In 1969, the Project Management Institute (PMI) was established as a membership association for those working in project, program, and portfolio management. Today, with over 300 local chapters, PMI helps over 500,000 global members access the education and networking resources to be successful in their field. PMI offers workers the ability to obtain certifications and to receive additional education and training related to their jobs or desired jobs.

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The Good

Certifications
Career Support
Tools

Certifications

To become certified with a PMI designation, you apply to become a candidate, study for the exam independently, then take the exam. The exams are developed by practitioners for practitioners based on high standards and ongoing research. Candidates who pass the exam are deemed able to meet the demands of projects and employers.

PMI members get discounts on PMI certificates but any individual meeting the minimum requirements for candidacy can apply. An exam purchase includes the course handbook, exam guidance, review tips, and a content outline.

The following is a list of PMI certifications:

Project Management Professional (PMP)
Program Management Professional (PgMP)
Portfolio Management Professional (PfMP)
Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)
Professional in Business Analysis (PMI-PBA)
Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP)
Risk Management Professional (PMI-RMP)
Scheduling Professional (PMI-SP)

Career Support

PMI holds regular training and educational events for professionals. Project management professionals have access to webinars, publications, seminars and other events and resources through PMI.

PMI membership is fairly priced, especially considering what one gets from being a member. Membership costs $129 and is open to anyone. Initial application costs an additional $10; renewal is also $129. Students currently enrolled in an accredited institution may become a PMI member for just $32; renewal is also $32. Retired persons who in the past have been PMI members may renew for $65.

PMI's chief purpose is to help people advance and succeed in their careers. PMI offers a slew of seminars, webinars, courses, and events expressly designed to arm project managers with the knowledge to move forward in their careers and to achieve their professional goals. PMI's website also has a section where members can post their resume and showcase their skills to prospective employers. Members also feel connected, as they can belong to local chapters as well as an online global community. In these forums, members can exchange ideas, network and learn from and teach one another.

Tools

PMI members get access to PMI publications and global standards along with thousands of tools, templates, articles, guides, other resources.

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The Bad

Eligibility Requirements
No Guarantees

Eligibility Requirements

PMI's certifications require that candidates obtain a certain degree type, number of hours of education, and amount of experience prior to applying. Requirements vary by certification.

No Guarantees

Those who take certification courses should be aware that certification does not guarantee higher salary and promotion. Certainly, certification and further education in the field enhances one's chance of advancement, but it would be misleading to assert that such things are bound to happen for those who certify.

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The Bottom Line

PMI claims that it is growing knowledge and opportunities for professionals with thought leadership, training, and tools. It appears that the organization is accomplishing just that: membership with PMI signifies a dedication to project management and certifying with PMI demonstrates competency and professionalism.

Project management is a growing field and one that is critically important in a variety of industries. Where PMI is the foremost organization to provide continuing training, education, and certification in project management, anyone working in a project management job and looking for higher certification would be wise to check out PMI.

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1.7

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27 Reviews

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11%

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NS Bradford, PA

They were very unclear on the pricing of the CAPM exam. I had to leave the room for a few mins less than halfway through the exam due to an emergency and they aborted the exam. They said I can only retake if I pay the $350 fee again. The learning structure is also terrible. It’s basically a PowerPoint with a few multiple choice questions at the end of each section. You can’t navigate through a certain section without starting over each time.

2 days ago

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Cam Hall Palmyra, VA

When I was getting started in the software dev world, the constant recommendation was to get my PMP from PMI. I'd hear this all the time working in older enterprise environments and as a government contractor (in addition to the various blue/black/green belts for change management). Over time, though, the cost of PMP and PMI's certificates felt inflated over other more recent Agile offerings (I purchased the PMP study guide and study sessions). I ended up getting my Certified Scrum Product Owner and Certified Scrum Master certifications because they better fit my career goals at start ups and tech-forward organizations like Capital One and FAANG, but I would have stuck with PMP if I'd wanted to stay in government contracting.

5 months ago

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Eddie Rios Ogden, UT

Project Management Institute is high class all the way. It is reliable, legitimate and highly regarded. I am very impressed with its certifications and are well regarded in the workplace. I have worked with PMI to get certifications and feel they will improve my qualifications in the long run. I feel that PMI is well esteemed and professional. They are definitely worth the effort!

