How to get your PMP 

application approved on 

your first try 
By: ExamsPM

You are ready to get your PMP certification, but you don’t know how to write your 
application, especially the project description section.  
 
You are in luck! This guide will cover everything you need to know about the PMP 
application process. We will even include real project description samples that 
have passed the PMI audit.  
 
Let’s get started!  

Project Management Professional PMP 

application process 
Congratulations on making the excellent decision to submit your PMP 
application!  

This is a great investment for your project management career. We are going 
to answer all the questions you have and provide you with some samples to 
help you get started. 
Your PMP application is designed to verify that you have a background in 
project management. More importantly, it allows you to put the Project 
Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) into practice. Here is an overview 
of how the the process works. 

PMP Application Requirements   

The first step to the PMP application process is making sure that you are 
eligible to take the exam.  

The PMI has two eligibility criteria: 1) project management experience, and 2) 
project management education. Let’s look at both in detail below. 

1. Project Management Experience 

If you have a bachelor’s degree or higher, you will need 4,500 hours of 
project management experience over a minimum of 3 years. 

If you have a high school diploma you need 7,500 hours of project 
management experience over a minimum of 5 years. 

The key word here is “project management experience.” If you were working 
as a waitress, that work experience won’t count towards your PMP 
application.  

How can you tell whether or not your experience will count towards your 
certification? 
You can determine whether or not your meet the exam requirements by asking 
yourself the following questions: 

1) Did I work in a professional setting?  

Volunteer positions won’t count towards your PMP.  

2) Did I perform project management functions in my role?  

You don’t necessarily need the title “project manager” (although it is 
recommended). If you performed any tasks covered in the PMBOK 
guide, then that experience will count towards your application.  

From our experiences, we’ve seen many candidates with titles such as 
“QA analyst” or “senior BA” qualify for their PMP.  

It is important to highlight the project management experience that you 

gained through your job on your application. More on this shortly.  

3) Did you work on a project?  

The Project Management Institute (PMI) defines a project as “​a 

temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service or 
result. A project is temporary in that it has a defined beginning and end in 
time, and therefore, defined scope and resources.” 
 By applying this definition, a salesperson who routinely makes sales calls 
will not be eligible for the PMP credentials because he worked in 
operations, not a project.  

Here are a couple of examples of scenarios where the person had enough 
experience to apply, even though they were not official project managers. 

I have been working as IT manager at a bank for 7 years. I have lead multiple 
hardware and software update projects but I have never had the Project 
Manager title. 

I have been a business analyst for 15 years. Over the last 5 years I have taken 
more responsibility in my projects and I assist with the project management 
activities. 

PMP Application Hours 

Here’s a few tips to help you calculate your work experience hours. Keep 
in mind that when you’re filling in your hours, PMI has a good worksheet 
on their website, which includes a calculator as well.  

Tips: When you finish your PMP application, you can export it as a PDF for 
review.  

How to calculate your project management experience hours: 

 1. Keep in mind that the PMI will count a maximum of 40 hours a week. 
Also, only work experience within the last 8 years is valid. 
2. Remember to only include the hours spent on project management 
activities. For example, if you spent 30% of your time on project 
management activities on a 1 month project you will record only 48 
hours on your PMP application. 
3. Use a spreadsheet to record your hours breakdown in order to make 
sure that you have the required total number of hours. 
4. You just need to do a high level estimate of how many hours you’ve 
worked on project management activities. For example, 1,500 hours on 
project 1 is sufficient. You don’t need to say 1,439 hours and spend 
hours recounting all of the hours you’ve worked.   
5. Click here for a detailed article on how to calculate your PMP hours  

2. Project Management Education Hours 

The PMI also requires you to have 35 hours of project management education 
( 35 contact hours) in order to qualify for your PMP exam.  

Unfortunately, time spent reading the PMBOK on your own does not qualify as 
contact hours.  

A great way get your contact hours while preparing for the exam is through a 
PMP training course.  
ExamsPM offers a great 6th edition PMP Prep Course that can provide you 
with the required 35 hours. You can sign up for a f​ ree training webinar​ for 
more information. 

PMP Application Project Descriptions 

The toughest part of the PMP application is the project descriptions. The 
purpose of these descriptions is to show the PMI that you have experience 
leading and directing projects. 

Here are some useful tips for writing the PMP application project 
descriptions. 

Domain Areas  

Firstly, you need to ensure that you have experience in all 5 of the 
domain areas outlined by PMI. The five domain areas are initiating, 
planning, executing, monitoring & controlling, and closing.  
 
Within each of these 5 domains, there are tasks or activities that you 
can do. For example, one process within the initiating process group is 
develop project charter.  
 
You need to ensure that you have at least 1 terminology from each 
process group in your project description.  
 
Here is a table with some PMBOK terminologies to help you get started: 
  
 

When you’re writing your project description, make sure you focus on what 
YOU have done on the project, not what the team has achieved as a whole.  

Remember, the goal of the description is to show PMI that you have the 
necessary project management experience to qualify for your PMP.  

When you’re writing your application description, follow these 3 simple step 
process:  

1. Briefly describe the objective of the project. For example, “​This project 
created a billing software application for a financial institution.​”  
2. If you’ve claimed hours in a domain area, then you need to ensure that 
you highlight what you’ve done in that domain area using PMBOK 
terminologies. We will cover an example shortly.  
3. Briefly describe the outcome of the project.  
 Tips: Although you don’t need to cover all 5 domain areas in every single 
project description, you do need to ensure that you have hours for all 5 
domains across all of your projects.  

