PMI offers a wide range of core and specialization certifications for people working in the project management domain. All of these have varying levels of difficulty levels and required prerequisites. PgMP certification is Core Certification offered by PMI, which is placed at the “Advanced level”. Naturally, the requirements for this certification are at a higher level than the other popular certifications – PMP, CAPM, etc. In this blog, we’ll see what these PgMP Prerequisites look like, how to meet them, and the process after that!
About PgMP Certification
PgMP Certification is one of the advanced senior-level certifications by PMI, targeted at professionals who manage work on multiple projects or programs. It enhances your strategic program management skills to make the right decisions in complex initiatives.
According to PMI, as of 31st December 2023, there are almost 1,454,550 PMPs. In comparison, there are only 5,350 PgMPs. So, PgMP offers you the distinguishing factor to stand out among project managers as well as PMP-certified project, program, and portfolio managers.
Now before we eligibility measures of PgMP Certification. Let’s check who this program management certification is for.
Who is the PgMP Certification for?
The Program management professional (PgMP) certification is for professionals with around 3-7 years of experience working in the project management space. The PgMP requirements also mandate having hands-on experience in managing programs – which is where most candidates fall short. Thus, the PgMP exam holds a high bar for professionals to meet in order to qualify for the prestigious certification.
The PgMP certification offered by PMI is essentially targeted at the following practitioners:
- Program Manager Practitioners
- Program Manager Aspirants
- Project Manager Practitioners
- Project Manager Specialist
- Portfolio Managers
- Business Unit Heads / Heads of Department / Function Heads
- Program Managers who are involved with multiple programs
- Anyone who is practicing and contributing to Programs.
Moreover, like every other PMI Certification, PgMP has detailed sets of eligibility criteria for professionals with different levels of education. To apply for the exam, you must meet either of these requirements set by PMI. Let’s look at these PgMP Prerequisites in detail ahead!
PgMP Prerequisites to Know About
To enroll for the PgMP Certification, you must meet certain educational & experience eligibility requirements. The PgMP Prerequisites basically consist of 4 things:
- Educational requirements
- Project Management Experience
- Program Management Experience
- Program Management Training for PMI-PgMP exam.
Now, PMI realizes that not everybody has the same level of education or experience. And to set an equal stage for all program manager applicants, it has created three different sets of criteria using the factors mentioned above. A higher level of education offsets the years of experience needed, and vice versa.
Out of the 4 requirements, the last one is the same for all sets of PgMP Prerequisites. Let’s take a look at the 3 sets of requirements you can check if you qualify for:
SET A:
- Secondary diploma (high school diploma, associate degree, or global equivalent).
- 4 Years of project management experience or PMP.
- 7 Years of program management experience.
SET B:
- Four-year degree (bachelor’s degree, global equivalent or higher degree).
- 4 Years of project management experience or PMP.
- 4 Years of program management experience.
SET C:
- Bachelor’s or postgraduate degree from a GAC accredited program (bachelor’s or master’s degree or global equivalent).
- 3 Years of project management experience or PMP.
- 3 Years of program management experience.
As for the last requirement for PgMP, you must undergo at least 21 hours of Program management training and gain the expertise & knowledge required to sit for the exam. You can gain this 21 Contact Hours certificate from a Project Management Institute (PMI)® accredited Authorized Training Partner – like ProThoughts!
PMI states that PgMP exam prep is critical to passing the exam, even though the certification validates your existing skills and experience. You can enroll for Online PgMP training, practice with mock exams, and view recorded sessions to check all the boxes for exam prep.
What counts as PgMP experience?
We’ve mentioned 4 and 7 years of project and program management experience. But, a common question among aspirants is – what really counts as PgMP experience? Let’s clear that as well!
Firstly, the years of experience on the projects must be unique and non-overlapping. If you worked on Project A and Project B at the same time say for 2 months, then the time period will not add up as singular projects to 4 months. It will amount to 2 months as your PgMP experience in the application.
Moreover, as per the PMI handbook, Project Management Experience is as identified under the five Process Groups defined in PMBOK® Guide. On the other hand, Program Management Experience is when for each program listed, there are at least 2 corresponding projects that have a common strategic goal and share the program budget.
How will you be expected to document your PgMP experience?
This is another frequently asked question. In your PgMP application, you’ll be required to detail your past projects and programs. Here’s an overview of what information you’ll be needing:
- Project Management Experience: Information about where you’ve worked, your roles and responsibilities, and the duration of projects.
- Program Management Experience: Details about the Program like its objectives and projects that were part of it, and your role and responsibilities.
- Experience Summaries: Examples of your professional experience in Program Strategy, Program Governance, and Program Leadership aspects.
To get more clarity on what counts as part of the PgMP experience and what doesn’t, consult with our team for free. Schedule a Call.
PMP vs PgMP: What’s Different for PgMP Prerequisites?
Whether you’re confused between PMP and PgMP, or looking to weigh the differences before you take the next step, we’ll clear all your doubts!
