7 Things You Need to Know to About the PMI’s Changes to its CCR Program.

The Project Management Institute recently announced changes to its Continuing Certification Requirements program.  Here are seven things you need to know to maintain your certification.

1. I’ve heard that PMI^® is changing the way that PDUs are earned. What are these changes?

Effective December 1st, 2015, the PMI PDU program is changing. The changes are as follows:

• Educational PDUs will be aligned with three skill categories: Technical Project Management, Leadership and Strategic & Business Management
• The number of minimum PDUs required for certifications is increasing.
• The number of maximum PDUs from activities that “give back to the profession” is decreasing.

2. What are the 3 skill categories of the PMI Talent Triangle?

1. Technical Project Management: Knowledge, skills and behaviors related to specific domains of Project, Program and Portfolio Management.
2. Leadership: Knowledge, skills and behaviors specific to leadership-oriented, cross-cutting skills that help an organization achieve its business goals.
3. Business and Strategic: Knowledge of and expertise in the industry or organization that enhances performance and better delivers business outcomes.

3. If I take a Learning Tree course between now and December 1st, how will my PDUs apply to my certification?

Any PDUs earned on courses taken and submitted before December 1st can be claimed in the current CCR (Continuing Certification Requirements) system and will count toward recertification as normal. PDUs earned on December 1^st and beyond will need to align to the new skill categories.

4. Will Learning Tree International be aligning its current courses with these new guidelines?

Yes, Learning Tree is aligning its existing PDU-approved courses with the three skill categories of the PMI Talent Triangle. Future courses submitted for PDU-approval will also be aligned with this new system.

5. What changes are coming to the PMP Exam?

On January 11, 2016, the current PMP^® Exam will be updated to a newer version. There will be no updates to the PMBOK^® Guide. There will be changes to the exam, specifically to the “tasks” that a certified PMP^® should be able to accomplish. There are 8 new tasks of 42 total tasks. The table below illustrates the task breakdown by domain:

6. What changes are coming to Course 276, Project Management Professional (PMP) Exam Prep?

Course 276, Project Management Professional (PMP) Exam Prep, will be updated to align with the newest version of the PMP^® Exam. If you plan to enroll in Course 276, please take note of the following dates to ensure you’re taking the version of the course that fits your needs:

• If you plan to take the PMP^® Exam before January 11, 2016, the current version of Course 276 will prepare you for the exam.
• If you plan to take the PMP^® Exam on or after January 11, 2016, you should enroll in the updated version of Course 276, which will begin running on January 4, 2016.

7. Where can I go to find out more information about the upcoming changes to PMI PDUs and to the PMP Exam?

For more information, please call Learning Tree International at 1-800-843-8733 or visit the PMI website for complete CCR update details.

Go here to learn more about our complete PMI certification programs including PMP, PMI-ACP & CAPM exam prep courses, our PMP exam prep guarantee and how you can earn valuable PDUs through Learning Tree courses.