Working towards your PMP? I am too. I have spent countless hours on PMI’s website, reviewing the requirements and the timeline of the process. What I learned is that you need to meet all of the requirements before you even begin your online application. The web site “says” you can apply online or through a paper application, however, it really sounds like they prefer the online version.
Back to the requirements, if you have a college degree, you need 4,500 work experience hours and 35 classroom hours. PMI stresses that you must have these hours completed before submitting your application. That means if you would like to take a boot camp class, you should take the boot camp then apply. I was slightly weary on the timing of this option. If there is a lag in the application being approved or if the application is audited, I may not be able to take the exam right after the boot camp, which I’ve heard is best. To be on the safe side, I took some Project Management classes over the last few months to complete my hours prior to applying.
One last suggestion for those interested in taking the exam – become a PMI member. I’ve been a member for a couple of years now, and it’s absolutely worth it. For one thing, you’ll make your membership fee back just with the members’ exam fee discount alone, but more importantly you’ll have access to many valuable resources. I particularly like the e-library, which is full of great articles and books that you can browse through and even bookmark pages. So, if you’re on the fence, I’d say do it!