PMP® PDUs Requirements

If you are a professional with PMP® certification, you have to maintain your certification every three years. If you still need to, you must retake the PMP® certification exam, and your credentials will expire. On the other hand, renewing your PMP® is far simpler than retaking the test. You must accrue 60 PMP® PDUs every three years to maintain your certification. When obtaining PDUs, you must also be cautious about a few PMP® PDU standards. 

Before obtaining and submitting PDUs, become fully informed about the PMP® PDU requirements. By getting a Project Management Institute (PMI) certificate, you have demonstrated that you possess the requisite knowledge and expertise to fulfill specific eligibility requirements. Furthermore, your PMP® certification attests to your commitment to your firm, clients, and profession.

PDU Basics- Understanding From Scratch 

One-hour blocks are called Professional Development Units (PDUs), during which you might volunteer, learn, or instruct others. You can keep your PMI certification status current by gathering and monitoring these during your certification cycle.

To keep your certification, you must maintain a certain number of Project Management Professional (PMP®) contact hours (PDUs), which you can obtain by participating in events or taking courses. Over three years, 60 PDUs are required. 

PMP® PDU Categories- A Guide To PMP® Certification

The two primary categories of PMP® PDUs are Giving Back and Education. While giving back PMI PDU category activities concentrates on adding to the project management expertise, education PMI PDU category activities focus on increasing the project management knowledge of the PMP®-certified professional. 

1. Education PMI PDU:

The five primary divisions of the education category are where you can obtain PMP® PDUs. They are reading, informal learning, digital or online media, organization meetings, courses or training, and reading. Each PMI talent triangle category requires a minimum of 8 PDUs, and the minimum PMP® PDU limit for the education category is 35 PDUs. 

2. PMI PDU Category Giving Back:

Five primary subcategories within the Giving Back PDU category allow for the acquisition of PDUs. They work as practitioners, writing, presenting, exchanging knowledge, and volunteering. Also, the PMP® PDU limit for the returning category is a maximum of 25 PDUs. 

How To Earn PDUs?

• Earning Education PDUs

Under the CCR program, you can choose from various options and methods that PMI offers to earn PDUs. These are:

1. Course or training: Attending educational training classes is one of the conventional and efficient ways to maintain your education, and it can earn you PDUs. Attending a one-hour course or training will give you one PDUs, and you must record each class separately.
2. Organizational meetings: Local PMI chapters and other organizations host professional gatherings year-round. These gatherings allow you the chance to network and learn, and they also have instructional elements. The number of PDUs you can obtain by attending organizational meetings is limited to one or two.
3. Digital or online media: Many educational films, webinars, and other digital content available on the internet can be on demand. You may tailor your academic and learning experiences using technology to fit your needs and timetable. One PDU is for each hour of education.
4. Read: By reading books, articles, whitepapers, or blogs, you may stay informed and promote further professional development. Many reading resources are available for the PMP® certification, and reading is crucial to learning. For each learning hour, you receive one PDU.
5. Informal learning: Take part in a "lunch and learn" session hosted by your organization or mentor other PMP® experts. You can also earn PDUs by having professional talks with them. One PDU is equal to one hour of learning.

Obtain PDUs By Contributing To The Profession

You may select from among the following methods or possibilities provided by PMI under the heading of "giving back to the profession" to fulfill the necessary PDUs under the CCR program:

1. Engage in Practice: You can actively contribute to the maintenance and expansion of the profession by putting your knowledge and abilities to use in a practical workplace. A maximum of 8 PDUs are available to claim each cycle you work toward.
2. Produce Content: To share your expertise and insights with others and support lifelong learning, you can produce fresh content by writing books, blogs, articles, webinars, or presentations. Creating the material takes one hour, and you can earn one PDUs.
3. Deliver a Presentation: You will have several opportunities to share information with others and offer a formal presentation related to your PMP® certification. Every hour you spend presenting an exhibition, you can earn one PDUs.
4. Talk About Your Knowledge: Did you know you can get one PDUs for every hour you spend talking about your knowledge? By teaching others, you contribute to the profession's advancement and improve the procedures for your certified position. By deciding to mentor, educate, or apply your subject matter expertise to an activity, you will help others with your experience and viewpoint. You can obtain one PDUs for each hour that you share information.
5. Volunteer: There are many different ways you can support the PMI and the profession as a volunteer on a committee or team. Additionally, you can provide other nonprofit organizations with your domain-related services freely. One PDUs can be obtained for every hour of volunteer work.

PMP® PDU Reporting And Tracking

The Continuing Certification Requirement System (CCRS) is the most effective method for keeping track of your PDUs. You are in charge of keeping track of your PDUs activities as they happen. You must finish the renewal process before your CCR cycle finishes and adhere to PDUs to maintain your active certification status. Please earn and record the necessary PDUs during your CCR cycle to avoid the suspension of your certification.

The CCR Method:

Would you like to know how the CCR process operates? The procedure for participating in the CCR program consists of a few essential phases. They are:

Step 1: Become certified by PMI.

