Best project management certifications in 2024

List of Best Project Management Certifications to Get in 2024

What is a project management certification?

Project management certification is one of the highly prevalent qualifications for project managers all over the world. Recently a survey conducted by PWC states that companies with certified project managers have much better project success when compared to others.

Project management is very essential for all kinds of IT operations. Good project management is crucial for the success of an organization. Most of the top-performing companies are making it mandatory for project managers to have Project Management Certification.

Why should you get certified?

Hiring certified professionals assure the company that the projects are dealt with in the best manner. Project management certification has gained a lot of popularity with the growing demand for the project management field.  It is a proven fact that professionals with advanced project management certification can handle and deal with all the issues of a complex project.

If you really want to climb up the ladder of your career in project management, irrespective of whether you are a newbie or veteran in the field, project management certification is worth perusing.

Even though you possess the best project management skills, it is very important to have external validation and accreditation from renowned institutions.

Which are the best project management certifications?

Since we now know the importance of getting certified, let us talk about the best project management certifications available. We shall understand the requirements, exam patterns, and other details of top project management certification around the world which are globally recognized and accepted.

This article provides a better understanding of individual project certifications in the field of project management. Since project management certification is globally recognized and accepted, several accredited institutions around the world are providing various popular project management certifications. 

Which project management certification should I get?

Here in this article, for better understanding, the best project management courses are segregated based on levels.

Let’s take a look at top project management certifications and other advanced project management certifications provided by PMI.

List of top project management certifications:

1) CAPM certification

2) PMP certification

3) PgMP Certification

4) PRINCE2 Certification

5) CSM Certification

6) Six Sigma Certifications

Other PMI accredited project management certification:

- PMI ACP Agile Certified Practitioner

- PMI SP Scheduling Professional

- PMI RMP Risk Management Professional

These are some of the important project management certifications, each of these certifications have different requirements, experience, and techniques.

Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification

What is PMP certification?

PMP or Project management professional certification is one of the crucial project management certifications valued all across the globe. It is highly in demand among IT professionals and project managers. PMP is popularly known as a common language shared by project managers all over the globe.

Pursuing PMP certification helps in demonstrating the skills, competency, and education required to direct complex projects.

As per the survey done by PMI, there will be enormous opportunities for the practitioners of project management courses in the coming years; this ensures a clear career path for people interested in project management.

Unlike other certifications, PMP project management certification does not focus on a particular domain, it is applicable in almost all sectors. Obtaining Project management certification provides a significant advantage to your career in your job role, salary, and many more.

PMP Job roles:

PMP is one of the best project management certifications for senior project managers in all industries and sectors, project managers, assistant project managers, project executives, team leaders, team managers and, project engineers.

PMP Requirements:

Since PMP is one of the best project management courses, PMP certification has numerous requirements that a candidate is expected to fulfill to take up the exam.

Secondary degree (diploma, associate degree, or any global equivalent)

The aspirant should have at least 5 years of experience in project management.

The aspirant should have 35 hours of education in project management.

7500 hours of experience is needed as a leader or director of any project.

Or

The aspirant should hold a 4-year degree

Project management experience for 4 years.

The aspirant should have 35 hours of education in project management.

4500 hours of experience is needed as a leader or director of any project.

PMP certification cost: The PMP project management certification exam fee would cost

Member of PMI- US $ 405

Non-member of PMI- US $ 555.

Membership for students: $32

Membership for working people: $132

PMP training costs may differ from institution to institution (Approximately 20-25k in India). Apart from that, you may have to pay application fees of US $10.

Organization- PMI ( Project Management Institute)

Exam pattern: The PMP certification is obtained by taking up a written exam.

PMP exam pattern is:

The PMP examination consists of 200 multiple-choice questions.

25 sample questions are asked out of 200 questions; it is not counted for the final assessment and is only used for research purposes.

Questions are set based on 10 knowledge areas and 5 PMP process groups

The time limit to complete the exam is 4 hours.

