Frequently Asked Questions

MEMBERSHIP FEES

Why is the PMILOC chapter membership fee not in $CAD when I would be joining a Canadian Chapter? Your website shows PMI Membership to be: $169 USD + tax and $28 USD + tax to be part of the Lakeshore Ontario Chapter.

A: Americans run the central organization; Americans get to choose the currency for transactions.

JOB SEARCH

I recently attained my PMP certification and also became a member of the Lakeshore Ontario chapter. I have also attended the new member orientation. Does the chapter offer any advice, services, job boards or a job search group?

A: Unfortunately, there is no job club, but occasionally job postings do come in and when they do, they are posted on the website - PMILOC Job Board. Also check PMI Global Practitioners Job Openings at Career Centre.
You may want to check out the Chapter's Mentoring Program. The next session will be announced on the Chapter Events Page. We suggest that you check this page periodically.
There will be an announcement when the next program is ready to kick off.

PMP CERTIFICATION - MEMBERSHIP REQUIREMENTS

I am considering becoming a PMILOC member as this Mississauga area chapter is closer to my home, but I was wondering if I will be missing any events at the Toronto PMI Chapter? Are the events identical? if not, can I attend Toronto Chapter events in addition to the Mississauga Chapter events, if I am registered with Mississauga Chapter only?

A: The chapters are not identical – each offers different events for its members, based on the members’ wishes and requirements.
You can certainly attend events in both chapters but membership payment in one chapter does not give you free access to paid events in the other chapter.

PMP CERTIFICATION TRAINING

Where can I get more information about PMP Certification?

A: The best place to start is the PMI website www.pmi.org. There, you can find (among other things) a free, online PDF handbook that outlines the requirements & process for obtaining certification, recording experience, etc. Here is the link https://www.pmi.org/-/media/pmi/documents/public/pdf/certifications/project-management-professional-handbook.pdf.

I suggest that you download & read the e-handbook above as it will answer many of your questions.

Among other things please note that you will need to find the time to complete 35 Contact Hours of training.

Training options aside, what many find to be challenging is to gather & document your project management experience. I suggest you get after that pronto.

I was wondering: What would be the difference in taking PM Courses at Mohawk College vs. taking courses at McMaster University.

Mohawk and McMaster are both reputable institutions. I suggest you familiarize yourself with each institution’s offerings – to see what the differences might be.

When you are ready to write the exam, you also might want to consider a PMP Examination Preparation Course. Check our Chapter Events Page.

I work full time, so I was wondering what my options would be for fully online courses that I could complete at my leisure?

Given the pandemic environment in which we are all living, the Lakeshore Ontario chapter as well as various education institutions all offer fully on-line PM training. I suggest that you look into offerings from the universities and community colleges in the area to see which ones may meet your needs around offerings, cost and timing.

CONTACT HOURS – PROJECT MANAGEMENT TRAINING

Where can I find information about the required Contact Hours of Project Management training required for PMP Certification?

Any formal project management course can be used for contact hours of education on your credential application. Courses through an employer, training company, college/university, PMI Authorized Training Partner. The PMI Global lists Authorized Training Partners (https://www.pmi.org/learning/training-development/authorized-training-partners), or distance learning companies are all acceptable. In order to be considered formal, the course must provide an end-of-course assessment and certificate of completion (or similar documentation verifying that you have successfully completed the course). The PMI Lakeshore Ontario chapter also provides online courses (Example: CAPM/PMP preparation and other courses https://pmiloc.org/Chapter_Offerings), as does the PMI Global (https://www.pmi.org/learning/training-development/online-courses).
 
A Contact hour is one hour of time spent in the classroom environment, either in person or online. If you earn credit hours for a college/university project management course, the credit hours are generally equal to the number of classroom hours per week.
 
There is no time limitation associated with obtaining contact hours of education. Applicants can record any education/training in project management, regardless of when it was accrued, as long as the hours were completed prior to your application submission. Be sure that you retain documentation verifying completion of the contact hours in case your application is audited.

PMP CERTIFICATION - MENTORING

I am preparing for the PMI certification. I need a mentor to guide me for the exams. Can you recommend someone from the construction industry that can assist me?

You may want to check out the Chapter's Mentoring Program. The next session will be announced on the Chapter Events Page. We suggest that you check this page periodically.

There will be an announcement when the next program is ready to kick off. Not sure what representation there may be from the construction industry though. You might want to attend the chapter events/Knowledge Sharing Branch Events – a good   to network – maybe find some construction industry people.

Also, have you considered taking a PMP exam preparation course? (…an excellent way to prepare for the exam…). Again, check the 'Events' page periodically for the next session.

