6 Ways to Earn 35 PDUs or Contact Hours for PMP Exam
Why are PDUs important for PMP certification renewal?
PDUs are crucial for maintaining your PMP certification because they keep it active. PDUs demonstrate your ongoing education and experience in project management. This qualifies you to keep your certification.
What are PDUs?
Measures of your project management career growth are called professional development units (PDUs). There are two PDU categories: education and giving back. Studying project management involves doing things like reading books or watching videos about the position. Giving back entails supporting the project management industry, which may involve joining project management associations.
PDUs contribute to renewing your Professional Project Management (PMP) certification. Your certificate remains valid for three years if you earn 60 PDUs during that time. This cycle starts on the date you earn your certification. This means that once you receive your certificate, you can begin earning PDUs. This system was developed by the Project Management Institution (PMI) so that certificate holders could keep their knowledge and abilities current.
13 ways to earn PDUs
The following methods can help you obtain the 60 PDUs needed for PMP certification renewal:
1. Work as a project manager
Being a project manager is one of the most popular ways to earn PDUs. Work in this field for three years to earn up to a quarter of your PDUs. To be eligible for five PDUs per year, you must practice project management for at least six months out of the year.
2. Volunteer at a project management association
One way to earn a lot of PDUs is by volunteering. Typically, becoming an elected officer or overseeing one of the associations’ projects are two ways you can volunteer for the PMI or other project management associations. You can receive one PDU per volunteer hour. 45 PDUs in total can be earned through volunteer work. To find a volunteer opportunity with PMI that interests you, do some research.
3. Listen to project management podcasts
Consider listening to industry podcasts to gain knowledge of project management methods. This is an easy, inexpensive way to earn PDUs. There are several PMI-certified podcasts that relate to project management. You can obtain one PDU for each hour of listening because they are educational. The consumption of 30 PDUs is the maximum possible from podcasts.
4. Study project management materials
You can earn PDUs by studying project management materials. This encompasses taking part in conferences, reading texts online, or receiving coaching. Any of these activities that are related to project management and offer educational content count as studying. Studying can result in one PDU per hour, with a maximum of 30 PDUs possible.
5. Complete a training course
If you’d like an instructor to teach you some project management skills, think about enrolling in a training course. Look for classes at a community, state or private college. Although these courses are typically expensive, you can earn up to 15 PDUs from them each semester. Save your grades or transcript as evidence that you attended the course.
6. Write a book or article
You could write a book or article about project management if you enjoy writing in order to earn PDUs. This choice enables you to develop training materials for additional project managers, so it counts as a volunteer activity. With this option, you can earn a maximum of 45 PDUs for every hour you spend writing.
7. Read books about project management
To earn PDUs, you can read project management books or other written educational materials. This option is beneficial for those who enjoy books. One PDU is awarded for every hour of reading, up to a maximum of 30 PDUs. To keep track of how many PDUs you have earned, keep a log of your reading time and what you read.
8. Watch project management videos
Watching project management videos is a simple way to earn PDUs. If you are a PMI member, you can purchase a training video on project management fundamentals that awards you 23 PDUs. Despite the $500 price tag for members, this movie is a simple way to earn over a third of your PDUs.
9. Create a presentation
By creating a project management presentation, you can obtain PDUs. Typically, you must also present to a group of people. Find a conference or event where you can present on project management to achieve this. You receive one PDU for each hour you spend watching the presentation, with a cap of 45 units.
10. Attend a meeting or discussion
Attending project management meetings, which typically focus on a project management topic, qualifies you for PDUs. Attending a PMI event or one that your company hosts might be a good idea. Additionally, you can hold casual conversations with your coworkers. Depending on how many events you attend and how long they last, you could earn a certain number of PDUs from this.
11. Complete and pass a quiz
Members of the PMI can take tests for a small fee. Passing these tests of project management knowledge will allow you to earn up to one-third of your PDUs. You receive a meagre number of PDUs if you pass with a score of 80%. You may receive up to 2. 5 PDUs based on the type of quiz you take.
12. Watch project management webinars
You can earn PDUs by attending a webinar. Consider subscribing to an organization that offers project management webinars. There is no cap on the number of PDUs you can watch; you can earn one for each hour that you watch.
13. Subscribe to a PDU email newsletter
Consider subscribing to a PDU newsletter. While simply subscribing doesn’t grant PDUs, the emails may offer you suggestions for how to do so. They could, for instance, let you know about upcoming project management events.
Tips for getting PDUs
To earn PDUs for a PMP certification renewal, heed the advice below:
Earn multiple PDUs at once
To maximize the number of PDUs you can receive, attempt to earn several at once. Generally, as long as you don’t earn more than the maximum allowed for a category, there’s no cap on how many you can earn at once. For instance, if you volunteer at an event for project management, you can obtain PDUs for both your service time and your attendance at the event.
Think of past activities youve done
If you’re approaching your three-year deadline, take some time to reflect on previous qualifying actions you’ve taken, such as discussions you attended or projects you presented. You might discover that you have extra units you didn’t log because there are many different ways to earn PDUs. To ensure that the activity counts toward your total, try to provide evidence of it.
Track your project management activities
Record your activities in a journal or spreadsheet as you earn PDUs. Include the activity’s description, how long you spent engaging in it, and the date it happened. For instance, you could record how much time you spent reading or studying. This can help you claim your PDUs.
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FAQ
How do I get PDUs for PMP?
- Work as a project manager. …
- Volunteer at a project management association. …
- Listen to project management podcasts. …
- Study project management materials. …
- Complete a training course. …
- Write a book or article. …
- Read books about project management.
How can I get free PDU for PMP?
- Install a podcast app on your phone or tablet.
- Subscribe to The Free PM Podcast in your app.
- Listen to the 15 latest free episodes immediately.
- Automatically receive all future free episodes.
- Document your learning in The PDU Logfile.
- Claim your PDUs.
What is the fastest way to get PDUs?
- Review what you are eligible to claim.
- Claim for doing your day job.
- Buy The PDU Podcast.
- Become a PMI Member.
- Watch webinars.
- Use your commuting or gym time.
- Take an online course.
- Create a Plan.
How many PDUs do you need to maintain PMP certification?
PDU Requirements For instance, in order to keep your Project Management Professional (PMP)® Certification current, you must earn 60 PDUs. Other certifications, such as the Agile Certified Professional (PMI-ACP)®, only need 30 PDUs.