PMP Salary: According to a survey conducted by PMI, PMP-certified professionals earn 20% when compared to non-certified professionals. The salary depends on the country, company you work for and the experience. A PMP manager in India can expect 17- 20 lakh per annum. (27455 USD).

Maintenance Period: The candidate must earn 60 PDUs every 3 years in order to maintain their project management certification and continue in the market as a certified professional and update their knowledge constantly.

Get PMP training, pass the exam in one attempt and get certified

CAPM Certified Associate Project Management Certification

What is CAPM certification?

Certified associate in project management is a credential that is provided by PMI. CAPM is a certification that provides credibility for people aspiring to become project managers. CAPM is popularly known as beginners’ project management certification; it is an entry-level project management certification. CAPM course enables individuals to deal efficiently with the challenges and issues in project management.

CAPM Requirements: For CAPM Certification, you should have educational and professional experiences:

Scenario 1:

Educational background:

Secondary diploma, high school diploma, or any other global equivalent

Project experience:

1500 hours of professional project management experience.

Scenario 2:

Educational background:

Secondary diploma, high school diploma, or any other global equivalent.

Project experience:

23 contact hours of formal education.

CAPM certification cost: The CAPM project management certification exam fee would cost:

Member of PMI- US $ 255

Non-member of PMI- US $ 300.

Membership for students: $32

Membership for working people: $139

The application fee is US $10.

Apart from the above-mentioned cost, the candidate may incur training cost; there are different institutions across the world that provides both online or virtual training and also typical classroom training. Apparently, classroom training is costlier.

Exam Pattern:

150 MCQs will be given.

The time limit to complete the exam is 3 hours.

Maintenance period: The candidate may have to retake the exam every 5 years.

Job Role: Project Coordinator, Associate project manager, Business specialist, IT Project Coordinator, PMO specialist, and so on.

Salary:  Any certificate does not assure a fixed amount of salary, remuneration of the professionals depends upon their job role, the country where they are working, experience, and, other factors.  As per the payscale report, CAPM professionals would earn approximately an average salary of up to $101,103.

Organization- PMI (Project Management Institute) is the governing institute for the certified associate in project management courses and other popular project management certifications.

Take CAPM Certification Training and Get Certified – Online, Classroom and Live Online

PgMP Program Management Professional Certification

What is the PgMP certification?

PgMP stands for Program Management Professional certification. This is one of the top paying project management certification. It assists senior-level practitioners who manage multiple related projects in the best and most coordinated way. It becomes very important for every professional to choose one of the advanced project management certification in order to maintain the competitive edge to survive in the market.

PgMP certification provides you the ability to manage and navigate multiple complex projects. Obtaining PgMP project management certification will enable you to secure better positions in your organization and can earn better remuneration. This project management certification will also assist you to handle multiple inter-dependent components of a program like sub-projects, agile projects, etc.

PgMP requirements:

1) Secondary diploma, high school diploma, or any other global equivalent.

2) They should have project management experience of 6000 hours.

3) They should have Program management experience for 10500 hours.

Or

1) The aspirant should hold a 4-year degree.

2) They should have project management experience of 6000 hours.

3) They should have Program management experience for 6000 hours.

PgMP certification cost:

Member of PMI- US $ 800.

Non-member of PMI- US $ 1000.

PgMP Exam Pattern:

The computer-based examinations will be conducted in various Prometric centers.

The exam duration for the PgMP exam is 240 minutes.

170 MCQs will be given.

Validity period:

To maintain PgMP project management certification the professionals have to earn 60 professional development units (PDUs) every 3 years.

Job Role: Program Manager, Program Manager IT, Program Project manager, senior copywriter, Information technology (IT) Director.

PgMP Salary: As discussed the professionals can earn more remuneration only with their skills and potential, mere academic certification will not serve the purpose, PgMP certified professionals can expect to earn an approximate annual salary ranging from $ 63271 to $ 103,420.

Organization- PMI (Project Management Institute).

