The PMP® (Project Management Professional) is an internationally recognized professional designation offered by the Project Management Institute (PMI).

There are currently 773,840 active PMP® certified individuals across 210 countries and territories worldwide.

Getting the PMP® certification gives you confidence in your project management knowledge; it proves you know and can apply project management knowledge, as other PMP®’s worldwide do; gives you the likelihood of a higher salary; benefits your organization because of your knowledge and credibility.

The PMP® is granted by the Project Management Institute (PMI). See pmi.org.

To get your PMP®, you need to meet PMI’s requirements for the PMP®, apply and pay for the PMP® exam, and write and pass the exam.

You need to show PMI you have met their requirements for the PMP® by completing the PMP® application at pmi.org. In this application, you need to show you have the following experience and education:

Experience:

• If you have a university degree, you need 4500 hours (three years) of experience managing some part of a project in the last eight years.
• If you have a high school diploma and don’t have a university degree, you need 7500 hours (five years) of experience managing some part of a project in the last eight years.

Education:

• You need 35 hours in project management education. This can be any time in your life (not just in the last eight years). It does not need to be a PMP® Preparation Course, although many people take such a course to prepare for the exam.

Once you have submitted your application and received approval from PMI, you pay the exam fee, write the PMP® exam and pass, and then you are a PMP®!

The exam is a computer-based exam which has 200 multiple choice questions.

You have four hours to complete the exam. After the exam, you complete an online survey and then you will receive your exam results.

It is usually and should be of some level of difficulty – after all, you are taking it to obtain an internationally recognized certification.

PMP®s work in many industries. Some industries which use PMP®s often are information technology, construction, and engineering.

PMI does not publish a passing mark for the exam. Indeed, you never know the mark you have gotten. In 2005, PMI had published that 61% was the passing score.

Yes, PMP®s need to earn 60 Professional Development Units (PDUs) each three-year cycle. These PDUs can be obtained by taking training, reading books, working as a project manager, volunteering, and more. For more information, see pmi.org/-/media/pmi/documents/public/pdf/certifications/ccr-certification-requirements-handbook.pdf.

No, you can apply for and get your PMP® having a high school diploma.

Please see information at payscale.com/research/CA/Certification=Project_Management_Professional_(PMP®)/Salary.