PMILOC CHAPTER & CHOOSING A CHAPTER

I am thinking about joining the PMI Lakeshore Ontario chapter. What benefits can the chapter offer me?

A: Some benefits to chapter membership for you to consider include:

Access to a very large community of practice for all things PM:

• Networking events
• A mentoring network
• Professional development opportunities (PDU’s)
• Opportunities to give back to the community – and the profession.  
• …And on that note, what benefits could you bring to the chapter?
  
  

I am looking to start some continuing education with an objective to become PMP certified. I live and work in Hamilton - would PMI Lakeshore Ontario be my PMI chapter?

A: The Lakeshore chapter is probably your best bet – it covers Mississauga/Burlington/Hamilton, all the way to Niagara Falls. Plug into the events webpage for upcoming meetings, etc. https://pmiloc.org/calendar.php

Is the Lakeshore Ontario Chapter the best chapter to join for me? I deal in the areas of infrastructure, construction, transit, risk management. I plan on obtaining my PMP and will require some mentoring.

A: The Lakeshore Ontario chapter might meet some of your needs (among other things, we do have a mentoring program). That said, the membership skews towards IT – not too many construction.  

I suggest you do two things:

• Check out the makeup of the PMI Toronto chapter membership
• Come to a few dinner meetings at the PMILOC chapter and gauge the fit for you.
• Here is the link to the PMI lakeshore chapter events page - https://pmiloc.org/calendar.php
  
  

SWITCHING CERTIFICATION EXAMS

I am currently enrolled to write the CAPM exam. Am I able to switch to the PMP exam and simply apply the fees paid to the PMP exam?

A: Fees aside, PMP and CAPM have separate application processes. 

If you want to simply transfer your fees, eligibility, etc. to write the PMP rather than the CAPM exam you will have to contact www.pmi.org directly and inquire as to transferability of fees - and suitability of your documentation for PMP rather than CAPM certification. Those would be questions for the central organization. (For what it’s worth, I suspect that you'll have to cancel your CAPM exam and provide all information required to apply to write the PMP exam).

In the event you have not read the section, here are the refund terms from the Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)® Handbook:

CAPM Refund Policy: Customers may request a refund within 30 days from the date of purchase provided the customer does not schedule or take the certification exam within that timeframe. After the refund is processed, the application will be closed, and the eligibility period will no longer be valid. If a scheduled exam is canceled and rescheduled outside of 30 days from the date of purchase, up to 48 hours prior to the scheduled testing date, there is a rescheduling fee applied. Within 48 hours of the scheduled testing date, all fees and the ability to reschedule are forfeit.

PMI will NOT provide you with a refund in the following instances:

1. If your one-year eligibility period has expired and you have not scheduled the exam, you will not receive a refund. You will forfeit the entire fee. You will not be able to use the initial fees for anything else. If you still wish to obtain the certification, you will have to reapply and submit all associated fees again.
2. If you have scheduled the exam and did not take it, nor provided the necessary cancellation/ rescheduling notification to PMI’s testing administration partner Pearson VUE, you will not receive a refund. Again, you will forfeit the fee and will not be able to apply it to anything else.

CONTINUING EDUCATION UNITS (CEU’s) vs. PMI PDU’s

I am presently enrolled in the Chapter’s Lean Black Belt training as a non-member. Does the chapter provide Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for this course?  Is PMI the approving body? I plan to submit a certificate of attendance upon course completion to my company which requires documentation of CEU contact hours and name of the approving body for CEUs.

A: Very good question. PMI is the approving body for PDUs (Professional Development Units) for Project Management related courses offered through the PMI Lakeshore chapter.

Upon successful completion, the course you are undertaking allows for PDU’s for PMI- certified project management practitioners. You do need PMP or related project management certification to be able to claim PDUs…for project management continuing ongoing certification requirements.

Please ask your course instructor to provide you with a completion certificate for the course.  

Normally 1 PDU = 1/10 of a CEU. So, I suggest that you contact your professional body to determine their position regarding application of the project management training you will receive against the continuing education requirements of your professional body.

REFUNDS

I no longer wish to be a member of the Lakeshore Ontario chapter. Can I get a refund for my PMILOC Membership fee?

A: Unfortunately, no. The chapter bylaws are clear on this point:

Section 1. General Membership Provisions - C. All members shall pay the required PMI and Lakeshore Ontario Chapter membership dues to PMI and in the event that a member resigns, or their membership is revoked for just cause, membership dues shall not be refunded by PMI or the Lakeshore Ontario Chapter.

I registered for a chapter event and was not able to attend. How can I get a refund?