Difference in Eligibility Criteria:
Firstly, PMP’s eligibility criteria are very similar to PgMP’s in terms of educational background. Corresponding to whether you have a high school degree, a graduate degree, or a GAC-accredited program degree – you’ll require five, three, or two years of project management experience respectively.
Further, for PMP-certified professionals, there’s only one added prerequisite for PgMP. That is, apart from having the PMP, you must have 4-7 years of program management experience to qualify for PgMP.
Difference in Application Process:
If you’re PMP-certified or have appeared for any of PMI’s exams, you’d be somewhat familiar with the process it follows after meeting the eligibility. There’s the application form filling and fee submission, before scheduling the exam. While pointing out differences in PMP and PgMP requirements – there is an extra step for PgMP – called the PgMP Panel Review.
Once you submit your application along with experience summaries and details and pay the fee, a panel of volunteer PgMP-certified program managers will assess your responses. Only on successful approval from the PgMP panel, can you move to finally scheduling your PgMP exam.
After Meeting PgMP Prerequisites: What To Do Next?
PgMP has a high bar of qualification in terms of eligibility. It requires a minimum of 6 years in a leadership position as a project manager or equivalent to qualify. So, if you meet this, half of your worries come to an end.
After that, there are only 6 steps to getting certified!
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Get Training:
PgMP is a situation-based exam and requires you to apply analytical thinking. However, you need to be well-versed with all the concepts mentioned in the Standard of Program Management, 5th Edition as well as the PgMP Examination Content Outline. Our Trainer, Mr. Ashish Sadekar, gears you up for all the tricky PgMP Questions in our top-rated PgMP Workshops.
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Start the Application Process:
Once you complete your training, you can start the application process. Since it is a bit difficult to navigate, our team of consultants as well as Ashish himself is there you guide you through this aspect. You can verify your experience summaries with our team, and then submit them to PMI – to ensure acceptance right away!
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Fee Submission & Panel Review:
As we mentioned before, there is an additional Panel review for PMI’s Program Management Professional (PgMP) certification. Here a panel of 3-4 PgMP-certified Program managers will be verifying your professional experience based on the experience summaries you provided in the application.
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Schedule the Exam:
On completion of the panel review, you’ll be able to schedule the exam on the Pearson VUE platform. You’ll receive the details for exam scheduling on your Registered email. Further, you can always connect with our support team for any assistance on this front!
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Study for the Exam:
Here comes the obvious part! Till the time of your PgMP exam, you must study hard with all the materials provided by ProThoughts and PMI. Your doubts and queries will be answered by the instructors during this time on an appointment basis. You can refer to our success stories to see how our PgMP Alumni cleared their own PgMP exams!
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Take the Exam:
Once the formalities are done, there’s only one thing left – the D-Day! The PgMP exam is 240 minutes long along with 170 questions. After 4 of dedicated effort, the final screen showing “Successfully Cleared PgMP” will be all worth it. 🙂
Conclusion
We hope we cleared everything you needed to know about meeting the PgMP Prerequisites. To conclude, PgMP certification requires meeting high eligibility standards set by PMI. Whether through education or program management experience, this is the ultimate step for professionals looking to distinguish themselves. Are you ready to take on the challenge? Contact us to begin your PgMP journey today!
FAQs
1. Is PgMP more difficult than PMP?
Aspirants do find PgMP Tougher than PMP. The PgMP exam is known for its difficulty level and requirement of thorough knowledge. But with mock tests and adequate practice exams, you will be ready to clear PgMP as well! As for the prerequisites and application part – PgMP is more or less the same as PMP, only with the added panel review. The process has become significantly easier over the years, and you can find more guidance on this here:
2. Is PMP a prerequisite for PgMP?
PMP is not a mandatory prerequisite for PgMP. However, if you have an active PMP certification, you don’t have to fill in the PgMP requirement of 4 years of project management experience. Since the PMP already validates this aspect, your application for PgMP becomes a lot simpler!
3. How many PDUs are required for the PgMP exam?
To apply for the PgMP exam, you need to have 21 Contact Hours by Project Management Institute (PMI)® accredited R.E.P or PMI – ATP. You can gain this with a PgMP Certification Training workshop, while also equipping yourself better for the examination.
4. What is the cost of PgMP exam in India?
The PgMP Exam fee for PMI members is $800 and $1000 for non-members in India. The re-examination fee for members is $600, while the full price without membership comes to $800.
5. What are the benefits of PgMP certification?
PgMP Certification examines your knowledge of Strategic Program Alignment, Program Life Cycle Management, Business Alignment, Stakeholder Engagement, and Governance. Thus, as a PgMP® credential holder, you will be able to perform much better in your programs. Moreover, PgMP Certification is a great opportunity to have higher pay – with around 42% higher pay!
More Benefits of Getting PgMP Certified:
- Globally Recognised Credentials
- Networking Opportunities & Respect
- Advanced Skills & Strategic Knowledge
- Credential owner out of very few in the world.
- Better Pay & Salary Raise
- Overall Professional Growth
