Project Management Certification Landscape
The goal of this article is to compare some of the significant project management certifications. In this comparison, we will answer questions like: Can we expect the same level of general project management skills from a candidate who is PRINCE2® Practitioner certified as someone who is P3.express® Practitioner or PMP® certified? We also investigate which certifications are substitutes for each other and which are complementary. To answer that, we’ll briefly compare the significant features of the underlying best practices.
Promise of competence compared
Each certificate makes a promise to the third party reviewing the certificate that the holder possesses specific skills. That’s why certification is essential. It removes uncertainty about the quality of skills you would otherwise only discover when working with the certification holder. To start our comparison, we’ll introduce the different certifications with the certification promise for each certificate. This promise is typically defined by either the organization responsible for the certification program or the examination institute tasked with evaluating the candidate before granting the certification.
| Certification Name | Abbreviation | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| P3.express® Practitioner | P3P | The P3.express® Practitioner certificate is an evidence that candidates are able to manage projects or contribute to their management in an effective and structured way using P3.express®. |
| Project Management Professional | PMP® | The PMP® acknowledges candidates skilled at managing the people, processes, and business priorities of professional projects. |
| Certified Associate in Project Management | CAPM® | The CAPM® proves candidates possess the foundational knowledge and skills that project teams demand. It proves that a candidate can take on a wide range of projects too—with ways of working that include predictive project management, agile principles and business analysis. |
| PMI Agile Certified Practitioner | PMI-ACP® | The PMI-ACP is evidence of the candidates real-world, hands-on experience and skill as part of an agile team. It spans many approaches to agile such as Scrum, Kanban, Lean, extreme programming (XP), and test-driven development (TDD). |
| PRINCE2® Foundation | P2F | The PRINCE2® Foundation certification proves that candidates have sufficient knowledge and understanding of the PRINCE2® method to be able to work effectively with, or as a member of, a project management team working within an environment supporting PRINCE2®. |
| PRINCE2® Practitioner | P2P | The PRINCE2® Practitioner certification proves that a candidate has sufficient knowledge and understanding to apply and tailor the PRINCE2® method in a range of different project environments and scenarios. |
| Certified Project Management Associate - IPMA level D | IPMA D | Achieving IPMA level D certification is international recognition of the candidates knowledge about managing projects. Candidates have shown to know the competences as described by the Individual Competence Baseline®, and have shown to know how to apply them. |
| Certified Project Manager - IPMA level C | IPMA C | Achieving IPMA level C certification is an international recognition of the candidates experience level in managing projects. Candidates have shown to possess the competences as described by the IPMA Individual Competence Baseline®, and have shown to consistently apply those, taking responsibility in a leading role. |
| PM² Foundation | PM²F | The PM² Foundation certification proves that candidates have enough knowledge about the PM² framework to effectively work in a PM² project environment. |
| PM² Practitioner | PM²P | The PM² Practitioner certification proves that candidates have an in-depth understanding of the PM² methodology and capability to apply and adapt the methodology to a variety of complex projects. |
| Professional Scrum Master™ I | PSM I | The Professional Scrum Master™ I certification validates the candidates knowledge of the Scrum framework, the Scrum Master accountabilities and how to apply Scrum. |
* The abbreviations for certificates, as outlined in the table, will be utilized to facilitate easier visualization, although it should be noted that not all of these abbreviations are official.
When reading these definitions, the certification promise has some essential differences. Some certifications signal that the holder can work in a project team in a specific context; others stipulate that the holder can manage a project and this in a range of different contexts. It indicates that the different certifications, as expected, intend to certify different levels of general project management skills.
To create a more or less objective measurement of the type of skills a certification proves, we have analyzed the requirements candidates must pass to receive each certificate. We evaluated these requirements or learning goals and categorized them, ranging from simple memorizing learning materials to analyzing and applying them in new contexts. Several educational frameworks for analyzing these include Bloom’s Taxanomy, SOLO Taxanomy, or DOK. This research used a relative range ranking the certification requirements and exam content between memorizing and analysis.
We observe two different categories of certifications.
- The first category consist of PMP®, P3P, P2P IPMA C and PM²P. These are all certificates that require more analytical skills. They are mostly practitioner exams that promise a certificate holder has expert project management skills. This observation is a good sign because certification requirements that rely on analytical skills can identify a candidate’s capability to manage real-world projects more effectively.
- The second category comprises certifications with lower cognitive requirements, such as CAPM®, P2F, IPMA D, and PM²F. This also aligns with the certification promise; many of these are step-stone certifications that serve as a prerequisite for higher levels of certification.
We observe that the certification promise and required cognitive level are aligned within each identified category. Without considering the specific underlying resources for the certification, the compared certifications likely indicate similar general project management skills for the certificate holders.
Comparing the certification decision
We established that there are different cognitive requirements for different categories of certificates. Whenever a certification is issued, the candidate is evaluated based on these requirements. The evaluation can be different for every certification program, even though the required cognitive level might be similar. The evaluation can also be different for the first time a candidate is audited and certified, and for updating or maintaining the certificate over time.
