According to the Project Management Institute (PMI) (n.d. a), the 35 hours of training required to become a certified Project Management Professional (PMP)^® can be completed either through an authorized online self-study course or by attending an instructor-led course offered by an authorized training partner.  One such authorized training partner is Fuchs & Consorten Unternehmensberatung, which offers PMP^® preparation courses under the IfP Institute for Project Management Düsseldorf brand.  The Exhibit shows the content of the four-day course, organized according to five topic areas.

The questions in the certification exam are based on the content of the sixth and seventh editions of the PMBOK^® Guide (Fichtner 2022).  The seventh edition of the PMBOK^® Guide presents an integrated framework of eight so-called Project Performance Domains* and describes approaches for tailoring these to specific project needs, as well as commonly used models, methods and artefacts** (PMI 2021).  In contrast, previous editions were process-oriented (PMI 2021, pp. x–xi); this perspective has now been described in a practice guide entitled Process Groups: A Practical Guide to supplement the PMBOK^® Guide (PMI n.d. b).  However, according to the PMI (2020, p. 1), there are differences between the content and structure of the PMP® exam and the PMBOK^® Guide; the exam is structured around three domains:

• People (42 percent of the exam questions)
• Processes (50 percent of the exam questions)
• Business environment (8 percent of the exam questions)

After successful certification, a certain number of Professional Development Units (PDUs)*** must be earned within a three-year cycle to maintain certification; PDUs are one-hour blocks of time spent learning, imparting relevant knowledge or relevant unpaid commitment (PMI n.d. c; n.d. d).  The 60 PDUs required to maintain the PMI-PMP^® credential can be earned through two areas of activity as defined by the PMI (n.d. c; n.d. d; n.d. e; 2022, p. 4):

• Education (through project management courses and training, attendance at global and local events and conferences, self-directed learning online or through various forms of digital media, self-directed reading, or informal learning)
• Giving Back to the Profession (by working as a practitioner, creating content such as articles or blogs, mentoring or teaching others, or volunteering with PMI)

At least 35 of the 60 PDUs must be earned through Education, but all the required 60 PDUs can be earned through Education only (PMI 2022, p. 4).  Within the Education category, there are three areas, known as the Talent Triangle, from which a minimum of eight PDUs must be earned:****

• Ways of Working (formerly Technical Project Management)
• Power Skills (formerly Leadership)
• Business Acumen (formerly Strategic and Business Management)

Optionally, up to 25 of the 60 PDUs required for PMI-PMP^® certification can be credited to the Giving Back category (PMI 2022, p. 4).