Do You Qualify for the PMP?

The PMP (Project Management Professional) is one of the most well-known certifications for project managers. It shows that you have the skills and experience to lead projects well. But before you apply, you need to check if you are eligible.

The good news: PMI (the organisation that gives the PMP) has three different paths to qualify. One of them is very likely to work for you.

The three paths at a glance

Path	Education	Work Experience	PM Training
Set A	High school diploma	60 months (5 years)	35 hours
Set B	Bachelor's degree or higher	36 months (3 years)	35 hours
Set C	Bachelor's from a GAC school	24 months (2 years)	35 hours (GAC counts)

Important: All experience must come from the past 8 years. Experience older than 8 years cannot be counted, no matter how good it was.

Set A: High school diploma

If you finished high school (or a secondary school), you can use this path. You need to show that you have worked as a project leader for at least 60 months (5 years) within the last 8 years. You also need 35 hours of project management training.

This path is for people who built their careers through work experience rather than university. A lot of hands-on project experience is what matters here.

Set B: Bachelor's degree or higher

If you have a university degree (bachelor's or above), this is the most common path. You only need 36 months (3 years) of project leadership experience within the last 8 years, plus 35 hours of training.

Many project managers use this path because it requires less experience than Set A.

Set C: GAC-accredited degree

GAC stands for Global Accreditation Center. It is a programme run by PMI that approves certain university project management courses. If your degree is from a GAC school, you only need 24 months (2 years) of experience.

Also, if your university course was GAC-approved, those classes may already count as your 35 hours of training. Check with your university to confirm.

What counts as project experience?

You do not need to have the job title "Project Manager" to qualify. PMI wants to see that you have led and managed projects in a real work setting. This includes things like:

•        Planning and organising a project at any stage from start to finish

•        Managing a team or working with different groups of people

•        Tracking budgets, timelines, preparing schedule, or goals

•        Making decisions and solving problems during a project

Your experience can come from different jobs or different companies. You can also combine experience from several projects, as long as it all falls within the 8-year window.

The 35-hour training requirement

All three paths require 35 hours of formal project management education. This is not the same as on-the-job learning. It must come from a structured course or programme, such as:

•        A university course in project management

•        An online course from a known learning platform

•        A course run by a PMI chapter or local group

•        A training from PMI’s accredited training partners,

Set C tip: If your university degree was from a GAC-accredited programme, your core project management classes are already pre-approved for the 35-hour requirement.

Which path is right for you?

Here is a simple way to decide:

•        High school diploma only? Use Set A. You will need 5 years of project experience.

•        University degree (not GAC)? Use Set B. You need 3 years of experience.

•        University degree from a GAC school? Use Set C. You only need 2 years of experience.

If you are not sure whether your university is GAC-accredited, you can check the PMI website. There is a full list of approved schools.

Next steps

Once you know which path fits you, here is what to do:

•        Collect details of your project experience (project names, dates, your role, and what you did)

•        Check that your 35 hours of training are from an approved source

•        Create an account on the PMI website and start your application

The PMP is within reach for most working project managers. With the right preparation we at GTC can help you get certified with confidence.

Source: Project Management Institute (PMI) — pmi.org  |  Requirements may change. Always check the latest version on the PMI website before applying.