Your three-year CCR cycle starts the day you pass the PMP® test.

Step 2: Take part in activities for professional growth.

To obtain PDUs, you must engage in professional development activities.

Step 3: List and disclose PDUs.

You must use the CCR system to submit your PDUs claims (CCRS) for your certification.

Step 4: Comply with CCR specifications.

To complete the CCR criteria and obtain your certification, you must accrue sufficient PDUs.

Step 5: Fill out the CCR application and pay the renewal cost.

PMI will provide information about how to renew and pay for it.

Step 6: Complete the CCR Renewal.

To keep your certification current, you must adhere to the rules.

Best Practices For Satisfying PMP® PDU Requirements.

Earning the PDUs required to keep your PMP® certification current is something you can do regularly. Adherence to the CCR program, which facilitates continuous professional development, is mandatory for PMP® holders. You can earn PDUs for a variety of activities that you engage in daily as a professional, even though attending seminars and courses is the best way to stay up to date on project management best practices.

1. The Knowledge Bank at PMI

Post your project management articles and information to assist businesses and professionals in advancing the field of project management. Volunteers and PMI staff members review the papers before posting. If you are the only author of the article, it may be included in this virtual collection and grant you PDUs.

2. Tests for PMI Publications

With PMI Publication Quizzes, you may earn PDUs while lounging comfortably in front of your computer. You can test your knowledge with quizzes accompanying PMI-published publications and white papers when purchasing a quiz package from PMI.org. Depending on how long the topic is, a PMP® holder who passes one of PMI's quizzes can receive anywhere from 0.5 to 2.5 PDUs.

3. Participation in Volunteer Work

When you render professional services to an organization other than your place of employment, you can accrue PDUs. You could work as a volunteer committee member or elected officer for a project management organization. Alternatively, you may offer a community or nonprofit organization project management services. PMI provides several volunteer options.

4. R.E.P. (Registered Education Provider) courses

Villanova University is one of the more than 900 PMI R.E.P.s in the globe that offers pre-approved PDUs courses. 

5. PMI World Congresses

Congresses provide chances to meet colleagues and participate in seminars that count toward PDUs.

6. Offerings for the PMI Community

PMI's chapters, colleges, and specific interest groups (SIGs) hold pre-approved PDUs events, meetings, and training sessions. Joining these communities and benefiting from their services is open to PMI members only.

7. Tasks Related to the Profession

It is possible to obtain PDUs by writing a project management paper or giving a speech at a project management event. There are other professional activities that PMI has listed that you might already be engaged in and translated into different numbers of PDUs.

8. Independent Education

Get Professional Development Units (PDUs) by educating your peers about project management. Research and study projects carried out independently will be honored by PMI. Using educational PMP® PDUs sources like books, films, articles, or instruction manuals in conversations or coaching sessions with coworkers or clients falls under this category.

9. Outside Providers' Educational Initiatives

Even though an organization is off the record with PMI, it can recognise pertinent educational programs or activities. Calculate how many PDUs you've earned using the algorithm below: Within a structured training or course, one hour of learning relevant to project management is equivalent to one PDU.

How To Claim Your PDUs

We now better understand the tasks and PDUs types for certification extensions. Using this information, you can make a practical list of the activities you are interested in and compare it to the PMI PDUs requirements to create the ideal strategy. But, it's crucial and efficient if you continue to claim your PDUs on the PMI website as you accrue them by doing the things mentioned below:

• Navigate to "my PMI" after logging into pmi.org.
• Select "Report PDUs on CCRS" from the Certification Status section of your "My PMI" page.
• Links to the Education and Giving Back Claim categories will be visible to you. As you plan, click on the links. Complete the necessary fields and claim your PDUs.
• As you fulfill the PDUs criteria for the certification you must evaluate, you must proceed as directed by the preceding procedures. For instance, you have three years from the date of your certificate to claim 60 PDUs if you are a PMP®.

PMP® PDU Requirements For PMP® Certification Renewal

There are identical processes to follow whether you have obtained your certification recently or have had it for years.

• Accumulate the necessary number of Professional Development Units (PDUs) to fulfill the Continuing Certification Requirements (CCR) required for your certification. To illustrate: Achieving 60 PDUs in three years is needed to renew your Project Management Professional (PMP®) certification. For further information, see the Requirements page.
• In the CCR system (CCRS) online, enter your PDUs.
• Cover the cost of the renewal. When it is time for you to renew your certification, you will get information on how to make payment.
• Enjoy a little time after renewing before preparing for the following three-year renewal cycle.

Read more about thePMP® Certification Renewal process and fee.

Earn Free PDUs For PMP® Renewal

You can get free PDUs in several ways. Above all, you want to make sure that PMI will accept them. Getting your professional development through PMI directly or collaborating with a respectable source of PDUs-earning opportunities, such as an Authorized Training Provider (ATP), is one approach to guarantee that PMI will acknowledge your efforts. Verifying that your provider is in PMI's Authorized Training Partner (ATP) database is always a brilliant idea. Keep in mind that PMA is a Premier ATP.

