Top 13 Project Management Certifications

Skilled Project Managers are an essential element of every organisation today. Organisations need them to deliver successful projects and drive business growth. They expect Project Managers to bring efficient results focusing on business values. These results can be brought about by acquiring some of the best Project Management Certifications.

These will help demonstrate the exceptional agility, creativity, and adaptability required for successful project delivery. They can help navigate, optimise and guide projects within the business from start to finish. They ensure to meet the client's expectations with minimal modifications to their requests. 

Project Management can be a rewarding career for anyone who chooses to do correct certifications. According to Glassdoor, with the right Project Management Certifications, you can earn between £49000 to £76,000 a year. Read more to know about the  Top 13 Project Management Certifications!

Table of Contents

1) What is a Project Management Certification?

 2) Top Project Management Certifications in 2024 

      a) Project Management Professional (PMP)

      b) Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)

      c) Associate in Project Management (APM)

      d) CompTIA Project+ Certifications

      e) PRINCE2 Certifications

      f) Certified Scrum Master (CSM) Certifications

      g) Certified Project Management Practitioner (CPMP)

       h) Master Project Manager (MPM)

       i) Professional in Project Management (PPM)

       j) Certified Project Director (CPD)

3) Conclusion

What is a Project Management Certification?  

A Project Management Certification validates your skills, abilities and practical  skills to employers. It also proves your experience and skills in managing a project. Many organisations invest huge sums today to certify their employees in a domain.  

They teach you everything you need to learn about managing projects. You can seek a higher position in your industry by acquiring advanced Project Management Certifications. You will be treated as an industry expert with advanced Project Management Certifications. With a certificate, you can increase your earning potential. The certifications mentioned below will set you ahead of other peers applying for the same job. Additionally, when you’re choosing a certification, consider these factors:  

1) Your current employment and where or which role you want to work next  

2) Where do you stand in your career  

3) What value will the certificate add to your current position  

4) What specialisation do you want  

5) Duration of the certifications  

6) Certification’s format  

7) Industry standards  

8) Cost of the certifications  

9) Competition

10) How challenging is the certification's exam

Remember that there are no one-size-fits-all Project Management Certifications before you pick a choice. The best option will rely on your specific requirements. 
 


 

Top Project Management Certifications in 2024    

Let's discuss the top 13 Project Management Certifications in Project Management: 

1) Project Management Professional (PMP) 

Project Management Professional Certifications are offered by Project Management Institute (PMI). This certification tops the list of best Project Management Certifications. It is the most in-demand certification worldwide. To obtain this certification, you must clear the PMP exam, considered one of the most challenging professional certifications.  

There are over 1 million PMP-certified Project Managers across industries today. It certifies one's ability to carry out Project Manager duties, lead and manage teams and projects, and implement Project Management methodology.

Requirements: The PMP Certification requirements include a High school Diploma or associate’s degree or a degree equivalent to it. Also, they must be experienced with leading and directing projects for at least 7,500 hours. Additionally, the candidates require to have a 35 hours of Project Management education.

Price: The PMP certification cost ranges from GBP 335 to GBP 458.

2) Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) 

Project Managers stand out on the job market because of CAPM, which builds your credibility and improves your skills to manage teams and projects. This certification is also offered by PMI. It also serves as one of the requirements to obtain PMP. So, this can serve as the appropriate start to your Project Management career.  

Requirements: It requires a high-school diploma or equivalent degree and 1,500 hours of Project Management training to gain this certification. It is specially designed for beginners in Project Management, highlighting your knowledge and skills in managing a project.

Price: This certification will cost you anything between 185 GBP to 248 GBP.    

Also, check out our blog to prepare the top PMP exam questions to crack the exam!

3) Associate in Project Management (APM)

Global Association for Quality Management offers an (APM)  Associate in Project Management Certification. This certification will familiarise you with standard Project Management terms, framework and strategies. It will give you a clear direction, Project Management knowledge and practical communication skills.  

This certification will assist you in demonstrating your commitment to Project Management excellence for future roles, along with getting a higher pay grade. The certificate will also teach you resource management, flexibility, project delivery, and risk mitigation techniques.

Requirements: No experience or formal education requirements.

Price: This certification will cost you 248 GBP.   

4) CompTIA Project+ Certifications 

CompTIA Project+ is another certification, especially for beginners in Project Management. This will help you gain the skills required to manage projects in IT and non-IT domains.

With this certification, you will learn about Project Management, including change management, reporting and documentation, resource allocation, budget management, risk management and client management.

Requirements:

1) One year’s worth knowledge of how the project life cycle works in the IT field

2) Ability to manage resources and stakeholders

3) Communication skills

4) Project documentation

Price: This certification will cost you 288 GBP.

5) PRINCE2 Certifications 

Projects In Controlled Environments is the full form of PRINCE2. It is the most widely recognised certifications in Europe. AXELOS, a joint venture between the UK and Capita, provides PRINCE2.  

PRINCE2 Certifications train professionals in directing, managing and delivering projects from start to end. PRINCE2 provides  standards and uses common systems, language and procedures that even beginners can easily comprehend. It trains individuals in risk management, resource allocation and delivering project scope, ensuring client satisfaction.  

