5 practical project management certifications

As in most fields, pursuing a project management certification can be as murky as a bowl of alphabet soup. Here’s how to determine which PM certification offers you the knowledge needed for real-world application and promising job prospects.

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CompTIA Project+

CompTIA is a not-for-profit trade organization that developed its first certification back in 1993. The CompTIA Project+ certification belongs to its professional series of certifications and is very similar in nature to PMI’s CAPM in that it is an entry-level, vendor neutral, project management credential developed through input from external industry experts.

Prerequisites for the CompTIA Project+:

This certification has no prerequisites.
However, one year of managing, directing or participating in small- to medium-scale projects is recommended prior to pursuing this certification.

The benefit in obtaining the certification is the absence of education and experience prerequisites, yet the drawback also may be the absence of these prerequisites, which demonstrate a rudimentary level of knowledge acquired prior to certification. This is a great option for students and candidates seeking project management knowledge without the process of meeting demanding requirements.

The cost to write the exam for the CompTIA Project+ is $277.

CompTIA also offers several other technology certifications.

Regardless of which certification you choose, the entry level credentials can lead to career options such as junior project manages, project analysts, project schedulers or project coordinators, with the more senior level certifications opening up additional advanced career options that can be fairly limitless in project management as well as related fields.