• Attending Event 

Meeting and exchanging ideas with other PMs is possible at a PMI event. You may learn from professionals and form excellent connections there. Some of these events may cost money or only be available to members. The following are some examples of events that are PDUs: Meetings, workshops, and exhibitions. 

For information on events that earn PDUs, check out PMI's website. You may learn about some of these events as a PMP® certificate holder. It is always safe to earn PDUs by participating in PMI activities and attending PMI events; there is no need to worry about those approved.

• Take Part in a Webinar

You can participate in over a thousand complimentary webinars and podcasts offered by PMI. Get guidance on advancing your career, or listen to experts discuss their experiences as PMs. When you sign up, the amount of PDUs you will receive for a webinar or podcast may be in the event description. Bonus: After the webinar, PDUs credits log for individuals who have linked their credentials to their ProjectManagement.com account.

PDUs are available for free to organizations other than PMI as well. PMI Authorized Training Partners are excellent for earning PDUs, especially Project Management Academy. Several ATPs provide the ability to participate in live webinars and watch recorded webinars or podcasts.

• Make A Wiki Or Discussion Board Contribution

Are you an excellent communicator of ideas and concepts? Alternatively, discuss agile project management techniques with your PM peers. You may want to start a podcast or webinar and need to get feedback from others on your ideas. Contributing to a discussion board or wiki can grant you free PMP® PDUs credits. Each hour you dedicate to editing the wiki entry or facilitating a conversation is worth one PDUs.

• Make a Webinar or Podcast

Do you want to discuss an issue with the PM community? Start a podcast or submit a webinar suggestion. For those interested in listening to expert conversations, podcasts are very beneficial. You can even use images and other visual elements to transform that podcast into a webinar.

• Compose a Blog Post or Article

If you need to improve in presentations, you can still express ideas by penning a blog post or article. Send in a proposal for approval to ProjectManagement.com. Remember that PDUs cannot be provided for explaining an already known procedure; article subjects must contain new information. On the other hand, writing about a method you developed to address a problem at work or sharing your experience with a recognised process can be considered.

What is the Best Option For PMP® Certification Renewal?

This question has no right or wrong answer. PDUs earning is a personal choice based on your requirements and hobbies. You can maintain your PMP® certification and earn a lot of PDUs if you're interested in obtaining a higher diploma. 

To obtain your PDUs, if you lack time to enroll in a course, you can attend webinars or engage in self-directed learning. You can add to our PDUs by volunteering, imparting knowledge, working on PMP® concepts, and producing content. Recertification is to make sure that learning never stops. You can choose how to acquire that knowledge depending on what will benefit you. Examine the breakdown of activities to ensure that the approach you select satisfies all the requirements. 

Simpliaxis' PMP® Certification Training Course can help you achieve PMP® excellence by helping you meet PMP® PDUs requirements seamlessly. Come along for a 4-day, live, instructor-led program that will shape your skills according to PMBOK principles through real-world case studies and experiential learning. With the help of knowledgeable, professional, and accredited trainers, earn 35 Contact Hours/35 PDUs. 

Also, checkt:FAQs on PMP® Certification

Conclusion

Every professional has unique objectives and passions, and different industries have distinct needs. As you've just read, PMI provides many opportunities to meet the CCR program, allowing you to pursue new possibilities.

To complete the 60 PDUs requirements and keep your PMP® certification current, you can select the educational and volunteer initiatives that best fit your needs in the field of your choice. Moreover, obtaining a PMI membership opens up a world of possibilities to seize to fulfill your CCR obligations.

FAQS

1. How many PDUs are required for me to maintain my PMP® certification?

It takes a minimum of 60 PDUs per your three-year CCR cycle to keep your active certification status with PMI after passing the PMP® exam and receiving your PMP® certification.

2. Is membership in PMI required to retain PMP®?

Not a paid membership, but a free account is essential to keeping or renewing your certifications. Stated differently, continuing your credentials does not require a membership payment. Apart from PMI® events, there are additional avenues for non-members to get and claim PDUs.

3. What Happens If My PMP® Renew still needs to be done?

Your PMP® certification will expire unless suspended, and you finish the renewal procedure within a year. You must reapply for the PMP® exam, pay all required fees, and pass the exam once again to have your expired PMP® certification renewed.

4. What is the duration of the PMP® credential?

After three years, the PMP® certification can be renewed or maintained by completing 60 PDUs, which are hours spent on approved PDUs.

5. In what way is PDUs calculated?

The formula for a three-phase PDUs producing 120 volts would be Volts x Amps (80%) x 3 (number of separate wires). A 30A three-phase unit having 120V, for instance, would be 120 x 24 x 3 = 8.6kW. The computation would be Volts x Amps (80%) x SQRT(3) if the PDU produces 208V.