It’s possible that the contact hours necessary by the Project Management Institute (PMI) in order to qualify and apply for your PMP test will cause you some worry and uncertainty. You may be curious about the specifics of how to get these 35 contact hours and what does and does not count as a contact hour. This post from SPOTO will walk you through all you need to know to successfully complete your 35 contact hours and apply for the PMP test.
PMI contact hours guidance
The Project Management Professional Handbook specifies the following organizations as the only ones allowed to offer training or courses that count toward contact hours:
Education Suppliers That Have Been Approved By The PMI (R.E.P.s)
“PMI Authorized Training Partners” (PMI Authorized Training Partners) (ATPs)
“Programs that are supported by employers or companies.”
Companies that provide training or independent consultants (e.g., training schools)
Companies that offer distance learning and include an evaluation at the conclusion of the course
Academic programs in universities and colleges, as well as those for continuing education
It is possible to earn your contact hours through online training or courses, as mentioned in the PMP handbook. This is the alternative that might be the most cost-effective choice. You also have the option of going to a PMI-authorized training center, which will provide you with the necessary 35 contact hours and prepare you for the test via the guidance of a PMI-authorized trainer. This will allow you to kill two birds with one stone.
Online courses
Online training is efficient, user-friendly, and can be accessed without difficulty at any time and from any location imaginable. For example, you may get ready for the PMP certification test by taking one of the many online courses that are offered by Udemy. The PMP preparation class taught by Joseph Phillips is widely regarded as one of the best available options for earning the necessary 35 contract hours. It provides comprehensive preparation for the PMP exam by providing many exercises, videos, and explanations, in addition to a few exams that are the entire length. In addition, it has been modified to reflect the most recent changes to the PMP exam.
The starting price for Joseph’s course, along with the starting price for most other Udemy courses, is typically between $129.99 and $139.99. However, Udemy runs specials and promotions daily, so as long as you keep an eye on the course you want to buy, you should be able to obtain it for $9.99 to $19.99 off its regular price.
Those that deliver training and those who are PMI® Authorized Training Partners
All training sessions must be live because recording them is against the rules, and only authorized training partners can use the official PMI-developed course. Because these training providers must pay PMI a yearly fee to be certified as partners, the cost of their training programs, which now start at $1,500 and go up from there, is rising steadily.
Through the PMI website or directly through individual providers’ websites, such as PM Training, you can locate PMP courses or providers in your local area.
What exactly constitutes a Contact Hour, and what doesn’t count toward one?
Your training does not have to be conducted by a PMI provider, but it needs at least some interaction with a trainer, and the time spent doing it has to be tracked. It is not sufficient, for example, to spend your time passively viewing videos on YouTube or studying the PMBOK® Guide by yourself. No matter how well organized or beneficial the self-study program is, it will not satisfy the PMI’s criteria for contact hours.
On the other hand, attendance at a college or university class on project management can contribute toward the 35 contract hours required. Each course hour is equivalent to one contact hour, as stated in the PMP handbook: “The course hours may include content on project quality, project scope, project schedule, project budget, project communications, project risk, project procurement, project cost, project resources, and project stakeholder and project integration management.”
When you are being inspected, it is possible that you will be asked to present the course curriculum and proof of the total number of hours spent on the course. If the system does not account for 35 contact hours, you will be forced to complete a second course to compensate for the shortfall.
Be aware that if you want to participate in an in-house training program that your employer offers, you may be required to present a certificate proving that you have completed the program. If the training provided by your company did not come with a certificate, PMI could accept a letter of completion in its place. This letter can come from the course administrator, the HR department, or the manager. This letter serves as verification that the course was in fact finished.
Once you have all of the necessary information about PMP contact hours, choosing a decision about how you wish to obtain the required 35 contact hours is primarily dependent on your spending plan, your pattern of learning, and your personal preferences.
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