What exactly is the PgMP®?

Program managers are senior-level practitioners who coordinate the management of numerous connected initiatives. Their mission is to assist the organization’s strategic goals and objectives by attaining benefits and control that would not be possible if individual projects were managed individually. The Program Management Professional (PgMP)® certification demonstrates that a person has advanced expertise beyond the abilities necessary to manage individual projects. This certification can provide a significant advantage in terms of employment and advancement.

According to PMI’s 2015 Pulse of the Profession® survey, businesses that are mature in program management are considerably more effective in project management – 76 percent vs 54 percent – than those that are not.

Who Should Submit an Application?

Anyone who has demonstrated the capacity to manage several linked projects across departments, organizations, or geographies is eligible. Executives or functional managers who want to learn more about the advantages of setting up a project or program management office. Certified Project Management Professionals (PMPs) want to demonstrate a greater degree of program governance and management skill.

What are the Prerequisites for this Certification?

Candidates must pass two evaluations to obtain the PgMP credential. This process takes approximately four weeks to complete:

Evaluation 1—Panel Review: In this first step, a panel of credentialed program managers will conduct an extensive assessment of your professional experience based on your responses to the Program Management Experience Summaries provided on the application. 

Evaluation 2—Multiple-Choice Examination: The next step is a multiple-choice examination which will require applicants to demonstrate their competence in both situational and scenario-based questions.

To be eligible for the PgMP Credential, you must meet specific educational and professional experience requirements. All project and program management experience must have been earned over the last 15 years.

Let’s have a look at how soon PgMP Certification may be obtained.

So, if we take the average best case scenario (see illustration above), say, ten days of Application Preparation and Submission, 45 days of overall Application Clearance by PMI (including Random Audit), and around 80 – 90 days of structured active, focused learning for final exam preparation, PgMP Certification can be obtained in 3 – 4 months with ease. Please keep in mind that while PMI is working on your application, you have already begun your final exam preparation, so the Preparation period in the illustration above will last longer than 80 days. This will take about 2.5 months to prepare for the final exam. (It should be noted that we have seen instances where PMI took less than ten days for Application Completeness Review and less than ten days for Panel Review.)

Overall, availability and efficient time management become determining factors.

Two hundred fifty hours of focused and disciplined active study can get you through the final test. While considering whether or not to pursue PgMP Certification, you should consider the availability of your weekly hours and the goal date for the final test. For example, if you want to get PgMP Certification in 3 – 4 months, you need to set aside 15 – 20 hours of study time per week. More available study hours can either shorten the preparation period (to a point) or, if the target date is frozen, additional study hours can help you achieve higher exam scores.