PgMP books to refer to:

There are numerous books in the market that helps you crack the PgMP Certification. Some of the best-rated and must-read books are:

1) Examination Content Outline for PgMP

2) PMBOK Guide 6th Edition

3) The Standard for Program Management 4th Edition

Enroll for PgMP Training and get the PgMP certification

PRINCE2 Project Management Certification

What is the PRINCE 2 certification?

PRINCE 2 is also one of the top paying project management certification. PRINCE 2 stands for Projects IN Controlled Environments. It provides a tailored method for the management of all kinds of projects.

Today most organizations in various are adopting the PRINCE 2 methodology for productive management of a project. PRINCE 2 is regarded as the best project management certification because it can be adapted for every kind of project irrespective of size and nature.

PRINCE 2 project management certification is basically a process-based project management methodology. PRINCE2 course consists of two levels:

PRINCE 2 Foundations

PRINCE 2 Practitioners

What is the PRINCE 2 Foundation?

PRINCE 2 foundation is a beginners project management certification, it is an entry-level certification, in this level basic PRINCE 2 principles, themes, and terminologies are been taught.

PRINCE 2 foundations equip the aspirants with basic project management techniques and their application. PRINCE 2 Foundation course also gives you comprehensive knowledge about the updated PRINCE 2 framework.

Even though PRINCE 2 certification is an entry-level certification, it helps you manage projects in a more successful manner, and also helps in your career growth.

PRINCE 2 Foundation Requirements:

There are no pre-defined qualifications or requirements that have to be fulfilled by the aspirants to take up the PRINCE2 foundation course, but the aspirants should have some basic knowledge of project management.

PRINCE2 Foundation Certification Cost:

PRINCE2 foundation cost is reasonable. The aspirants may take up PRINCE 2 foundations at $ 300- $350. Some of the institutions will provide exam preparation bundles and study materials, the aspirant can choose such institutes, and it may help in reducing some costs.

Apart from these the aspirants can also do self-study and appear for exams. Or some institutions may provide courses for free (this offer may not be always available). The aspirants can download the PRINCE2 manual and other study materials; this helps them to crack the exam.

PRINCE 2 foundation exam pattern:

PRINCE Foundation exam is an online exam that consists of 60 multiple choice questions, each question carrying one mark. 60 minutes will be given to candidates for completing the exam.

The passing percentage is 55%, which means the candidate should answer a minimum of 33 questions to pass the foundation exam.

Job roles: Team managers, Programme managers, Project coordinators, Project leaders.

Salary: Individuals with less or no experience and just PRINCE 2 foundation certification may not obtain a very attractive salary, but as the professionals gain experience the earning level also increases without any doubt.

Organization: ALEXOS is a joint venture company for managing and improving the best project management practices. It was established in 2013.

What books to refer to?

PRINCE 2 manual is one of the best self-study books which every PRINCE 2 aspirant should read. PRINCE2 foundation study guide covers PRINCE2 in an all-encompassing way. All parts of the program are secured, with numerous viable, genuine models included for reference.

Get PRINCE2 Foundation Certification Training and Get Certified

PRINCE2 Practitioner Certification:

PRINCE 2 practitioners is a process-driven approach it emphasizes partitioning the project into stages that are controllable and manageable according to the requirement. The PRINCE2 Practitioner course teaches you how to apply PRINCE2 techniques to manage a project in real-time.

PRINCE 2 Practitioner requirements:

Every PRINCE2 practitioner is expected to full fill the following requirements; they must be certified in at least one of the following courses:

- PRINCE 2 foundation course

- PMP

- CAPM

- IPMA level A

- IPMA level B

- IPMA level C

- IPMA level D

- Project management qualification (PMQ)

PRINCE 2 practitioner exam

The PRINCE 2 practitioner exam questions are based on objective testing, the paper consists of a total of 68 multiple choice questions, each question carrying one mark. The candidates will have 150 minutes of time allotted to complete the exam. The pass percentage in the case of PRINCE 2 practitioner is 55% which means the candidate should answer a minimum of 38 questions in order to pass the exam.