First certification decision
We first compare the initial audit and certification decision for the different certification programs.. In the table below, you’ll find an overview of the certification prerequisites a candidate needs to fulfill before starting the certification process, the certification requirements the candidate is audited on, the examination organization, and the IP owner or author of the program.
| Certification Requirement | Prerequisite | Exam Organization | IP Owner | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| P3P | Pass a multiple choice exam, accept the project manager code of conduct | None | certN | OMIMO |
| PMP® | Pass a multiple choice exam, accept a code of conduct | Option 1: 4-Year Degree, 36 months experience, 35 hours PM education/CAPM®. Option 2: High School Diploma, 60 months experience, 35 hours PM education/CAPM® | Project Management Institute with Pearson Vue | Project Management Institute |
| CAPM® | Pass a multiple choice exam | Secondary degree, 23 hours PM education before exam | Project Management Institute with Pearson Vue | Project Management Institute |
| PMI-ACP® | Pass a multiple choice exam | High school diploma/Bachelor’s degree, 21 contact hours in agile practices, 12 months general project experience, 8 months agile project experience | Project Management Institute with Pearson Vue | Project Management Institute |
| P2F | Pass a multiple choice exam | None | Peoplecert | Peoplecert/Axelos |
| P2P | Pass a multiple choice exam | PRINCE2® Foundation/6th Edition, Project Management Qualification, PM Professional Qualification, PMP®, CAPM®, IPMA Level A/B/C/D | Peoplecert | Peoplecert/Axelos |
| IPMA D | Submit a self-assessment of performance in projects, pass a theoretic exam | None | Partner per region appointed by each regional membership organization | IPMA World |
| IPMA C | Pass a written exam and oral exam/interview | None | Partner per region appointed by each regional membership organization | IPMA World |
| PM²F | Pass a multiple choice exam | None | Van Haren Certify and certN | EU Commission |
| PM²P | Pass a multiple choice exam | PM² Foundation certificate, completed accredited PM² Practitioner course, passed a case presentation assessment | Van Haren Certify and cert | EU Commission |
| PSM I | Pass a multiple choice exam | None | Scum.org | Scum.org |
A common demeanor is that all certificates in this comparison use an exam to make the final certification decision. However, the prerequisites vary for the different programs; some have academic, experience, or certification requirements that a candidate needs to meet before being allowed to participate in the certification process. Having preconditions seems to be mainly used for certification programs split into several parts, such as the PRINCE2® or PM² program.
These exams and certification requirements are often audited and managed by an organization different from the author of the reference material or certification syllabus to guarantee some form of objectivity. However, this is not always the case. The PRINCE2® certification program has seen a notable change in this area. The external examination institute Peoplecert used to manage the PRINCE2® exams in the name of Axelos, the organization that owned the IP rights to the reference material. However, Peoplecert acquired Axelos in June 2021. This means that Peoplecert is now both the author and exam center for PRINCE2®.
Re-certification decision
The certification promises discussed earlier in this article all detail a level of expertise that can be expected of a certificate holder. This level of expertise varies over time. Therefore, most certificates have limited validity, after which candidates need to retake an exam. More and more, we observe that certification programs include a continuous development program, often with yearly fees, to offer candidates the option to prove that they keep their expertise up to date without doing an exam again.
In the table below we display the validity and extension options for each program:
| Certificate | Validity | Extension |
|---|---|---|
| P3.express® Practitioner | Lifetime with attribution to the achievement year | Free yearly recertification exam |
| Project Management Professional | 3 years | Exam or Continuing Education subscription |
| Certified Associate in Project Management | 3 years | Exam or Continuing Education subscription |
| PMI Agile Certified Practitioner | 3 years | Exam or Continuing Education subscription |
| PRINCE2® Foundation | 3 years | Exam or Continuing Education subscription |
| PRINCE2® Practitioner | 3 years | Exam or Continuing Education subscription |
| Certified Project Management Associate - IPMA level D | 5 years | Tailored recertification per candidate |
| Certified Project Manager - IPMA level C | 5 years | Tailored recertification per candidate |
| PM² Foundation | Lifetime | None |
| PM² Practitioner | 3 years | Exam |
| Professional Scrum Master™ I | Lifetime | None |
Most certificates are valid for three years, after which they need to be renewed. The PMI and PRINCE2® certificates offer a (paid) continued development program option to renew. The P3.express® certification program takes a different approach to renewing certificates. In essence, the certificates are valid for life. However, it is attributed to the year of achievement and left to the candidates if they want to update. A new exam is issued each year, and candidates are encouraged to update their certificate with a free attempt to update their certificate to the latest year.
We can conclude that all certification programs take a more or less similar approach when making a certification decision. Although there are some differences in prerequisites, almost all programs use an exam to make the final certification decision, and most programs have a suitable solution for maintaining the certification promise over time.
Comparing the underlying resources
In the first part of this article, we compared the required level of cognition for different project management certificates and how this expertise is audited. However, the main difference between the certification programs is the system, resource or framework for managing a project on which it is based or the competence framework it uses.
