There are a lot of different project management certifications out there and for someone just starting to look into getting the credentials for him- or herself, the decision to which certificate to commit to, might not be an easy one. Below is a short introduction to the main certifications in project management field.

PMP (PMI Project management professional)
PMP is a certification offered by the Project Management Institute (PMI) and the holders of this certification have on average the highest paying jobs in the industry (around $100k annually).  PMP has been created to demonstrate a strong level of project management leadership skills.

CAMP
Another certifications offered by PMI. The CAPM certification is mainly meant for project team members designed specifically for project team members.

Project+
Project+ is a project management certification offered by Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA). The CompTIA Project+ certification is globally recognised and validates your skills of fundamental project management. It is meant to identify quality project managers. CompTIA Project+ is relatively inexpensive and not as sophisticated project management certification than some of the others.

APMC (Advanced Project Management Certification)
APMC is especially meant for senior project managers. This program focuses on widening the project managers knowledge of high level strategic project management.

PRINCE2
The name means PRojects IN Controlled Environments (Prince2) and is currently de facto standard for project management in the UK. Used a lot in private sector both in UK and around the globe. In order to keep their certification, project managers are expected to re-take the exam every 3-5 years.

AIPM
Project management certifications through the Australian Institute of Project Management) are mainly meant for Australian market – yet they are based on international standards.

IPMA
This Swiss organisation (International Project Management Association) represents 45 national project management associations and offers a four-level project management certification.

AAPM  – American Academy of Project Management
AAPM offers PME, CIPM and MPM certifications (three different levels). All these these certifications are meant for executives and expect you to have graduate degree and years of experience experience in the field.

BrainBench
Brainbench project management certification is based on PMI’s project management certification, but it is more targeted towards organisations than individuals.

These are just some more known project management certifications offered – by no means is this list complete.

PMP (Project Management Professional) is one of the most respected certifications out there. The certification is offered by PMI (Project Management Institute). The PMP certified project manager has advanced knowledge of project management and years of experience with the concepts of project management.

It’s not easy to obtain the PMP certification. You need to have a high school diploma and 7500 hours of project management experience OR a Bachelor’s degree and 4500 hours of project management experience. Plus you need to have 35 hours of project management training.

If you fit the bill, you can submit your application at PMIs website.

Once your data has been verified and your application accepted, you will be allowed to take a written examination where you will need to get a good score. The estimated current passing score is around 70%.

The exam consists of 200 multiple choice questions and there are several parts to the exam:

• Initiating
• Planning
• Executing
• Monitoring and controlling
• Closing
• Professional and social responsibility

You’ll be tested against your knowledge in time management, cost management, quality management, scope management as well as HR management, risk management, integration management and Procurement and communications management.

You can do the exam in either Prometric testing centers or on paper where there are no such testing centers nearby.

The cost of PMI examination is around $400-$600.

Preparing yourself
In addition to filling all the requirements – you might want to check out PMIs 20-question practise test at http://certification.about.com/od/projectmanagement/a/pmp_test_whiz.htm

You can also find free or cheap practise tests here – http://www.pmstudy.com/practicetestsindex.asp