The Complete Guide to PMP 35 Contact Hours of Project

Management Education

PMI, PMP, CAPM, PgMP, PMI-ACP, PMI-SP, PMI-RMP and PMBOK are trademarks of the Project Management Institute, Inc. PMI has not endorsed and did not participate in the development of this publication. PMI does not sponsor this publication and makes no warranty, guarantee or representation, expressed or implied as to the accuracy or content. Every attempt has been made by OSP International LLC to ensure that the information presented in this publication is accurate and can serve as preparation for the PMP certification exam. However, OSP International LLC accepts no legal responsibility for the content herein. This document should be used only as a reference and not as a replacement for officially published material. Using the information from this document does not guarantee that the reader will pass the PMP certification exam. No such guarantees or warranties are implied or expressed by OSP International LLC.

Those contact hours that PMI® demands before you can even apply for your

PMP® exam cause a lot of confusion. First, there's a lot of them! You need to rack

up 35. Second, what does 'contact hour' even mean? Many students opt for online

project management education these days and don't have any face-to-face

'contact' with their tutors.

Then you have to work out whether your course counts as 'formal' education, which

training company to choose and that's before you've even started to work out how

to record it all in a way that meets the PMI standards…

Don't worry! This article will tell you everything you need to know about the

contact hours requirement for the PMP® exam. We'll debunk some myths, define

it all clearly and give you the tools you need to complete your application

confidently.

So let's get started. First, let's look at what PMI actually require from you.

You need 35 contact hours of formal project management education

The Project Management Professional Handbook, which you can get online

from PMI, specifies what you need (it's on page 8 if you want to check it

out). In summary, the pre-requisite training must be:

1. At least 35 hours long

2. Measured in 'hours of specific instruction'

3. Formal

4. About project management (just in case you weren't clear on this

point!).

Let's break that down a bit further.

1. The time requirement

A misconception about the educational hours requirement is that you have to

take one course that counts for all the hours. That's wrong. You can do several

courses that in total equal the 35 hours you need.

2. Defining 'contact hours‘

It might seem unnecessary to define an hour, but as I've been asked this

question lots of times I'll do it here.

One contact hour is equivalent to one actual hour (that's 60 minutes) of

training or instruction received. That's what it says in the PMP handbook. So,

if you attend a course that runs from 9 am to 5 pm for one day and there is

an hour for lunch in the middle, that's seven hours that you can claim as

formal project management education.

Online courses and project management podcasts also count, even if you

don't ever meet your tutor in person. They follow the same rules: one hour of

instruction equals one contact hour.

3. Formal

Formal project management education means classes and training, online,

virtual or face-to-face, that are run by a reputable vendor. That could be a

community college, university, national training provider, a local firm or a

training business operating entirely online. If you don't know whether your

chosen provider is reputable, ask around or read some reviews. It's important

because if you are audited you'll need their support in the form of a

certificate of attendance or similar.

That means you can't just study the PMBOK® Guide yourself, or even as a

group. Self-study, however good and structured you make it, isn't adequate to

meet PMI's requirements.

4. The subject matter

The project management education they offer must cover – unsurprisingly – project

management topics. Check that your course covers these areas:

Project quality

Project scope

Project schedule

Project budget

Project communications

Project risk

Project procurement

Project integration management.

As a project manager you might find other courses interesting and relevant to

your job, but a course on general leadership skills, for example, won't count

towards your PMP® training hours.

The important thing, whatever type of project management education you do,

is to be able to provide a complete and authoritative documentation of what

you have studied. This includes certificates, tests (and your results), the course

syllabus, course descriptions, and transcripts to fully support your application.

This paperwork is essential to be able to prove to PMI that you meet the

requirements for the PMP® exam.

Before you research any more training, just stop for a second. Think back

across your career. What training have you already done? That's relevant

because…

Contact hours never expire (hurrah!)

The great news is that project management education hours do not expire.

