How to Earn PMI PDUs, Maintain and Renew PMP Certification

If you are reading this article, your are already a PMP certification holder. Many congratulations for successfully achieving on the most valued profession certifications globally.

Hopefully, you are here because you don’t want to get that hard-earned certification deactivated. We understand your requirements and hence have created a single place to give answers to all your queries. 

 Process to get PMP Re-certified

• You must follow the PMI guidelines for Continuing Certification Requirements (CCR) to maintain an active PMP certification
• By default, the PMP certification has a validity of 3 years from the date of initial certification
• For PMP re-certification, you need to earn 60 PDUs  (Professional Development Units) over a time span of 3 years post getting certified.
• One PDU equals to one hour spent in professional development activities.
• CCR by PMI is an easy to use tool by PMI to manage your PDUs

Details of 60 PDUs

• The 60 PDUs needed for PMP maintenance are divided into following categories.

(source: pmi.org)

• PDUs are primarily divided into two categories:
  • • Education (mandatory)
      • 35 minimum PDU’s are required in this category. These can be from any of the following sub-categories:
        • • Instructor-led formal education courses or classes held in-person or online. Top recommended options are 
          • Meetings, activities and local events and conferences
          • Self-paced learning conducted online or through varied forms of digital media. Top recommended options that give PDUs are as follows:
            1. Deeply Practical Project Management (Earn 16 PDUs)
            2. Microsoft Excel for Project Management – Earn 5 PDUs
            3. Master Microsoft Project 2016 – 6 PDUs from a PMI REP
          • Self reading related to the certification subject area
      • These 35 PDUs are further divided into three domains of Technical, Leadership and Strategic ad Business Management. Also your need a minimum of 8 PDUs in each of these. Post fulfilling the 8 PDUs requirement, the remaining can fall under any of the domains. 
      • Yes, you guessed it right. This means that you can also gather all 60 PDUs in education category only. 
    • Giving Back (Optional)
      • 25 maximum PDUs can be earned in this category using any of the following methods.
        • Working as a professional actively applying your knowledge expertise
        • Create content for blog, article and books
        • Being a speaker at in your organization events or PMI events   
        • Share your knowledge by teaching and imparting training
      • Yes, you are right again. All the 25 PDUs required under this category are totally optional and you are good even if you have earned zero PDUs in this category, but 60 or more PDUs in the education category. 
• Once you have successfully completed the 60 PDUs requirement, you need to pay the renewal fee for completing the PMP re-certification process. The renewal fee is as follows:
  • • For PMI members : USD 60
    • For Non-PMI members : USD 150

Hope this article will help with all your queries around PMP re-certification process. We wish you all the best in getting your PMP certification renewed. 

In case of any additional queries, please leave a comment and we would be happy to answer!