PDU Tips: Category 2-Self Directed Learning
Self-directed learning can supplement traditional learning activities to fulfill the Continuing Certification Requirements Program's PDU requirement.

PMI^® Research Conference 2006—A Unique Opportunity to Earn PDUs
PMI's Research Conference 2006 takes place 16–19 July at Centre Mont-Royal, Montréal, Canada.

Continuing a 37-year tradition of advancing the careers of project management practitioners, PMI will introduce a new credential for individuals who manage programs later this year.

Candidates for the new credential will undergo a multi-faceted competency–based sequence of assessments:

The initial phase of assessment is the application process, during which a panel of program managers reviews the candidate's educational background and professional work experience. Successful completion of the application process indicates that the candidate has met the prescribed eligibility requirements for the credential and may proceed with the second assessment: the multiple-choice examination.

The multiple-choice exam requires candidates to demonstrate the ability to apply their knowledge to a variety of situational or scenario-based questions.

The third and final assessment occurs through administration of a multi-rater assessment (similar to a 360-degree process). In this phase, a team of raters that has been selected by the candidate will evaluate the candidate's capability to perform the germane tasks of a program manager, as defined by the soon-to-be published specification for the new credential.

PMI develops its credentials to support organizations' achievement of strategy through standardized management of projects and programs. PMI's credentials also support the professional growth and advancement of project management practitioners through all stages of their careers. The new credential enhances PMI's growing suite of globally applicable certification offerings and complements the competency-based Project Management Professional (PMP^®) credential as well as the Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM^®) credential, according to Scott Fass, PMP, chair of PMI's Certification Governance Council, and Denny Smith, Ph.D., manager, PMI's Certification Program.

Look to future issues of PMP^® Passport for information on the new credential.

The web-based Certification System allows candidates to:

• Apply and submit payment to take or retake any of PMI's Certification Program examinations
• View examination eligibility status
• Download examination score reports
• Access their certification record.

Recently PMI launched new enhancements to the Certification System that simplify the user experience. These enhancements include a downloadable audit package.

The downloadable audit package allows candidates to access the forms needed to comply with PMI's audit requirements. Candidates who have been selected for an audit no longer will need to contact PMI to request audit forms. They will continue to be notified by e-mail, however the e-mail will now contain a hyperlink to the Certification System, where the required forms can be downloaded.

Audit forms are provided in Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format, as are instructions for completing the audit. Candidates will continue to submit completed audit materials to PMI via postal mail.

If you have a question that you would like answered in a future edition of the Q&A Forum, e-mail us at pmp-passport@pmi.org.

Due to space limitations only selected questions and answers will appear. Questions specific to your individual certification can be directed to customercare@pmi.org.

To see the answer for each of these FAQs, simply click on an individual question.

Q:	My active certification/CCR cycle ends at the end of December 2006. I already have 60 credits. How many additional credits may I carry over to the next active certification cycle?
Q:	I recently took a three-day course offered by the Carnegie Mellon Software Engineering Institute. The course qualifies for 2.5 CEUs (Continuing Education Units). Am I able to report this activity on my certification renewal report? If so, how many PDUs can I claim?
Q:	During my current active certification/CCR cycle I functioned as a project manager managing multiple IT projects. I have not reported any of my activities for PDU credit. May I report these activities? How many PDUs can I report for each calendar year?

Q: My active certification/CCR cycle ends at the end of December 2006. I already have 60 credits. How many additional credits may I carry over to the next active certification cycle?

A: PDUs that are earned in the third (final) year of a cycle in excess of the required 60 will be carried over into the next cycle. The carryover limit is 20 PDUs per certification cycle.

Q: I recently took a three-day course offered by the Carnegie Mellon Software Engineering Institute. The course qualifies for 2.5 Continuing Education Units (CEUs). Am I able to report this activity on my certification renewal report? If so, how many PDUs can I claim?

A: PMI does not endorse any program or course as being eligible for PDUs if the course is not registered with us. It is the responsibility of the PMP certificant to determine whether or not the course is relevant to the knowledge or process areas outlined in A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK^® Guide)—Third Edition.

In most cases, one CEU is equal to 10 PDUs. The conversion rate for PDUs is one PDU per contact hour (classroom time) of instruction. Thus, for every hour actually spent in the classroom environment, a certificant can claim one PDU.

You would claim 25 PDUs under Category 4 for this activity if:

• All of the course content is relevant to the project management knowledge and/or process areas outlined in the PMBOK^® Guide—Third Edition
• You spent 25 hours in the classroom
• The course qualifies for 2.5 CEUs.

If a course only partially addresses project management knowledge or process areas, you may claim credit based upon your determination of the amount of time the course spent on topics relevant to project management.

This means that if a course spends 15 hours of its total time discussing topics related to project management, the certificant may claim 15 PDUs for the activity.

Q: During my current active certification/CCR cycle I functioned as a project manager managing multiple IT projects. I have not reported any of my activities for PDU credit. May I report these activities? How many PDUs can I report for each calendar year?

A: Under the guidelines for category 2H, practitioner of project management services, as long as the PMP certificant performed at least 1,500 hours of project management services, he or she can claim up to 5 PDUs per calendar year for work done in the area of project management.

Remember to maintain for at least 18 months after the end of your current CCR cycle all documentation that supports the activities you report. You will need this documentation if you are selected as part of PMI's random audit process.

For more information on reporting PDUs and activities that qualify for PDUs, download the CCR Program Handbook or review the qualifying activities in the CCR Program area of the PMI website.