You don't have to have completed your training in the last few years or

anything like that. Even if you are nearing retirement right now, the studies

you undertook at college still count (assuming you can prove what you did

and they are relevant to the PMP).

The only thing to bear in mind is that you have to document your 35 hours of

contact for PMP applications, so you have to have completed the training

before you apply. You can't state on your application form that you are

intending to do training in the future. That won't count, and PMI will reject

your application.

What else doesn't count?

Myth: PMI led-sessions always count towards your instructional hours. This

simply isn't true. You can't count PMI Chapter dinner meetings, for example, or

any Chapter meeting unless it is spent conducting a learning activity.

There are other things that don't count towards your instructional hours

requirement. Self-study, as we saw above, doesn't count, so however much

time you spend pouring over the PMBOK® Guide you can't gain credit for

that.

Degree programs such as MBAs will not count in their entirety. You cannot tell

PMI that you have an MBA and expect that to pass the credential application

process for the contact hours, although you can document each relevant and

applicable class you took within the program and receive credit for those.

From the PMP Handbook:

If you have completed a university or college course on project management that

met for three hours per week for 15 weeks, you would record 45 hours. If only a

portion of a course dealt with project management, only the hours spent on

project management can be applied toward the total.

Can I count PDUs?

Erm. No. If you are not yet a PMP you will not have PDUs. PDUs are not the

same as contact hours, even though you might have seen the terms used

interchangeably online. Let's clear up this problem now.

If you haven't come across the term before, PDUs are Professional

Development Units (PDUs). They are credits given for continuous professional

development after you are certified. These can be earned in a number of

ways including volunteering, self-study and also formal project management

education.

Contact Hours 35 are needed before taking your PMP exam to show that you

have the required project management training.

PDUs 60 are needed every three years after you pass your PMP exam to

show that you continue to learn and grow as a project manager.

The GOOD News! If you attended a PDU training before you passed your

PMP exam, then these PDUs will simply count as 'hours of contact' for you. This

is because all valid project management training you receive before your PMP

exam falls under 'contact hours' - no matter what the certificate you received

says.

Contact Hours 35 are needed before taking your PMP exam to show that you

have the required project management training.

PDUs 60 are needed every three years after you pass your PMP exam to

show that you continue to learn and grow as a project manager.

The GOOD News! If you attended a PDU training before you passed your

PMP exam, then these PDUs will simply count as 'hours of contact' for you. This

is because all valid project management training you receive before your PMP

exam falls under 'contact hours' - no matter what the certificate you received

says.

Contact hours are hours earned before becoming certified. They can only be

earned through traditional, formal education time (such as classroom training,

online training and distance learning programs like my own product, the Project

Management PrepCast) that focus on project management.

You do not have to collect PDUs until after you are certified and many people

only work out the difference between the two at this point. Now you know!

The documentation you need

During your application you'll need to prove to PMI that in total, all your

courses (if you took more than one) add up to the required number of

educational hours and are formal and cover the appropriate topics.

Documentation, while tedious to pull together, is a fail-safe way to do this, and

it covers you in case you are audited during your application process.

The easiest way to prove that you attended the course and that it was

relevant is to use a certificate of attendance from your training provider. This

needs to show:

That you attended a course (in other words, your name is on it)

How many hours of project management training the course covered

The training company's details

Whether you passed or failed if there was an exam component.

Tip

You do not have to submit training documentation to PMI in your application. You just have to list it.

Documentation is only needed in case of an application audit.

If you have any doubts about whether the project management training course

you have signed up for is going to meet the requirements, then check it out

with PMI. They are the final authority and everything you need to know is

documented in the official Project Management Professional (PMP) Handbook,

which can be found on their website. Contact PMI directly with any questions

or concerns.

When you've been through all your past project management learning

experiences and documented it all, there are two likely outcomes:

1. You can prove you have 35 hours

2. You can't!

If you can't prove you have already gained the necessary formal project

management education then you need to look at ways to get more training

before you can submit your application.

