10 Steps to Becoming a PMP - Step 11
Note that the information provided on this page may be outdated. It remains published for historical reference. Please visit https://www.project-management-prepcast.com/how-to-get-pmp-certification-in-10-easy-steps to read a more recent article on this topic.
Step 11 (Bonus Step): Earn 60 PDUs in 3 Years.
Congratulations! You are a PMP as soon as you pass the exam. There is no waiting period. As soon as you see "Passed" on the screen you hold the PMP certification. Go home and send an email to all your friends and colleagues and tell them that you are now a PMP. Celebrate!
However, you are not a PMP for life. Every 3 years you will need to collect and claim Professional Development Units (PDUs) to keep the certification active. You will need 60 PDUs every 3 years to keep your certification active.
You can gain PDUs by attending your local PMI chapter dinner meeting, by volunteering for the PMI or by attending seminars offered by PMI's Registered Education Providers. The good news is that starting November 2006 the PMI has given the OK for you to listen to Podcasts and claim a maximum of 15 PDUs in 3 years. There are many project management podcasts available to you on the internet for free. My own is The Project Management Podcast™ and I keep a list of about 20 others on this page here. And we explain how listening to free podcasts counts as free PDUs for you on this page here.