Summary:
Have you ever considered attaining a professional certification in Planning/Scheduling?
Do you know of internationally recognized certifications in Planning/Scheduling?
Did you know that several international associations provide a variety of certifications in Planning/Scheduling including:
- Certified Scheduling Technician (CST)
- PMI Scheduling Professional (PMI-SP)®
- Planning & Scheduling Professional (PSP)
Are you interested to know how you can obtain one of these certifications and become a Certified Planner/Scheduler?
Watch this video to learn the requirements for each certification and which certification(s) you can pursue in Project Planning/Scheduling.
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Video Transcript:
Have you ever considered attaining a professional certification in Planning/Scheduling?
Do you know of internationally recognized certifications in Planning/Scheduling?
Are you interested to know how you can become a Certified Planner/Scheduler?
This training will answer your questions about the certifications in project planning/scheduling. I’m going to introduce you to various certifications that you can pursue to showcase your skills and knowledge in planning/scheduling. I am also going to show you how you can become a Certified Planner/Scheduler.
Certifications in Planning/Scheduling
Certified Scheduling Technician (CST)
Are you are a Junior Planner/Scheduler who has recently started your career as a planner/scheduler?
Are you interested in getting into the Planning/Scheduling field and intent to increase your understanding of the planning/scheduling knowledge, concepts, and terminologies?
Did you know that you could become a Certified Scheduling Technician (CST) with “zero experience” in project planning/scheduling?
Yes, you’ve heard it right.
The Certified Scheduling Technician (CST) certification, offered by the Association for Advancement of Cost Engineering (AACE), is suitable for early-career Planner/Schedulers. The CST certification is established to give less experienced professionals the opportunity to advance their scheduling skills, knowledge, and professional development; and be distinguished as a Certified Scheduling Technician (CST).
The only eligibility requirement for this certification is a four-year college or bachelor’s degree. That’s it!
Having said that, it is a no-brainer that you also need to have the knowledge of project planning/scheduling to pass the CTS certification exam.
Don’t have a four-year college degree?
No problem. In this case, you need to have four years of experience as a planner/scheduler.
With this, are you eligible for taking the CST certification exam?
The CST exam consists of 100 multiple-choice questions, which usually takes three hours to complete.
After passing the exam and becoming a “Certified Scheduling Technician,” every three years you have to re-certify. Your certification will expire after three years unless you earn 12 Continuing Education Units (CEUs).
To gain CEUs, you need to be on continuous learning and growth in planning/scheduling field by reading books, going to seminars, and taking training.
Check out more details about the CST certification here.
PMI Scheduling Professional (PMI-SP)®
Do you have a couple of years experience managing and maintaining project schedules?
Do you like to showcase your planning/scheduling skills and knowledge?
If your answer is YES, then the PMI-SP certification is an excellent choice for you.
Project Management Institute (PMI), the world’s leading professional membership association for project management, offers the PMI Scheduling Professional (PMI-SP) certification.
To be qualified for this certification, you need to have a four-year degree and 3,500 hours of project scheduling experience, which is around 2 years of experience. You also need to have 30 hours of formal education in the specialized area of project scheduling.
If you don’t have a four-year degree, you need to fulfill 5,000 hours of project scheduling experience (~2-3 years of experience) within the last five consecutive years, plus 40 hours of formal education in the specialized area of project scheduling.
How can you claim 30-40 hours of formal education in project scheduling?
The good news is that Project Control Academy; a PMI Registered Educational Provider (PMI R.E.P.) has developed an excellent comprehensive online training called, “Project Scheduling Blueprint.” This online training not only qualifies you for your required hours of project scheduling education but also it prepares you for your PMI-SP certification exam. Check out more details about the course here.
Once you satisfy the criteria for the PMI-SP certification, fill out the application, and are approved by PMI, you can schedule for the certification exam. The PMI-SP exam consists of 170 multiple-choice questions, which usually takes 3.5 hours to complete.
Once you pass the exam and become a PMI Certified Scheduling Professional, you need to maintain your certification. To do so, you must earn 30 professional development units (PDUs) every three years in the specialized topic of project scheduling.
I highly encourage you to consider this certification if you are an intermediate or senior planner/scheduler.
Don’t you want to showcase your skills in planning/scheduling? How about advancing your skills and knowledge in planning/scheduling?
Check out more details about the PMI-SP certification here.
Planning & Scheduling Professional (PSP)
Do you have several years of experience managing and maintaining project schedules?
If you have advanced knowledge and expertise in project planning/scheduling and you’d like to showcase your skills, then the PSP certification is a good choice for you.
Association for Advancement of Cost Engineering, AACE International, offers the Planning and Scheduling Professional, or PSP.
To be qualified for this certification, you need four years of scheduling experience, plus a four-year degree.
If you don’t have a four-year degree, you need eight years of project planning/scheduling experience.
If you satisfy these qualification criteria, you can take the PSP exam. The exam consists of 119 multiple-choice questions, scenario questions, as well as memo writing. The exam usually takes five hours to complete.
Once you get the PSP certification, you need 12 CEUs every three years to renew your certification. Otherwise, you have to take the exam again.
To check more details about the PSP certification, visit the AACE website.
In Summary:
There are three types of certifications that I encourage you to consider for further advancing your career in planning/scheduling and showcasing your skills:
- Certified Scheduling Technician (CST)
- PMI Scheduling Professional (PMI-SP)®
- Planning & Scheduling Professional (PSP)
Interested in having formal training on project scheduling?
Interested in learning more about the role of a project planner/scheduler?
Interested in learning more about how you can succeed as a Planner/Scheduler?
Make sure that you check the “Project Control Success Roadmap Training”, where you learn various roles that you can play in Project Controls and how to succeed in each role to step up the ladder of success in Project Controls.
About the Author, Shohreh Ghorbani
Shohreh is a licensed project management professional (PMP) recognized by Project Management Institute (PMI) and holds a Master of Science in Industrial Engineering.
Connect with Shohreh via Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube
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