TOPIC: Can you kindly clarify regarding earning 60 PDUS?

Question: Can you kindly clarify regarding earning 60 PDUS every 3 years? Do we need to submit PDUs in all 6 category (A, B, C, D, E, and F) or can we submit all 60 PDUs under Category A or under any one of the category alone?

- Sreelatha Setty, Hyderabad

Answer: There are only two categories that allow you to submit the total of the 60 PDUs needed: Category A and B. So if you wanted to, you could theoretically earn and claim all your 60 PDUs in Category A, or 60 in Category B.

The other categories all have a maximum limit. So, for example, you cannot claim 60 PDUs in Category C. (Actually… you can claim them, but the PMI CCRS system will only count 30 of them for you.)

Category C has a maximum limit of 30 PDUS and category D/E/F have a combined maximum limit of 45 PDUs.

My recommendation is that you try and use the following three “easy” categories for submitting your PDUs:

Category F:
Here you will automatically earn 15 PDUs in 3 years if you are employed as a project manager. So all you have to do is do your job.

Category C:
Here you can earn 30 PDUs by reading books or listening to the free PM Podcast at www.pm-podcast.com/pdu

Category A:
Earn the final 15 PDUs you need through formal training. For example you can attend the dinner meeting of your local PMI chapter, attend a local project management conference, take a training class in Agile project management, or participate in an online webinar.