Julia Boyer is a PMP-certified Professional from Dallas, Texas. In this “How I Renew My PMP” article, Julia explained her PMP renewal journey, why she renewed her PMP, how she found PMP PDU resources, and other hints about the PMP renewal process. Julia Boyer penned this article based on interview questions, and our editorial team reviewed the article.

📌 Hint: Do not skip this article, you will find FREE PMP PDU resources throughout the article.

Who is Julia Boyer?

❓ Question: Before we dive into your PMP renewal journey and how you earned PMP PDU hours, can you please tell us a bit about your background?

I was born in 1976, in Brooklyn, New York, as the third and last kid of the Boyer family. My father was a truck driver and my mother was a housewife. I graduated from Northern Michigan University with a B.A. in communications degree in 1999. I started my professional career right after the university as a Logistics Specialist at FedEx. Since then, I worked in different companies and I have taken different roles in each company. Now, I am working as an Operations Manager in a Fortune 500 company in Dallas, Texas.

Why I Decided to Take PMP Certification

❓ Question: When and why did you decide to take PMP certification?

I have been working for more than five years in functional roles. Then, I decided to take managerial roles and looked for alternatives to pursue my career. At that time, I decided that the best option for changing my career was going through project management roles.

I’ve applied for some project management jobs, however, since I did not have any prior project management experience, I was not successful in securing a PM job. Roughly, more than half of the PM roles I am applying for were looking for “PMP certification”. That is when I decided to take PMP certification.

After spending six months of preparation time, I earned my PMP certification on the first attempt. Then, my phone started to ring more frequently regarding the jobs I applied for. I joined a Healthcare company as a Project Manager four months after I earned my PMP certification.

60 PMP PDU Online Course Program – Renew Your PMP Certification

San Francisco Business School offers an online, self-paced comprehensive PMP renewal course program. Enroll in the 60 PMP PDU Training Program. Complete three self-paced online courses. Earn 60 PDUs and renew your PMP certification. PMI approved renewal process.

Why I Renew PMP Certification

❓ Question: After you earn it, why do you keep on renewing your PMP certification? 

PMI requires PMP certification holders to earn 60 PMP PDU hours every three years. There are further PMP PDU requirements as well such as you must attend some activities rather than professional work. At first, I thought I earned PMP, I secured a PM job, and I could pursue my career even if I did not renew my PMP. However, I saw several benefits of renewing PMP certification.

First of all, it keeps me up to date on the changing project management dynamics. For instance, when I was preparing for PMP certification, the exam content and actual project management world were turning around waterfall methodologies. Since the 2000s and especially after the 2010s, Agile methodologies have been widely adopted by many organizations. The PMP renewal process pushed me to be aware of these changing dynamics, and even if I was not working on Agile, I attended PMP PDU courses regarding Agile methodologies and I enhanced my skills in Agile as well.

The second benefit of the PMP renewal process is, that you increase your chances for PM-related jobs. Still, many organizations look for PMP-certified professionals for their project management vacancies. So, keeping PMP certification active is very important and must have assets.

The third benefit of trying to earn PMP PDU hours is enhancing your network. There are 11 ways to earn PDUs and some of them are attending events, seminars, and meetings. I have met wonderful people and enhanced my professional network through these events.

How I Earn PMP PDU Hours

❓ Question: Since you earned your PMP, you have gone through the “renew PMP process” several times. How do you earn PMP PDU hours, what are your best resources?

PMI is very generous and flexible in accepting PMP PDU hours. There are 11 different ways to earn PMP PDU credits. In my first cycles, during the 2000s, primarily, I was attending events, seminars, and conferences. In some cases, my employer sponsored the event fees and in some I paid myself. I have met several people and extended my professional network with the help of these events.

However, especially after the 2010s, I’ve discovered ways to earn PMP PDU hours online. Because, events, meetings, or seminars require daytime attendance and as I progressed in my career, I could hardly find time to attend these events. Now, I am looking for online PMP PDU Course options to earn PMP PDU hours.

Free PMP PDU Online Course Program – Renew Your PMP Certification

San Francisco Business School offers an online, self-paced mini PMP renewal course program. Enroll in the Free PMP PDU Training Program. Complete three self-paced online courses. Earn 3 PDUs. PMI approved renewal process.