Requirements:

PRINCE2 Practitioner requires one of the following:

1) PRINCE2 Foundation;

2) Project Management Professional (PMP);

3) Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM); or an IPMA Certification.

Price: PRINCE2 offers PRINCE2 Foundation and PRINCE2 Practitioner certifications, which will cost you 165 GBP and 280 GBP, respectively.   

6) Certified Scrum Master (CSM) Certifications 

The non-profit Scrum Alliance offers Certified Scrum Master (CSM) Certifications. As you may be aware, Scrum is a part of the Agile methodology and is used mainly in IT projects. This certification helps software development by small teams that work in short sprints and employ Agile methodology. CSM gives individuals an in-depth understanding of self-management and the ability to work for project success.  

CSM teaches you to work in Scrum, and you can understand its values, practices and applications thoroughly. This certification also assists you in delivering successful software across the PRINCE2 project lifecycle and processes.

Requirements:

1) General familiarity with Scrum

2) Attend an in-person, two-day (16 hour) CSM course

3) After you pass the CSM exam and accept the License Agreement, complete your Scrum Alliance membership profile

Price: This certification will cost you anything between 820 GBP to 1152 GBP.  

7) Certified Project Management Practitioner (CPMP)

Formed after the 9/11 attacks to deal with cyberterrorism, the EC-Council deals with information security. Project Managers or anybody else looking to gain practical Project Management expertise and learn about different tools and approaches to effectively manage projects in the real world may consider taking the Certified Project Management Practitioner (CPMP) course from the EC-Council.

The primary goal of CPMP is to assist professionals in developing the technical, leadership, and management abilities necessary to complete every project successfully.

Requirements: To become a Certified Project Management Practitioner, there are no pre-requisites. However, you must have attended a three-day preparation course, to get a gist about the basics of CPMP.

Price: This certification will cost you 165 GBP.

8) Master Project Manager (MPM)

Candidates who complete the American Academy of Project Management's (AAPM) commission requirements for education, training, experience, industry knowledge, ethics, and continuous education are awarded the Master Project Manager (MPM) credential. In reality, anyone with business or technical responsibility is eligible to apply for this certification, not simply Project Managers.

Requirements: The minimum qualification for you to become an MPM is three years of Project Management experience and training.

Price: This certification will cost you around 249 GBP.

9) Professional in Project Management (PPM)

The Professional in Project Management (PPM) course is offered by the Global Association for Quality Management (GAQM). The Project Management modules included in the mid-level certification cover topics including how to plan, carry out, manage, and finish projects. Also, it teaches you how to create project timetables, project metrics, and other project leadership and management strategies.

The emphasis is on developing skills of the seasoned Project Managers who can handle risks, lead teams to excellence, and operate well under pressure.

Requirements:

1) A mandatory E-Course completion requirement

2) Candidates should have at least some project management experience

Price: This certification will cost you 249 GBP.

10) Certified Project Director (CPD)

The Certified Project Director (CPD) exam, administered by GAQM, is often regarded as the pinnacle of Project Management. It is intended for senior and seasoned individuals who want to advance beyond standard PPM and become Project Management authorities.

Requirements: The Certified Project Director (CPD) Certification requires a mandatory E-Course completion requirement.

Price: This certification will cost you around 249 GBP.

11) Project Management in IT Security (PMITS)

You can strengthen your control over the administration of IT security projects by earning the EC-Project Council's Management in IT Security (PMITS) Certification. The majority of those who will benefit from this certification are those who wish to adapt their Project Management approach in order to better lead IT security-related teams and organisations.

Requirements:

1) Minimum two years of experience in information security

2) An educational background that revolves around security-related higher education

3) Candidates may also opt to attend EC-Council’s very own training program before the exam

Price: This certification will cost you 208 GBP.

12) Agile Certified Practitioner (ACP)

The PMI is in charge of directly administering this Agile Certified Practitioner (ACP) Certification. It promotes the Agile Project Management methodology and adheres to the Agile model. You will receive a comprehensive overview of all Agile practises in this course, along with instructions on how to put them into practices. There are many training modules in it that instruct the user on how to apply Agile principles and the Scrum methodology.

Requirements:

To become an Agile Certified Practitioner (ACP), you will require:

1) A high school diploma, or an associate degree.

1) At least 2000 hours worth of experience in project management.

2) Prior experience with Agile teams or companies.

Price: This certification will cost you between 407 GBP to 532 GBP.

13) Program Management Professional (PgMP)

The Program Management Professional (PgMP) Certification is more focused towards Project Managers who want to transition to Program Managers. This certification  requires professional expertise especially in areas like resource management, project planning, and risk management. 

a) Requirements: A high school diploma or bachelor’s degree in equivalent field

b) Minimum four years of experience in Project Management

Price: This certification will cost you around 626 GBP for PMI members and 783 GBP for non-members.

Conclusion 

We hope this blog has given you all the information you will require to choose the right Project Management Certifications. You can start by first going through a Project Management course to learn detailed Project Management. Choose the certificate based on your education qualification and experience.

Start your preparation from here – sign up for the Introduction to Project Management course!