The PMI PMP exam also known as the Project Management Professional is one of the most recognizable of all the designations offered by PMI. Moreover, the namesake certificate associated with this evaluation is trusted by most employers because it confirms that the applicant is capable of managing projects of different complexity at a professional level.

Appropriate Certification Details

Before doing the PMP exam, you should pay attention to the above-mentioned PMP designation. You should know why this professional experience-based validation is so sought after. It has to do with the fact that with this qualification, you confirm that you are able to find an effective solution in any project management situation. In more detail, holders of this certificate are able to create highly effective teams and keep their members on track. In addition, PMP-certified professionals are skilled in launching new projects and seeing things through to completion using appropriate practices and methods. Besides, such specialists are capable of assessing changes in the business environment, improving processes, and supporting organizational changes.

Core Audience and Prerequisites

As you can imagine, those wishing to pursue the PMI PMP certification path must already have sufficient practical experience in project management. And to demonstrate this background, you must prove that you meet the basic requirements for the PMP qualification.

• A four-year degree, 36 months of project management work experience, and 35 hours of training in project management or an active PMI CAPM certificate

OR

• A high school diploma or associate's degree, 60 months of project management-related experience, and 35 hours of training in project management or an active PMI CAPM certificate.

Exam Overview

The main requirement for candidates for the PMP appointment is passing the appropriate exam, which is a test of 180 multiple-choice questions that you must answer in 230 minutes. To do this evaluation, you must complete the registration process by paying the application fee. The amount of the fee is $555, however, if you are a PMI member, you will only need to pay $405. Please, note that you have a choice as to how the final test is administered. You can take it either online or at your nearest Pearson VUE authorized testing center. It is important to keep in mind that you have one calendar year and 3 attempts to take the PMI PMP exam from the time you register.

Tested Skills And Knowledge

It is important for each candidate to understand what topics will be covered on the final test. In the case of the PMP evaluation, all questions are broken down into three main areas - people, process, and business environment. Now, let's take a closer look at each of these knowledge areas.

People. First of all, as a project manager, you will work with people. Therefore, you will need to demonstrate skills for effective conflict resolution, including analysis of its source, stage, and context. One way or another, you will have to manage team members in order to identify the right type of leadership, to find the right fit for different types of people, as well as to motivate and inspire them. Don't forget that the manager must also support the growth and performance of the team, ensure adequate training of team members, and collaborate with stakeholders. As a result, both virtual and real teams should develop an understanding of the common mission by defining ground rules and overcoming obstacles together.

Process. Leading a project team, you will also manage the process including risk assessment and management, stakeholder engagement, resource, and budget planning, project scheduling, and requirements definition at the beginning. Then, you should always keep track of changes in the course of the project, manage the ongoing procurement, determine the most effective practices and methods, and avoid possible risks.

Business Environment. At the same time, the project manager must look more broadly and assess the business environment as a whole and how it relates to the current project. In other words, within such a domain, you have to manage and plan the project's compliance with general requirements, as well as evaluate and present the value alongside the benefits of the project. In addition, an analysis of the changes in the external business environment and their impact on your field of activity will be necessary for you to complete all the relevant tasks of this test.

Finally, keep in mind that the three exam areas covering the entire project management process include predictive, agile, and hybrid approaches to evaluating your expertise.

Career Prospects

As you can imagine, possessing the above skills and having them formally validated with the PMI PMP certification test will open up a lot of new career prospects for you. This is due to the fact that most successful organizations, which care about the high results of current and future projects, need proficient managers. And if you're interested in specific numbers, a PMP certificate holder can on average earn about $108k per year as reported by PayScale.com. At the same time, depending on your experience, you may qualify for a Senior Project Manager position with an average salary of $115k, or a Program Manager job role with annual pay of $114k as per the same salary website. An important advantage of this designation is that it applies to every industry. Moreover, if we take into account the PMI survey, the highest-paid sectors for qualified project managers are agriculture, pharmaceuticals, telecommunications, as well as the consulting and financial services industries.

Further Certification Path

Even considering the brilliant opportunities the PMP certificate gives you, don't stop there. You can take the Program Management Professional (PgMP) certification, which will confirm your ability to manage several related projects simultaneously. Moreover, PMI offers a number of other more narrowly focused designations. For example, for advanced training in business analysis, you can earn the Professional in Business Analysis or just the PMI-PBA certification. Or you can also choose the PMI-SP (PMI Scheduling Professional) or the PMI-RMP (Risk Management Professional) designations to focus on your skills in project scheduling and risk assessment.