Recording and Maintaining PDUs
PgMP, PMP and PMI-SP

"A failure to plan is a plan for failure"
John Wooden

Current CCR / PDUs

PMI's Continuing Certification Requirements (CCR)		PDUs should be recorded regularly! Update your records with PMI on-line or via Fax or Post. For more on the PMI certifications see:  -  PMP certification training  -  PgMP certification training  -  PMI-SP certification training See who is currently a PMI Credential holder: www.pmi.org/Certification/Credential-Registry.aspx
	CCR Overview
	CCR Cycle for PMPs and PgMPs
	Earning PDUs for PMI Credential Holders
Professional Development Units (PDUs) for PMPs and PgMPs
	What is a PDU
	PDU Categories
	Reporting PDUs
	PDU Record Keeping
None Compliance with CCR Requirements
	Failure to Satisfy CCR Requirements
	PMP Retired

PMI's Continuing Certification Requirements (CCR)

CCR Overview

PMPs and PgMPs must accrue a minimum of 60 Professional Development Units (PDUs) during each three year CCR cycle and comply with PMI's renewal requirements (including payment of a fee) to maintain their certification status. Holders of both certifications (PgMP and PMP) can use the same PDUs for both certifications.

PMI-SP holders must obtain 30 PDUs during each three year CCR cycle in the specialised area of project scheduling and comply with PMI's renewal requirements (including payment of a fee) to maintain their certification status. These PDUs can also be used towards PMP and or PgMP PDU requirements.

There is no CCR requirement for CAPM, your CAPM qualification lasts for 5 years then expires. After the 5 year period a person either re-sits the CAPM exam or more sensibly moves on to take the PMP credential.

The difference between PDUs and the Hours of Approved Training needed to be eligible for a credential. PDUs refer to continuing professional development undertaken by PMI Credential Holders AFTER they have passed their PMP, PgMP, PMI-SP or PMI-RMP Certifications. The range of activities that can earn PDUs is much wider than the approved training needed to be eligible for the Credential. For example an ITIL course could accrue PDUs for certified PMPs (and PgMPs).  Whereas the same ITIL course would not qualify for the 35 Hrs of approved training needed to be eligible for the PMP exam. Similarly attending a scheduling conference would earn PDUs for the PMI-SP (and for the PMP & PgMP credentials) but would not qualify as eligible training. 

Approved exam prep courses are required to cover all of the aspects of the credential both from a practical view of preparing examination candidates as well as to meet PMI's stringent quality requirements. As a PMI approved R.E.P., all of our exam prep courses are pre-approved by PMI for the hours of project management education required to be eligible for the target examination.

The only way a PMI exam prep course will accrue PDUs is if you already hold a PMI credential that requires you to earn PDUs:
- if you are already PMP, the training for PgMP will accrue PDUs for your PMP but not for the PgMP, you have to earn these after you have passed your PgMP.
- if you are PMI-SP, the scheduling component of a PMP course will earn PDUs for your PMI-SP but none of the course will earn PDUs for your PMP - you cannot earn these until after you have passed the PMP exam.

For more information, PMI's CCR policy is defined in the Continuing Certification Requirement section of each credential handbook. Certificants should also regularly check the PMI Web site [www.pmi.org] for the latest information on the CCR program. To download the latest credential handbooks to check current CCR requirements:
 -  Download the PMP Handbook
 -  Download the PgMP Handbook
 -  Download the PMI-SP Handbook
 -  Or download the PDU Category Summary

Current holders of the PgMP, PMP, CAPM and PMI-SP Certifications can be confirmed by checking PMI’s on line registry at: http://www.pmi.org/Certification/Credential-Registry.aspx 

Note: if there is any conflict between the summary information contained on this page and the detailed information contained on the PMI web site, the PMI information takes precedence. This information is provided to assist PMI examination candidates, PMI-SPs, PgMPs and PMPs to understand their obligations, it is not necessarily up to date or accurate. All CCR forms are copyright of PMI.

Determining your CCR Cycle Timeframe for PMP and PgMP Credential Holders

Up to 20 excess PDUs earned during the final year of the current CCR cycle may be applied to the next CCR cycle.

Earning PDUs for PMP, PgMP and PMI-SP Credential Holders

• There are a wide range of papers on our web site at www.mosaicprojects.com.au/Resources.html - studying some of these could count as ‘self directed learning' provided it is focused on a ‘business requirement’ and you fill in the correct forms (see Category C below). This applies to our materials and any other reputable information source.

