-RMPs will demonstrate their readiness to evaluate and lower risk for large or complicated projects.
The exam comprises 115 scored questions covering topics like evaluating the effectiveness of risk processes and introducing stakeholders to risk concepts and procedures.
- Appropriate for: Risk management professionals with years of experience
- Who is eligible: If you have a high school diploma, an associate degree, or an equivalent credential, you must have 36 months of project risk management experience in the last five years, as well as 40 hours of project risk management education. You’ll need 24 months of project risk management experience in the last five years and 30 hours of project risk management education if you have a four-year degree.
- Non-PMI members pay $670, while PMI members pay $520.
PMI-SP Certification (PMI Scheduling Professional)
A project’s success can be determined by its scheduling. PMI-SPs will validate your professional ability to create optimal schedules for global, virtual, and highly complex teams and projects in the twenty-first century.
The exam has 170 scored questions on topics like estimating activity durations and performing schedule risk analysis.
- Ideal for: Project managers who want to improve and demonstrate their scheduling abilities.
- Who is eligible: Before applying to be a PMI-SP, you should have some experience managing schedules. If you have a high school diploma or an associate degree, you must have spent 40 months project scheduling in the last five years, with 40 hours of project scheduling coursework. If you have a bachelor’s degree, you’ll need 24 months of project scheduling experience in the last five years, as well as 30 hours of project scheduling education.
- Non-PMI members pay $656.06, while PMI members pay $381.89.
CompTIA Project+
CompTIA’s Project+ certification is appropriate for project managers working on small to medium-sized projects. This certification is more adaptable than others because it covers key project management concepts that go beyond a single methodology. This certification will teach you how to manage the project lifecycle, manage resources, ensure effective communication, and document project steps. The course costs $348, and after passing a 95-question exam, you will be certified. Before enrolling, CompTIA recommends at least 12 months of cumulative project management experience.