PMP Application Sample Project Descriptions 

Now, let’s take a look at how to write your project descriptions. We will start 
off with a bad example and then show you how to write a good one.  

If you do not write your descriptions correctly, your application will be denied.  

Let’s start with an unsuccessful PMP application example – here’s what you 
shouldn’t do: 

I worked as a software engineer for InfoCentric Consulting for 6 months. The 

team was responsible for building a new software system which I designed 
from scratch. I also did most of the programming and was responsible for QA. I 
also managed a team of 3 junior software developers. 

The problem with this example is that it does not show that the individual lead 
and directed the project according to project management principles.  

Also, people management is not the same as project management so his 

management experience would not qualify.  

This sample does not use any project management terminology. 

Here is an example of how to write a good PMP application project 
description: 

The project was to create a new website for an accounting firm. I d

​ eveloped the 
Project Charter​ by working with i​ dentified stakeholders​ to document high level 
scope, timelines and budget. I c
​ reated the Project Management Plan​ including 
the project schedule, risk management plan and WBS. I g
​ athered work 
performance data,​ including percentage complete, deliverable completion and 
quality data. I ensured that ​team members​ were ​completing the correct tasks 
according to the priority laid out in the WBS. I used data gathered in execution 
to ​monitor project against time, cost and quality baseline​. I ​communicated 
status to stakeholders​ through weekly status meetings and reports. I m
​ anaged 
the change control process​ by ​implementing only approved change requests​. I 
updated project documents​ and ​documented lessons learned​ upon successful 
project closure. 

Note: Bold words represent use of PMBOK terminologies.  

Click here to see more examples of successful PMP application project 

descriptions 

PMP Application Form (+ Experience 

Worksheet)  
Here is a quick step-by-step guide to completing the online application for the 
PMP. 

1. Create a profile on the PMI website (www.pmi.org) 

2. After you have created and account, click on certifications and select 
ready to apply 

3. Select PMP from the list of certifications and begin your application 
  

4. The first step of the application is to record your contact information 

  

5. Next, you will be asked to record your education details 

 
6. Now you can start to input your experience. You can save and resume 
the application as many times as you need. The PMI also provides a 
quick dashboard for you to quickly verify that you have enough 
experience hours. 

7. For each project you will be asked for an overview of your experience 

8. You will then be asked for details about the organization 

  

9. Next you will be asked for the contact details of your reference. Make 
sure to tell your references that you will be providing their information 
and if possible provide them with the project description that you are 
including with your applications. References will be contacted only if 
you are selected for an audit (don’t worry – we will talk about the audit 
process). 

 
10. You will be asked to provide the number of hours spent in each 
knowledge area 

11. Next you will be asked to add a brief description of each project. We 
will cover the PMP application project descriptions in detail below. 
12. Finally you will be asked to provide details on your 35 contact hours. 
  

13. You will be given an opportunity to review your application before you 
submit 

The PMP Application Audit process 

The PMI randomly selects a percentage of applicants to audit. Don’t panic – 
there is nothing wrong with your application.  

If you are selected, you are be required to provide copies of your educational 
certificates and you will need to get all of your contact people to sign a 
verification form.  

Your contacts needs to verify that you’ve actually worked on the projects that 
you’ve listed.  

You need to physically mail all of your audit documents to PMI. Unfortunately, 
electronic copies are not accepted.  

Tips: Before you submit your application, send a copy to your contact person 
and ensure that they agree with what you wrote before you submit it.  

Click here to learn more about the PMP audit process 

Application Fee (Full Cost Breakdown)

How much does it cost to submit your application?  
 
It is free to start on your application. When you’re ready to submit, you’ll be asked 
to pay the exam fees.  
 
We recommend that you register as a PMI member before you submit your 
application because you will pay the reduced fees.  
 
Here is a table outlining the total fees you’ll need to pay to take this exam: 
 

How long is the wait time? 

The wait time to hear back from PMI is 5-10 business days. Sometimes, you’ll 
find out that your application has been approved within 24 hours.  
 
The wait time depends upon how many applications PMI has in its queue. The 
longer the queue, the longer the wait.  

You’re application has been approved – 

now what? 
You will be sent an email with a link to make a payment when your application 
is approved. 
  

Once you make a payment, you will be sent an email to book your PMP exam. 

When should you book your PMP exam?

You can book your exam within 1 year after your application has been 
approved. If you do not write your exam within your 1 year eligibility period, 
you will need to apply again.  

You can book your exam with Prometrics. The exam schedule will vary from 
city to city. The PMP and CAPM exams are not exams that happen at specific 
times of the year.  
The exam dates and times generally vary week to week. It is set by the 
Prometrics centre in your area.  

Final Advice + Checklist for Your 

Application 

You now know everything that you need to know to write a winning PMP 
application. Before we go, here’s some pieces of advice: 

● You only have 550 CHARACTERS (not 550 words) per description. Use 
this space with intention.  
● Do not dump a list of terms in your project description. Rather, use the 
PMI terminologies skillfully to highlight what you’ve achieved on your 
projects.  
● Although PMI does not state a maximum number of projects that you 
can list in your application, try to keep the number of projects that you 
list to 2 - 6. Anything more than 10 is excessive and you should consider 
grouping your projects together.  
● You can map out your experiences in excel first before you . ExamsPM 
has an application template in Excel in our course. If you are a 
registered student, you’ll find this in the bonus area.  
Congratulations! You are now one step closer to getting PMP certified! We 
hope that this certification guide helped you to achieve your goal.  

If you’d like to learn more about the PMP certification, please register for our 
free course​ where we will teach you how you can get certified in the next 6 
weeks.