The best certifications for project management to have in 2023
What is the certification for project management?
A project management certification is a full program that tests a person’s knowledge and experience with the tools, methods, and principles used in project management. Even if a project manager has worked in the field for a long time, getting certified keeps them up to date on the latest techniques.
Project Management Professional (PMP) from PMI
The Project Management Institute (PMI), which is the most well-known group for project management professionals around the world, gives the Project Management Professional (PMP) certification.
The standards and rules for PMP certification are set by PMI and can be found in A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge, or the PMBOK Guide for short. Professionals will learn general project management skills and the latest best practices for the different stages of a project as they prepare for the PMP exam.
The exam fee is $405 for PMI members and $555 for people who are not members.
The PMP certification is for people who have already worked in the field and gone to school for it. Prerequisites include:
Degree for four years
36 months in charge of big projects
35 hours of education or training in project management or a CAPM certification OR
Secondary degree (diploma from high school, associate’s degree, or the international equivalent)
60 months of projects in charge
35 hours of project management training or certification from the CAPM
Those who get this certification can usually expect their pay to go up once they have it. According to PMI’s most recent salary survey report, people with a PMP certification earn, on average, 16% more than people without a PMP certification.
Project managers who have worked in the field for a while should get the PMP certification.
PMI has a program called Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM).
PMI offers a project management certification for beginners called the Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM). During the CAPM certification process, students will learn the basics of standards and rules for project management. The PMBOK Guide is also used for the CAPM, just like it is for the PMP.
PMI members pay $225 for the CAPM exam, while non-members pay $300. Students can get discounts on membership fees and CAPM exam fees.
Prerequisites include:
High school diploma
23 hours of project management training were done by the time of the exam.
The education requirement for project management is met by PMI’s online Project Management Basics course. Because the requirements for this certification aren’t too strict, students can start their project management careers well before they graduate.
Since the CAPM is for people who are just starting out in project management, it is often used as a stepping stone to more advanced certifications like the PMP in the future.
Read more: How a CAPM certification can help you
PMI gives the Portfolio Management Professional Certification (PfMP)
Portfolio managers are responsible for making sure that projects, programs, and operations are in line with strategic goals and that they have the right resources to make sure that projects deliver the expected value.
Getting the Portfolio Management Professional Certification (PfMP) shows that you have advanced skills in managing one or more portfolios in a coordinated way to reach strategic goals. This certification is for executives or senior-level practitioners who manage a portfolio of projects and programs that are in line with the organization’s strategy. PMI members pay $800 for the PfMP exam, while non-members pay $1,000.
To get this certification, you must meet either of these two sets of rules:
At least 96 months of professional business experience in the last 15 years, or 84 months of portfolio management experience with a secondary degree OR
at least 96 months of professional business experience in the last 15 years
A four-year degree and 48 months of experience in portfolio management
PMI offers the Risk Management Professional Certification (PMI-RMP).
The Risk Management Professional Certification (PMI-RMP) shows that a person can find and evaluate project risks, reduce threats, and take advantage of opportunities.
This certification is for people who have a lot of experience and knowledge in risk management. It is also good for project managers whose job it is to deal with risks in large or complicated projects.
PMI members pay $520 for the PMI-RMP exam, while non-members pay $670. To get this certification, one of the following two sets of requirements must be met:
High school diploma
36 months of experience with project risk management in the last 5 years
40 hours of training on how to handle project risks OR
Degree for four years
24 months of experience with project risk management in the last 5 years
30 hours of training on how to handle project risks
Read more: Project Management and the Different Types of Risk
by PMI: Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP)
The PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP) exam covers several Agile methods, such as Scrum, Kanban, Lean, extreme programming (XP), and test-driven development (TDD) (TDD.) PMI-ACP is for professionals who already work with Agile methods and are ready to move up in their project management careers from the entry level.
A PMI-ACP certification costs $435 for PMI members and $495 for people who are not PMI members. Prerequisites include:
High school diploma
21 hours of training in the Agile way of doing things
12 months of experience with general projects in the last 5 years
I’ve worked on Agile projects for 8 months in the last 3 years.
Continue: How to Get Certified as a PMP-ACP
CompTIA made CompTIA Project+.
The CompTIA Project+ certification is great for anyone who has basic project management skills and wants to work as a project manager on smaller, less complicated projects.
This certification stands out from the rest because it goes beyond just one method or framework to cover important project management ideas.
The CompTIA Project+ exam will cost you $348. Learners get skills in many different areas:
Basic project management
Project lifecycle management
Communication that works
Management of resources and stakeholders
Documentation management
Risk management
Change management
PRINCE2 by Axelos Projects in Controlled Environments (PRINCE2) is a certification from Axelos that is based on projects and processes and is good for project managers at different stages of their careers. PRINCE2 teaches the different stages of a project’s lifecycle, including how to manage cost, time, quality, scope, and risks, as well as how to measure benefits and risks.
PRINCE2 certification makes it more likely that you’ll get a job in project management that pays well, like Project Manager, Project Lead, Project Control Officer, Project Consultant, and more.
PRINCE2 Foundation and PRINCE2 Practitioner are the two levels that you can choose from.
Foundation for PRINCE2
PRINCE2 Foundation teaches you how to plan, manage, and deliver projects from start to finish from a theoretical point of view. Before moving on to the Practitioner level, you have to pass the Foundation level.