• We earn most of our personal PDUs through attending congresses and conferences.  There is the PMI Global Congress circuit [see www.pmi.org] and a number of others.  One of interest in the Asian region is PMOZ, see www.pmoz.com.au. Rather than just attending a congress, if you present a paper you save on fees and get an additional PDUs for writing the paper (as well as helping your career profile).

• Another good source of information and PDUs are webinars, many are free.
  

• Most PMI Chapter meeting count for PDUs, as do meetings of other project management organisations (or parallel organisations such as risk or cost management) as long as they apply to projects.

• PMI are now offering PDU earning Publication Quizzes available from the PMI Marketplace: www.pmi.org
   
• Lastly, there are the paid course options – the PMI eSeminarsWorldSM range plus similar offerings from a range of large R.E.P.s offer distance learning opportunities. Classroom based courses including Mosaic's range of 'Short Courses' (see http://www.mosaicprojects.com.au/Training-Home_SC.html) and PMI's SeminarsWorld^SM events provide traditional face-to-face education; there are literally hundreds of courses listed on the PMI R.E.P. database and many times more offered by various project management training organisations world wide. The advantage offered by PMI and R.E.P. courses is that the PDUs and course contents are pre-approved by PMI. For courses and events run by other providers (Category  B) you need to keep records of the course and its program / contents in your CCR Folder and assess the PDUs yourself.
   
• for PMI-SP holders, the PDU activities must relate to the specialist area of project scheduling.
  

• First keep your records and claims up to date, we do ours every couple of months and have Outlook set to ‘remind us’. 
  
• Second, remember PDUs are based on what is relevant to you career development; there is no requirement to restrict their source to PMI approved events or organisations like R.E.P.s any quality training counts as long as it is relevant to your project management career.

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Professional Development Units (PDUs) for PMPs,  PgMPs  and PMI-SP Holders

What is a PDU?

You will typically earn one PDU for every one hour spent in a planned, structured learning experience or activity. Fractions of PDUs may be reported in 0.25 increments.  When attending conferences, one claim is made for the whole event, although you still need to keep records of the sessions actually attended.

PDU activities completed prior to obtaining certification are not accepted toward the renewal requirements.

In addition to attending formal training courses, workshops, conferences and seminars; PDUs may also be earned by participating in voluntary work (eg on a PMI committee), by self directed study, professional activities and by presenting papers at conferences, etc.

PDU Categories [download as a PDF] - Note from 1st March 2011, the PDU Categories have changed. See New Categories and FAQs

Category A: Courses offered by PMI’s R.E.P.s or Chapters and Communities

Generally one PDU per contact hour of project management course work. The R.E.P. will have the PDU credits for each certified course defined. [See more on R.E.P.s] This category also includes most Chapter meetings and the PMI® Publication Quizzes

Category B: Continuing Education

Generally one PDU per contact hour of project management course work. Options include:

• Completing an academic course being offered by a university or college
• Attending relevant educational courses offered by training organisations NOT registered with PMI. This may include training (or a Webinar) offered by your employer, another professional or membership association, or a non R.E.P. training organization.

When only a portion of a course relates to your credential area of expertise, calculate PDUs by the percentage of the overall curriculum focused on the topic. you need to keep the transcript or grade report for an academic course, indicating a passing mark. If a non-PMI REP or Community course or conference you need to keep the registration form, certificate or letter of attendance, and a brochure or course materials (syllabus) outlining the subject matter covered and the qualifications of the instructor/lecturer.

Category C: Self-Directed Learning

A maximum of 30 PDUs per cycle for PMP and PgMP holders and 15 PDUs per cycle for PMI-SP holders may be earned through self directed learning activities. Qualifying activities must be relevant to project management, project scheduling, or program management, meet a specified purpose, and use knowledgeable resources. You earn 1 PDU per hour spent in self-directed study. PMI require you to keep evidence supporting your reported learning project, including notes from and dates of discussions or reading. Learning may include informal activities such as:

• reading articles, books, or instructional manuals;
• watching videos, using interactive CD-ROMs, Podcasts or other source material;
• having formal discussions with colleagues, coworkers, clients or consultants;
• being coached or mentored by a colleague, coworker or consultant

Category D: Creating New Project Management Knowledge (a maximum of 45 PDUs can be earned from categories D, E and F combined, 20 for PMI-SP)

