Build Your Career in 2020 with Top 8 Project Management Certifications

Nowadays, the projects have become very lengthy and involve a lot of people. Therefore, each project should be managed separately, without proper project management it would be almost impossible to complete it. There is a high demand for the PM certifications because they help the employers ensure that all the projects go according to the game. If you go online, you can find many project management certificates, but not all of them will be worth your time and attention. The PMI badges are developed by practitioners for practitioners and that is what makes them so unique. In this blog post, we will take a look at the top PM credentials that you can pursue in 2020. Let’s start!

1. PMI PMP: Project Management Professional

PMP or Project Management Professional is a globally recognized certificate offered by the PMI. Getting this badge shows the employers that you know how to manage a project and bring it to completion. Even if you are not working as a project manager but you are someone who helps complete the project, you can still benefit from this credential. There are around 1,000,000 PMP certificate holders all around the world, which tells us exactly how popular it is. The certified specialists earn up to 25% more than the non-certified individuals and that is incentive enough to obtain this certification.

2. PMI PgMP: Program Management Professional

If you are someone who can manage multiple related projects and handle complex activities, you should consider going for another certification that the PMI offers – Program Management Professional. This credential costs $800 for the members and $1000 for the non-members. If you want to earn PgMP, you will need to take one prerequisite exam and have 48 months of project management experience or the PMP badge along with a secondary or four-year degree. The eligibility criterion for this certificate is pretty serious because you need to have at least 6,000 hours of PM experience.

3. PMI PfMP: Portfolio Management Professional

The Portfolio Management Professional certification shows your competency in managing different portfolios to achieve strategic organizational objectives. If you are an executive-level practitioner who manages the project portfolios, you should consider going for the PfMP credential. The exam for this certificate is going to be 4 hours long and will require that the candidates answer 170 multiple-choice questions. Four hours is a lot of time, so make sure that you don’t rush because that will cause you to answer incorrectly. If you have a bachelor’s degree, you will need 6,000 hours of experience to be eligible for this PMI certification. But if you just have a secondary degree, you should possess over 10,000 hours of experience.

4. PMI CAPM: Certified Associate in Project Management

When you talk about the top project management certifications of 2020, you cannot forget about PMI CAPM. One of the best things related to this credential is that its prerequisite exam is conducted online, so it gives you a lot of flexibility. If you are someone who likes to manage larger projects or take more responsibility, Certified Associate in Project Management is the perfect certificate for you. To get it, you will need to answer 150 questions in just three hours with high results. To keep your certification status, you also have to retake the test every five years.

5. PMI-PBA: PMI Professional in Business Analysis

The PMI-PBA certification is designed for those individuals who work with project teams or product development. It is one of the most popular credentials that the PMI has to offer and that is why you should consider going for it. To earn this badge, you will need to pass the four-hour exam, during which you should answer 200 multiple-choice questions. Even though you will have 4 hours, you have to work on your time management skills before taking this prerequisite test because it is going to be a key.

6. PMI-ACP: PMI Agile Certified Practitioner

Agile is a very popular framework that is used by many project managers out there. If you are someone who works with Agile teams or wants to adopt Agile practices, you should pursue the PMI-ACP credential. It costs $495 for the non-members and $435 for the members. Similar to other certificates of this vendor, you will also have to take one exam to obtain the badge. This time you should attempt 120 questions within 3 hours. However, to maintain your certification status, you need to earn 30 Professional Development Units in the Agile-related topics every three years.

7. PMI-RMP: PMI Risk Management Professional

If you have a deep understanding and experience in risk management, you are the perfect candidate for the PMI-RMP certification. Its prerequisite exam will be 3.5 hours long and will consist of 170 questions. Once you obtain this certificate, you will need to earn 30 PDUs in risk management every three years to stay certified. Getting the PMI-RMP badge sets you apart from your peers and it will make it easier for you to secure a better job.

8. PMI-SP: PMI Scheduling Professional

Finishing off this list we have the PMI Scheduling Professional certification. This credential is aimed at those individuals who are experienced in maintaining, developing, and managing project schedules. It costs $520 for the members and $670 for the non-members. The exam for the PMI-SP certificate includes 170 multiple-choice questions, and each applicant will have 3.5 hours to attempt this test. To be eligible for this certification, you need at least 3,500 hours of project scheduling experience. You also need to earn 30 PDUs every three years to remain certified.

Conclusion

These were some of the main things that you need to know about the top project management certifications of 2020. Being a project manager is a serious role because the success of any project depends on how you perform in that position. It is the main task of these specialists to make sure that the plan is executed properly in each phase and handle any problems that may occur. Every company wants to hire a competent project manager, so if you earn one of the badges we mentioned above, it will make you the perfect candidate for this job. Getting these credentials is one of the best ways to boost your career forward.