PMP Certification — Project Management Professional

PMP (Project Management Professional) is a certification from PMI (Project Management Institute). It is the most widely recognised project management credential globally, validating skills in both waterfall and agile project management, stakeholder engagement, team leadership, and risk management.

The PMP exam costs $405 USD for PMI members and $555 USD for non-members. PMI membership costs $139/year and is worth purchasing before registering — it saves $150 on the exam fee and includes free access to the PMBOK Guide.

To sit PMP you need: (a) a four-year degree plus 36 months of project leadership experience and 35 hours of PM education, OR (b) a high school diploma plus 60 months of PM experience and 35 hours of education. All experience must be in a role where you led and directed projects.

PMP is one of the harder professional certifications. It has 180 questions in 230 minutes, with approximately 50% agile/hybrid scenario questions. The first-attempt pass rate is estimated at 60–65%. Most candidates need 150–250 hours of study. The challenge is applying PMI's preferred decision-making approach to ambiguous scenarios, not memorising definitions.

Yes — for project management professionals. PMP holders earn a median of 20–33% more than non-certified peers. In the UK, PMP project managers earn £55,000–£90,000; in the US, $85,000–$140,000. It is most valuable when project management is your primary role, not a secondary responsibility.

CAPM (Certified Associate in Project Management) is PMI's entry-level credential with no experience requirement. PMP requires 36–60 months of documented project leadership. CAPM is a stepping stone; PMP is the career credential that opens senior roles and higher salaries.

Yes — PMP is valid for 3 years and requires 60 PDUs (Professional Development Units) to renew. PDUs come from professional development activities: courses, conferences, volunteering, and self-directed learning.