Help! I need more contact hours!

University education e.g. relevant courses that made up your MBA or MSc

(note that not all your courses or modules would be relevant – you can only

count the ones that majored on project management and that map logically

to the knowledge areas). You can also opt to just take one module at

university-level: you don't need a whole Master's degree if you would

prefer only to sit one course. If you think this option would work for you,

search for courses on the GMAT website.

Continuing education/higher education courses

Classroom courses

Online courses

Distance-learning courses, whether led by a 'live' instructor or online

Multimedia training

Formal training courses offered by your local PMI Chapter.

It is strongly recommended that you choose to attend training that is given by

a Registered Education Provider (REPs). REPs are training providers who have

been evaluated and reviewed by PMI. You can have confidence that the

content is appropriate and relevant. You'll also know that the training has

been officially approved by PMI.

There are REPs all around the world and they offer courses both through face-

to-face and distance/online modes, so whatever you want you can find your

PMP 35 hours in a convenient and cost-effective way.

How to get 35 contact hours for PMP free

Did I say cost-effective? How about free? You can even build up your hours at no cost to

you. First, check again to see if you can dredge up any more certificates for courses you

have done in the past. That investment has already been spent so you may as well get

credit for it if you can. A tip is to go through your past performance appraisals as your

training for the year is often recorded in there. It's amazing how much you can forget

from one year to the next!

If you can't use previous training as a way to boost your free PMP contact hours then

here are two other ways that you can achieve your training hours for free if you don't

already have enough formal project management education.

1. Employer programs: As long as the content can be logically mapped to the project

management knowledge areas then you can count courses, seminars and workshops

put on by your company. As you attend these as part of your day job they are free.

2. PMI Component programs: PMI Chapters, Communities of Practice and PMI itself

offer training sessions that can count towards your PMP contact hours for free.

Both of these options can give you formal project management education to record for

your PMP application – and you don't have to pay for them!

Paid-for PMP training options

Free is good, but you may not be able to fulfill all the requirements with

free hours. The only other choice available to you is to pay for online or

classroom training.

You already have experience of classroom training, even if you have to

remember way back to your school days, so I'll talk a bit more about online

learning as this is a newer learning option. It's also one that is growing

incredibly fast. Researchers expect the market for corporate online learning

to grow 13% per year, and with 77% of companies offering online

learning to their staff it's highly likely that you will take an online course at

some point in your career.

How can I get the 35 contact hours online?

There are a number of online and distance learning providers who can offer you the

PMP 35 hours online complete courses or courses that will contribute to your training

requirement.

Look for courses that:

Provide a complete PMP course so that you don't have to worry about making up the

hours with other training

Are available to download immediately so you can get started straight away

Provide video lessons, as this is a convenient and easy format for learning

Provide audio lessons, as this offers a great alternative to videos when watching a

screen isn't convenient, such as when you are driving or preparing a meal

Allow you to download the video and audio lessons to your phone, tablet and

computer, so that you can play them whenever and wherever you are

Offers workbooks so that you can make your own notes as you go

Gives you sample exam questions because taking the PMP exam is the reason you

are doing this course, so you need to practice for the exam as well as learn the

concepts!

Are offered by a PMI R.E.P as this ensures that they have been quality checked and

meet PMI's requirements.

PMP Online Training or Classroom? Which is better?

This is a really difficult question to answer because there is no single answer

that is applicable for everyone. Let's consider the pros and cons of PMP online

training and classroom training.

Online PMP training

Advantages:

Very flexible, meaning you can study at any time, making use of your

commute, for example.

You can access them from anywhere on any device as they are very

portable.

Normally cheaper (sometimes a lot cheaper!) than classroom courses.

Disadvantages:

You have to be self-motivated.

You have to find your own support network as you aren't in the classroom

with others.

Classroom PMP training

(These are often called PMP 'boot camps'.)

