TOPIC: PMP Audit Application Rejected

I submitted my application last week and was rejected within 12 hours. This is the message I got

"Eligibility Not Met; Project Management Role
Perform duties under general supervision and are responsible for all aspects of the project for the life of the project
Lead and direct cross-functional teams to deliver projects within the constraints of schedule, budget, and resources
Demonstrate sufficient knowledge and experiences to appropriately apply a methodology to projects that have reasonably well-defined project requirements and deliverables

We were able to ascertain from the project descriptions if you had led and directed cross functional teams throughout the duration of the project."

I re-wrote my project descriptions but am afraid of getting rejected again. Do you think this is good enough to get approved?

Project Objective:
Install various equipment foundations, spill containment moats, a retaining wall, and a fire suppression system to support the expansion/upgrade of the electric substation. Upgrading the station will support the reinforcement of the electric grid.
Role: Chief Construction Inspector
Responsibilities:
IN – Assessed the project, identified key stakeholders, and performed a stakeholder analysis.
PL – Identified the project team and their roles and responsibilities. Assessed detailed project requirements, constraints, and assumptions. Procured necessary resources including personnel, equipment, and materials. Coordinated with contractors to obtain a site safety plan.
EX – Managed the project team’s performance and monitored project progress to ensure the project was within budget and schedule. Implemented approved changes according to the change management plan. Worked with the engineering team to address issues and changes to the plan. Managed task execution and communications.
MC – Monitored project progress. Held weekly meetings to provide status updates to stakeholders and ensure the project was meeting objectives and success criteria. Worked with contractors to ensure project deliverables conformed to project scope and safety regulations.

Outcome - This project is still in progress and is on target to be completed by 5/1/23

Any feedback is appreciated

Hi Arline,

I am sorry to hear about the recent unfortunate news from PMI about your application being rejected. Do not despair; this happens more often than you think, and you have the chance to resubmit your application again.

As you know, the project manager's role and responsibility is to plan, organize, and direct the completion of a specific project. For the PMI to approve your PMP application, you must provide all the proof, including in-depth context with brief practical details about the projects you led and your role. You don't necessarily have to give an example of your projects as the PM of set projects; however, you must demonstrate how you applied project management skills and tools (i.e., PM software such as ClickUP, Monday.com, etc.) to complete your projects. You should avoid only listing tasks with PMI buzzwords without further explanation and context to support them.

Your revised project description above is good overall. I have the following small suggestions :

1) I suggest you make your project description personal using "I" instead of sounding like a resume. Also, you can state which methodology (Waterfall, Agile, or Hybrid) you used for your projects and which one your organization prefers.

2) Demonstrate at a high level the task you were involved in, led, and directed in PMI language with one or two brief examples describing the process you took to increase the chance for your application to get approved. I think using examples, if possible, will help elevate your application.

3) Use as much PMI language as appropriate throughout your application. Avoid just using PMI language like buzzwords without context. You want to be brief with your project's summary, while providing enough vital information.


I hope this was helpful to you. I wish you all the best of luck; you can do it!

Hello Arline,

I tend to agree with Jean. I can share a little bit about my personal experience when applying for the PMP exam. When describing the projects I led and used to count towards my application, I used the Exam Content Outline almost like a job description and I described my experiences using a cover letter format in one fluid narrative. I had 3 experiences that were included in my application and I tried to use as many key words from the ECO as I could fit in those three experience descriptions. Since I was excited to share my experiences and all the work that went behind leading those projects, I tried to avoid repeating key words between the experiences and tried to make each experience sound unique and tell a different story from the others.

You can use the format that you proposed, breaking down into process groups. but you don't necessarily have to follow that format. I believe PMI wants to see how you describe your experience leading projects using their language, so as long as you use the key words and tell it in your own way, they should be able to recognize your experience. Feel free to share your revised version so we can have a look at it before you re-send it.

Regards,