Earn PDUs for creating new knowledge for the topic related to your credential area of expertise (project management, project risk management, project scheduling, or program management). Qualifying activities include:
• Authoring (co-authoring) a project management textbook, a peer-reviewed article or a non-peer-reviewed article for publication in any media,
• Presenting in a webinar or podcast
• Creating a course or developing course content for project management related courses
• Serving as a speaker or modorator of a relevant discussion
• Serving as a subject matter expert for a panel discussion

1 PDU is awarded per 1 hour of activity in this category.

Category E: Volunteer Service (a maximum of 45 PDUs can be earned from categories D, E and F combined, 20 for PMI-SP)

1 PDU is awarded for 1 hour of volunteer (non-compensated) service. To claim PDUs for service as an elected officer or appointed committee member, you must serve in the role for a minimum of three months. this catagory includes serving as an elected volunteer officer for a project management organisation or by providing volunteer, non-compensated project management, project risk, project scheduling, or program management services to non-employer or non-client organisations and mentoring support to individuals. For volunteer services you need a letter or certificate from the organisation served acknowledging you for leading project tasks or participating as part of a project team. For coaching or mentoring services you need evidence supporting your coaching or mentoring arrangement, including notes from and dates of discussion or reading.

Category F: Working as a Professional in Project Management (a maximum of 45 PDUs can be earned from categories D, E and F combined, 20 for PMI-SP)

For working as a project management professional for a minimum of 6 months within a 12 month period, you can earn 5 PDUs per 12-month period if you hold the PMP and/or PgMP credential(s) and 2.5 PDUs per 12-month period if you hold the PMI-SP and/or PMI-RMP credential(s).

Reporting PDU Activities

Credential holders are responsible for reporting qualifying activities as they occur. Earning 20 PDUs a year is not difficult - remembering what you did three years ago is! Smart PMPs submit their PDU claims as they earn the PDUs.

Either make copies of the PMI Continuing Certification Requirements Activity Reporting Form, enter the required information, and fax or mail the completed form (only the form) to the PMI/CCR Records Office. [View / down load the Activity Reporting Form - This PDF version of the Activity Reporting Form is data entry enabled. Note: Adobe Acrobat Reader can not save changes to this form. Be certain to print the form before closing it.]

Or use the online Activity Reporting Form found in the certification area of the PMI Web site. To record PDUs 'on-line' credential holders will need their PMI identification number (membership number) and their credential 'Certification Number' located on each individual's certificate. Most of the recording process is now just point and click.

To confirm posting of claims, credential holders may view their PDU transcripts online via the PMI Web site [ www.pmi.org ]. Allow up to three weeks for claims to be process and listed in the online transcript.

Record Keeping - Maintaining a CCR Folder

All credential holders should maintain a personal CCR folder with documentation that supports their reported activities. For each claim, you should keep a copy of your submission and the specified supporting documentation as outlined in the categories of qualifying activities. A percentage of credential holders will be randomly selected for auditing purposes; therefore, documentation for all claims completed in a specific cycle should be maintained for at least 18 months after the CCR cycle has ended.

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None Compliance with CCR Requirements

Failure to Satisfy Continuing Certification Requirements

PgMPs, PMPs and PMI-SPs who do not complete their CCR by the expiration date of their certification will be placed on suspended certification status. Suspended certification status indicates that the individual may not use the PgMP, PMP or PMI-SP credential or certification mark, nor identify or represent them self as a PgMP, PMP or PMI-SP, or otherwise certified by PMI until the overdue requirements are accomplished within a maximum of one year beyond their official expiration date.

The date of the next CCR cycle will not change after reinstatement to active status from suspension. (The suspension period overlaps the time frame of their next cycle.)

A person who does not meet the overdue requirements within the suspension period will lose their PgMP, PMP or PMI-SP certification. After losing the designation due to failure in completing the CCR program an individual must start the entire certification process over to regain the certification.

Current holders of the PgMP, PMP or  PMI-SP Certification can be confirmed by checking PMI’s on line registry at: http://www.pmi.org/Certification/Credential-Registry.aspx

PMP Retired

PMPs in good standing who wish to voluntarily relinquish their active PMP credential due to retirement are eligible to apply for PMP Retired status. To qualify, PMPs must no longer be receiving primary remuneration for practicing project management and must have been a PMP in good standing for at least 10 consecutive years. Anyone interested in applying for PMP Retired status should mail a written request to Project Management Institute Headquarters, Attention: Certification Department.