Why I Choose Online PMP PDU Courses to Renew PMP

❓ Question: What are the pros and cons of earning PMP PDU hours through online courses?

Well, the biggest benefit of online PMP PDU courses is, that there is no maximum limit of earning PDU hours. Attending courses are under the education category, and PMI accepts all 60 PDUs from this category. However, for other categories, there are maximum limits. For instance, PMI accepts your day-to-day activities as PDUs. However, there is a maximum limit for this category. You can submit a maximum of 8 PDU hours for working as a practitioner category.

Another benefit is, that if you attend a self-paced PMP PDU course, you do not need to attend in person. You can follow the courses around your schedule. In my last cycles, I chose to attend PMP PDU Courses, because I am busy and I cannot set a time to attend chapter meetings, events, or seminars.

PMP PDU Courses are Affordable

PMP PDU courses are more affordable compared to other alternatives. I was paying around $800 per day to attend a conference. Besides, if I had to travel, there were additional costs. So, for a one-day event, I was paying at least around $800 and I was earning six to eight PDUs at most. However, when I attend PMP PDU courses, I can earn all required PDUs for around $300.

Attending online PMP PDU courses are more convenient. When I enroll in PMI PDU Courses, all I have to do is follow the curriculum, earn PDUs, and renew my PMP. However, other PDU earning ways require significant effort from the PMP-certification holder such as creating content, sharing a presentation, volunteering, etc.

Moreover, PMP PDU courses are less prone to PMI audits. Since the PDU training programs are used by many PMP-certified professionals, PMI already has a track and record of the activities. However, for other categories, PDU submissions are more unique and may be more likely to hit a PMI audit. For my course PDU submissions, typically, PMI did not ask for further documentation to approve my PMP PDU claims.

Cons of Earning PMP PDU Online

After listing all these benefits, I think I should tell a few cons of renewing PMP through courses. Compared to events, self-paced PDU courses are less interactive. At events, I had the chance to meet new people, extend my network, and socialize. In self-paced PDU courses, this is not an option. However, you can use the discussion forums or social channels of the course provider to meet other people.

Watch Julia’s Renew PMP Journey

In her last PMI CCRS cycle, Julia enrolled in the 60 PMP PDU Program from SFBS and renewed her PMP. Watch now her PMP renewal journey.

How I Find Free PMP PDU Resources

❓ Question: Are you looking for Free PMP PDU earning activities? Is it possible to earn 60 PDUs for free?

There are several offline and online events. To be honest, I checked if I can earn 60 PDUs for free. I attended some free webinars and earned PDUs for free. However, I found it difficult and not another benefit other than earning PDUs. For instance, if there is a free webinar about social media project management, this is not on my career radar. Just to earn PDUs, I do not want to spend my hours on an event that will not benefit my development.

I can watch free courses, attend free webinars, and earn PDUs towards renewing my PMP only if these are in my interests. These events typically earn 1-2 PDUs. Besides, you have to set your schedule to attend the event. In each three-year renew PMP cycle, I attend one or two free events and earn PDUs. However, I do not think it is feasible to earn all PDUs through free events.

How I Found San Francisco Business School PMP PDU Courses

❓ Question: In your last renew PMP cycle, you attended the SFBS 60 PMP PDU course program. How was it? Do you recommend it to other PMP-certified professionals?

Finding 60 PDU hours was a hassle in my previous PMP renewal processes. Because I am a full-time working professional it was not easy to attend seminars, conferences, or other PM activities to earn PDUs. Besides, these activities cost a lot if you are just looking for PDU hours to renew your PMP certification.

This year, I came through with the 60 PMP PDU bundle of San Francisco Business School. I enrolled in the courses immediately and could earn all 60 PDU hours I needed to renew my PMP 100% online. I followed the courses at my own pace and whenever I had time. After submitting the PDU hours I earned for each course, PMI approved them and I could renew my PMP easily.

Not only did I earn PDUs, but also I gained business skills and certifications. The program offers Executive Leadership Training, Strategy Development & Execution Training, and Marketing Strategy Training. All these courses helped me to sharpen my business skills and I started to apply them already in my work!

Very straightforward, hassle-free, and affordable PMP renewal process. Thanks to San Francisco Business School!

