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Completed audit forms can be sent back to PMI via regular or postal mail to the address below.
PMI will not accept faxed or e-mailed audits. Upon receipt, the Certification Audit Team will
process your audit expeditiously. If PMI requires clarification from you during the course of
processing your audit materials, a representative will contact you directly.
PMI Global Operations Center
14 Campus Blvd., Newtown Square, PA 19073-3299 USA
Tel: +1-610-356-4600 (Option 8 from phone menu)
The GOC Service Center is open from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. US Eastern time (EST), Monday
through Friday, and will follow the United States holiday calendar.
Fax : +610-356-4647
E-mail : customercare@pmi.org
Do not include partial submissions, as that would be considered an automatic fail of the audit.
The date that the audit materials are received and processed at PMI is the completed audit date,
and no other documents will be accepted after that date.
If you are unable to complete the audit within the required 60-day time frame of the audit, PMI
can grant you an extension of 30 days. If the audit is not completed during the 60- or 90-day time
frame, or you fail the audit due to partial or inaccurate submissions, you will not be eligible to
move to the next step of the application process, examination. In the case of a failed audit, a
partial refund will be issued. After the required waiting period before you reapply, you would
need to submit another application, forms, and payment, and your application will be re-audited.
Thank you for your cooperation. Below this letter, you may find some frequently asked questions
and answers that may assist you. If your questions are not addressed, please contact your local
service center. If you are located in the Asia Pacific region and require assistance, you may
contact the Regional Service Center. Please note that the Asia Pacific Service Center does not
process audits but can assist you with any questions that you have.
Why does PMI Audit?
PMI conducts audits to ensure that applicants meet the basic requirements necessary to gain
accreditation with PMI. The purpose of the audit is to enhance the credibility of the Certification
and of the Certificants. For each credential, a specified percentage of applications are selected for
audit.
Can audit materials be sent back to PMI via express mail, DHL, Federal Express, UPS, or other
courier service, or does it have to be by regular mail?
You can send your completed audit forms via regular postal mail or express courier service, to
the below address. PMI will not accept faxed or emailed audits documents.
PMI Global Operations Center
Attention Certification Audit
14 Campus Boulevard
Newtown Square, PA 19073-3299 USA
How long does it take to process the audit? When will the eligibility letter be sent?
The certification audit team processes audits within 1 week upon arrival at PMI. Upon approval,
an email will be sent to you containing your eligibility and test scheduling information.
A large group of colleagues applied to take the credential exam but only one application was
chosen for an audit. Why?
The audit process is random, with a percentage of all applications selected automatically by
PMIs computer system. The other members of a group were not audited because PMI did not
pull their ID numbers from the pool of applications received by PMI.
A prep course advises students to take the exam immediately after completion of the course for
the best chance of a passing score. Is it necessary to pass the audit in order to take the exam?
Yes. Certification candidates are expected to complete the audit process before they are provided
eligibility for the examination.
Will PMI call a local testing center to hold a testing spot?
PMI will not communicate with any Thomson Prometric Centers for the purpose of reserving a
testing seat. Candidates are not able to reserve testing appointments until they have been granted
eligibility for the examination. Eligibility is not granted until the audit is completed. Without an
eligibility letter, the only information that a testing center may provide is whether a testing date
or a particular test site is near or at capacity. If you need to locate a testing center near you,
please log onto the Thomson Prometric website at www.2test.com and follow the links to your
respective area.
What happens in the case of a failed audit?
In the case of a failed audit, the examination fee, minus the processing fee will be refunded.
Further actions or eligibility issues will be addressed on an audit-by-audit basis as determined by
the Certification Department.
Does PMI return the original audit materials after review?
No. PMI retains the originals according to its internal auditing procedures.
Are audit materials confidential?
Yes. Audit materials are strictly confidential and are not shared with any external organization
unless required through legal action involving PMI.
How can an audit candidate explain to their manager why they are being audited?
PMI can furnish an audit candidate with a general letter outlining the purpose of the audit to any
verifying manager or supervisor.
What steps need to be taken when an audit candidate decided not to proceed with the audit?
If a candidate chooses not to complete the audit, it is considered a failed audit due to nonconformance. In the case of a failed audit, the examination fee, minus the processing fee will be
refunded. A candidate may reapply after one-year suspension period. At that time, a new
credential application and payment must be submitted, and the application will be subject to a reaudit.
