Steps to Prepare for PMI®'s
PMP® Examination Application
IIL congratulates you on pursuing a professional credential in Project Management.
The preparation to earn the PMP® certification will require concentration and a significant investment of your time and energy; but, it’s worth it!
To facilitate your preparation, IIL is pleased to provide clarification with regard to the steps you need to take to prepare for this important and desirable certification.
The Project Management Institute (PMI®)
PMI® is the leading not-for-profit professional membership association for the project management profession globally.
PMI®’s professional resources and research deliver value for more than 2.9 million professionals working in nearly every country in the world to enhance their careers, improve organizational success, and further advance the profession.
Their worldwide advocacy for project management is reinforced by globally-recognized standards, certification programs, extensive academic and market research programs, chapters, and volunteer and professional development opportunities.
Certifications
Step 1
Verify Eligibility
To apply for PMP® certification, you will need to document:
- A four-year degree (bachelor’s or the global equivalent) and at least three years/36 months unique non-overlapping professional project management experience, of which a minimum of 4,500 hours were spent leading and directing projects, plus 35 hours of project management education.
OR
- A secondary diploma (high school or the global equivalent) with at least five years/60 months unique non-overlapping professional project management experience, of which a minimum of 7,500 hours were spent leading and directing projects, plus 35 hours of project management education.
Step 2
Plan Your Training
Step 3
Submit Your Application – Enroll in Membership
Review IIL’s short video on the application process.
PMI prefers that you use the online application to apply for PMP® certification. A printable version of the application is available on a case-by-case basis. Contact PMI’s Customer Care Service Center to submit a request.
Note:
- You have 90 days to complete the application once you start it[1]
- You have one year to sit for the exam once your application has been approved[2]
- You will not be able to schedule your exam until all fees are paid to PMI®
- PMI® will process and/or audit your application in 5 calendar days if submitted online
Once your application is approved, and if an audit is not carried out by PMI®, you will receive an Eligibility Letter with all the necessary details, along with an ID number, to move forward and schedule your exam via the Pearson VUE website. The second alternative, available in most countries, is to take the exam online from home.
Prices for CBT and PBT Tests:
PMI® member: USD 405
Non-member: USD 555
To apply for PMI® membership, click on the appropriate URL under Quick Links above.
[1] You can save it unfinished, come back to it later and edit any information you entered.
[2] You may take the exam up to three times within this one-year eligibility period.
Step 4
Prepare for the
PMP® Exam
PMI offers the following tips and resources for PMP® certification:
- Review the PMP® Handbook
- Review the PMI® Exam Reference List for PMIs supplemental reading recommendations.
- Review the PMP® Exam Content Outline
- Participants in IIL’s PMP Exam Prep course will have access to IIL’s ProjectManagementIQ®, which contains over 1500 questions.
Step 5
Sit the PMP® Exam
Schedule your In-Person or Online Proctored Test exam via the Pearson VUE website.
- 180 questions
- 230 minutes to complete the exam
- One additional break for a total of two 10-minute breaks for computer-based tests. No scheduled breaks for paper-based exams.
- Questions will be a combination of multiple-choice, multiple responses, matching, hotspot and limited fill-in-the-blank.
- Calculators and dictionaries are not allowed. A calculator will be available within the exam.
- For in-person testing, Pearson will provide you with pencils and scrap paper or a small whiteboard and markers
- For online testing, no pencils or papers are permitted, and an electronic whiteboard and calculator are provided as part of the examination software
- When completed, you will not be able to take any of your notes with you
Your Pass/Fail result and other reporting information will be immediately provided to you once you have finished your exam.
Quick Links
Project Management Institute (PMI®) website
PMI® membership application
PMI Customer Care Service center if you have any questions, membership or exam fee payments
Certification FAQs
PMP Certification Language
PMI®’s PMP® Exam is administered in English with the option to have a language aid available at no additional charge. Language aids are available in 14 languages for the PMP® exam.
PMP Examination Content Outline (this document provides the basis upon which the exam is based)
Examination Handbook
(this document contains all the information you need to know on how to apply-and sit for-the exam)
Global Standards
PMI® standards for project, program and portfolio management are the most widely recognized ones in the profession and are a model for project management in business and government.
They are developed by thousands of PMI volunteers with experience in every type of project and provide a common language for project management around the world.
Events
Thought Leadership
Pulse of the Profession®, PMI®’s annual research of trends in project management, plus in-depth reports on emerging topics, form the core of a widely recognized thought leadership platform, which advocates better business results through improved project outcomes.
IIL recommends discovering and reviewing Pulse of the Profession® publications for strategic insights into the value of formal project management and its link to improved business results.
Chapters and Community
PMI® has chapters located in over 100 countries and are open to PMI members. In many respects, chapters are where the work of the Institute, and its passionate volunteers takes place.
IIL encourages participation in local PMI® Chapters to learn, meet other practitioners, network and share your knowledge and experience.
When you become a member of PMI® you join a diverse, vibrant, global community of fellow practitioners and thought leaders.
PMI®, PMP®, PMBOK® and the PMI® Authorized Training Partner seal are registered trademarks of the Project Management Institute.