2 years ago

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Robert Russell Charleston, SC

HORRIBLE! The PMP certification through PMI is joke. Let's face it, most people get into project manage via experience not certifications. This process is a joke, PMI is a joke - money making scheme. Waste of time. I will hire my employees based on experience over this certification any day. The customer service at PMI is just as horrible. For a "Project Management Institute" they sure do not practice what they preach, I am not sure how they have lasted this long.

7 months ago

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Shelly Missoula, MT

PMI has a monopoly on the Project Management certifications and such. Initial cost is fair, but then the costs get very high and very many. The biggest complaint I have is contacting and getting help with issues regarding my certification maintenance. I have paid and taken all the required classes to renew my certification yet PMI has not awarded the points, which will eventually make my certification lapse even though I have fulfilled the requirements. This is a very expensive and time consuming certification needed for my field and PMI is the worst. Very difficult to communicate with, no answer of phone calls, customer chat is always down. very disappointed.

4 years ago

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Allen Bronson Idaho Falls, ID

They do a good job of encapsulating the project management field. They have good tools to help to get ready and pass the certification test. They also have good tools to help in different aspects of project management after certification

4 years ago

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Ana Maple Ridge, BC

Terrible customer service, exam statistics are unknown. Disappointed.

3 weeks ago

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Mike Las Vegas, NV

This organization is a scam. Having been a project manager for numerous household names, I can say that I've seen my share of the industry. It is very likely that I have overseen software that you personally have used. No one is without their faults, but I cannot fathom a world where the the PMP certification would have made me better at my job. Not only is the PMI certification the most useless certification that I've ever seen, it costs $544 (+ a yearly fee of $139) just to take the awful excuse for an exam. Don't mistake the word 'awful' for 'difficult'. The goal of this organization is not to teach, or test knowledge, it is %100 to make money. The exam purposely sets you up to fail, so that you can pay the fee again. If the fee wasn't a dead giveaway that this organization is a scam, the buggy website and book full of typos and contradicting answers are. This organization offers zero to you or your company. Look elsewhere to improve your skills.

1 year ago

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Richard Lynch San Diego, CA

I am a 30 year construction worker who has moved up through the ranks from superintendent to project manager. In order to gain a top PM job you need college or professional training other than experience. So I joined the PMI, enrolled in and successfuly completed the course. During the application process since I had no college degree I had to record 7500 hours of management experience which was no problem. I completed and submitted my application and was immediately put into Audit. The audit process included having to send former employers or colleagues paperwork to fill out and sign for every hour I worked for them and to sign the sealed envelope flap. Two of my previous employers found this to be invasive and refused. I sent 2 emails to PMI but have not been responded to. I you have the similar situation be ready for it. I only gave a 1 star rating because the course instructor was good. I wasted 2,000 and 50 hours of my time.

2 years ago

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David J Jones Dallas, TX

I have completed all of the required PDU's, I have met all of the prerequisites of a Bachelor's Degree, documented well over the 4,500 hours of actual project management, have paid all of the sign up and PMI test fees, have spent countless hours studying for the PMP Certification Test but I have failed 2 random audits performed by PMI and am in the process of submitting information for the 3rd time to convince PMI that I am for real. I have over 25 years of project management experience managing large scale telecommunications and construction projects. The audit details PMI provides are ambiguos and inconsistent and I really have no idea what they are asking for...shooting in the dark. I cannot speak directly or email directly with the person who is reviewing my audit material. You are limited to 550 characters or less to explain the 4 year project I am referencing in my audit to meet the 4,500 hour requirement. The auditor basically told me I was lying about the number hours I have worked on the project. I don't think very highly of PMI at all. In my opinion the program has very little merit and the testing is centered around tricking the applicant instead of teaching about project management or how projects work. PMI is absolute waste of time of money.

3 years ago

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Steven N Lacks Lakeland, FL

First, their certification is worthless, they've let complete frauds through their audits and then blocked valid professionals because the company seems to have little or no experience in actual PM. Second, their authorized classes are worthless. They authorized Grey Campus to do an ACP course that is a guy reading straight through what seemed to be copy pasted Google search results with no punctuation. A steady stream of words, a recitation, not a reading or lecture. When they authorize a program, they are endorsing it. Between those two things, and their pretentions of pretending to be a large organization, I gave up.

4 years ago

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Clifford Williams Vancouver, WA

It is ironic that PMI teaches PM but when it came to using there system online for taking the CAPM they couldn't perform...they must have contracted out the proctoring online (http://www.pearsonvue.com). The system was painful and never worked. I didn't need the CAPM but I thought it might help in some way. I asked for a refund which was hard since I had spent many many hours studying for the exam. It was an aggravating and disappointing experience.

