PMI is aware that getting 120 or more PDUs every 3 years to maintain 2 or more of their credentials is not an easy thing, even when someone can get PDUs for free. PMI has actually implemented a process specifically to handle this issue, where the Project Manager holding muliple certification is offered three choices:

1. Aligning the Credentials with the Old Credential Cycle

   Let’s assume the Project Manager became a PMP on April 1st, 2008. The Project Manager then earned a PgMP certification on April 1st, 2010. All of the PDUs earned from April 1st are counted towards both certifications. On the flip side, the Project Manager has to renew both certifications on April 1st, 2010 (merely 1 year after acquiring the PgMP certification) as both CCR (Continuing Certification Requirements) cycles are now the same. This is a good option to take in case the Project Manager has collected a lot of PDUs in the previous 2 years.

2. Aligning the Credentials with the New Credential Cycle

   Let’s look at the above example where the Project Manager became a PMP on April 1st of 2008 and a PgMP on April 1st, 2010. In this option, all of the PDUs earned in the 2 years preceding the PgMP certifications are not counted, on the other hand, the renewal date for both certifications will be on April 1st, 2013. This is a good option to take in case the Project Manager has collected very few PDUs in the previous 2 years.

3. Not Aligning the Credentials

   The Project Manager might elect not to align his multiple credentials, so the renewal date for the PMP in the example mentioned in the first option will remain April 1st, 2011, and the renewal date for the PgMP certification will also remain April 1st, 2013. This is a cumbersome option, as the Project Manager has to track a different CCR cycle for his multiple credentials. However, it is worthy to note that a PDU reported for the PMP can also be reported for the PgMP certification in this case (similar to the previous options), provided the acquiring of the PDU occurs in the certification cycle for both accreditations.

Sharing PDUs with Specialty Credentials

The alignment of the credentials mentioned does not apply to specialty credentials such as the PMP-SP or the PMP-RMP. However, the Project Manager can still use the PDUs earned for his PMP-SP and/or his PMP-RMP towards maintaining his PMP/PgMP credential in the applicable credential cycle. For example, in case the Project Manager acquired his PMP certification on April 1st, 2008, then acquired his PMP-SP certification on April 1st, 2010, then any PMP-SP PDUs reported can be reported as well to maintain his PMP certification (and also his PgMP certification, in case he has one).

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• The PMP stands for Project Management Professional, the PgMP stands for Program Management Professional.
• The PMP is credential sought by Project Managers, the PgMP is a credential sought by Program Managers.
• The eligibility for the PgMP are much steeper than the eligibility for the PMP (more than double the experience years and hours).
• The PMP credential is about meeting the eligibility requirements and passing the PMP exam, while for the PgMP, it’s about meeting the eligibility requirements, passing the panel review (which is a verification process of your Program Management experience), passing the PgMP exam, and finally passing the Multi-rater Assessment (MRA), which is an online evaluation survey, that you and 12 of reference contacts (your references) have to take.
• There are as many as 360,000 PMP practitioners, while there are only 400 PgMP practitioners.
• The fees for the PgMP certificate are (on average) 4 times more than those of the PMP credential.

As you can see from the above, the PgMP is a much more exclusive credential than the PMP, with so much less certified people, and a (much) more complicated process. It is way easier to become a PMP than to become a PgMP, yet the trouble for the latter is definitely worth it if you’re a Program Manager with the necessary experience seeking a career boost. In case we don’t have a change in PMI’s strategy, the PgMP will remain a credential sought by many and earned by only a select few, who really deserve to be called Program Managers.

© 2009 Project Management Learning – Reproduction of this material is strictly prohibited without the written consent of Project Management Learning.

• In case the person has a Bachelor Degree (or equivalent/greater), then that person has to have accumulated at least 6,000 hours of Project Management experience in at least a 4 year period. Additionally, the person should also have accumulated at least 6,000 hours of Program Management Experience in at least a 4 year period.
• In case the person has a High School Diploma (or equivalent), then that person has to have accumulated at least 6,000 hours of Project Management experience in at least a 4 year period. Additionally, the person should also have accumulated at least 10,500 hours of Program Management Experience in at least a 7 year period.

At first glance, the above requirements can be confusing, and the most asked question when reading the above is: Can the years of experience overlap? Meaning a person has been a Project Manager for 5 years, and in the 3rd year of being a Project Manager, the person started to manage programs as well. The short answer is that years can overlap, but the hours cannot, which means that a person can’t claim an hour for being both a Project Manager and a Program Manager, but a year can be claimed for both Project Management and Program Management experience. Having said that, the experience requirements for a year are fairly steep at 1,500 hours/year or 29 hours/week. Considering that most people work 35 hours/week, it is very hard to fulfill the PgMP requirements with less than 8 non-overlapping years of both Project Management and Program Management Experience.

Note that eligible hours of Project Management and Program Management experience should be accumulated within the last 15 years prior to your application (meaning you can’t claim hours before the last 15 years).

Also note that according to the PMI, a Program Management Experience is accrued when managing a program consisting of 2 or more projects sharing the same overall strategy and budget.

© 2009 Project Management Learning – Reproduction of this material is strictly prohibited without the written consent of Project Management Learning.