PRINCE 2 practitioner cost:

Classroom training will cost 4000 USD. The candidates can also opt for online training which provides them the flexibility to access the classes whenever needed. The PRINCE 2 practitioner online training would approximately cost 1700 USD. If you choose self-learning you may reduce the cost to some extent but there are some inevitable costs such as the cost of study materials, exam fees, application fees, registration fees, also taxes.

PRINCE2 Job roles: PMP is one of the best project management certifications for Project manager IT, senior project manager IT, Program Manager IT, Technical Project Manager, PRINCE2 Consultant, Project Engineer, Software Development, and, so on.

PRINCE2 Salary: PRINCE 2 is one of the high-paying project management certification in project management the average salary for PRINCE 2 professionals according to survey by payscale is $85,800. 

Organization: AXELOS is a joint venture company for managing and improving the best project management practices. It was established in 2013.

Maintenance: The candidate must earn 60 PDUs every 3 years in order to maintain their project management certification.

Books to refer to:

The individuals aspiring to get PRINCE2 certified can refer to the following study materials or books to understand the concepts, principles, themes, and, the methodology of PRINCE 2 project management technique:

1) PRINCE 2 study guide

2) PRINCE2: A Practical Handbook (Author- Colin Bentley)

3) PRINCE2 for Value-Driven Project Management: AXELOS Full License AXTMC033 (Author- Pankaj Sharma)

The above-mentioned are some best books to successfully crack the PRINCE 2 practitioner exam with flying colors.

Get high-quality online, live online, and classroom training for PRINCE2 certifications

PRINCE2® Foundation Practitioner

Certified Scrum Master (CSM) Certification

Certified scrum master (CSM) is one of the most demanded and globally recognized project management certifications. CSM certification gives you better and more noteworthy openings for your career if you wish to construct a solid base on scrum and agile practices; it gives you real-world experience.

According to recent statistics, there are more than 500000 CSM professionals around the world. Getting CSM certification helps the IT practitioners and project/ program managers to manage projects in an agile environment.

CSM Requirements:

There are no set qualification prerequisites for a certified scrum master unlike other certification courses, but it is expected to have some understanding of the standards and working knowledge of the general Scrum process. The applicant must understand the individual jobs of the product owners and development teams.

CSM Certification cost: CSM Project management certification training costs differ with various organizations it may approximately cost $995 to $1,395. The scrum alliance charges $1,000 to $1,400 for training which also includes exam fees. 

CSM Exam Pattern:                             

1) 35 MCQs will be given

2) The candidates must answer 24 questions correctly to pass the exam

3) One hour of time will be given to complete the exam.

CSM exam can be taken within 60 days with no extra cost if in case the candidates fail. After 60 days the candidate must pay $25 for taking up a re-exam.

CSM Certification Maintenance: CSM professionals should renew the certificate every 2 years, it may cost INR 7k.

CSM Job Roles- Project Owner, Scrum Master, Scrum Project Member, Scrum Project Manager, Patent Designer and Manager, Cluster Manage, etc.

Organization: Scrum Alliance

CSM Salary: Being a top paid project management certification, the CSM certificate ensures that the professionals will earn approximately $85,000 – $80,000 P.A.

Books to refer to:

Some of the resources that are available are:

1) “The Elements of Scrum”- by Chris Sims and Hillary Louise Johnson.

2) “PMI-ACP Exam Prep, Second Edition”- by Mike Griffiths.

Become a scrum master with CSM Certified Scrum Master training

Six Sigma Certifications

Six Sigma is a professional project management certification that is not confined to any particular department or sector. The knowledge of six sigma can be applied across various fields, six sigma professionals can be found at different levels in an organization, right from entry-level to key managerial professionals. The different levels of Six Sigma Training are:

Yellow belt: Six sigma yellow belts are the entry-level six sigma certification. It includes the knowledge of basic knowledge of project management principles, techniques, and, methodologies.

