PMI requires that you earn 60 professional development units (PDUs), each three years, in addition to a $119 annual renewal fee ($129 for new members). These units can be earned by gaining more education or giving back to the profession of project management. One PDU is earned for every hour spent on an activity. Education
Education PDUs can be earned by attending training courses or organization meetings. These can be obtained from local PMI chapters or Registered Education Providers such as ILX. These can be obtained through third-party providers such as universities or your own organization.
Reading is the easiest and most popular way to earn education PDUs. The PMBOK Guide, PMP’s reference manual, is very useful and authoritative. Whitepapers, blogs, and articles are all PMP-relevant publications that you can read to earn PDUs. For easy and free PMP credits, you can also watch live webinars and on-demand videos.
PMI introduced the Talent Triangle in 2015. It consists of three skill areas that make up a well-rounded practitioner. Each skill area must be earned at least 8 PDUs.
Technical project management: Specific functions of project, program, and portfolio management, such as data gathering and project governance.Leadership: Negotiation, conflict management, and other related activities that help an organization achieve its business goals.Strategic and business management: Skills and knowledge of the industry or organization such as business models and market analysis.
Giving Back
The giving back category, which is not education, is about sharing your knowledge and using your skills. This category has five ways to earn PDUs:
* Work as a practitioner – working in your PMP-related role.* Create content – knowledge resources, such as books, blogs, articles, and webinars.* Give a presentation – presenting on PMP-relevant topics.* Share knowledge – teaching and mentoring.* Volunteer – volunteer services to non-employer and non-client organizations.Getting the Balance Right
In the giving back category, you can claim up to 25 PDUs. This is a decrease of 45 PDUs from the prior changes made in 2015. This means that most of your PDUs must now come from education. You can actually earn all 60 of the PDUs you need in education.
You must ensure that you have the correct category balance. Don’t assume that you can earn all of your PDUs by working as a project manager. You should also balance how much time you spend on these credits. You could spend an hour each week learning about project management, and then watch a webinar once every two months. This would give you enough PDUs to last the entire three-year cycle. Do not try to get all 60 at once.
It is not easy to earn and maintain a highly regarded credential such as a PMP certificate. This advice should help you gain a better understanding. You can contact us for any questions or support.