Advantages:

The trainer is right there to ask if you have problems.

The class environment can help to keep you motivated.

They normally happen in a compressed period of time e.g. a week so you

complete the course quickly.

Disadvantages:

Classroom courses only happen on a fixed schedule so they are less flexible.

Normally more expensive than online courses as the training company has to

pay the venue and the trainer.

You need to take time away from work to complete the course.

It's impossible to say which option will be personally better for your PMP formal

education. If you prefer the social buzz of being in a group and the networking

that collective learning offers, then you'll know a classroom environment will suit

you better. However, we are seeing a greater and greater number of people

choosing online training for their PMP. The reasons they give is that it's hard to

get time off work for training, and they prefer a cheaper, flexible option that

allows them to study when it's convenient.

You'll have to make your own mind up about what would give you the best

chance of success when it comes to learning the project management knowledge

areas.

Make sure your course is structured

Whatever option you go for, make sure that the formal project management

education you choose is structured. That means that there are a number of modules or

lessons to work through and that it is organized in a logical way. You will be able to

take in the concepts and absorb the ideas more effectively if your course material

lends itself to structured learning.

Tip

A well-structured PMP course covers all the domains, tasks, knowledge and skills outlined in the

official PMP Examination Content Outline in order to fully prepare you for your exam.

For example, in the Project Management PrepCast, we offer 10 structured lessons on

applied PMP concepts. We've taken feedback from students into account and

prepared lessons with experts to explain the theoretical concepts in easy-to-

understand English and in terms of everyday project management situations.

Another benefit of structured learning is that it's faster. Really. As each concept builds

on the next you learn how to put the PMBOK® Guide ideas together in a way that

makes sense in the real world. You aren't jumping around in topics so everything

makes sense more quickly – resulting in a shorter study time overall and less

requirement on your part to go over the materials again and again or invest in other

books.

The PM PrepCast covers all the concepts, tools and techniques you need to be familiar

with to take the PMP® Certification exam. Our students know that the course covers

the material from the most current PMBOK® Guide (5th Edition). And what's even

better? As a PMI Registered Education Provider you can have confidence in the

quality.

How do I receive the hours after online PMP learning?

In a classroom situation, the tutor hands you a certificate on your way out, maybe

after you have completed a test. Professional online PMP training works in exactly the

same way.

The PM PrepCast, for example, ends with a final exam. This project management test

demonstrates that you have understood the key concepts. As a PMI R.E.P we have to

provide an assessment. It acts as an assurance that you have successfully completed

the course. As a further assurance, and also to give you time to adequately prepare

for the test, you cannot take the exam immediately after purchasing the course. There

is a two week period where you can review and study the materials. After two weeks

has passed, you can log into the PM PrepCast website and take the exam.

Important!

Online courses must end with an "end of course assessment" before providing you a

certificate. Otherwise your training hours aren't valid.

PMP® Handbook

Once you have successfully taken the exam and passed, you can print your certificate.

The certificate clearly states that you are entitled to claim your full amount of thirty

five hours required for the PMP exam. It's all the evidence you need for your

application.

If that all sounds tricky, don't worry – it's not! The student workbook that accompanies

the course includes a detailed section on how to do this. There's even a step-by-step

guide to what to put on your PMP application form.

Summary

This complete guide to the PMP contact hours requirement has hopefully explained

everything you ever wanted to know about the pre-requisite for formal project

management education. In summary:

You need 35 hours of formal project management education before you apply for

the PMP exam

You can get credit for project management training you have done in the past if

you have the documentation to prove it

You can earn your hours with online or classroom training

There are advantages and disadvantages of both models: you'll have to decide

what suits your learning style best.

Online learning from a R.E.P. comes with all the guarantees and certificates you

would expect from a reputable face-to-face provider so it is a valid (and common)

learning choice.

Now you have the complete picture about the instructional hours required for your

PMP application. Why not check out some of these other articles to help you prepare

for the rest of your PMP application?