Certified Project Master (CPM)
A Certified Project Master (CPM) is a project leader and innovator.
They have been independently assessed against a broad range of project management competencies, and can apply a suite of specialised technical and managerial skills to initiate, plan, execute and evaluate their own project work and the work of others.
CPM candidates need to have been assessed on a minimum of 30 hours’ project education, then evidence the full-time equivalent of at least three (3) years’ full-time experience leading project, program and/or portfolio teams before proceeding to examination.
Qualifying projects must meet the minimum standard for complexity specified in the Assessment Guide, and years of leadership experience may be accumulated non-consecutively (for example, over six calendar years).
The final examination invites you to critically reflect upon one or more of these projects, programs or portfolios of work.
Conducting via virtual video-conference, this examination requires you to:
- demonstrate the application of situationally appropriate best-practices in leading people, processes and change in complex and dynamic environments; and
- identify opportunities and contribute to personal, professional and organisational improvement.
Before your examination, you should download and review the adjacent Assessment Guide – feel free to contact us as well if you have any questions about your eligibility and/or the assessment process.
You can apply for Certification via your account profile in OPEN. It is free to register and create an account.
OPEN is a multimedia project management resource hub, available free to all, whether or not you intend applying for Certification.
The 12 online units in OPEN cover all aspects of contemporary project management, including a number of well-known and highly regarded methodologies such as PMBOK, Agile, and PRINCE2.
Successfully completing all the online quizzes that follow each topic will satisfy the knowledge requirements for Certification.
Candidates can attempt these online quizzes an unlimited number of times before they formally apply for Certification. This guarantees you never pay to fail!
The Order of Merit recognises excellence in project management knowledge.
Those Certification holders who attain an overall grade of 100% in the OPEN quizzes will be automatically entered into the Institute of Project Management’s Order of Merit.
Build on what you already know
Depending on your professional experience, you may have already engaged in and potentially led complex projects.
The process of obtaining a project management certification will help to formalise the knowledge, skills and experience that you have already earned.
And whereas most project management certifications demand the un-critical rote memorisation of formulas and processes; the Institute of Project Management teaches from a comprehensive body of industry-tested best-practice that is transferable and scalable to any industry, sector or project.
In fact, the Institute’s project management certifications are created and maintained by a diverse international panel of cross-industry thought leaders and experts.
By ensuring that our certifications benchmark only the highest standards, we have earned global recognition, which transfers to immediately and credibly to our certification holders.
Open doors
Holding an internationally recognised project management certification may help get your foot in the door for a key interview or be an influential factor when pitching for a new client.
Project management certification can also help you to grow your professional network.
Our ever-expanding LinkedIn network of Institute certification holders welcomes a community of fellow project management professionals, potentially opening up new opportunities, roles, clients and even mentorship.
Boost your career
A project management certification will boost your career by codifying your professional knowledge, skills and experience as a project manager.
Certification establishes your commitment to skill development throughout your career.
This shows employers, managers and clients that you’re determined to be recognised as an elite project professional.
Employers are always looking for people with a track record of professional development and how these qualities will contribute to completing projects successfully.
What’s more, a project management certification can help you to take on new responsibilities.
Certification tells your manager or a new employer that you’re prepared to advance your knowledge and are ready to take on more and more challenging and complex projects.
Earn more
Gaining experience will always drive up your earnings but adding an industry-recognised certification to your name can enable you to command higher rates.
Top organisations are always on the look-out for professionals with recognised certifications and will sometimes make it a requirement for higher paying roles.
Numerous studies show that project certification holders can command salaries up to 26% greater than their peers.
Institute of Project Management Certifications validate contemporary best practices in the discipline of project management.
They equally respect both people and process, and do not preference any one standard, methodology or industry approach.
Instead, our Certifications evidence a highly rigorous and transferable baseline of knowledge, skills and experience that can be applied in any project context.
Institute Certification holders are ultimately critical thinkers; they are the project leaders, problem solvers and innovators of the 21st century.
Now is the time to unlock your true career potential by proving your ability to handle challenging projects and increasing your value to employers.
So why should I certify my project management knowledge and skills with the Institute of Project Management?
- Access our free, OPEN, online knowledge library – don’t pay for expensive preparation courses
- Consider alternative assessment options, including the recognition of your prior project management learning
- Receive lifetime certification – no membership, subscription or ongoing fees are required
- Guaranteed global recognition – your project management passport!
- Access direct pathways to higher certification and/or qualifications
- Exponentially increase your career potential and rewards
Employers today are frustrated with “Paper PMs” – project managers who are certified on the basis of completing a theoretical, methodology-specific quiz.
Such quizzes invariably demand rote memorisation of obscure formulas and highly complex process maps that bear only a passing resemblance to how projects are delivered in the real world.
By contrast, the Institute of Project Management goes beyond theory or case-study based assessment, requiring CPM candidates to additionally demonstrate the practical application of project knowledge in their existing workplace.
This means that the organisation learns alongside the candidate as they break down silos to critically review project performance and identify opportunities to improve the delivery of future projects and programs of work.
In fact, employers prefer and invest in Institute certifications for their staff for a whole range of reasons:
- Comprehensive assessment conducted by human experts that validates knowledge, skills and experience
- The Institute assesses people, not CVs – we personally interview, challenge and reference check all candidates at the CPP level and higher
- Instant, online validation of certification authenticity is available via Linkedin and OPEN
- The Institute’s certification marks and post-nominals are accredited to explicitly defined and regularly audited international standards
- Candidates are bound to the Institute’s Code of Ethics for Project Professionals
- Organisations employing Institute certified candidates immediately observe improved project performance
By taking a 21st century approach to competency-based assessment, the CPM certification is the most durable and cost-effective option for experienced project managers looking to independently assure their value to their employer.