4 years ago

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Laurent Griot White Plains, NY

Companies ask for their certification to employ you. However I really do not know why PMI are valued so much. They clearly show, through their terribly worded questions (ambiguous, incomplete, irrelevant etc.), that they are unable to communicate clearly, which makes them extremely bad project managers. Why would you want project management from bad project managers?

1 year ago

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Debbie Sandy, UT

The absolute WORST customer service I have ever encountered. I sat for my test waiting for 90 minutes for an admin and then was told the test was cancelled. Two days later I got an email saying that I would be charged $270 to reschedule since I missed the exam time. I didn't miss it! Spent hours waiting for a chat person to clear this up. STILL don't have it cleared up. I can't wait to be done with this company.

2 years ago

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clint myers Danville, IN

Poor customer service, money is the first thing they have to consider not the struggling worker trying to belter themselves with a certification. Costs are high testing centers are old, test is archaic at best. No full refunds even if you cancel greater than 30 days. Did I say horrid customer service. close my application because I wanted a full refund...

2 years ago

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Lisa Ziebarth (Barry)

I have been a member of PMI since 1998. When I retired, I spoke to PMI about what would happen if I wanted to work in the field again and reinstate my PMP and membership. They said no problem just let us know and then start getting PDU's. Today I was told I need to reapply and re-take the PMP exam. They lied to me blatantly. What a money grab! LIARS!

3 years ago

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Pissed Off PMP Las Vegas, NV

EVERYTHING this "organization" does is about getting more money out of your pocket. The certification test is a joke, with no real world value. They auto bill you an annual membership, then want another $60 to "renew your certificate". The membership is worthless. If you want to cancel your membership, there are no refunds or pro-rated fees returned. You're just SOL.

3 years ago

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Tola Houston, TX

This is easily the worst customer care experience of my entire life. I cannot! I paid $257 for the CAPM and after weeks of studying, I can't seem to wrap my head around why it wouldn't let me finally schedule my exam. I have been on this for days now, back and forth trying to actually find a working link to schedule an exam. How hard should this be? Is this a plot to get people to request a refund and then register again? For an organization championing project management, y'all sure do one heck of a job living up to your name.

3 years ago

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Daniel Wilder Needham Heights, MA

PMI kicked me out mid-test after I paid $300 to take the CAPM test and took a 65-hour prep course (30 hours is required). They have not offered to reimburse me nor responded to customer service requests in two weeks. I was kicked out of the test for technical malfunctions with their program. The test uses security theater to being with, ie fake security measures to try to scare people into thinking its secure. They ask you to show the proctor a video of your room but don't have any check against some ******** as simple as taping a notecard to your screen.

4 years ago

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tyfogle Round Rock, TX

This org. is terribly structured from their horrible website and interface to their non-existent "customer support." Something as simple as generating an invoice for my org. to pay my yearly membership fees seems beyond them. Their arrogant attitude will be short lived once bigger players (like Google) become the industry standard.

1 year ago

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Dee Stevenson Aubrey, TX

If I could give a negative star I would. The test as a whole is unfair. Getting my Masters degree was easier. You can study forver and still not be ready for their tricky questions. Why can't they write questions that are easy to read, and I can answer that. The more people that fail the more money they get.

4 years ago

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Paulette Duong Streamwood, IL

It costs $70 to cancel the exam plus $100 processing fee. Non-refundable for membership. I canceled the exam 30 days before the exam and it shows in their system as 2 days before the exam and refused the refund. Customer service is horrible. What a scam.

4 years ago

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Mark Houston, TX

I was PMP certified five years ago and found this certification to be one of the most beneficial in the management consulting industry!

1 year ago

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Gamer 017 Meridian, ID

their online exam is very unreliable. Proctors would not show up and charge you with a fee saying you didn't attend. Then their customer service is so hard to contact. I keep on wondering why PMI has diminished to this.

1 year ago

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mikala gneiting Ammon, ID

Very prestigious title. A certified PMP is something to be proud of. Their testing is difficult but comprehensive.

1 year ago

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John Schmitser Nashua, NH

The project management institute has the worst customer service I have ever experienced and their information is outdated.

3 years ago

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Andrew Johnson Exton, PA

Terrible customer service. Try calling them or using their online chat--can't get through.

4 years ago

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