Do you hold a PMP® Certification? You need 60 PMP PDU hours every three years to retain your PMP certification. PMP-certified professionals have lots of questions about the PMP PDU details. We’ve explored all topics about PMP PDU in this post.

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

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

Why do I need PMP PDU Hours?

PMI requires PMP certification holders to earn 60 PMP PDU hours every three years to retain their certification. That is why you need PMP PDU hours if you hold a PMP certification.

PMP® Certification is the most renowned project management certification around the globe. There are more than one million PMP-certified professionals around the world. For sure, the US is the most dominant country for PMP certification with nearly 400,000 PMP certification holders. (Numbers taken from PMI website).

While you earned it, do not lose it just because of missing PMP PDU hours in your renewal cycle. Because many organizations looking for project management roles are requiring PMP certification. You can see a sample LinkedIn job posting from California, and PMP certification is required for the position.

What are the PMP PDU Requirements?

There are certain requirements to earn PMP PDU hours. Let’s dive into PMP PDU requirements.

There are two main PMP PDU categories:

1. Education: Education PDUs can be earned at professional seminars, webinars, classes, or even self-directed learning.
2. Giving Back to the Profession: Giving Back PDUs are for time spent volunteering, mentoring, working with professional groups, and more.

For each PMI certification track, there are further requirements, such as minimum and maximum PDUs that can be earned from each category.

PMP PDU requirement for certification holders is to collect 60 PDUs through a maximum of 25 Giving Back PDUs and a minimum of 35 Education PDUs. However, there is no cap for education PDUs. You can earn all 60 PDUs in the education category. You can see the PMP PDU requirements breakdown in the following figure.

The 35 Education PDUs also have other requirements:

• reporting at least 8 Ways of Working project management PDUs
• reporting at least 8 Business Acumen PDUs
• reporting at least 8 Power Skills PDUs.

There is a maximum PDU reporting cap for the Working as a Professional subcategory of the Giving Back PDU category. If you are working in a project management related job, you can report up to 8 PDUs under working as a professional PDU category.

What are the PMP PDU Courses?

As we’ve outlined in the PDU categories section, there are two main ways to earn PDU: Education and Giving Back. PDU courses are a way to earn PDU credits in Education Category.

There are six different sub-categories under the Education category to earn PDU hours. Let’s explore these:

1- Course or Training

Instructor-led formal education courses or classes held in-person or online belong to this category.

• 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).

You can read more on our PMP PDU Courses article.

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.

2- Global Events

Meetings and events that bring together the global community are another way to earn PDUs. These events include educational sessions, keynote, and featured speakers. Typically you can earn 7 to 50 PDUs by attending these events.

3- Local Meetings

Local activities and events that are related to the project management profession count for PDUs. Often held at PMI chapters, these are also a great opportunity to network. These meetings earn typically 1 to 2 PDUs.

4- Online or Digital Media

Self-paced learning is conducted online or through varied forms of digital media. (SFBS Free PMP PDU Course Online Program belongs to this category).

5- Reading

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.

6- Informal Learning

You can earn 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 PDU.

Explore 11 Ways of Earning PMP Renewal PDU.

Can I earn Free PMP PDUs?

There are several free courses, webinars, and events that you can attend and earn PDUs toward renewing your PMP certification. However, earning all required 60 PDUs from free resources will not be practical. 60 PDU hours require around 60 hours of activity. Most of the PMP-certified professionals are full-time working busy professionals, we assume you are busy too. Therefore, it is not easy to find free events. Even if there are PDU events in your neighborhood, that may not fit your schedule.

SFBS offers a 3-hour Free PMP PDU Course program as well. You can earn 3 PDUs by attending this program.

Free PMP PDU Webinars

Some platforms schedule online free webinars. If a webinar is about project management, you can submit PDUs for the duration of the webinar. For instance, if you attended a 1-hour webinar on negotiation skills, you can submit 1 PDU in your PMI profile.

Finding free PDU resources and fitting them into your schedule can be cumbersome. Most of the PMP-certified professionals attend a self-paced PMP PDU course program, they follow the courses at their pace and earn PDUs easily.

Learn more about the 11 Free PDU Earning Ways.

How many PMP PDU Hours can I claim for Working as a Practitioner?

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.

What are the best PMP PDU Online Courses?

If you’ve googled about the PMP PDU online courses, you will see several resources. Some of them offer technical courses, that will not benefit to your career. Some of them offer just PDF papers to read, and that does not bring any skills.

The best PDU online courses should offer you business courses, earn new business skills, and contribute to your career growth.

For instance, 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.

Program #1- Executive Leadership Program

Improve your decision-making, and cross-functional competence, expand your understanding of the global marketplace, and build your way to servant leadership. Learn how to tackle business challenges. Earns 20 PMP PDUs.

Program #2- Strategy Creation & Execution Program

Develop the global perspective, quantitative background, and creative problem-solving skills to take your strategy from formulation to execution. Harness the power of disruptive innovation to craft winning strategies and turn them into play. Earns 30 PMP PDUs.

Program #3- Marketing Strategy Program

Boost revenue and profit by targeting the right segments, designing effective go-to-market strategies, and building high-value brands. Align your marketing and promotion efforts with business strategy to maximize Return on Investment. Earns 10 PMP PDUs.

Summary

PMP certification holders need to earn 60 PMP PDU hours every three years to maintain their certification. There are two main categories of PMP PDUs: Education and Giving Back. Education PDUs can be earned through courses, webinars, events, reading, and informal learning. Giving Back PDUs can be earned through volunteering, mentoring, and working with professional groups.

There are certain requirements for earning PMP PDU hours. For the Education category, at least 35 PDUs must be earned, with a minimum of 8 PDUs in each of the Ways of Working, Business Acumen, and Power Skills subcategories. For the Giving Back category, a maximum of 25 PDUs can be earned, with a maximum of 8 PDUs for working as a professional. There is no maximum limit for earning PDUs in the education category. You can earn all 60 PDUs in the Education category.

While there are some free PDU offerings, completing 60 PDUs through free activities is not practical. Choose a PMP PDU course that will enhance your business skills and earn new certificates that will shine in your resume.

The post PMP PDU Guide [Updated] – Incl. Free PMP PDU Courses appeared first on San Francisco Business School.

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.