How to Claim PDUs for your PMI Certification

Earning a passing score on the Project Management Institute (PMI)’s Project Management Professional (PMP)® exam is a milestone! It is also not the end of your professional development. The PMI uses their Professional Development Unit (PDU) measurement for their continuous education system. To remain a PMP credential, a Project Manager must continuously earn Professional Development Unit (PDU) credits, each of which is submitted as a “PDU claim” for PMI® approval.

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What are PDUs?

PMI’s measurement for project management-related continuing education efforts is called a Professional Development Unit (PDU).

Professional Development Units (PDUs) are
 “one-hour blocks of time that you spend learning, teaching others, or volunteering.”

For all PMI certifications and associated PDU efforts, the measurement of the learning, training others, and/or volunteering is measured as:

1 PDU = 1 Hour

It is important to know the PMI certification PDU requirements so certification status does not lapse or you would have to reapply for certification!

What are PDU requirements for PMI certification maintenance?

Every PMI certification has a PDU hour requirement to remain active.  Access the PMI Certification Requirement online handbook for information including the graphic below that details PDU hours by certification:

Certification	Certification Cycle	Total PDUs Required	Education Minimum PDUs	Giving Back Maximum PDUs
PMP	3 Years	60	35	25
PgMP	3 Years	60	35	25
PfMP	3 Years	60	35	25
PMI-PBA	3 Years	60	35	25
PMI-ACP	3 Years	30	18	12
PMI-RMP	3 Years	30	18	12
PMI-SP	3 Years	30	18	12
CAPM	3 Years	15	9	6

PMP PDU claim categories

Here we focus on the “PMP PDU claim” as set by PMI specifically for the PMP® credential. For the most current PMI PDU requirements, go to PMI.org. Using the graphic above, note the required PDUs and how PMI allows for PMP credential holders to maintain their status through the completion of Education PDUs or with a combination of Giving Back and Education PDUs.

Giving Back PDU

One way PMI encourages engagement in the profession, and the sharing of best practices, is through the “Giving Back” PDU category:

“Giving Back to the Profession is a unique opportunity for you to expand your knowledge and skills while growing both personally and professionally.”

Education PDU

With the 35 PDU requirement, the education PDU is where PMP® credential holders start and typically focus their initial efforts. PMI shares this insight:

“Continuing education is at the core of your PMI certification…It’s important for you to keep on top of the latest developments to remain relevant in the ever-changing marketplace.”

The Education PDU category is further defined through the PMI® Talent Triangle to ensure a balance of project management skills.

PMI Talent Triangle

The PMI Talent Triangle® lays out three categories for project management education and training: (1) Ways of Working, (2) Power Skills, and (3) Business Acumen. For the PDUs needed to apply to take the PMP exam and for PDUs needed for PMP credential maintenance, all Education PDUs must align to The PMI Talent Triangle®.

PMP PDU claim cycle

Once you have earned a passing score for the PMP® exam, there is a 3-year cycle of PDU requirements,  A total of 60 PDUs are needed, and for the PMP® certification, a minimum of 35 PDUs for education and a maximum of 25 PDUs for giving back are allowed. A total of 60 PDUs are needed to stay credentialed. For PMI credentialing, record details of your efforts as each PMP® PDU claim for Education must fit within the PMI Talent Triangle®. Know there are limits to what will be accepted as a PMP PDU claim.

What is the Continuing Certification Renewal System (CCRS)?

Each PMP PDU Claim has a corresponding record in PMI’s Continuing Certification Renewal System (CCRS). It is through the CCRS each PMP PDU Claim has a record, where PMP credential holders can get a PDU report, and where the review process of each PMP PDU claim is documented.

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PMI’s portal to submit PDU claims

You do not need a separate registration to access the CCRS. With the same username and password from your PMI account registration, you can access the CCRS.

What is the process for submitting a PMP PDU Claim?

In terms of the number submitted in a given period or if you want to exceed the minimum in a PDU category, there are no PMP PDU claim limits.  Note there is a PMI review process for PDU claim submissions and not all claims may be approved. For the most current information, use the PMI Continuing Certification Requirements (CCR) Handbook.

As of January 2022, PMI enforces a 3-year cycle of
60 PMI-approved PDUs to maintain a PMP credential in good standing

How to submit your PDU claim through CCRS

For work as a Practitioner, as a Volunteer, or for Education work, the PDU claim process is the same. What differs is the information requested to go into each type of claim. All claim types are tracked within the CCRS, and a claim status report can be generated at any time.

Access PMI’s CCRS

1. Open your browser and navigate to the PMI.org site.
2. Click the “Login” button.
3. Enter your PMI.org username and password.
   1. Contact PMI® support if you cannot log into your account.
4. Click on the “MyPMI” button and from the drop-down menu click “Dashboard”.
5. Click the “Report PDUs” button.
6. Click on the type that fits your PDU.
   1. If you have a PDU Claim code, click on the “I have a claim code” option then enter the code so that the course/event information is automatically uploaded to your account.
   1. If you do not have a PDU claim code, click on the type of claim you have then manually enter all required information.
7. Check the box that says “I agree this claim is accurate” then click the “Submit” button.

Once you submit a PDU claim, PMI will email you that the claim is received. Later, PMI will email you once the claim is rejected or approved. If approved, PDUs will be applied to your account as part of the credential maintenance process. At any time, you can access your PDU report from CCRS.

How long does it take PMI to review a PDU claim?

A PMI ATP (Authorized Training Partner) is an organization PMI authorizes to provide:

• PMP® certification exam prep
• Disciplined Agile® training
• Courses that offer PDUs to maintain your PMI certification(s)

If PDUs are claimed from a PMI ATP they are automatically approved upon submission. If the PDUs are earned from a non-ATP organization or as part of a self-study activity, it may take up to 5 days to receive notification if it is approved, rejected, or needs more information. Log into the PMI CCRS to check the status of each claim. If a claim is approved, no further action is needed.

Reporting PDU work as a practitioner

For any “Work as a Practitioner” PDU claims, you should have the contact information for someone who can verify the work was performed as described. The claim form requires an employer name, job title, responsibilities, and dates. There are optional fields for URL, contact person, and contact email. If you are going to report work as a practitioner, just as you would with any PDU claim, have all documentation secured.

Keep your PDU claim records

As with PMP® exam application audits, there are PDU claim audits. PMI recommends keeping all PDU claim documentation for at least 18 months after your CCR cycle has ended. If randomly selected, you must provide documentation for PDU claim submissions.

PDUs and ethics

Each PDU claim form requires you to click “I agree this claim is accurate” below this statement:

“By submitting this claim, I attest that the information I have provided is correct. I understand that any misrepresentation or incorrect information provided may result in disciplinary action, including suspension or revocation of my PMI certification and/or credential.”

All PDU claims are subject to the PMI Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct for Project Management. When you submit a PDU claim to PMI, you give your word for the accuracy of the work reported. Any violation of the PMI ethics code can result in a PMI credential being rescinded or other professional consequences.

Takeaways

PMI does not give out a rating for the quality of each PDU claim, but there is a code of ethics that applies to all PDU claims. With PMI’s Continuing Certification Renewal System (CCRS) there is a consistent PDU claim process for all PMI credentials. Keep all documentation for each PDU claim and submit claims promptly to support your PMP credential status.

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