In the table below, we’ll identify the different references on which each certification program is (sometimes partly) based.
| Certificate | Reference Material |
|---|---|
| P3.express® Practitioner | P3.express® manual |
| Project Management Professional (PMP®) | PMBOK® Guide (not the singular reference) |
| Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM®) | PMBOK® Guide (not the singular reference) |
| PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP®) | Multiple resources |
| PRINCE2® Foundation (P2F) | PRINCE2® Handbook (Managing Successful Projects with PRINCE) |
| PRINCE2® Practitioner (P2P) | PRINCE2® Handbook (Managing Successful Projects with PRINCE) |
| Certified Project Management Associate - IPMA level D (IPMA D) | Individual Competence Baseline® (not the singular reference) |
| Certified Project Manager - IPMA level C (IPMA C) | Individual Competence Baseline® (not the singular reference) |
| PM² Foundation (PM²F) | PM² Project management methodology Guide 3.1 |
| PM² Practitioner (PM²P) | PM² Project management methodology Guide 3.1 |
| Professional Scrum Master™ I (PSM I) | The Scrum Guide (not the singular reference) |
This analysis sets the stage for a deeper examination of these resources, focusing on their suitability for different project types and management approaches. We will compare them based on their style (Guide vs. Roadmap) and on their suitability for different project contexts: adaptability to various project sizes, domain specificity, and alignment with either predictive (waterfall) or adaptive (agile) development methodologies. This analysis will help us investigate which certifications are substitutes for each other and, which are complementary, and in which context this is the case.
Guide vs. Roadmap
Frameworks and methodologies serve as roadmaps, providing structured paths for project management. Guides, on the other hand, offer advice and serve as inspiration sources. Methodologies tend to facilitate more significant changes in project management practices, while guides often lead to incremental improvements. A roadmap is typically the starting point for project managers. Without a well-structured roadmap, applying principles from a guide becomes challenging, often leading project managers to create their own ad hoc roadmaps. This approach is not ideal as it can result in overlooking previously identified best practices for roadmaps, forcing them to unnecessarily reinvent established methodologies.
Different certification programs are usually designed either around guides or roadmaps. Programs of the same type, like all guide-based ones, can replace each other. The same holds for all roadmap-based ones. They are substitutes for each other. However, being a substitute only holds for specific project contexts. You must evaluate the project size, domain, and development method (adaptive vs predictive). If the different roadmap-based systems can handle your project context, they are proper substitutes. For example, PRINCE2® and P3.express® are substitutes for medium and large projects. They are not for megaprojects because P3.express® is unsuitable for that context, nor are they substitutes for small projects because PRINCE2® is not ideal for that size.
When you compare guide-based programs with roadmap-based ones, they often work well together. They are complementary to each other. For example, you can mix P3.express®, a roadmap system, with techniques from the PMBOK® Guide. This way, you get the best of both: the precise direction from a roadmap and the detailed techniques from a guide, making project management more effective.
Evaluating your project context
As discussed it’s important to evaluate the project context to determine which project management resources you can use. We consider the following parameters to be the minimum you need to consider.
Project Size - Project size, typically determined by team size, directly influences the project’s complexity. What is considered large in one industry (e.g., 150 members in IT development) might be medium or small in another (like factory construction projects).
Domain-Specific vs. General - General-purpose programs offer versatility, allowing professionals to transition across different project types. Conversely, domain-specific programs provide detailed, sector-specific knowledge, aiding in more targeted implementation.
Predictive (waterfall) vs. Adaptive (agile) - Predictive methodologies involve defining the end product before commencement. Adaptive or agile methods are preferable when outcomes depend on user feedback, involving iterative development and continuous improvement. It is important to mention that the PM² family includes a manual for Adaptive development with a separate certification program. However, we have not included it in this article as it is not yet widely recognized or popular.
The main takeaway of comparing the underlying resources of certification programs is that some of the project management systems are complementary (guides vs roadmaps), and others can be seen as substitutes for each other (guides vs guides and roadmaps vs roadmaps). It is crucial to start by identifying your project context to select the right management system for your project. Based on the project context and using the two tables above, you can identify substitutive references and references that work well together for your project.
Conclusion
In this article, we compared the major project management certifications based on their certification promise, cognitive requirements evaluation methods, and underlying resources.
We observed two major project management certification categories when evaluating the general project management skills and the required cognitive levels: Practical certifications such as PMP®, P3P, P2P IPMA C, and PM²P that require more analytical skills and elementary certifications with lower levels of cognitive requirements such as CAPM®, P2F, IPMA D, and PM²F.
In auditing the certification requirements with candidates before the certification decision, we found that all certification programs take a similar approach. However, there are some differences in prerequisites.
We concluded that based on the underlying project management systems of different certification programs, systems are more likely to be complementary if one is based on a guide and the other on a Roadmap. Systems qualified as guides are more likely to be substituted with other guide-based systems, and the same holds for roadmaps.
After evaluating all programs, the PRINCE2® Practitioner certification and the P3.express® Practitioner are likely substitutes for medium to large projects, and the PMP® and PM²P are substitutes for each other in medium to giga projects. The P3.express® Practitioner certificate and the PMP® certificate are most likely to be complementary.
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