Before appointing a project manager to head a project, of course, we need concrete evidence that shows their capabilities and competencies, right? One way to look at it is by the project management certification that them has.

Indeed, having a project management certification isn’t must-have stuff for a project manager to be able to manage a project manager. However, not having this one is the same as umping huge opportunities for a big wing of your career in various industrial spheres. Having a project management certification can show the competence and capabilities of a project manager. Where it means they already have the experience and knowledge of a qualified project manager and have a big chance of succeeding in the project they are handling. 

Not only that, but PMI also wrote that there was a significant increase in salary among project managers if they had been certified as Project Management Professional (PMP). From the records of survey respondents, it was said that the average salary increase for project managers holding PMP certificates was around 22% compared to project managers who did not have them.

Interestingly, Indonesia, which was just registered in the latest PMI survey this year, is in second place as the country with the highest percentage increase in salary for project managers who are PMP certified. The increase is 80%!

The first position is held by the Philippines with a salary increase of up to 84% for PMP certified project managers. In 3rd position, there are South Africa and Colombia with salary increases of up to 42%.

5 Types of Project Management Certification

1. PMP (Project Management Professional)

You know, the PMP Certification is one of the oldest and most well-known project management certifications to date. PMP by PMI (Project Management Institue) was first launched in 1984. PMP is in the top 10 in the 2015 edition of the Certification Magazine Salary Survey (PMI.org). Of which, respondents in this survey reported an average salary of around £50,000 (approx Rp973 million).

Being appointed as one of the most prestigious project manager certifications is certainly not without strong reasons. In fact, project managers who wish to take certification are required to have at least 3 years of practical experience in project management. This calculation includes a minimum of 4,500 flight hours leading a project.

In addition, prospective participants for this certification are also required to take a minimum of 35 hours of project management education classes before being able to take the PMP certification exam. If you haven’t had at least 4 years, there will be more stringent requirements pending previous experience.

What are the details of the PMP exam?

In this PMP exam, participants will answer 200 multiple choice questions in about 4 hours. The participants must answer all the existing questions because the weights of all the questions are the same and there is no negative score for wrong answers. To pass, participants must obtain an answer score that is really at least 75%. However, PMI itself does not officially announce what the minimum score is to pass this certification.

If successful in receiving a pass notification, the participant will monitor PMI’s Code of Ethics and Professional behavior. Later, this certification will be valid for 3 years which can then change again.

2. PRINCE2 (Projects In Controlled Environments)

Apart from PMP, there is the PRINCE2 certification (Projects In Controlled Environments) which already has wide popularity around the world. If you are someone new to a project manager who is new to the industry, or an aspiring project manager and requires credentials in the industry, then this one certification will be ideal for you to try.

Handled by AXELOS, PRINCE2 certification has several levels, namely PRINCE2 Foundation, PRINCE2 Practitioner, and PRINCE2 Professional. The methodology used in certification is quite unique and different from that of the PMP which emphasizes basic and general knowledge of project management. Following this certification will be very beneficial for you to get PMP certification.

How are the details of the PRINCE2 exam?

When taking the PRINCE2 certification exam, participants will observe 70 multiple choice questions with 5 trial questions. The time given is about 60 minutes. To be able to pass this exam, participants must get at least 35 correct answers from the 70 questions tested or 35/70.

3. CAPM (Certified Associate in Project Management)

Another popular project manager certification is CAPM (Certified Associate in Project Management). Launching from PMI Today, it was said that in June 2019 there were around 39,120 owners of CAPM certificates around the world. Designed for entry-level project managers, the CAPM certificate has a lower level of difficulty than PMP. In other words, the CAPM certificate is ideal for project managers who still have minimal experience in the field but still want to get more value through credentials.

What are the details of the CAPM exam?

Just like PMP certification, CAPM certification also does not officially announce the minimum score participants must get to pass. However, the CAPM encouraged the participants to be able to get a correct answer score of at least 70% of all the existing questions. The number of questions in this certification itself is 150 questions with multiple choice types. To complete it, you will be given 3 hours.

4. CSP (Certified Scrum Professional)

Slightly different from the previous one, CSP (Certified Scrum Professional) is a special certification for scrum masters. Yes, CSP is a leading certification that demonstrates that the recipient has extensive knowledge and experience of Scrum, both practical and theoretical.

To receive CSP certification, you are not required to take an exam like the previous 3 types of certification. Instead, you must successfully complete 3 preceding entry-level credentials: Certified Scrum Master (CSM), Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO), and Certified Scrum Developer (CSD). In total, participants who want to get CSP certification must have at least 70 Scrum education classes attended and 36 months of managing Scrum, all of which were submitted in the last 5 years. Interested in trying it?

5. Project+

In the fifth position, there is a project management certification called Project+. Project+ is the only project management certification offered by CompTIA and is considered the ideal certification for new project managers or aspiring project managers.

Although this certification is considered a fairly straightforward entry-level exam, it is recommended that participants have at least one year of experience participating in or managing small or medium-sized projects (this kind of project size is preferred). If the participants do not have this experience then they should at least have a suitable project management education.

How about the project details and the Project+ exam details?

In this Project+ certification exam, participants will be asked to answer 100 questions. The time given to complete this exam is approximately 90 minutes. To succeed in obtaining this certification, Project+ encourages participants to get at least 70 correct answers out of the 100 questions tested.

Apart from the 5 project manager certifications above, there are various other interesting and useful certifications for you to follow. Such as AXELOS, ITIL, and IPMA certificates. So, have you decided what certification to take to expand your career as a project manager?

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