PMcrunch

There are many ways to earn the 60 PDUs required to maintain PMP certification.  Many PMPs consider this to be a challenge.  However, with proper planning (remember, we are PMPs!), earning those PDUs can become a part of your regular professional life and can be a breeze.  Here’s how.

When you put together your plan for earning your PDUs, think about your overall career goals.  There are ample opportunities to earn PDUs simply as a bi-product of advancing your career in the direction of your choice.  Here are 6 options to consider:

1. Attend your PMI chapter meetings. They are a good networking opportunity, are pretty inexpensive, and usually are a good learning experience. See pmi.org and find a local PMI chapter if you do not already know.

2. Online project management courses can be pretty inexpensive. But they take minimal time - the number of hours equals the number of PDUs - as there is no travel involved.  See Project Management Training Online for hundreds of options, including some free PDUs.

3. You can earn PDUs for free - a limited number - by listening to project management audios - such as podcasts.  See The PM Podcast and others on itunes.

4. Earn a new certification, such as:  Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP) of the International Institute of Business Analysts (IIBA ™) ; Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) Foundation, Practitioner, or Manager’s Certificate ; Project Management Institute (PMI) provides the Program Management Professional (PgMP) ; PRINCE2 - PRojects IN Controlled Environments ; or Six Sigma from the American Society for Quality (ASQ) .

5. Volunteer - Don’t forget, though, that time is money, and being an officer or volunteer, or performing research can be quite time consuming! 

6. Don’t forget to include your work experience.

See Continuing Certification Requirements Program (CCR) Handbook from the PMI for the authoritative detail. 
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John Reiling, PMP
Project Management Training Online
Lean Six Sigma Training Online