Can a manager or supervisor type their contact information on the form or does it have to be
handwritten?
A manager or supervisor can type their contact information, as long as their signature is
handwritten.
Do the Experience Verification Forms need to be notarized?
No.
Will PMI accept an email signature?
No.
How should an audit candidate verify programs and/or projects that they were the manager or
supervisor for?
Candidates can have a colleague, peer, client or sponsor who has intimate knowledge of the
project verify.
If the projects and / or programs listed were completed in a highly classified environment, or a
company is very sensitive about proprietary information being seen by other employers of
individuals outside the company, how should this be handled?
PMI is very sensitive to this situation, and encourages candidates to have the information
verified in a way that is consistent with company practices and policies. Candidates may black
out any proprietary information so as long as there are no changes or omissions to the original
information provided to us. PMI may also provide a letter of intent to any managers or
supervisors.
Can a manager or supervisor physically hand the envelopes to an audit candidate or do they need
to be mailed to the candidate?
A manager may physically hand the sealed and signed envelopes back to the audit candidate.
A manager accidentally mailed the envelope directly to PMI. The cover letter states that partial
submissions are considered an automatic failure of the audit. Is this oversight considered an
automatic failure?
PMI will not penalize an audit candidate for this oversight; however it is important that we are
aware of the situation so that we can flag the piece of mail in anticipation of the remaining audit
materials.
The individual who verified my work experience forgot to sign the back of the envelope. Will
this be a problem?
Although it is preferred that your experience verification form(s) are returned to PMI in a signed
and sealed envelope, PMI understands that this may not be possible in some cases due to internal
business regulations, customs inspections, and the like. Please make a note on the back of the
envelope in question that the signature was omitted.
A manager or supervisor is across the world. Can the audit materials be faxed or sent directly to
PMI?
The Experience Verification Form and Experience PDF attachment can be emailed to any
verifying manager or supervisor; however because the original audit forms need to be submitted
in the sealed and signed envelopes, PMI will not accept faxed copies. PMI prefers that the
candidate mail all documents in one parcel.
A supervising manager is no longer at the company. How can this project be verified?
The supervising manager can still verify although they are not at the company. If this option is
not feasible, a colleague from the project can verify, or a current manager or supervisor who has
intimate knowledge of the project can verify.
Will PMI contact a verifying manager or supervisor?
Not always. PMI does reserve the right to do so if there is a specific question related to
verification.
An audit candidate was laid off, a consultant, or is no longer with the company, or the company
no longer exists. How is this situation handled?
The supervising manager can still verify although they are not at the company. If this option is
not feasible, a colleague from the project can verify, or a current manager or supervisor who has
direct knowledge of the project can verify.
Are photocopies of education certificates of completion sufficient or does PMI require the
originals?
Copies of your certificates are sufficient. PMI recognizes that your certificates of completion are
treasured by the recipient; therefore suggests that copies of the originals be sent. PMI cannot
guarantee that original certificates will be returned.
Do certificates in a foreign language need to be translated?
A copy of the original and a letter by the candidate outlining a general translation of the
document is required.
If a certificate states educational hours in PDUs and Units, how will PMI translate this
information to meet the contact hours of education required for a CAPM or PMP candidate?
Contact hours are the actual amount of time a candidate spends receiving instruction in project
management or any of the 5 knowledge areas of project management (Initializing, Planning,
Executing, Controlling, Closing). For example, if a candidate takes a 1-day class that last 8 hours
and provides instruction in project management, the candidate earns 8 contact hours. Contact
hours are not equal to PDUs or CEUs. Additionally, Test Candidates cannot obtain PDUs; they
can earn contact hours only. Candidates can submit any class, seminar, on the job training, online
training, and distance teaching classes whose learning objectives include Project Management or
any of its domains. Independent study and PMI chapter meetings are not accepted for the contact
hour requirement.
If an in-house course did not issue a certificate, what type of verification will PMI accept?
PMI will accept a letter of completion from the course administrator, HR department, or manager
on company letterhead verifying that the course was completed.
If a course was completed at a PMI-certified educational institution, can PMI contact them for
my certificate?
No. Audit candidates must contact the PMI certified education provider directly for the necessary
verification.
Will PMI accept a receipt or course roster as educational verification?
No, as this does not provide any information relating to completion of the course.
If a bachelors degree was listed on the original application but the candidate has since been
awarded a higher degree, is the former degree necessary to include?
The former degree is not necessary.