Maintain & Renew Your Certification

Professional Development

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We’re here to help provide clarity on the certification process including eligibility, exam details, auditing requirements and more so you can navigate the process effectively.

 

How to maintain your certification

Maintaining your certification means investing in your professional development. That's why professional development units (PDUs) are required to maintain every PMI certification. They help drive better business outcomes and develop in-demand skills, while helping you maintain your certification status. PDUs are one-hour blocks of time you spend enriching your certification through educational resources and giving back to the project profession.

Make the most out of your maintenance with these PMI tips:

What requirements do I need to fulfill to maintain an active certification status?

All PMI certifications require that you engage in continuous professional development in order to remain certified. The requirements for each certification can be found within the CCR Handbook.

Why has the PMI Talent Triangle been incorporated into the CCR program?

Extensive market research and feedback from certification holders and organizations identified a subset of skills that employers require for project practitioners to deliver improved results. These skills areas are represented in the PMI Talent Triangle. The CCR updates align professional development activities, specifically Education activities, with the PMI Talent Triangle to ensure certification holders are focused on the needs of the profession.

How are the three areas of focus for the PMI Talent Triangle defined?

The PMI Talent Triangle outlines three key areas that will help you succeed:

Ways of Working (previously Technical Project Management): Whether it’s predictive, agile, design thinking, or new practices still to be developed, it's clear that there is more than one way that work gets done today. That’s why we encourage professionals to master as many ways of working as they can - so they can apply the right technique at the right time, delivering winning results.

Power Skills (previously Leadership): These interpersonal skills include collaborative leadership, communication, an innovative mindset, for-purpose orientation, and empathy. Ensuring teams have these skills allows them to maintain influence with a variety of stakeholders - a critical component for making change.

Business Acumen (previously Strategic and Business Management): Professionals with business acumen understand the macro and micro influences in their organization and industry and have the function- or domain-specific knowledge - to make good decisions. Professionals at all levels need to be able to cultivate effective decision-making and understand how their projects align with the big picture of broader organizational strategy and global trends.

Are the skill areas of the PMI Talent Triangle aligned with activities that Give Back to the Profession?

No. They are not. You can still earn PDUs for activities that give back to the profession including creating new project management knowledge, volunteering, and working as a professional in project management. Volunteer activities should reflect your use of practitioner knowledge and skills (i.e., planning the project for a charity).

How can I maintain several certifications at once?

The CCR process enables certain PDUs to be shared across your certifications, simplifying the maintenance process. To learn more please refer to the “Maintaining Multiple Certifications” section of the CCR Handbook.

Can I get an extension beyond the suspension expiration date?

PMI recognizes that hardships may arise. Certification holders who are military personnel called to active duty, incapacitated due to illness or out on maternity leave can request an extension.

What are PDUs?

PDUs stand for Professional Development Units. PDUs are the measuring unit used to quantify your professional development as part of the Continuing Certification Requirements (CCR) program. 1 PDU = 1 hour of learning/activity.

Can I claim PDUs for a single Education activity in more than one skill area of the PMI Talent Triangle?

Yes. You can claim PDUs for a single Education activity under multiple skill areas, Ways of Working (formerly Technical Project Management), Power Skills (formerly Leadership), and Business Acumen (formerly Strategic and Business Management) of the PMI Talent Triangle. For example: if you read a book that contains content on agile/hybrid approaches and on negotiating with stakeholders, you could claim this Education activity in the skill areas of Ways of Working and Power Skills.

When reporting PDU activities, is any supporting documentation required?

You do not need supporting documentation to report PDUs and renew your credential. When reporting your PDUs through CCRS, you will be directed to include specific information about the activity in the PDU claim form.

NOTE: PMI recommends you maintain a personal folder for all PDU-related documentation and keep this documentation for at least 18 months after your CCR cycle has ended. If you are randomly selected for an audit, you will need to provide this documentation.