PMP Application – Step-by-Step Guide [New Method]

Are you someone who is planning to appear for the PMP exam? If yes, then you have to fill the PMP application form in order to appear for the exam. Hence, are you facing difficulty in filling the PMP application online at the PMI site? If yes then here in this article, we will guide you step by step to fill the PMP application form. This article will help you in filling the PMP application form easily and quickly. Besides, we will explain that if your application falls for audit then what is being done in audit and what you need to do to clear the audit. This will ease your problem of filling the PMP application form and getting clearance from the audit.

There are four major steps in PMP application;

1. Create PMI Profile
2. Education Details (Academic & Professional)
3. Experience Details (Project Management Experience)
4. Exam Details & Submit Application

We will go over each step in detail with a sample PMP application in this post.

PMP Application – Step-by-Step Guide for PMP Application

PMP certification is one of the most popular, recognized, and important credential for project management profile in the industry. This certification will help professionals like you in becoming competent in handling projects. Besides, it helps in rising your career graph. 

PMP certification helps to familiarize the professionals with the concepts and techniques of effective project management. It addresses the requirements of project managers in project integration, quality, cost, human resources, risk and time. Moreover, it builds up skills in communication management. Hence, going for PMP certification is the right choice as it shows your commitment to the project management profession. Besides, it demonstrates credibility and also allows you to earn higher salaries. Furthermore, it raises your resume above the non-certified professionals, making you confident in handling projects and high market value. In a nutshell, PMP certification is the quickest way for project managers to earn a higher salary, better job opportunities, credibility in the market, better networking, more challenging projects, job security, enhancement in knowledge and skills and last but not the least global recognition.

As per the latest survey by Project Management Institute, PMP certified individual on an average has 25 % higher salary than non-certified professional.

PMP Requirements You Must Meet Before PMP Application

The first step for applying to the PMP exam is to fill the online PMP application form at PMI.org site. Now, there are 2 main requirements to be fulfilled before filling the application form for the PMP exam. Hence a candidate has to meet these PMP requirements before applying for the PMP certification exam.

The first and foremost requirement is to have the required education and experience level. Secondly, you need to have a project management education. Now let us understand these requirements in detail:

1. Education and Experience Level

If you hold a four-year degree or global equivalent then

• You need a minimum of 3 years of unique and non-overlapping professional experience in project management
• Besides, within the above time period, you need to lead or direct the project for at least 4500 hours (36 months)

Or

If you hold a secondary degree such as high school diploma or global equivalent then

• You need a minimum of 5 years of unique and non-overlapping professional experience in project management
• Besides, within the above time period, you need to lead or direct  the project for at least  7500 hours (60 months)

Note: Make sure that all the project management experience must have been accrued from the last 8 consecutive years before the submission of the PMP application.

2. Project Management Education

In project management education, you need to document at least 35 contact hours that you have earned from a training program. And the training program should address the learning objectives in project management.

One hour of classroom training equals one contact hour needed to meet this requirement.

It doesn’t matter when you have completed this training. What matters is that all the coursework must be completed at the time of your application.

PMP Application Step-by-Step

If you satisfy the requirements mentioned above for the PMP exam then you have 2 options to fill the application form. The first option is online mode and the second option is paper-based. We recommend filling application in online mode at PMI.org since it is faster and also recommended by PMI.

Now we will explain the steps to fill the application form in following headings with a high-level overview of PMP application along with images to make you understand the easy way to fill the application form.

Step #1 – Create a PMI Profile

• Go to pmi.org and click the ‘Register’ button
• A page will appear for ‘Create an Account’
• If you already have a PMI username and password then click ‘Login’. Else enter your information to create an account

• Now enter your personal information

• Select the current job title, the year you were born, total years of full-time work experience, the experience of managing projects that last over 4 weeks, what best describes how you view project management as it relates to your career, does your organization have a PMO or group devoted to project management? And primary organization focus and area of focus are optional fields

• Now enter the account information like username, password, and confirm password, select a security question and enter the answer for the security question.
• Now the ‘Create Account’ button will get enabled
• Click ‘Create Account’ button
• Now ‘Registration Confirmation’ page appears with a message “Your PMI.org account is good to go”

• Click on “Go to PMI Home Page”
• Click on the drop-down next to ‘Certifications’ and click ‘Apply Now’
• Certification Program page appears

• Click on ‘Apply for PMP Credential’
• It will take you to ‘PMP Application –Step 1: Education” page
• In “Education” step of your PMP application, you will be filling your academic and professional (35 contact hours PMP training) education details.

