DPro best practices (Project DPro, Social Good DPro, MEAL DPro, Program DPro and Finance DPro) are adopted as a standard in many development organizations around the world.

You can read more about Project DPro and each other DPro Guides by accessing the respective options under DPros in the top menu.

PM4NGOs is the organization that owns Project DPro (PMD Pro), Program DPro, Finance DPro (FMD Pro), MEAL DPro, and Social Good DPro guides and certification exam schemes. PM4NGOs does not grant exclusivity of Project DPro (PMD Pro) or other DPro guides, certification exams, invigilation, or training, neither per region / country nor any other criteria.

The Project DPro Guide is the second edition of the PMD Pro Guide. PM4NGOs has decided to rebrand the guide and certification to align with other DPro methodologies, like the Program DPro.

We will keep the PMD Pro denomination as reference at our website and publications.

PM4NGOs has decided to rebrand the FMD Pro guide and certification as Finance DPro to align with other DPro methodologies, like the Project DPro and Program DPro. The terminology FMD Pro is used in the guide, communications, certificates, exams, and publications solely or along with Finance DPro terminology, without prejudice to its definition or reference.

All learning materials (guides) are available for free. The guides are copyrighted by PM4NGOs and distributed under the Creative Commons BY-NC license.

If you or your organization is willing to incorporate, distribute, or adapt the Project DPro or any other DPro Guide, please observe the Creative Commons indication in each guide and read the Terms, Conditions, and Reference for using our methodologies and content.

Yes! If you are interested in self-study, there are free options available for the DPro learning and certification.

As an introductory learning platform, you can visit the learning resources page on our website. Please note that these materials do not cover the entire guide, but they are a good first step for your learning.

Developed with experts from several of the world’s best known and highly regarded non-governmental organizations, the certifications are accredited by PM4NGOs.

Yes! Project DPro, Program DPro, MEAL DPro, Finance DPro, and Social Good DPro have been adopted by several national and international organizations. Take a look at some of the organizations that have incorporated PM4NGOs methodologies into their project management practices and standards.

Once you complete your exam, its status will be marked as “Under Review”. Every seven days, the PM4NGOs team reviews all exams completed during that period. The team analyzes exam data and records, and a random sample of candidates may be selected for an interview.

Click here if you would like to read more about the DPro Exam Review and Audit Procedures.

The Project DPro, Program DPro, MEAL DPro, Social Good DPro and Finance DPro Foundation certificates have no expiration date.

The Practitioner certificates are valid for 3 years. After achieving this certification, practitioners are required to perform tasks every 2 years in order to renew the certificate.

No. Your APMG certificate will remain valid and recognized by PM4NGOS, our partners, and all organizations that have adopted Project DPro and our methodologies. If you would like to request an update on your certificate for the new design, send a digital copy of your current certificate to exams@pm4ngos.org.

The Foundation exam (level 1) is a multiple-choice with 75 questions. The pass mark is 65% – or 49 correct questions. There is no ‘negative’ marking, so a question incorrectly answered does not reduce correct marks. The exam is online: candidates do not need to attend an appointment at a facility except if required by a trainer or training organization. Candidates have up to 2 hours to take the exam.

The Practitioner Certification is not an exam. It is an activity based examination that allows continuing professional development. Activities are designed to be performed over a period of time (not a few hours or even same day). The Practitioner Examination is currently being offered by PM4NGOs Training Partner only. The PM4NGOs Training Partner offering are Pyramid Learning and HANDA Social Service Development Center. Please contact them to confirm their course agenda, fees, and other details.

Foundation level: there are no professional or knowledge prerequisites to take the Project DPro Foundation or Social Good DPro exam. They are available to anyone regardless of if you are a student, a professional at the beginning of your career, an experienced project manager, or just someone looking for additional skills and knowledge for your work.

Practitioner level: in order to become a Project DPro Practitioner, the candidate must first achieve the Project DPro Foundation. Other certifications are not accepted to replace the Project DPro Foundation.

MEAL DPro, Finance DPro (FMD Pro), and Program DPro: at the foundation level, there are no professional or knowledge prerequisites. However, we strongly recommend that you take the Project DPro Foundation or the Social Good DPro first, as it presents most of the standard tools and techniques used by other DPros.

