How would it sound to you if by getting a certificate you could pave your way high up in today's highly competitive world of project management. Gaining formal recognition for your professional expertise and experience, enriching your knowledge of skills, tools and techniques involved in effective project management, enhancing your employment opportunities and above all earning better-what if just one single degree could do this for you?

That is what PMP Certificate is all about.

With about 60,000 Project Management Professionals successfully employed and the number still growing, the value of this exam is growing with every new day.

PMP exam is a 200 question, multiple-choice, computer based exam organized by PMI and is the most recognized and valued in the field of project management. The exam is of 4 hours with a minimum passing score of 137 out of 200. The cost of the exam is $405 for a PMI member and $555 for a non-member.

The eligibility criteria for PMP Certification include educational qualifications, agreeing to fulfill the Code of Professional Conduct and pass the PMP Certification Examination.

The applicant needs a bachelor's or globally equivalent university degree, at least 4,500 hours of project management experience( evidence must be to verify the number of hours), three years project management education within past six years, thirty-five credit hours of project management education covering subjects like quality, time management, human resources and integration management. For those who do not possess a degree it is important to have at least 7,500 hours of project management experience, five years of project management experience within past eight years, thirty-five credit hours of project management education covering the above mentioned subjects.

The exam covers objectives such as Project Initiation, Project Planning, Project Execution, Project Control, Project Closing and Project Responsibility. It is important for a candidate to be through in all these fields.

The amount of effort you put in depends on your education and experience. However in about 2-4 months you need to put in about 5 hours every day.

The suggested books to refer include the PMBOK guide, the PMP Role Delineation Study, the Code of professional conduct and the PMP Certification Handbook which can be downloaded from the PMI website. (www.pmi.org )

Other books available are Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling by Harold Kerzner, PMP Exam Prep by Rita Mulcahy.

You can also prepare from the various online sources available which provide mock tests and evaluations.

So go ahead and get that PMP Certificate and improve you future prospects!!