Six Sigma Yellow belt Requirements:

There are no set qualification prerequisites for a Six Sigma yellow belt, but it is expected to have some understanding of the standards and working knowledge of general project management.

Six Sigma Yellow belt cost: Different organizations charge a different amounts:

IASSC: US $195.

CSSC: US $ 79.

ASQ: member- US $394, non-member- US $294.

Six Sigma Yellow Belt Exam patterns-

1) 85 multiple choice questions will be provided

2) 10 questions are unscored.

3) 2 hours will be given to complete the exam.

Job Roles: Yellow belt professionals can become the core team members/ part of the quality improvement and other projects, but they don’t lead projects by themselves. Instead, they support the six sigma team until they gain the required skills, knowledge, and experience to guide a team.

SSYB Salary: Six sigma yellow certified professionals can earn on an average $66k PA

Books to refer to:

1) The Six Sigma Yellow Belt Handbook (Author- H. James Harrington & Frank Voehl).

2) Certified Six Sigma Yellow Belt Exam Secrets Study Guide: CSSGB Test Review for the Six Sigma Yellow Belt Certification Exam.

Six Sigma Green Belt:

Six Sigma Green belt is the next level and advanced level project management certification than a yellow belt. They have a better understanding of the process and work. By obtaining the Six Sigma Green Belt an individual can develop the required potential pioneer skills, and they are given the opportunity to create authority by encouraging meetings, generating new ideas, and leading the projects.

Requirements for six sigma green belt:

For the Six Sigma Green Belt certification, it is expected that the candidate should have three to four years of full‐time business experience, in one or more areas of the Six Sigma Green Belt Body of Knowledge.

Green belt cost: ASQ fees for members are $ 438 and non-members $299.

SSGB Exam Pattern:

- 110 multiple-choice questions.

- 10 questions are sample questions and will not be considered while analyzing the final score.

- Four and half hours will be given to completing the exam.

Six Sigma Job Roles: This project management certification is best suited for Project engineers, Senior IT Project Managers, Lean Six Sigma Consultant, and Process Development Engineer.

Six Sigma Green Belt Salary: According to a survey by payscale average annual salary of a Six Sigma green belt is $83000-$104,099.

SSGB books to refer to:

1) The Certified Six Sigma Green Belt Handbook- Roderick A. Munro and Govindarajan Ramu.

2) Statistics for Six Sigma Made Easy! Revised and Expanded Second Edition- Warren Brussee.

Know more about six sigma green belt training and learn how to get SSGB certified

Six Sigma Black Belt:

Six sigma black belt is the advanced level six sigma certification. Black Belt training will be more intense than the Green Belt level to incorporate more sophisticated project management techniques, tools, and methods. These professionals demonstrate great administrative sharpness and capacities to withstand pressure and convey extends on time without compromising on quality measures, which will place the association in an advantageous position.

Requirements for six sigma black belt:

For obtaining black level certification you should have 3 years of work experience in any one or all of the sigma body of knowledge (six sigma, lean management, or any other quality-related projects). And also they require to have completed 2 projects with signed affidavits or, 1 project completed with a signed affidavit.

Six Sigma Black belt cost:

The black belt certification exam fee would cost:

Member of PMI- US $ 338                       

Non-member of PMI- US $ 538.

Six Sigma training costs may differ from institution to institution.

Exam Pattern:

150 questions are to be answered and it is a closed book exam.

4 hours of time are allotted for completing the exam.

Job roles: senior manager, senior quality engineer, manager quality assurance, business operation manager.

Six Sigma Black Belt Salary: According to a survey by payscale average annual salary of a Six Sigma green belt is $ 97200- $130000.

Maintenance: in order to continue as a certified six sigma black belt you need to renew your certificates every 3 years.

Organization:  ASQ

SSBB Books to refer:

1) The ASQ Pocket Guide to Statistics for Six Sigma Black Belts.

2) The Certified Six Sigma Black Belt Handbook, Third Edition.

