You are preparing for the PMP exam and looking for a 35 contact hours training program. While searching the internet, you become confused about Contact Hours Vs PDUs. You see some programs that are offering contact hours and PDUs in the same course.
Something similar happened to me and can happen to anyone preparing for the PMP exam.
There is a clear difference between contact hours and PDU, and this is what I am going to explain to you in this post.
Contact Hours Vs PDUs
First, I will explain contact hours, PDUs, and then the difference between these two; i.e., Contact Hours Vs PDUs.
What are Contact Hours?
PMI has made three eligibility requirements mandatory to apply for the PMP certification exam. These conditions are as follows:
- Education
- Project management experience
- Formal PM training
You should be either a diploma or a degree holder. If you are a degree holder you should have three years of experience in project management and in the case of a diploma, the requirement is five years.
Now we come to the third mandatory requirement, formal training in project management. You must attend a 35 contact hours training program. This training program should teach you project management fundamentals, and it must be aligned with the PMP exam content outline.
So in a nutshell, to apply for the PMP certification exam you have to attend a training program for 35 hours and this program is called a 35 contact hours training program. One contact hour of training is equal to sixty minutes.
How to Earn Contact Hours
As per the PMI, you can earn these 35 contact hours in six ways. They are as follows:
- Project Management Institute (PMI)® Registered Education Providers (R.E.P.)
- Project Management Institute (PMI)® Authorized Training Partner (ATP)
- PMI component organizations
- Employer/company-sponsored programs
- Training companies or consultants (e.g. training schools)
- Distance-learning companies, which include end-of-course assessments
- University/college academic and continuing education programs
Authorized Training Partner (ATP)
This is the most popular method of getting 35 contact hours.
Authorized Training Partners (ATP) are project management training providers whose course content is reviewed and approved by the PMI.
If you attend a 35 contact hours training program from any ATP, in case of a PMP audit, you need an attendance certificate to prove that you fulfill the 35 contact hours requirements.
These ATPs provide training programs through various modes: online, live classroom, virtual, hybrid, etc.
You can choose the method of training depending on your preferences.
PMI Component Organizations
In many major cities, PMI has local chapters. These chapters conduct various activities, including seminars, workshops, and 35 contact hours training programs. If a PMI chapter is available in your city, you can find their schedule for 35 contact hours training programs and take one.
These chapters provide PMI approved contact hours.
Employer/Company-Sponsored Programs
If your company provides you with in-house training or hires a third party to give you project management training, you can count it towards your 35 contact hours requirements.
Please note that you can only count hours of training where the course content aligns with the teaching of the PMBOK Guide.
For example, if you get training for 10 hours and the content aligning with the PMBOK Guide was 5 hours, these five hours will be counted towards your 35 contact hours training requirement.
As this is not a REP, you will have to keep your notes and other records from training sessions as proof of attending the program.
Training Companies or Consultants
There are many training institutes or companies providing training for project management related courses. You can count it towards your contact hours for any course which explains PMBOK concepts.
This is, again, a non-approved training source, so you will need to keep all records and notes from the course while applying for the PMP certification exam. You may be asked to show it to PMI if selected for an audit.
Distance Learning Companies Which Include End-of-Course Assessments
These online training providers provide project management courses but are not approved by the PMI.
Their courses can fulfill the 35 contact hours requirements if the course includes end-of-course assessments.
University/College Academic and Continuing Education Programs
If you have attended a course at a university or college which includes project management concepts, you can count the hours spent studying these concepts towards your 35 contact hours requirements.
So, you have seen that contact hours are a training requirement that you have to earn before applying for the PMP certification exam, and there are six ways that you can earn your 35 contact hours.
Please note that the following activities do not count towards your 35 contact hours training program:
- Attending any seminars, chapter meetings, or participating in discussions.
- Reading books, blog posts, or articles. Hours spent in self-study cannot be counted towards the 35 contact hours.