What I Do After Earning PMP PDU Hours

❓ Question: How do you report your PMP PDU hours? Do you wait for the end of the cycle, or submit it right away?

I submit PMP PDU hours right after I earn them. This is what PMI recommends as well. Because there might be issues in PMI submissions or PMI might ask for additional documentation for approval. Therefore, instead of waiting for the end of the cycle, I claim my PDUs right after I complete an activity.

If the activity is already recognized by PMI, typically I receive an approval email immediately. For instance, for the San Francisco Business School’s PMP PDU courses, PMI approved my submissions right away.

Once I complete 60 PDUs, the next step is paying the PMP renewal fee and extending the PMP validity for another three years. Sometimes, the “renew PMP” fee is cheaper if you opt to be a PMI member for one year. I check if the PMI membership will reduce the total PMP renewal fee and opt for membership accordingly.

What’s Next After PMP Renewal

❓ Question: What do you do after you renew PMP certification?

First, I feel relief as it takes time, effort, and cost to earn PMP PDU hours, report them, and renew PMP certification. However, the next cycle starts immediately. So, I keep on looking for activities, courses, and events that I can enhance my skills, for instance, I am looking to improve my leadership skills. While I am looking for activities that will enhance my competence, I am checking if they earn PDUs as well. If they both match, I jump on the activity.

I wish all PMP-certified professionals happy learning and smooth renewal cycles!

The post Julia Boyer: How I Renew My PMP – 2026 PMP PDU Options appeared first on San Francisco Business School.

If you hold a PMI certification, you need to earn a certain amount of PDUs to renew your certification. Professionals seek Free PDU resources when it comes to renewing their certification. They look for Free PMP PDU courses, Free PDU webinars, Free PDU events, and so on.

In this article, we’ve explored the 11 legitimate PMI-approved free PDU earning ways. Let’s go on through each way one by one.

📌 Hint: Do not skip this article, you will find FREE PDU resources throughout the article.

How many PDUs do you need to claim?

Before diving into free PMP PDU resources, you should determine how many PDUs you need to claim to renew your certification. PMI requires a different number of PDUs for each certification track.

• If you have a PMP®, PgMP®, PfMP®, or PMI-PBA®, you must earn 60 PDUs in a three-year cycle. There is a further requirement for these 60 PDUs as well. You must earn at least 35 Education PDUs and you can earn at most 25 Giving Back PDUs.
• If you have a PMI-ACP®, PMI-RMP®, or PMI-SP®, you must earn 30 PDUs in a three-year cycle. You must earn at least 18 Education PDUs and you can earn at most 12 Giving Back PDUs.
• If you have a CAPM®, you must earn 15 PDUs in a three-year cycle. You must earn at least 9 Education PDUs and you can earn at most 6 giving back PDUs.

Note that, there are further details about PMI triangle categories. You can learn more about PMP PDU requirements. Let’s move on to Free PMP PDU earning ways now.

💡Julia Boyer renewed her PMP certification. Read Julia’s PMP renewal story!

Free PDU Categories at a Glance

There are two main categories to earn Free PDUs. Education and Giving Back. Education PDUs can be earned at professional seminars, webinars, classes, or even self-directed learning. Giving Back to the Profession PDUs can be earned through volunteering, mentoring, working with professional groups, and more. Each of these are the ways to earn Free PMP PDU hours.

The following table summarizes the 11 ways to earn Free PDU for PMP Renewal.

You can watch our 11 PMI Approved Ways to Earn PDUs video on YouTube.

1st Free PDU Earning Way – Free PMP PDU Courses

As we’ve highlighted in the table, Free PMP renewal PDU course programs are the most popular way to earn PDUs among PMP-certified professionals. The following infographic summarizes why PMI-certified professionals opt for PDU courses when renewing their certifications.

