The Differences Between a Project Management Certification and a Training Certificate

It has come to my notice that most persons who are interested or are practising in the field of project management (PM) tend to confuse or interchange a PM training certificate with PM certification. They are not the same thing and all present and future project management practitioners should understand the difference. Also, most PM trainers, tutors and coach have been at fault at these as they have often failed to inform their trainees or students that what they would receive at the end of their training is a PM training certificate and NOT a PM certification.

Now, let me share the differences:

1. Anyone can receive a PM training certificate but not anyone can receive a PM certification as it requires some very important criteria.

2. A project management training certificate can be earned after completing your project management training, while a project management certification requires passing a professional examination from a recognised body. You can also earn a PM certification by achieving some certain competence or experience level in the field of project management.

3. Project management training certificates are issued by educational institutions (excluding universities and polytechnics), while project management certifications are issued by a third-party, PM standard-setting organisation such as the PMI USA, APM UK or the IPMA.

4. You can list your PM training certificate on your resume or curriculum vitae under the Education category but a PM certification is more of a designation that’s usually placed after one’s name. Example: Jerry Ihejirika, PMP, ITIL, PRINCE2, MoR, Level D. (As at the time of the writing this article, Jerry Ihejirika has not obtained any of those PM certifications, but he has a bachelor’s degree in project management technology).

5. PM certifications need ongoing requirements and do require that the holder must continue to meet those requirements toward maintaining their credential(s). The continuous requirements are oftentimes measured in units and can be earned through various means such as continuous practice of the profession, attending various PM events or volunteering for community services. Professional Development Units (PDUs), Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and Continuing Development Unit (CDU) are some of the names used in the world of PM. However, a PM certificate is an end-result and does not require any of such ongoing requirements.

6. A PM training certificate focuses more on course content, that is, it shows that you have learnt the basic knowledge in PM, while a PM certification focuses more on industry-wide processes, that is, it shows that you have some level of practical knowledge and/or experience on one or some of PM processes, principles or methodologies being used in the PM industry.

With the information above, I hope you have understood the differences between a project management training certificate and a project management certification.

If you’ve any questions, issues or need as regarding obtaining a PM training certificate or certification in Nigeria, feel free to contact me. Call (+234) 07030972415, 07057681036, or send an email to jerryihejirika@yahoo.com.

What do you think are the similarities between a PM training certificate and a PM certification?