How to Obtain 60 PMP PDUs in 30 Days
Have you received an email from the PMI informing you that your certification renewal is due in 30 days, only to discover that you haven't earned a single, or very few, Professional Development Units (PDUs) since passing the Project Management Professional (PMP)® exam? Are you wondering how nearly three years have passed so quickly and how you will get those 60 PDUs so quickly?
It happens; life occasionally gets in the way. Take a deep breath and relax instead of beating yourself up. There is a method for obtaining all Earn 60 PDUs in 30 days. Most importantly, don't worry!
This section will look at the measures you may take to acquire those much-needed PMP Renewal PDUs swiftly. Remember that PMI® has created the Continuing Certification Requirements (CCR) Handbook, which can be found at the pmi.org website, as a reference to all information regarding certification renewal, including information on the PMI Talent and how PMI defines "Technical Project Management," "Leadership," and "Strategic and Business Management."
Obtaining Earn PDUs in 30 days might be challenging, but it is doable, and it only takes a little concentration. Follow these steps, and you'll be well on your way to earning all of the PDUs required to renew your PMP® certification.
Step 1: Determine Your PDU Balance
Log in to your PMI account to access the Continuing Certification Requirements System (CCRS). On the left, pick "myPMI" and then "Report PDUs on CCRS" under "Certification Status." This will take you directly to your CCRS dashboard, where you can see how many PDUs you have earned, how many you still need to earn, and how many days you have until renewal. The PDUs are also divided into two categories on the dashboard: Education and Giving Back. It also provides three areas under Education: Technical, Leadership, and Strategic & Business.
Step 2: Get the CCR Handbook.
The CCR Handbook is available for download and reading. The manual contains useful information on the criteria for PMI PDUs. Here you will learn the minimum and maximum PDU requirements, as well as the types of PDUs required to satisfy the PMI Talent Triangle standards. For example, while making presentations might earn PDUs, it is not possible to earn all 60 PDUs by doing so. Earning at least eight PDUs in each of the Technical, Leadership, and Strategic & Business PDU categories under the Education category is required by the PMI Talent Triangle. Understanding the minimum and maximum standards will assist you in earning the appropriate sort of PDUs.
Step 3: Develop a PDU Earning Strategy
It's time to make a strategy now that you know how many PDUs you'll need and which categories/sections you'll need them in. You may use this strategy to figure out how much time you need to put in each day/week to get your PDUs. Remember that, in general, it takes one hour to acquire one PDU. Because not all PDUs are free, you must plan a budget to pay for some PDUs.
Steps 4 through 10 will assist you in developing your PDU earning plan. Each of these actions is necessary to guarantee that you acquire the PDUs you require in time for renewal.
Step 4: Keep track of your PDU earnings.
From reading the CCR Handbook, you should have noted that PMI encourages keeping solid records and documenting all PDU earning activities.
Step 5: First, cover your 8/8/8 minimum.
In step one, you determine how many PDUs you already have and will require. Step 2 taught you about some of PMI's minimal standards. So, the next step is to make sure you get at least eight Technical, eight Leadership, and eight Strategic & Business PDUs. Technical PDUs are often easier to get. So, if you're in a rush, aim for only eight PDUs in each of Leadership and Strategic & Business, and concentrate your remaining efforts on gaining Technical PDUs.
Step 6: Get Your Free PDUs!
The most specific category of PDUs to earn and claim is "Work as a Practitioner." You may earn up to eight PDUs merely by executing your job as a project manager. You may be required to provide your job description for these PDUs to be approved.
Volunteering actions in the Giving Back category are the second easiest to acquire. If you volunteer for your local PMI chapter, you may claim one PDU for each hour of service. However, keep in mind that the Giving Back category allows for a maximum of 25 PDUs to be claimed. So, if you claim eight PDUs for working as a practitioner, you will receive eight PDUs.
Step 7: Consider Thinking Outside the Box
You might be able to Earn PDUs for tasks you never considered before. Have you ever gone to a work project management lunch and learn seminar? Did you take any project management or marketing training? Do you meet with a mentor regularly? If this is the case, all of these actions may be eligible for PDUs. If you're seeking some out-of-the-box thinking, read the CCR Handbook, as suggested in step 2. There is a range of suggestions for some out-of-the-box kind PDUs there.
Step 8: Make Use of Premium Podcasts
Podcasts about project management are a convenient and mobile method to earn PDUs. You may download the webinars directly to your phone, and this allows you to watch and listen while on the go or waiting in line—premium podcasts, which you must pay for, provide access to high-quality webinars.
If you're searching for some premium podcasts for your phone or tablet, check out The PDU Podcast, which will allow you to earn your PMP renewal PDU from anywhere globally on your phone or tablet.
Step 9: Participate in Events Hosted by Your Local PMI Chapter
Local chapters of PMI may be found all around the world. So, locate your nearest chapter and see which of their upcoming events you can attend. You can earn 1 PDU by attending a one-hour chapter event, and you could even meet some fantastic individuals.
Step 11: Don't Give Up!
Congratulations on obtaining 60 PDUs and renewing your PMP! Why should you stop now that you're on a roll? Maintain your PMP Renewal PDU, unless you want to find yourself in a similar difficult circumstance in three years. Remember that you can "roll over" up to 20 PDUs into the following cycle if they were earned in the final year of your three-year cycle. Maintain your momentum by scheduling time on your calendar to earn at least two PDUs every month.
Summary,
Earning 60 PDUs in 30 days is possible. You're a project manager, and you're probably used to meeting tight deadlines regularly, so you've got this!
Just keep in mind the following steps: Login to PMI account and get familiar with your statistics; download, read, and comprehend the CCR Handbook; Create a PDU earning plan, plan to document the PDUs you earn, ensure you cover the PMI Talent Triangle requirements, don't forget to claim your easy PDUs, think outside the box for some PDUs, go mobile with premium podcasts, attend local PMI chapter events, and earn, document, claim, and repeat until you reach your goal of 60 PDUs.