Please remember that if you attend training from a non-ATPP, you may have to produce course content for PMI if selected for an audit. Therefore, keep all notes, manuals, and slides safe with you.
Now, we are going to discuss professional development units (PDUs).
What Are Professional Development Units (PDUs)?
Once you become a PMP, you will never need contact hours again. However, now you will need Professional Development Units.
The PMP certification is valid for three years, and to renew it for another three years, you will need to earn 60 PDUs. If you earn these 60 PDUs within three years and report them to the PMI, your PMP certification will be renewed for the three next years.
There are many methods to earn these PDUs, such as attending a course, a seminar, watching webinars, etc.
There are many other ways, such as attending a technical event, completing a technical course, working as a professional, etc.
Since there are many different ways to earn PDUs, the PMI has categorized them into many categories to make it easier for you to earn and report PDUs correctly.
As there are many ways you can earn these PDUs, PMI has broadly categorized them into two categories:
- Education
- Giving Back to the Profession
Education
In this category, you will have to earn 35 PDUs. However, you cannot earn more than 30 PDUs in category C. Of these 35 PDUs, 8 PDUs should be earned in Technical Project Management, 8 PDUs in Leadership, and 8 PDUs in Strategic and Business Management.
- Category A
- Category B
- Category C
Category A
Courses offered by the PMI’s REPs, chapters, and communities fall under this category. If you participate for one hour, you can claim one PDU.
Category B
This category contains continued education.
Any course related to project management or any academic course covering project management topics falls into this category.
One hour of activity is equal to one PDU.
Category C
This category is for self-directed learning.
Watching videos, reading books, reading articles, and participating in discussions fall under this category.
You can claim one PDU for each hour spent if you are involved in any of these activities.
You cannot claim more than 30 PDUs per three years in this category.
Giving Back to the Profession
This is the second group, and here you can earn 25 PDUs every three years.
This group has three PDU categories:
- Category D
- Category E
- Category F
Category D
Creating new project management knowledge is category D.
Writing articles, blog posts, and books, or presenting webinars and podcasts, etc., can help you earn PDUs here. Time invested in developing and presenting can be counted towards the PDUs.
Category E
Voluntary service is category E.
If you have participated in any voluntary service, you can claim PDUs for the time involved in the activity.
Category F
Working as a professional in project management is category F.
Being a project manager can help you earn 8 PDUs every three years.
Like contact hours, PDUs are needed for all PMI certifications (except the CAPM certification), though the number of required PDUs is different for each certification. For example, PMI-RMP, PMI-SP, and PMI-ACP certifications need 30 PDUs every three years.
Difference Between PDUs and Contact Hours
Contact hours and PDUs are different, have different purposes, and are required at different stages.
The main differences between them are as follows:
- Contact hours are required before you apply for the PMP certification exam, and PDUs are needed when you become a PMP to keep your certification valid every three years.
- Course content guidelines are relatively strict for the 35 contact hours though it is very relaxed for PDUs. In the case of PDUs, they should align with the PMI Talent Triangle concept.
- Contact hours are valid forever, and PDUs must be earned every three years.
- Most of the time, earning contact hours is costly, but earning PDUs can be very cheap; you can even earn all your PDUs for free.
Remember that any contact hours earned before becoming a PMP cannot be counted as a PDU. You must earn all your PDUs after passing the PMP exam.
Summary
PDU stands for professional development unit, and you need them to keep your certificate valid every three years and 35 contact hours are a mandatory requirement to apply for the PMP exam. Both of these conditions are designed to prepare you for the PMP exam and keep you updated about current project management knowledge.
Whatever method you choose to earn contact hours or PDUs, keep records for all activities safe because PMI may ask you to provide proof of attending the activities. They reserve the right to do so even after you pass the PMP exam or have renewed your PMI certification.
Did this blog post answer your questions? If you still have doubts, post them in the comments section, and I will reply.