While there are several benefits of renewing PMP through PMP renewal PDU courses, here are the top five reasons:

1. No Caps: There is no maximum limit for the education category, so, you can earn all 60 PMP PDUs in one program, and renew your PMP. You do not need to go elsewhere to find additional PDUs.
2. Self-Paced: You do not need to attend an event, conference, or seminar. You can follow the courses at your place, at your pace.
3. Affordable: Depending on the program content, you can enroll in a self-paced PMP Renewal PDU course bundle for ~$200-300. However, seminars or conferences start from $1,000, not only that, you cannot earn all PDU needs in one event.
4. Requires less effort: When you enroll in PMP Renewal PDU Courses, all you have to do is follow the curriculum, earn PDUs, and renew your PMP. However, other PDU earning ways require significant effort from the PMP-certification holder such as creating content, sharing a presentation, volunteering, etc.
5. Less prone to PMI audit: Since the PDU training programs are used by many PMP-certified professionals, PMI already has a track and record of the activities. However, for other categories, PDU submissions are more unique and may be more likely to hit a PMI audit.

We’ve explored this alternative in detail in the PMP PDU Courses article.

Free PDU Courses or Training Programs Accepted by PMI as a Source of PDU

PMI accepts instructor-led formal education courses or classes held in-person or online. Here is a list of courses accepted by PMI as a source of PDUs.

• Virtual and in-person instructor-led courses from PMI Training
• Online courses are available on demand
• Academic education through programs accredited by the PMI Global Accreditation Center (GAC)
• Training courses offered by PMI Authorized Training Partners
• Disciplined Agile or PMP® certification training courses offered by a PMI Authorized Training Partner
• Courses from other third-party providers (SFBS 60 PMP PDU Course Online program belongs to this category).

Note that, earning all PDU needs through Free PDU resources is not practical. However, you can earn a few Free PDU hours from Free PDU courses.

San Francisco Business School offers a comprehensive 60 PMP PDU Online Course program. The program offers three self-paced business training programs: Executive Leadership, Strategy Creation & Execution, and Marketing Strategy. For each course in the program, SFBS awards a certificate of graduation. While earning PDUs, you will earn reputable business merits to highlight in your resume and LinkedIn.

Watch how Julia Earned 60 PDUs and Renewed Her PMP

Julia Boyer is a PMP-certified Professional from Dallas, Texas. Julia enrolled in the 60 PMP PDU Program from SFBS and renewed her PMP. Watch now her PMP renewal journey.

2nd Way – Attending Free Global Events

Several project management conferences, events, and activities are organized throughout the year. Note that, these events are generally premium events and you need a ticket to attend the event. However, some employers pay for the ticket price for their employees. Or, if the employer is a sponsor in the organization, employees of the sponsor organization can attend for free. So, you can attend these events and earn Free PDUs for your PMI certification renewal.

Typically, a one-day activity earns 6 PDUs. So, if you attended a two-day event, you will earn around 12 PDUs.

Attending global events has benefits like expanding your professional network and learning the changing trends in your domain. However, there are some pitfalls to these events.

• Typically organized in big cities. If you are living in a relatively smaller city, you might not see any events to earn PDUs.
• Requires in-person attendance. Many of the events take a few days, and you have to take days off from your work to attend these events.
• Expensive. Typically, these events are charged $1,000/day. So, for a two-day event, you need to pay around $2,000. Travel and accommodation, if needed, are not included in these fees.
• Does not earn 60 PDUs at once. Although it requires a significant amount of time and money, you cannot earn all 60 PDUs through one event.

Considering you are a full-time working professional and looking to earn 60 PMP Renewal PDU hours in one step, we do not recommend this way for earning Free PDUs.

3rd Way – Local Free PDU Meetings

PMI has an extensive network in many countries and cities. In many major cities, there are PMI chapters and they organize 1-2 hour events every month. In many cases, these events are for free. Typically, one presenter talks about a topic for 1-2 hours and the attendees follow the activity. These activities typically earn 1-2 PDUs. You can earn Free PDUs by attending these Free PDU meetings.

4th Way – Free PMP PDU Online or Digital Media

PMI accepts self-paced learning activities as a source of PDUs. You can find several Free PMP PDU programs online while many of them offer limited PDUs. San Francisco Business School offers a self-paced Free PMP PDU Course Online Program as well. If you attend this program, you can earn 3 Free PDUs and submit them in the Online or Digital Media sub-category under the Education category.

Free PMP PDU Webinars

There are several project management webinars organized on the web. If you can attend these Free PDU webinars, you can earn Free PMP PDU hours to claim on your PMI profile. Free PMP PDU webinars typically earn 1 PDU and last for one hour.