PRINCE2 can be changed to fit different roles and industries, and it is available in 18 languages. This means that it can be adapted to meet the personal and professional needs of the learner. Also, PRINCE2 Foundation certification never goes away once you get it.
Whether certification is done online or in a classroom, the costs will be different.
Practitioner of PRINCE2
PRINCE2 Practitioner builds on what you learned in the Foundation level and lets you use the PRINCE2 method in the real world at work. It saves money to get these two certifications at the same time.
The PRINCE2 Practitioner level certification doesn’t last as long as the Foundation level. It expires after five years. If you pass both levels of PRINCE2, you can move on to PRINCE2 Agile and get certified if you want to.
PRINCE2 Agile by Axelos combines the flexibility and adaptability of the Agile method with the core principles of PRINCE2. Axelos also offers two levels of certification in PRINCE2 Agile.
PRINCE2 Agile can be changed to fit the needs of any project and works well with Agile project management principles.
Foundation for PRINCE2 Agile
In PRINCE2 Agile Foundation, you learn the basics of PRINCE2 before you learn how to use PRINCE2 with PRINCE2 Agile in your everyday work. In order to get certified, you have to show that you know not only the core PRINCE2 principles, but also the core Agile concepts and techniques and how they work together.
Practitioner of PRINCE2 Agile
PRINCE2 Agile Practitioner takes what you learned in Agile Foundation and applies it to the workplace. It does this by using real-world examples so that you can see for yourself how it works.
ScrumAlliance gives the ScrumMaster Certification (CSM)
The CSM certification from ScumAlliance is for people who are looking for the Scrum Master credential or who just need the tools to be more agile.
Certified Scrum Masters are in charge of making sure the workplace is effective and productive and teaching others about the values, principles, and practices of Scrum.
Before taking the CSM exam, people who are going through the certification process learn a lot about Scrum and how to use it in the workplace. Agile trainers guide each step of the CSM certification process, and each CSM class can be changed to meet the needs of the students.
The cost of the CSM course is $495. Once a person has their CSM, they can move on to ScrumAlliance’s Advanced Scrum Master Certification, Certified Scrum Professional ScrumMaster Certification, and Agile Coach Certification to learn more about their field.
by APM: Project Fundamentals Qualification (PFQ)
The Association for Project Management (APM) offers a variety of project management qualifications for professionals at all stages of their project management careers. The APM certifications are set up in a way that allows you to move from a basic understanding of project management tools, techniques, and processes to a more advanced level.
This set of three certifications (which are explained in more detail below) makes it possible to get the Chartered Project Professional (ChPP) status, which shows that a project professional is skilled and successful.
The APM Project Fundamentals Qualification gives you a basic understanding of the terms used in project management and the stages of a project’s lifecycle. It talks about specific parts of the APM Body of Knowledge, such as:
Planning and making plans
Communication
Teamwork
Resource management
Project risk management
Project reviews
The PFQ is for people who want a general understanding of how the profession works. You don’t need any previous knowledge or experience to get this certification.
APM’s Project Manager Qualification (PMQ)
With the APM Project Management Qualification, students can show that they know about all parts of project management and how they can be used in their own workplaces.
People who already know how to manage projects will get the most out of this certification. It goes over areas of knowledge like:
Budgeting and keeping track of costs
Conflict management
Methods of talking
Earned value management
Leadership skills
Ways to negotiate
Procurement
Sponsorship
Teamwork
This certification is perfect for people who already have the APM PFQ certification and want to learn more about managing projects.
APM’s PPQ stands for Project Professional Qualification.
The Professional Qualification is a test-based certification that looks at how well you can do professional work. The certification covers the core and specific skills needed in all areas of project management, including:
Leadership and running a business
Governing and watching over
Planning and taking charge.
This certification is the most in-depth test out of the three levels. The exam is based on a real-world case study and has three parts: a written report, an oral exam, and a scenario-based test.
The PPQ is for project managers who already have the PMQ or something similar and are ready to move up in their careers.
ICAgile Certified Professional Agile Project and Delivery Management (ICP-APM) was made by ICA.
The International Consortium for Agile (ICA) has a certification called ICP-APM that teaches skills and methods for delivering Lean and Agile products successfully. Students will learn how to find process bottlenecks, help incremental value delivery, and more during the course.
At the end of the course, people who get the certification will know and be able to:
Delivery speed
System management
Team leadership and taking charge
Continuous value delivery
Planning and keeping track
The cost of the course depends on where it is held, how it is taught, and other things. But to give readers an idea of what to expect, one online synchronous course in the US costs $1,100 and another costs $1,495.
The ICP-APM is one of three ways to get certified. You can also get certified in ICP Delivery at Scale (ICP-DAS) and ICE Expert in Delivery Management (ICE-DM), if you want to. These don’t seem to build on each other, so people who want to can do one, two, or all three in any order.
Google Certificate for Project Management
Google’s project management certificate is made for project managers who are just starting out. It teaches the basics of project management and how to coordinate the different stages of a project’s lifecycle, from planning to execution. Agile project management is also part of the certificate.
Through more than 140 hours of instruction and hundreds of practice-based assessments based on real-world project management situations, the program prepares people who want to be project managers. The interactive structure and content were made by project managers at Google with a lot of experience.
The price of the course depends on how long it takes to finish, but the most you can expect to pay is $300.