If you are interested in the PMP certification and seriously considering applying for the PMP exam, you might be concerned about the PMP audit. It is a stressful event that can consume your thoughts. However, how worried should you be? How likely are you, by percentage, to be one of the aspirants selected for an audit?
I will try to clear up these worries in today’s blog post.
First, you should know that your chance of being selected for an audit is 50%; either you will be or won’t.
The second question is about the percentage of applicants selected for an audit.
This is a mystery; no one knows how many PMP certification applications are selected for an audit.
The PMI does not disclose the percentage of applicants they audit.
As per the PMI,
“All applications are subject to an audit, although only a percentage of applications are selected for audit. The selection of an application for audit is random.”
From the above statement, you can see that the PMI is specifically not saying how many people are audited, just that it is a percentage, a part of the whole.
Therefore, no one can predict the exact percentage of those selected for an audit; however, I believe that approximately 5-10% are selected.
These days (as of October 2019), I am receiving many emails from applicants who have been selected for an audit and need help. So, it appears to me that the PMI is now selecting more candidates. I believe the latest figure is around 20%.
As the process is random and anyone can be audited, it is best if you are ready for the worst-case scenario and prepare for an audit. You will know if you are selected for a PMP audit immediately after submitting the PMP exam application form.
What Happens in the PMP Audit?
After applying, you will immediately know whether you have been selected for an audit. If you are not, you can pay and schedule the exam.
The PMI will email you detailed instructions on how to proceed. You have to follow the instructions in the email to prepare all documents and send them to the PMI for verification.
Once the PMI receives the documents, they will review them, and you will receive your audit results within one week.
You will have 90 days to complete the audit process.
Your eligibility period will start the day you complete your audit, so don’t worry about running out of time to apply for the PMP exam. You will have a full year to pass the exam, whether you are selected for an audit or not.
Summary
Although nobody knows what percentage of applicants get audited by the PMI, many experts have guessed it is around 5-10%. Moreover, as the process is entirely random, you can be selected for it. Therefore, before applying for the exam, ensure you are ready for the audit.
Have you been selected for a PMI audit? If yes, how did you manage it? Let me know about your experiences in the comments section below.
I am Mohammad Fahad Usmani, B.E. PMP, PMI-RMP. I have been blogging on project management topics since 2011. To date, thousands of professionals have passed the PMP exam using my resources.
Sir, the process has changed. Now we don’t need to pay before audit. I passed the exam last week and my application was chosen for audit. The moment I submitted my application of pmhours/ experience I got an email from them that my application has been selected for audit.i did not pay anything before they cleared me for my audit and asked me to proceed with payment.
Audit process is really cumbersome as you need to send this via post and PMI does not accept online documentation.
Thanks Kushal for this information. I have updated the blog post.
https://www.pmi.org/certifications/process
Apparently the audit happens in the “Application review” phase.
Yes, you are right.
Fahad,
Having earn PMI-RMP, How do people see or value you?
People see me as an expert in risk management.