A: You cannot. If you do not show up for an event and did not cancel your registration ahead of time then there is no refund.. The refund policy is noted on the chapter website - https://pmiloc.org/Event_Cancellation_Policy.

PDU SELF REPORTING

How do I self-report PDUs?

A: Go to www.pmi.org

• Log in
• Go to ‘My PMI’
• Go to ‘Dashboard’
• Go to ‘Report PDUs’
• Fill in the details for the event…that’s it.
  
  

If you are unsuccessful, please reach out to PMI directly at:
E-mail: [email protected]
Toll Number: +1-610-356-4600 
Toll Free Number: 1-855-746-4849

I attended the recent training session offered by the chapter and was trying to claim the PDUs myself using the code "C193" code provided for the course. This code was ‘not found’ in the PMI.org database when I signed in. Please advise.

A: The chapter posts the event to the PMI.org database when the event details are finalized. This can take a few days depending on the workload of our volunteers. Syntax is critical so you need to be certain the course code is entered correctly.

Regarding PDU’s, if you are a member of the Lakeshore Ontario chapter, the chapter will do the submission on your behalf. It can take up to a few weeks to see the credit on your account though.

If you are not a chapter member you will have to make the submission on your own. If you are unsuccessful, please reach out to PMI directly at:
E-mail: [email protected]
Toll number: +1-610-356-4600
Toll free number: 1-855-746-4849

Note that PMI Global maintains PDU record for all members.

CAN’T REGISTER FOR EVENTS

I registered for membership in the chapter but I still can’t register for events. Why is this happening?

A: Welcome to the chapter. It takes 4 to 5 business days from the time you register on PMI Global as a member until your membership details are made available to the local PMI chapter and are processed into our database. Give it a few days and try again to register. If you still have problems contact us again at [email protected].

CREDIT CARD PAYMENTS

My company only uses American Express cards. How do I register for a chapter event?

A: This chapter does not accept Amex for chapter events. We accept Visa or Mastercard only.

CAPM CERTIFICATION

I’m a member of PMI and the Lakeshore Ontario chapter. When will you be offering a CAPM exam preparation course?

A: There are no current plans for a chapter-sponsored CAPM exam preparation course. You may wish to check the GTA Community colleges for CAPM offerings. Or, you may wish to contact PMI Toronto Chapter – a training provider that the chapter uses, to see what public CAPM preparation courses might be available. You can also reach us at [email protected] for course details.

I am a new PMI Lakeshore Ontario member and have recently applied for the CAPM certification exam. What does the chapter offer for assisting me with preparation for the exam?  

A: The chapter has occasionally offered CAPM preparation courses in the past. Chapter also provides online courses (Example: CAPM/PMP preparation and other courses https://pmiloc.org/Chapter_Offerings), as does the PMI Global (https://www.pmi.org/learning/training-development/online-courses).

GAINING INTERNAL COMPANY APPROVAL FOR PM TRAINING

I'd like to work on gaining my executives' approval to sponsor me for the PMP certification. They require a business case, and I'm having difficulty developing a case for their approval. Is there someone who can assist?

A: I suggest you look up a book and/or download a template from the web on business cases - what they are and how to write one. That should stimulate your thinking in the right direction.

Start off by answering the key, bottom-line question: What's in it for your employer to sponsor you?

You will also need to think about & document the following:
- The business need/issues in the organization that PMP education & certification for you will help address
- Costs to the organization
- Benefits to the organization (spend some time on this...)
- Benefits to you
- Options you have explored
- Recommended approach
- Your commitment
- Your request

I also suggest that you:
- See what material + advice your H/R department may have in this regard
- Talk to some other PMPs in your organization

GUARANTEES

If I sign up for the PMP preparation course offered by your chapter, what guarantee do you offer that I will pass and get my certification?

A: The only guarantees in life are death and taxes. If you work in Project Management, the only guarantees are death, taxes and scope creep. So, if you are looking for the Chapter and/or the course provider to give you that guarantee, you are out of luck. We cannot do that.

However, the course provider does offer a limited guarantee, to help you in a second PMP exam attempt (if required) by personal coaching to identify weak points and/or complimentary attendance in the next course. PMI Global lists Authorized Training Partners (https://www.pmi.org/learning/training-development/authorized-training-partners), have a look at them. Note that any exam fee to be paid to PMI to rewrite the exam is your responsibility.

VOLUNTEERING

I would like to volunteer in any of your activities. I can both attend in person or virtual.

A: Thanks for indicating your interest in volunteering for the PMLOC chapter.

The best place to start would be signing up via the 'volunteer' section on the chapter website.

Here is the link https://pmiloc.org/Volunteers

You will find information on how to apply and answers to frequently asked questions.