CPM certification currently costs $1,250.
If you are eligible to be entered into the Institute’s Order of Merit, there is no additional charge.
All fees are inclusive of lifetime certification – there is nothing more to pay.
You can either pay online when you complete the enrolment / application form, or request an invoice (if, for example, you would like your employer to pay on your behalf).
Discounts may also be available when you use a promotional code provided by one of our community partners.
What project methodology do you teach?
We do not advocate the use of one specific methodology, as our experience in a wide range of global industries shows us that organisations inevitably develop and employ their own unique framework.
Using the proven good practices of PMBOK, PRINCE2, Agile, ISO and other methods, we encourage our practitioners to think critically about what is ‘best’ practice for their own projects and operating environment.
We also don’t exclude people who have studied elsewhere and prefer a particular method. We recognise and accept candidates who have done sufficient PRINCE2, PMI, Agile or University study as meeting the knowledge requirements for our Certifications.
How much does a project manager earn?
Although salaries vary by country, it has been shown that having even a basic certification or qualification in project management adds up to 26% to the value of of an individual’s salary.
The best country to work by salary as a project manager is Switzerland (USA is ranked #2, and Australia is #3), while the worst is Egypt. If you want to know what a project manager usually earns in your country, just ask us!
Can I use the letters "CPM" after my name?
The Institute of Project Management is internationally accredited by the Australian government and its treaty partners as the official assessor and issuing authority for Certified Project Officer / Professional / Master / Director certifications.
Admission to the Institute of Project Management as a Certified Project Master allows you to post-nominally use the letters CPM in all formal and official correspondence (eg Jane Smith CPM).
How do I know someone is a genuine CPM?
You can look-up CPMs via our public directory of Certification holders.
To protect the privacy of all Certification holders, your search must include a full given name, full surname or a complete certificate number. Note, too, that some Certification holders may have opted to hide their details from the directory.
Many awardees also include their Certification on their LinkedIn profile. In that instance, a unique hyperlink is provided for verification purposes.
Do I have to complete CPO and CPP before CPM?
The knowledge standards for CPO and CPP are the same for CPM – an examination of 30 hours of project management education.
If you have the requisite experience and skills, you should consider skipping CPO and CPP and going straight to the higher-level Certification.
Not only will you save yourself the CPO and CPP assessment fees; you will be retrospectively awarded CPO and CPP upon being admitted to the Institute as a CPM.
Does military service count toward my project experience?
Most modern militaries are project-oriented, in that they deliver the vast majority of their output via projects.
It therefore stands to reason that the further a service member advances, the more project leadership responsibility they assume.
The Institute of Project Management is the first international project management Certification authority to recognise through mapping the project related military experience of applicants.
To determine your eligibility, please use the add new experience button on your OPEN account profile and choose military service. It is free to register and create an account.
If you have additional project, program or portfolio leadership experience – either in or out of service – you can submit that separately to be considered for admisssion to the Institute at a higher Certification level.
How long does it take to become Certified once I submit my application?
Admission to the Institute of Project Management as a Certified Project Master (CPM) typically takes one week from application.
This time is spent reviewing and verifying your application, contacting your references and receiving their report, and scheduling and conducting your assessment interview.
If you are eligible for Order of Merit, this will be additionally awarded at the point of certification.
What if I 'fail' my assessment interview?
If you have the requisite knowledge, experience and references, and are adequately prepared for your assessment interview, the process should be fairly straight forward.
That said, nerves or just the fact you are not at your best on the day may result in you not interviewing to the standard you know you are capable of.
If you are unsuccessful in your first interview attempt, we will make some recommendations as to how you might do better next time and give you an opportunity to be reassessed at no cost.
If you are not yet proficient after a second interview, your assessor (at their discretion) may elect to assess you at a different level and admit you to the Institute of Project Management as a Certified Project Professional.
What is lifetime certification?
Lifetime certification means you do not need to pay an annual membership or subscription fee to maintain your Certification – it also means you never need to re-sit or retake an examination at this level.
Certified Project Masters are encouraged to continue their professional development through practice and be assessed at the Director level as they develop the requisite skills and experience.
Will you endorse my project management skill on LinkedIn?
Certified Project Masters are encouraged to connect with their assessor on LinkedIn.
At your request, they will endorse your project management skill on your profile.
What does the Certificate look like?
Can I purchase a hard-copy of my Certificate?
Your high-resolution, print-ready digital Certification is available for download at any time from your acoount profile in OPEN.
You can also purchase from there a hard-copy, currency-quality, custom-printed Certificate that has a number of advanced security features, including:
- Unique, controlled-supply paper with embossed logo and heat reactive spot
- Institute of Project Management branded holographic overprint
- Multi-coloured micro-numismatic ultra-violet watermarking
- Unique anti-alteration technology to prevent illegal copying and counterfeiting
At present, printed Certificates are only available in A4 size.
Delivery is by Registered Post and typically takes 7-10 working days.
How can I become a Certified Project Trainer?
Our Certified Project Trainers are highly experienced project leaders (CPM or CPD) with a minimum of ten (10) years’ proven project leadership and appropriate teaching and mentoring experience.
If this is you – especially if you speak a second language – we would love to hear from you!