The part of the PMP application that worries people most is the project experience section. You describe each project you led, and PMI checks that your experience is real, recent and actually project management. Done well, it takes an evening. Done badly, it can delay your application or invite an audit.
What PMI asks for
For each project, you enter:
- the project title and your organisation,
- your role and the dates you worked on it,
- the number of months of experience it represents,
- a project description, usually written in 200 to 500 words.
The description is where approvals are won or lost.
The structure that works
Write every description in the same four parts:
- Objective. One sentence: what the project was for.
- Your role. One sentence: what you were responsible for.
- What you did. The bulk of the text. Organise it by project phase: initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling, and closing. Use verbs that show you led: defined, planned, coordinated, negotiated, tracked, resolved.
- Outcome. One sentence: what the project delivered.
A complete example
Objective: Replace the paper-based stock process in 40 retail stores with a handheld scanning system to cut stock errors.
Role: Project manager, leading a team of 8 across IT, operations and an external supplier, reporting to the operations director.
Initiating: Worked with the sponsor to define the business case and success measures, identified stakeholders in IT, store operations and finance, and drafted the project charter.
Planning: Built the scope and work breakdown structure with the team, created the schedule and a budget of 420,000 euros, planned a two-store pilot, and set up a risk register and communication plan.
Executing: Led weekly team meetings, managed the supplier contract, coordinated training for 300 store staff, and ran the pilot before the full rollout.
Monitoring and controlling: Tracked progress against the baseline, managed two change requests through the change board, resolved a device supply delay by re-sequencing the rollout, and reported status to the steering committee monthly.
Closing: Obtained formal acceptance from operations, handed over to the support team, documented lessons learned and released the team.
Outcome: Delivered in 11 months, 3% under budget; stock errors fell by 60% in the first quarter after go-live.
That example is about 230 words. It is specific, uses numbers, and every sentence shows leadership.
Mistakes that cause problems
- Describing your job, not a project. "I managed the IT department" is operations. PMI wants projects with a start, an end and a defined result.
- Writing "we" all the way through. PMI needs to see your contribution. Use "I" or start sentences with action verbs.
- Overlapping months. If two projects ran at the same time, the overlapping months count only once.
- Copying text from templates. Descriptions that read like a generic sample are easy to spot.
- Exaggerating. If you are audited, your contacts must confirm what you wrote. Write only what they would sign.
Agile projects count too
If you worked as a scrum master, product owner or agile delivery lead, describe the work in the same structure: product vision, backlog and release planning, sprint delivery, impediment removal, reviews and retrospectives, and the outcome.
Before you submit
- Check every project falls within the last eight years.
- Check your total months against the requirement for your education level. See PMP exam requirements.
- Tell your contacts (managers or clients) that PMI may contact them if you are audited.
- Save a copy of everything you submit.
If you are selected for audit, the audit section of our requirements guide explains what to send. Once approved, find out your starting level with the free 30-question PMP quiz.