“Project management can be defined as a way of developing structure in a complex project, where the independent variables of time, cost, resources and human behavior come together.”
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Rory Burke
Nowadays, projects tend to be quite complex, involving numerous stakeholders and changing client requirements. Moreover, companies also need to keep pace with the advancing technologies and build state-of-the-art products. This is the reason project management has become crucial for all organizations. By adopting project management, companies are able to plan and manage a project and complete its listed goals and deliverables successfully. Simply monitoring deadlines and setting a budget is not the only scope of project management. It involves controlling the project from start to end, i.e. contributing in all the phases of a project lifecycle – initiation, planning, executing, controlling, and closure.
Project managers can deliver stellar results even while staying within a project’s constraints if they adopt project management best practices. Becoming a successful project manager isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. People require the right blend of technical and managerial skills to thrive in such an important role. Gaining certification is one of the best ways to polish your skills as a project manager. At the top of the project management certification pyramid is the Project Management Professional or PMP certification. Offered by the renowned Project Management Institute (PMI), this credential is highly regarded by companies worldwide and can take your career to new heights.
There are over a million PMP certification holders across 200 countries and many are currently aspiring to achieve it. If you are serious about a career as a project manager, then you should seek a PMP certification in Kolkata, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, or any other city of your choice. Let us know more about the PMP certification and what are prerequisites associated with it.
The Importance of PMP Certification
The PMP certification is designed to demonstrate a candidate’s skills in managing the people, processes, and business priorities of an industry project. It ensures that the certification holder is capable of working in virtually every sector and bringing projects to successful completion. One needs to fulfill certain eligibility criteria and then pass the rigorous PMP exam to get certified. In fact, companies often look for PMP-certified candidates for their project management open positions, as they trust that such professionals have already undergone a strict screening process.
Apart from global recognition, PMP certification also paves your way to a high-paying job. According to PMI, professionals who hold a PMP certification earn around 25% higher salaries than their non-certified counterparts in the US. Moreover, PMI’s Project Management Salary Survey, 10th Edition, highlighted that the median salary of a PMP certification holder was $112,000 in the US. Evidently, you will have bright salary prospects working as a certified project manager.
Prerequisites for PMP Training
Earlier, we mentioned about fulfilling certain eligibility criteria before thinking about appearing for the PMP exam. Well, PMI defines the following requirements associated with PMP:
- A four-year graduate degree along with 36 months of work experience in leading projects. Moreover, one should take 35 hours of project management training or possess a CAPM certification.
- If you don’t have a four-year degree, you need to at least hold a high school diploma along with 60 months of work experience in leading projects. 35 hours of training is, however, mandatory.
Looking at 35 hours of project management training requirement, you must be wondering where to look for such training. Well, PMI has authorized training providers to help professionals learn from appropriate instructors and continue their preparation in the right direction. You can find a training provider online and don’t need to go through the hassle of attending classes at a physical location. These training programs often don’t involve any prerequisites. Some work experience in the field of project management would be enough to attend such a training course.
The PMP Exam
You are fortunate enough if you fulfill all the eligibility requirements and are ready to sit for the PMP exam. The PMP certification test has been updated on Jan’2021 and here are the details regarding the exam:
Candidates will face a total of 180 questions in the PMP exam and the time allotted for it will be 230 minutes (3 hours 50 minutes). These questions have different formats like multiple-choice, multiple response, hotspot, matching, and limited fill-in-the-blanks. Basically, there are three domains on which the PMP exam is based. Here are those three domains along with the proportion of questions asked from each of them.
- People – 42%
- Process – 50%
- Business – 8%
Some of the important topics you will need to pay attention to are managing conflicts, supporting virtual teams, managing budgets, choosing the best methodologies for the project, compliance, supporting organizational change, and more.
Wrap Up
There are various paths you can take to prepare for the PMP exam. Some surveys have found that aspirants dedicate around 3 to 6 months to prepare for the PMP exam. A reliable exam prep course can help you get ready for PMP in a short period of time. We recommend you search for a PMI Authorized training provider which will train you to clear the PMP exam in a single try as well as fulfill your eligibility requirements of 35 hours of project management education. Finally, prepare for the PMP exam soon and reap the several career benefits that come along.