Project Management Professional (PMP) and Program Management Professional (PgMP) are two titles in project management that are recognized internationally. Both of these certificates are given by the Project Management Institute (PMI).
It can be challenging to choose between pursuing PgMP vs PMP certification if you’re just beginning your career in project or program management. This EDUHUBSPOT manual examines both designations and their advantages. Let’s get started.
What Exactly Is a PMP Certification?
A project manager’s technical proficiency, leadership abilities, and comprehensive awareness of the business environment are all validated by the PMP certification.
A project manager gains further credibility and is recognized as an expert by earning the PMP credential. PMPs have a thorough understanding of project management and are familiar with the procedures and jargon required to support organizations in achieving their objectives.
It should come as no surprise that the PMP exam test is one of the most difficult to pass. You have 230 minutes, which is about how long it takes to learn how to solve a Rubik’s Cube. However, you must respond to 180 questions, five of which are pretest questions. Three domains—people, processes, and the business environment—will be the main emphasis of the questions.
What is a PgMP certification?
Senior management practitioners with advanced experience and expertise are the target audience for the Program Management Professional (PgMP) certification. You should pursue this certification if you have at least 8 years of project management experience. With this accreditation, you can advance your abilities if you have experience overseeing many, coordinated initiatives.
Your organization gains advantages from managing numerous projects at once that wouldn’t have been possible if the projects were finished individually. According to PMI, getting certified automatically increases your chances of getting a better job or a promotion.
You have four hours to complete the 170 questions on the certification exam. Regardless of whether you opt to pursue the PMP or PgMP certification, you must first reflect on yourself. Your current job path and long-term objectives must be carefully considered. Of course, you must also satisfy PMI’s conditions for eligibility.
PMP vs. PgMP: A Comprehensive Comparison
There is a key distinction between the PMP and PgMP certificates when you compare the two. The distinction between a project and a program is this. Contrary to popular belief, a program is not simply a lengthened version of a project. A project is a one-time endeavor with a clear, quantifiable outcome. The task of managing the entire project falls to the project manager.
On the other hand, a program is a collection of various projects that are delivered as a whole. Based on corporate goals and program objectives, the number of projects that fall under a program changes constantly. A program manager is in charge of managing the entire succession of initiatives that make up the program.
Give them some information on the certifications the next time someone asks you what the difference is between the PgMP and PMP in general.
Features
Let’s compare the PgMP and PMP certification features. The Program Management Professional (PgMP) credential will be discussed first:
The PgMP is a senior certification for individuals with extensive project management experience and expertise.
Candidates for the PgMP certification understand how to manage several linked projects at once within a single program.
Professionals having more than 8 years of project and program experience are eligible for this qualification.
The following are some characteristics of the Project Management Professional (PMP) certification:
With over a million candidates already certified, it is the most popular project management certification in the world.
Candidates for the PMP certification have demonstrated project leadership skills that match PMI’s international requirements. They can work on projects in many industries.
Professionals with more than three years of project experience are eligible for this qualification.
Requirements
Here, we look at the differences between the PMP and PgMP certification requirements. The following training and work experience requirements apply to the PMP:
A four-year bachelor’s degree—or its equivalent internationally—is required for you to:
a minimum of three years’ worth of separate, non-overlapping professional project experience, or 36 months.
Instruction in project management for 35 hours
The following must be included on a high school diploma, associate’s degree, or international equivalent:
Having worked on professional projects for at least five years and sixty months without repeating any tasks.
Instruction in project management for 35 hours
If you possess a bachelor’s or post-graduate degree from a GAC-accredited programme (a bachelor’s, master’s, or its equivalent worldwide), you must also have the following:
a minimum of two years’ worth of completely unconnected, separate experience working on professional projects, or 24 months.
Instruction in project management for 35 hours
The PgMP’s educational and professional experience prerequisites are as follows:
You need a four-year bachelor’s degree—or an international equivalent—in order to:
Project management experience spanning a minimum of 48 months that is distinct and non-overlapping OR the PMP certification
48 months of recent, distinct, non-overlapping program management experience
A high school diploma, an associate’s degree, or an international equivalent must include the following:
Project management experience spanning a minimum of 48 months that is distinct and non-overlapping OR the PMP certification
If you possess a bachelor’s or post-graduate degree from a GAC-accredited programme (a bachelor’s, master’s, or its equivalent worldwide), you must also have the following:
Project management experience for a minimum of 36 months that is distinct and non-overlapping OR the PMP certification
within the last 15 years, 36 months of distinct, non-overlapping program management experience
Cost
Here, we examine how the certification requirements for PMP and PgMP differ from one another. The following is the exam price for the PMP certification:
Member of PMI: $405
Unaffiliated: $555
The following is the exam price for the PgMP certification:
Member of PMI: $800
Unaffiliated: $1,036
Keeping Certification Current or Renewal
Through the CCR Program, PMI requires all individuals who acquire a certification from the organization to actively maintain their certification(s). This program, known as Continuing Certification Requirements, handles the renewal of various certifications (s).
To keep your PMP or PgMP certification current, you must accrue 60 PDUs every three years. In this regard, the PgMP and PMP certifications are equivalent.
Conclusion
Additionally, consider your prior experience and whether you have the time to dedicate to earning the certification. For the PgMP, for instance, it makes sense to put in the time and effort necessary to earn the certification if you are just shy of the required 12 months of program experience. In a similar vein, choose the PMP if your experience is limited to project management. Make sure you adequately study for your tests, whether you decide to pursue the PMP or PgMP.
FAQs
1. Do I need to pass the PMP exam to take the PgMP?
Answer: To take the PgMP test, you must be eligible according to the following requirements.
- Secondary education (high school diploma, associate’s degree, or its equivalent in other countries)
- 84 months of program management experience during the last 15 years OR 48 months of project management experience, OR
- 4-year degree
- Experience in project management for 48 months OR PMP
- 48 months of recent (15 years) experience in program management
2. Should you choose the PgMP or the PMP program?
Answer: Depending on where you are in your career and how you want to advance, you can choose between the PMP or PgMP learning programs. Even professionals with more expertise should take the PgMP course.
Author: Varun Anand is the Project management expert, PMP mentor and a trainer at EduHubSpot. His Project Management institute (PMI) certification include Project Management Professional (PMP), PMI-ACP, PfMP, and CAPM. He has also done CSM certification from Scrum Alliance. Varun is an engineering graduate from the University of Maryland, Baltimore.
With over 10 years of experience in training students for PMP certification Exam, Varun is an internationally known Project Management speaker and educator. He has trained thousands of professionals, earning widespread respect in the industry. At EduHubSpot, he brings the practical side of Project Management to life, helping professionals master PMP from anywhere. He is also an experienced and renowned author.