• First, you will submit your academic education background.
  • If you have a four-year degree or above, you will need to submit 36 months of project experience in the next step of your application.
  • If you have a secondary degree, you will need to submit 60 months of project experience in the next step of your application.

Step #2 – PM Experience Details

In “Experience” step of your PMP application, you will be filling your project experience details.

• If you have secondary degree, you will need to submit 60 months of experience.
• If you have four-year degree or above, you will need to submit 36 months of experience.

The application wizard will not allow new entries once you submitted the minimum requirements for PM experience. Therefore, provide the most recent experiences first.

Important: PMI expects to see your project management experience. Therefore, you must provide project management related terms in this step. (e.g. cost, change request, budget, schedule, sponsor, customer requirement, deliverable, reports… etc.)

• If you still want to make any changes, you can click the ‘Edit’ button

Step #3 – Exam Details & Submit Application

• Once you completed your application, click on “Submit Application” and your application will be sent to PMI for review.

What should I do if my PMP application hits the audit?

PMI (Project Management Institute) is a world-leading institute for project management. Hence, it takes a lot of consideration to scrutinize the applications for the PMP certification exam.

PMI Audit process is a very simple process that asks for confirming the details of eligibility criteria which you have filled in the application form against the documentation and signatures of concerned authorities.

In steps to apply for the PMP exam, once you make the payment then the PMP application goes for audit. It becomes quite confusing as to whether the application form is being rejected or PMI found some inaccurate details? But don’t get puzzled. Here PMI is just asking you to provide rightful documentation along with the details furnished in the application form.

Steps of PMI Audit process

The first and foremost step is to fill the application form as per the steps mentioned above. Secondly, once the PMP application form is complete then you submit the application to PMI for verification and approval. It takes roughly 5 days for the PMP exam application to be approved. Thirdly, you need to make payment of PMP exam fees

Once you pay the PMP exam fees, then PMI sends you an email. An email can be for 2 different things.

• Either PMI approves the application. That means it gives the go-ahead signal and you can schedule the exam. Then you can appear for the exam and get certified.
• Or your PMP application has come under audit. The audit is a random process to pick the application form so don’t panic. It just requires you to confirm your eligibility details with required evidence duly attested by senior or reporting manager.

The purpose of the PMI audit

The purpose is to keep the reputation and quality of certifications endorsed by PMI.

• PMI allocates 90 days to complete this process.
• Hence, if your PMP application goes for audit then you need to collect all the documentary evidence i.e. education details, contact hours or experience certificate.
• You will receive a PDF with all the details filled in via email. You need to get the signature from the reporting manager. Then prepare a packet and send it to the address mentioned in the email.
• Once they receive this packet and they roughly take 5-6 days to verify. Hence when they are done with the audit, you will receive an email stating that you can schedule the exam and appear for the exam.

During the course of an audit, PMI verifies following:

• Firstly, it verifies project management experience
• Secondly, PMI verifies formal education.
• Thirdly, it verifies 35 contact hours of project management education.

Steps to verify project management experience are:

• A reporting manager or senior person or supervisor who has knowledge of the experience on your application is required to review and then complete the “Project Management Experience Audit Report”.
• Once they complete the form, they are required to place the Project Management Experience Audit Report in an envelope.
• Sign his/her name over the sealed flap of the envelope and return the envelope to you via in person or by postal mail.

Note that PMI doesn’t accept faxed or scanned forms and they don’t accept incomplete submissions either.

 Step to verify attained education

• Applicant must include a certificate, transcript or diploma from the school with which you earned your degree.

Step to verify 35 contact hours of project management education

• The applicant needs to provide documentation demonstrating the successful completion of each course submitted which meets the requirements of 35 hours of project management education. You must include a certificate, transcript, or letter of attendance from the company, REP (Registered Education Provider), school or institute that provided the training.

Summary

PMP certification is the most prestigious certification in the field of project management. It is the quickest way for project managers to rise in their careers and avail numerous benefits. The best way to fill the PMP application form is online mode. It is faster and easier as compared to paper-based applications. You need to meet the education, experience and project management education requirement in order to apply for the PMP exam. PMI does the PMP audits on a random basis to maintain the credibility of PMP exams endorsed by PMI. They verify eligibility criteria against documentation and the signature of the concerned authority.