How to Pass the PMP Audit Process Smoothly?

According to PMI, the PMP audit process is random based. Every PMP aspirant will have equal chance to be selected for an audit. PMI does not specify the percentage of candidates selected, but from various sources on the internet, it is estimated that around 5% – 25% of candidates from the United States and ~0.5% of candidates from all other countries would be required for an audit. A PMP candidate will not know whether they will be selected until they have settled the PMP Certification fee.

The requirement for audit is part of the quality assurance procedures established by PMI to maintain the quality and standing of the PMP certification. It is meant to help PMP aspirants rather than set up as a stumbling block. In case you are lucky enough to be among the few who are required for a PMP audit, keep calm and respond according to what PMI tells you. Passing the audit should be a breeze.

Required PMP Audit Package

In the PMP audit email sent out to you once you have settled the PMP certification fee, it is written clearly that the following three kinds of proofs / verifications are need. These need to be mailed back to PMI in the United States as currently PMI does not accept online submission.

1. Academic education – you will need to provide a photocopy of your degree/sub-degree certificate
2. 35 contact hours of Project Management Education – if you attend a PMP exam prep course provided by a PMI Authorized Training Partner, you will just need to have a photocopy of the project management education certificate; if you receive the education as part of your degree course or if you attend course from providers other than PMI R.E.P, a photocopy of the course certificate/degree certificate and the course outline on the project management education component would be needed
3. Project Management Experience
   • In the myPMI section of the PMI website, you will be able to find the audit package prepared by the PMI on your project experience as individual PDF files (i.e. PMI has reflowed the project management information you have submitted into individual PDF files, one PDF for each project).
   • Print out all the PDF files and prepare an envelope for each distinct supervisors (i.e. different projects with the same supervisor can be grouped into the same envelope).
   • Send the form together with the envelope by mail or in person to your supervisors/managers for signing. Your supervisors/managers will need to verify and sign the experience record(s), put them into the envelope and sealed the envelope with one more signature.
   • Ask the supervisors/managers to pass the sealed envelopes containing the record forms back to you. Don’t ask them to mail these back to PMI directly.
   • If several experience record forms are to be signed by the same supervisor/manager, the supervisor/manager will need only to sign and fill in the details on the first form only and write down his/her initials (e.g. E.C. for Edward Chung) on all the rest of the record forms to save him/her the hassles of having to repeat the same information on many forms. The original wording of PMI: “If one person is verifying multiple projects for the same company, they can fill out one form and initial or highlight on the Experience Record the projects that they are verifying”.
   • Each PDF file contains a total of 3 pages. The 1st page bears the details of the project while the 3rd has the contact methods of PMI. Posted below is the sample of the 2nd page of the project experience record form (the only page needs to be signed by the supervisor).
     

Once you have got all the documents are ready, put these into a large envelope and mail the audit package back to PMI at:

PMI Global Operations Center
14 Campus Blvd., Newtown Square, PA 19073-3299 USA

It will take PMI 5  – 7 days upon the arrival of the audit package to review and process your case.

Don’t worry if you do not receive an acknowledgement receipt email from PMI in normal postage time. There may be a delay of several days in sending out the acknowledge email. Chances are that the acknowledge email may arrive at your email account roughly the same time as the audit confirmation email. 

Here are some additional tips on how not to fail the PMP audit (with sharing by a PMP applicant with his application rejected by PMI). 

What’s Next?

Should you have duly followed the instructions of PMI, a verification confirmation email will arrive at your email account around 7 days after PMI has received your audit package.

You will be given the details to schedule your PMP exam in the email.