PSP and PMI-SP are the most widely recognized certificates in the planning field. However, many planning engineers experience confusion regarding which certificate is more important or right for them. As a holder of both certifications, I will break everything down for you so you can make an informed decision about which certification to pursue. In this article, I will cover the below areas for both certificates.
- The content of study materials.
- What can the certification provider offer you?
- How does the market perceive the certificate?
- Where are you in the planning journey?
1- The content of study materials
The PSP has two main categories which are planning and scheduling. The certification covers important planning areas such as stakeholder management, value engineering, contract requirements, cost breakdown structure and cost estimates. On the other hand, PMI-SP covers some planning elements but it has more to do with planning the “schedule” than planning the “project”.
For the scheduling part, both certificates cover this area sufficiently. However, I found that the PMI-SP offers more valuable best practices in the scheduling domain.
2- What can the certification provider offer you?
Most of my audience works in the construction industry so I will explain the benefits that the certification provider can offer you from this angle. The certification provider of PSP is AACEI which has many recommended practices, certifications, webinars and other content vehicles that are geared toward the construction professionals. This content includes delay analysis, claims, cost management, schedule management and contract management. The AACEI has a wealth of products, recommended practices and webinars that I personally found very valuable. You can download the recommended practices for free as a part of your membership which you will pay for anyway before you sit for the exam. You don’t even have to renew your AACEI membership and remain a member if you wish to do so. You can pay for the membership only once when you apply for your exam so you can get the discounted exam fees then download all recommended practices and keep them on your hard drive.
On the other hand, the certification provider of PMI-SP is the Project Management Institute (PMI) which operates in the “general” project management space. Hence, it doesn’t offer remarkable benefits that are tailored for the construction industry or any other industry. Therefore, the PMI-SP covers the scheduling best practices that can be applied across all industries including construction, IT, healthcare, etc. However, as a project control practitioner, I still found these practices very valuable and relevant to me.
3- How does the market perceive the certificate?
Certifications matter in the project control market. I strongly believe that practical skills should be the most important hiring factor. However, it doesn’t matter how we perceive the certificates; rather it is about how the market recognizes them. In my experience, certificates can have many benefits which can help you:
- Present the certificate initials after your name.
- Achieve professional status as an expert by earning the credential.
- Certify your great knowledge.
- Learn the best practices of planning and scheduling.
- Get shortlisted for interviews and have better career opportunities.
Moreover, hiring managers have a paradox of choice when it comes to hiring planning engineers. If you want to buy a new mobile phone with a budget of $300, you will have so many options to choose from. Now imagine that you narrowed your options down to two models that have the same features that you are looking for. However, one of them has an additional camera that you don’t really need. If you are like most of us, you will choose the one with the additional camera even though you will most likely not use it because you know, why not?
This strategy is effective when the decision-makers have a paradox of choice (they have many good options to choose from). If I were the hiring manager, I probably receive hundreds or even thousands of CVs for the same vacancy. Many applicants have decent working knowledge and skills. Now after I shortlist the candidates based on my criteria (e.g. skills, experience, background, etc), I might slightly prefer interviewing a certification holder over someone who doesn’t have any certificates, assuming that all other factors such as skills, knowledge, experience and background are the same.
Now let me state that again. Certifications should not be the most important hiring factor and they certainly do not replace experience and knowledge areas such delay analysis, Power BI and Primavera P6. I am the last one who will say that. However, when other factors are the same, certificates can give you an edge and help you get one foot in the door.
Although both the PSP and PMI-SP certificates have different benefits, the market values the PSP certificate more in my opinion.
4- Where are you in the planning journey?
Both certificates have different exam eligibility requirements which you have little control over. The PSP requires at least 4 years of experience to qualify for the exam. On the other hand, the PMI-SP requires at least 2 years of experience. Therefore, if you are a fresh planner, you can go for the PMI-SP first then the PSP later after you gain more experience. On the other hand, if you currently have at least 4 years of work experience, I recommend that you earn both certificates but go for the PSP first.
Conclusion
As a holder of the PSP and PMI-SP certificates, I recommend that all planning engineers earn both certificates. In my opinion, the PSP is better than the PMI-SP for construction professionals. However, I still advise you to earn the PMI-SP as well because it covers more technical knowledge in the scheduling domain compared to the PSP. Moreover, the market still recognizes and perceives the PMI-SP as a valuable certificate in the construction industry which can help you get shortlisted and stand out from the crowd. Finally, certifications cost money to earn and maintain. I am PMP, PSP, CCP and PMI-SP certified to I have already paid and continue to pay a lot of money to maintain them. However, I will continue to earn more certificates and I will be happily paying this premium to stay ahead. The market will not reward someone who is paying such fees the same way as someone who doesn’t.
Regards,
Osama Saad, MBA, PMP, PSP, CCP, PMI-SP
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