Certification is carried out either "on site" or "online" (with the video conferencing tool "MS Teams") (depending on the certification date - details can be found on the respective date).

 

Requirements for the certification

Knowledge

  • Detailed knowledge in accordance with ICB4
  • Methods & processes of the latest pm baseline

Experience

  • At least 900 person days (1 year = 180 person days) of project management experience during the last 8 years, including
    • at least 540 person days leadership of others in complex projects throughout the life cycle as a project manager with overall responsibility on complex projects. The complexity is assessed using the Complexity Sheet when registering for certification. If you are unsure whether your projects meet the complexity criteria for Level B, use this assessment tool

 

Participation in a compulsory (online) certification briefing

 

Certification process

Process pma certification Level B Senior Project Manager zSPM

 

Certification Fee

The fee for online-certification as a Senior Project Manager for registration as of 01.01.2024

  • pma members EUR 1,848.00 (incl. 10% VAT), except pma young crew members
  • Non-members EUR 2,040.50 (incl. 10% VAT)

The fee for certification as a Senior Project Manager for certification on-site

  • pma members EUR 2,304.50 (incl. 10% VAT), except pma young crew members
  • Non-members EUR 2,541.00 (incl. 10% VAT)

 

General requirements for the online exams

A computer (notebook, ...) with webcam and microphone as well as a stable internet connection are the basic technical requirements for online certification.

We ask you to take the exams alone (in a quiet place) and to turn on your camera and microphone during the exam. Candidates must submit official evidence of their identity (e.g. passport, a government-issued photo identification card). No aditional items are allowed during your exam.

 

Preparation

To prepare for certification as a Senior Project Manager you should study the IPMA Competence Baseline (ICB4), the latest pm baseline & supplementary literature.

The time required for certification preparation, registration and examination for IPMA® Level B is (at least!) 45 hours of self-study.

In addition, you can also prepare with the help of:

  • Seminars run by pma training partners,
  • PM training programmes at institutes of higher education
  • PM seminars at educational and training institutions
  • Independent study

 

Process "online"

The certification as outlined by the IPMA® Level B standard takes place online or on site and is a customised exam (120 minutes) which will be divided into two parts:

  • Oral exam: Two virtually present pma assessors will examine your knowledge of PM competences as outlined by ICB4 (Contextual, Personal and Social as well as Technical Competences) and will evaluate your skills (Methodologies & Processes of the currently valid pm baseline) during an interview.
  • Extended Interview: An interview concerning your project report (or about your experience from other projects) and your PM competences (according to ICB4 and the currently valid pm baseline) will be conducted subsequently. Another part of the Extended Interview is a short role play between the candidate and the assessor.

 

Process "on site"

  • Workshop (duration: 2 hours per 4 participants)
    • Completion of PM tasks in teams
    • Role plays with different PM roles
    • Participants: 3-5 certification candidates, 2 assessors
  • Oral exam (duration: 1.5 hours incl. ½ hr. preparation time)
    • Completion of a task & presentation using a flip chart (or similar), as well as further questions 
  • Interview (duration: 1.5 hours)
    • Interview on the PM competences (perspective, people and practice competences) acc. to the ICB4 and the methods & processes of the latest pm baseline
    • Participants: 2 assessors, 2 candidates

 

Validity period

The pma/IPMA® Level B certification is valid for 5 years. It proves the current level of knowledge and experience in a professional field that is constantly evolving. Therefore, continuous personal development is necessary to maintain the certification status. After 5 years, a pma/IPMA® Level B re-certification or, with appropriate experience, a higher certification according to pma/IPMA® is possible.

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