TOPIC: How can I maximize the benefit of having the PDUs?

Question:

Hi Cornelius,

I have just now completed the ACP Prepcast. It was a great program and I am glad I experienced it. My goal is to have the ACP certification by the end of the year.

Question regarding the final exam...

If I take and pass the exam TODAY, I will receive Agile eligible PDUs. HOwever, I do not have my ACP certificate yet. On top of that, I am currently a PMP and have my 60 PDUs for that certification already (in advance of my May, 2015 cycle renewal.)

What is the best option to use the PDUs from the final exam? Can I submit them NOW and they would carry over into the next cycle? (I can carry over up to 20 PDUs, correct?) Should I wait until after I get the ACP certificate and take the exam then? Should I wait until my cycle renews?

Sorry to bombard with questions...just want to make sure I can maximize the benefit of having the PDUs!

Thank you for any insight you can provide.

Kris Sellers

Answer:

Kris,

As a general rule, Contact Hours and PDUs are earned at the time when the qualifying activity happens. Not on the day you receive the certificate. So for you, this means that because you have watched The Agile PrepCast over the past weeks, you have earned the Contact Hours / PDUs at this time.

Taking the final exam is just a required formality for printing/receiving your certificate, and does not change the date of when the Contact Hours/PDUs were actually earned.

As an analogy: If you go to a class today to earn 8 PDUs, you cannot suddenly go ahead and say that the class was in January of 2015 even if the provider waits until then to send you a confirmation slip. The class happened today and so your PDUs were earned today.

So what does this mean for you:

You have watched The Agile PrepCast, therefore you have already earned the Contact Hours/PDUs at this time.
Go ahead and take the Final Exam, so that you can print your certificate. This certificate is just the confirmation that you have already earned them.
This certificate can now be applied in two ways:
First, this certificate gives you the necessary Contact Hours so that can finish your PMI-ACP exam application. So use the info from the certificate on your PMI-ACP Application. This does not expire. You can wait 1 week or 10 years with this.
Second, you can also claim 37 PDUs via ccrs.pmi.org . The system will automatically apply these PDUs to your PMP certification. And if applicable, then 20 PDUs will "roll over".I believe it is applicable to you, because you are currently in your third year of the renewal cycle (if I understood your email correctly).