3) Statistics for Six Sigma Black Belts.

Get six sigma black belt training to become black belt certified

PMI Accredited Project Management Certifications

The following are some other important project management certifications that assist professionals having a keen interest in project management to improve their skills, so let us have a look at the PMI project management certification.

PMI ACP Agile Certified Practitioner 

ACP stands for an Agile certified practitioner. This project management certification is provided by PMI. It is one of the top project management certifications which has global recognition. The professionals learn to deal with complex projects with agile methodologies.

PMI ACP cost :

Member- $435.

Non-member- $495

Requirements:

General project management experience for 2000 hours.

1500 work experience in agile projects.

21 contact hours of training in agile practices.

Exam pattern: PMI ACP also has a place among popular project management certifications, this project management course consists of 120 MCQs and 3 hours will be provided to complete it.

Maintenance: The professionals have to earn 30 PDUs every 3 years in agile topics.

Know more about PMI ACP Certification Training

PMI SP Scheduling Professional Certification

PMI scheduling profession is also one of the project management certification provided by PMI. In the same way as other project management techniques, PMI SP is one of the main PM approaches. It helps you to deal with the progression of projects.

PMI SP cost :

Member- $435.

Non-member- $495

PMI SP Requirements:

Secondary degree (diploma, associate degree, or any global equivalent)

The aspirant should have 40 hours of project scheduling experience.

The aspirant should have 40 hours of project scheduling education

Or

The aspirant should hold a 4-year degree

The aspirant should have 28 hours of project scheduling experience within the last 5 years.

The aspirant should have 40 hours of project scheduling education

Exam Pattern: PMI SP project management course consists of 170 MCQs and 3.5 hours will be provided to complete it.

Maintenance: The professionals have to earn 30 PDUs every 3 years in their specialized topic of project scheduling.

Get full details on how to get PMI SP Certification

PMI RMP Risk Management Professional Certification

Risk is an integral aspect of any project. The PMI risk management professional certification equips you with the best techniques to analyze the project risk and manage it. PMI RMP helps professionals successfully complete large projects in a complex environment.

PMI RMP cost:

Member- $520

Non-member- $670

PMI RMP Eligibility:

1) The aspirant should have a Secondary degree (diploma, associate degree or any global equivalent)

2) The aspirant should have 36 months of project risk management experience in the last 5 years.

3) The aspirant should have 40 hours of project risk management education.

Or

1) The aspirant should hold a 4-year degree

2) The aspirant should have 24 hours of risk management experience within the last 5 years.

3) The aspirant should have 40 hours of project risk management education.

PMI RMP Exam pattern: It consists of 170 MCQs and 3.5 hours will be provided to complete it.

Maintenance: The professionals have to earn 30 PDUs in risk management topics every 3 years.

Get details about PMI RMP Certification

Final Thoughts

Project management is a growing field. Most organizations rely on the disciple of project management to achieve the best results. Project management is very essential to a business since it gives initiative and a nitty-gritty arrangement for each project.

Therefore, a good project management team plays a critical role in the successful completion of complex projects. Project certifications provide validation to your professional skills which are expected from hiring companies. Hence one must be very sure about what project management certification he/she is going to choose.

Suggested Read - Complete Guide to Project Management 

Don’t wait till you get the eligibility requirements, you can always start with project management courses that have minimum requirements once you gain experience to meet the requirements then you can pursue the best project management certifications.

In this article, relevant information on the best project management certifications is discussed. There are numerous project management courses, but a few best project management courses were picked and explained in this article.

Now that you have an idea about the courses, their cost, eligibility, and exam information of the popular project management certifications, go ahead and get certified.

For more details, chat with our course expert. We will help you find the certification that suits your current career goals. We are a REP (Registered Training Provider) of PMI – Project management institute, the governing body for project management certifications like PMP, CAPM, PMI SP, PMI RMP, and others. We offer high-class training for project management certifications all across the globe. Explore our online, live online, and classroom training.