Which Project Management Certification Suits You

Globalization has brought about the most advanced technologies that the world has seen, with managing millions of database stored under one roof, to overall planning, design and execution of the project, the responsibilities of the project manager scale high.

Scope of Project Management Course

The latest PMI report points towards the outstanding job opportunities and career growth for the project managers. It is estimated that by 2027, the project management force is expected to grow by 33 % or there will be nearly 22 million jobs in their kitty. China and India will lead the pack by offering 75% of total project management jobs.

So, if you also want to carve your career path in this field, here are the top certifications to choose from:

1. Project Management Professional (PMP)

Average Salary-$110,000

It is a globally recognized certification that opens doors of opportunities across various industries. The professional is responsible for bringing down the escalation time spent on the project and increase the overall efficiency.

Skills Needed- Students should possess oratory skills, leadership, risk management, team management, and negotiation skills.

Educational Qualification and experience-The candidate should have a 4- year secondary degree along with 3 years of experience in the project management, 4500 hours leading and directing the projects, 35 hours of project management education and for diploma holders the criteria is five years or 60 months of project management experience within the past eigh year period before applying for the exam.

Exams to pass- Passing a PMP exam is not a cakewalk. The candidate needs to have real time working experience to get the certificate.

Steps to get the certification- To become a certified PMP holder, the candidate needs to fulfill the above-mentioned criteria along with the requisite experience. The program is not recommended for new or inexperienced project managers who have a zero exposure in managing the projects.

2. Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)

Average Salary-$101,103

This exam course is a precursor to a professional PMP certification. With help of this course, the candidate can master the deep-rooted knowledge required to move ahead in the career.

Skills needed-the student needs to learn the basic skills to handle the team.

Educational Qualification- The students need to pass high school diploma course, associate degree or an equivalent or at least 15 hours of project management experience or 23 hours of project management education.

Exams to pass- the students need to pass PMI CAPM exam to get the certificate. A beginner can pursue this course with ease.

Steps to get the certification-This course can be pursued by the students without a college degree or those who have a rudimentary knowledge about PMP.

3. PMI Agile Certified Practioner (PMI-ACP)

Average Salary-112,132

The certificate enables the candidate to gain knowledge of various tools and techniques that are required to become an agile project manager. In this course, you will learn essential principles of project management and discover the strategies that drive organization towards success.

Skills needed- agile mindset, ability to learn, team management, excellent communication is the skills needed for this course.

Educational Qualification-2000 hours of general project experience working with the team, 1500 hours of working on agile project teams with agile methodologies and 21 hours of training in agile practices is required.

Exams to pass- The students needs to pass PMI Agile Certified Practitioner exam.

Steps to get the certificate- In order to get this certificate, the students’ needs to have distinguishing capabilities along with the requisite experience! It is not meant for the beginners.

4. Comp TIA Project+ certification (Comp TIA Project+)

Average Salary-$76,279

This course is more or less similar to CAPM certification, though the requirements are less strict.

Skills needed- Being an entry level certificate the candidate need to possess basic skills required to lead the organization.

Educational Qualification- the students need to have 1 year of experience in managing, directing or participating in small sized medium projects.

Exams to pass- the candidate need to pass CompTIA exam.

Steps to get the certificate- In order to attain the certificate, the students need to follow the methodologies prescribed above. The beginners are welcome in this course.

5. Prince 2 Foundation or practitioner course

Average Salary-$85,800

It is a global course recognized by the government organizations. It prepares the candidate across different project phases like pre-project initiation, management, delivery and scheduling.

Skills needed- The students need to possess time management and leadership skills to construe well in their job position.

Educational Qualification-There is no defined prerequisite. Prior knowledge of project management is recommended.

Exam to pass- The candidate need to pass Prince 2 Foundation exam.

Steps to get certified-The candidate can choose the preferred study method including self-study, online training institutes or live virtual class room options.

6. Project Management in IT Security (PMITS)

Average Salary-$82,237

This course makes the students master in how to handle the IT security projects. The courseware helps the IT professional to climb the ladder of success.

Skills needed- the professional should have IT skills and communication skills to manage the team.

Educational Qualification-The course is adequate for the network server administrator, system administrator and risk management professionals. Before attending this course, the students should have at least 1 year of experience in managing Windows, UNIX, Linux system or should have equivalent knowledge. Apart from that, the candidate should have a good understanding of networking and security services. The beginner with the basic knowledge can apply for this course.

Exam to pass- You need to clear PMITS course.

Steps to get certified- In order to get certified, the candidate need to clear the exam.

7. Certified ScrumMaster (CSM)

Average Salary-$101,298

The certificate enables the candidate to learn about the agile technologies. The scrum master is a non-profit organization that encourages adoption of agile methodologies for professional development.

Skills needed- agile mindset, ability to learn, team management, excellent communication is the skills needed for this course.

Educational Qualification-basic knowledge of scrum course or completion of two-day certified training in scrum course. The beginners can apply to this course.

Exams to pass-The candidate need to answer 50 multiple choice questions to get a lifetime validity.

Steps to get certified-in order to get certified, the candidate need to

-attend 2-day scrum course

-register online for the scrum accreditation program,

-then need to pass in an online test.

8. Master Project Manager (MPM)

Average Salary-$104,008

The course is meant for the professionals who want to sharpen their skills and enhance their existing experience. This course will make the students learn about how to initiate the project, plan it, communication, risk management, stakeholder management, etc.

Skills needed- innate skills of leadership, risk management, should be able to pick emotional cues, decision making

Educational Qualification-College education or global equivalent, less than 3 years of experience in the field of project management

Exams to pass- the candidate need to clear MPM exam to get certified.

Steps to get certified-In order to get certified the candidate need to pass an online exam that comprises of 20 questions for 55 minutes time allotted. The candidate need to clear score at least 65% or above to clear the examination.

9. Certified Project Management Practitioners (CPMP)

Average Salary: $90,000

This course can be taken by the project managers who want to learn about tricks and trade necessary to manage the complex project. The objective of this course is to enhance the value of the management professionals.

Skills- Leadership, technical and ability to look into the details

Educational Qualification-a bachelor degree or an equivalent

Exam to pass- the candidate needs to clear CPMP exam organized by EC Council.

Steps to get qualified

There is no prerequisite to get enrolled in this course and it can be taken by the beginners too, but it is better to attend three day workshop organized by them. The candidate can learn through the educational training or can join the virtual classroom.

10. Professional in Project Management (PPM)

Average Salary: $69,774

The certificate helps the candidates to learn about different project management modules like how to plan, execute, and deliver the projects within a stipulated time frame. This course is very useful to manage the project teams.

Skills needed-marketing, communication and ability to interact clearly and effectively.

Educational Qualification- the program manager, HR manager, marketing manager and project leaders with 2 years of experience can apply for this course.

Exams to pass-The candidate need to clear PPM exam.

A step to get certified- The course is organized by Global Association for Quality Management and the candidate can clear the exam with meticulous effort and determination. The total duration of the exam is 2 hours.

Managing the project is a cumbersome job and a person specialized in it can definitely handle it better. The project management certification helps the candidate to become the global expert and join the bandwagon of IT specialist who can handle multiple projects without any hiccup. There’s a variety of project management certification to choose from and up to your taste. Simply, grab the chance!