Free PDU webinars can be on different business-related topics. Such as how to start your own company, fundamentals of entrepreneurship, common mistakes on project management, etc.

5th Way – Reading Free PDU Resources

Self-directed reading relevant to the certification you hold can be claimed for PDUs. For instance, reading a project management-related blog, a business education blog, or a book can count PDUs toward renewing your PMP certification. 1 hour of reading counts as 1 PDU, however, everyone’s reading pace is different. So, earning Free PDUs for PMP renewal through reading resources is not a crystal clear way to go.

6th Way – Informal Learning

You can earn Free PDUs by engaging in structured professional discussions with others, for example, mentoring or “lunch and learn” sessions. For instance, if you are giving a presentation to your colleagues about project management, you can submit this as PDUs.

Important Note: The 7th through 11th Way of Earning PMP Renewal PDUs below are under the Giving Back category. As we’ve outlined in the beginning of the article, you can claim a maximum of 25 PDUs through Giving Back PDUs.

7th Way – Free PDU for PMP Renewal as Working as a Practitioner

By working in your certified role, you can earn Free PDUs by applying your knowledge and skills in a practical setting. If you are working in a project management-related role, you can earn up to 8 Free PDUs as working as a practitioner. However, it has a limitation. PMI accepts a maximum of 8 PDUs in a three-year cycle for the work as a practitioner category.

After earning 8 Free PDUs under the Working as a Practitioner category, you will need additional PDUs to complete your 60 PMP PDU cycle. SFBS offers 45, 30, and 15 PDU programs as well.

• 45 PMP PDU Program
• 30 PMP PDU Program
• 15 PMP PDU Program

If you need fewer than 60 PDUs, you can opt for one of these programs.

8th Way – Create Content

Do you write articles or blogs? Give webinars? Make videos? Today’s digital world is full of new content and anything you create counts towards your re-certification. Typically, you can claim Free PDU hours for the hours you worked on project management content creation. For instance, if you wrote a blog post for an hour, you can claim 1 PDU in your PMI profile.

Creating content is cumbersome. There are several aspects of curating quality content. If your profession involves creating content, it is fine, you can earn Free PMP renewal PDU hours while you are working. However, just to earn PDUs, creating content is a tough path.

9th Way – Give a Presentation

If you speak at your organization, at a PMI chapter event, or at a conference, you can claim PDUs for it. For instance, if you gave a speech in a project management activity for an hour, you can claim 1 hour PDU for this activity in your PMI profile.

While there are nearly one million PMP-certified professionals, only a few thousand professionals could have earned PMP PDUs through this way. Because giving a speech to top-notch professionals requires exclusive skills. Besides, you should be invited to these events as a speaker, so you can earn PDUs.

10th Way – Share Knowledge

Others can benefit from your experience and knowledge. Keep track of the time you spend mentoring and teaching and claim it towards re-certification. An example of this can be sharing your knowledge in a discussion group at work. If you have a group of professionals sharing knowledge, if you attend those activities, you can claim Free PDUs.

For instance, if you’ve explored the ways of using AI in project management and want to share this knowledge with your colleagues, you can earn a Free PDU for PMP renewal through this activity. You can gather in a meeting room and share your knowledge with your colleagues.

11th Way – Volunteer

PMI is just one of many organizations that relies on volunteers. Why not become one and earn Free PDU credit toward re-certification in the process? You can search for volunteering options at the PMI website. Note that, these activities may not be available in your location if you are living in a small city.

Summary of Free PDU Ways

PMI requires PMI-certified professionals to earn PDU hours every three years. There are 11 ways to earn Free PDUs. The first six are under the Education category and the last five are under the Giving Back category. You can earn all required PDUs in the Education category. However, there is a maximum PDU earning limit for the Giving Back category.

PMP Renewal PDU course programs are the most popular way to earn PDUs. Professionals choose to earn PDUs through courses because they are self-paced, affordable, and require less effort. Since there is no cap for the education category, professionals can earn all the required PDUs at once through PMP PDU course programs. One of the other benefits of PDU courses is they are less prone to PMI audits.

The post 11 Free PDU Earning Ways – Free PMP PDU Sources appeared first on San Francisco Business School.