Ways of Working
The technical side of the work: methods, planning, risk, scheduling, agile approaches.
PDUs
A PDU is the unit PMI uses to measure continuing education. A certification does not last forever - it is maintained with PDUs over a three-year cycle. This page explains what a PDU is, how many you need, where they come from and how to claim them.
What a PDU is
One PDU (Professional Development Unit) is one hour of learning or of giving back to the profession. Less than an hour counts in quarters: 15 minutes is 0.25 PDU. The cycle lasts three years and starts the day you pass the exam. Before it ends the PDUs must be reported and the renewal fee paid - otherwise the certification is suspended.
The PMI Talent Triangle
PMI splits education PDUs into three areas and requires a minimum in each - the numbers are in the table below. The rest can sit in any of the three.
Power Skills
Working with people: leading a team, communicating, negotiating, handling conflict.
Business Acumen
Understanding the business around the project: strategy, regulation, value to the organisation.
Education and giving back
PDUs come from two directions. Education: courses and training, professional meetings and events - including PMI chapter events - online content, reading and structured discussions such as mentoring. Giving back to the profession: working as a practitioner, creating content, giving a presentation, sharing knowledge and volunteering. Education has a minimum, giving back has a maximum, and there is no upper limit on education.
What each certification requires
Over a three-year cycle, per the PMI CCR handbook (April 2026 edition):
- PMPProject Management Professional60total35 · 8 per areaeducation minimum25giving back maximum
- PgMPProgram Management Professional60total35 · 8 per areaeducation minimum25giving back maximum
- PfMPPortfolio Management Professional60total35 · 8 per areaeducation minimum25giving back maximum
- PMI-PBAProfessional in Business Analysis60total35 · 8 per areaeducation minimum25giving back maximum
- PMI-ACPAgile Certified Practitioner30total18 · 4 per areaeducation minimum12giving back maximum
- PMI-RMPRisk Management Professional30total18 · 4 per areaeducation minimum12giving back maximum
- PMI-SPScheduling Professional30total18 · 4 per areaeducation minimum12giving back maximum
- CAPMCertified Associate in Project Management15total9 · 2 per areaeducation minimum6giving back maximum
Requirements are set by PMI and do change - check the current CCR handbook before relying on a number. PMI-CP, PMI-PMOCP and PMI-CPMAI have their own rows in the same handbook. Of any surplus, only PDUs earned in the final year of a cycle carry over to the next: up to 20 for PMP, PgMP, PfMP and PMI-PBA, up to 10 for PMI-ACP, PMI-RMP and PMI-SP, up to 5 for CAPM.
How the conference earns them
- The chapter’s annual conference is a PMI chapter event with educational content. In the CCR handbook that is an “Organization Meetings” activity in the education category - one hour attended is one PDU.
- One edition of the conference carries 4 PDUs. How they split across the three Talent Triangle areas is published with the programme.
- If you speak, preparing and delivering the talk counts as giving back (“Give a Presentation”). Volunteering for the chapter is giving back too (“Volunteer”) - one hour is one PDU.
- Other chapter events carry PDUs only where the event page says so.
How to claim them
- Sign in at pmi.org, open your myPMI dashboard and choose “Report PDUs” - that is the CCRS system. The PMI mobile app has the same thing.
- For the conference pick the Education category and the “Organization Meetings” type. Enter the provider (PMI North Macedonia), the event title, the date and the number of hours.
- Spread the PDUs across the Talent Triangle areas - one PDU per hour - and submit the claim.
- Keep your proof of attendance or the event registration. PMI audits claims at random, and that is exactly what it asks for.
- Once you have all the PDUs, PMI notifies you to pay the renewal fee. The deadline is 90 days after the end of the cycle at the latest.