CAUTION – This article was written in 2011 and may no longer be accurate.

Would you like to apply for PMP^® Certification? Do you need help filling out the PMP^® application form? This can be a daunting task, especially as PMI^® request that the majority of applications are processed online. Unless you are properly prepared, it can take a lot of time and effort to collate and organize the information required. Consequently, mistakes are easily made and often result in applications being audited. This article will explain how to fill out a PMP^® application form correctly.

One solution to this is to use a PMP^® sample application form. Velopi’s PMP^® Experience calculator is an excellent tool to help organise, prepare and edit your project management experience. It guides you through the PMP^® application process ensuring that the data you enter into the online PMP^® application form makes sense. All of Velopi’s PMP^® course attendees are given access to the calculator.

The following 12 steps will take you through our PMP^® Application help process;

PMP^® Application Form Preparation;

Step 1 – Download the following items

• Velopi’s PMP^® Experience Calculator.
• PDF version of PMI’^®s PMP^® Credential Application form and print a hardcopy. (Always complete in hardcopy prior to online application process.)

Step 2 – Start by completing page 1 of the PMP^® exam application form by giving your name. Please ensure that you use the same name as the valid identification you will bring to the exam. If your passport states “John J. Smith” then use this on the PMP^® application form. When adding a billing address, ensure that it matches the billing address on your credit card statement.

Step 3 – Add Educational information. Only use the highest level of education attained at the time of preparing your PMP^® credential application.

Step 4 – Select projects you are using for your PMP^® application and complete Section 1 of the Experience calculator. This section will calculate the total hours spent on each project. Next fill in grey cells with project start and finish dates, name of project and duration of project (months).

Be careful not to include time spent working on two projects in parallel – do not double count hours. All overlapping projects must have the correct amount of hours allocated to each project. If your total hours do not meet the following criteria then you do not have sufficient experience to apply for the PMP^® credential

• • With a baccalaureate degree – 4500 hours
• • Without a baccalaureate degree – 7500 hours

Step 5 – You can now move to Section 2 where you will need to input the hours you have spent on each project leading and directing project tasks in each of the project management process groups. Take each project task for each project and estimate the hours you spent completing this task and enter the value into the grey cells in the spreadsheet. Do this for all tasks working your way down through each process for every project. This takes some time but once complete the PMP^® Application form is nearly finished.

igure 2 – Section 2 (Project Tasks) of Velopi’s PMP^® Experience Calculator

Step 6 – Section 3 will give you a summary and enable you to check the hours you have entered. Take your time to ensure that the hours totaled for each project match in each section. Errors here will probably result in your application being audited.

Step 7 – Once you have completed the experience verification you will need to summarise the project tasks that you led and directed on each project in a short 500 character description in the hardcopy application form.

PMI Application Hardcopy Preparation

Step 8 – Complete step 4 & 5 for all projects using the results from Velopi’s PMP^® Experience Calculator.

Step 9 – Complete Project Management Education section with minimum of 35 hours project management training/education.

PMI Online Application Form Completion

Step 10 – Once you have completed the hardcopy, check it against the spreadsheet and ensure that all hours allocated to project tasks match and that the sub-totals are correct.

Step 11 – Carefully transfer information from hardcopy PMP^® Application Form to the PMP^® Online Application Form.

Step 12 – Finally complete and submit Online PMP^® Application Form.

This PMP^® Experience calculator is not endorsed by PMI^® and is provided to assist in the collation of data while preparing the PMP^® application form.

If you have any queries or require further help with the PMP^® Application forms please contact us.

PMBOK^® Guide, PMP^®,PMI^® are registered trademarks of the Project Management Institute.