You can request additional time (1h) for your exam if:

1. You have any disability that affects your response time to answer the questions, such as vision impairment or physical disability.

• If you are taking an exam supported by PM4NGOs partner organization, contact your trainer and provide the evidence he/she requests. If you are an individual candidate, send a message to exams@pm4ngos.org and attach an official document as evidence of your disability.

2. You are not taking the exam in your native language AND the exam is not available in your native language.

• If the exam is available in your native language but you decide to take it in a different language, you are not eligible for the additional time.

As of October 1, 2022, all DPro Exams are open book with a duration of 2h (120 minutes).

– Candidates are allowed to consult any material and notes they choose.
– Exam questions must neither be copied nor be consulted during the exam.
– Exams are individual, with no consultation with other individuals.
– The use of AI support, such as ChatGPT, Copilot, or similar platforms, is strictly forbidden.

– Candidates are allowed to consult any material and notes they choose.
– Exam questions must neither be copied nor be consulted during the exam.
– Exams are individual, with no consultation with other individuals.
– The use of AI support, such as ChatGPT, Copilot, or similar platforms, is strictly forbidden.

You can consult the DPro guide and any training materials, hard copy or online.

– Candidates are allowed to consult any material and notes they choose.
– Exam questions must neither be copied nor be consulted during the exam.
– Exams are individual, with no consultation with other individuals.
– The use of AI support, such as ChatGPT, Copilot, or similar platforms, is strictly forbidden.

You can take the Foundation exam as many times as you need. However, each purchase grants you one attempt. If you would like to retake the exam, you need to buy a new one.

It is not mandatory to join a training course to take the exam. However, even if you are an experienced project manager, taking a training course gives you a chance to meet people from different backgrounds and contexts, to learn from their experience, and to share your knowledge as well. It allows you to network with these professionals and develop soft skills such as time management, communication, collaboration, and delegation.

We strongly recommend that you attend a training course before taking the exam.

Country-Specific Processes
Profile approval and exam access are restricted in selected countries.
Candidates from China and Saudi Arabia must follow country-specific processes to create their profiles and
complete their exams. Please review more details by reading the Terms of Use.

Yes! You can download the step-by-step booklets at the Exam & Certificates page, where you will also find guidance videos, pricing, and other details about the exams.

Ensure the following are functional and that you have the knowledge to use (or have appropriate IT support):

• A browser with pop-up blocker disabled
• Internet speed must be at least 2 Mbps download and 2 Mbps upload

Click here to test real-time communication components and bandwidth.

The following web browsers are supported:

• Chrome (recommended)
• Microsoft Edge
• Firefox
• Safari

Notes:

• Due to the frequent release schedule of these browsers, full support of new versions cannot be guaranteed. We make every effort to support the latest versions of these browsers as they are released.
• Mobile support for participant reports is limited at this time.

We strongly recommend to take the exam using a desktop or laptop browser. Many devices have cookies, cache, and security settings that might interfere on the exam system. Devices settings might prevent the exam to save questions already answered. This means that if you lose Internet connection or close the mobile browser, you might lose all questions already answered – or even lose the exam.

In addition to the risk of your mobile settings preventing affecting the exam saving and resuming, some features available for mobile assessments differ when using a desktop browser. For example:

• Reporting at the end of an assessment is not possible because mobile devices cannot display the Coaching report
• Some questions might not properly work on mobile devices (depending on your mobile settings).
• If you have live support from a trainer or invigilator, it might be challenging alternating between the exam and the chat/call with the invigilator.
• Because there are countless device brands and models, mobile operating systems, mobile security apps, anti-virus, and possible combination of features, it is not possible to create a list of requirements or recommendations for taking the exam using a mobile.

If your only option is to take the exam using a mobile or tablet, please see below the kinds of mobile devices that are supported:

• Apple iOS 4.0+ devices (iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch)
• Android 2.3+ devices (phones and tablets)

You can purchase your exam at the PM4NGOs Exams Platform. In order to purchase your exam, it is required that you have a profile at the Exam System.

If you already have a profile:

• Log in by entering your username and password, click “Buy Exam” and follow the purchasing instructions.

If this is your first time purchasing a DPro exam:

• Click on “Create new account,” enter a username, password, and your name. Then, click the green button “Create new account.”
• You will receive an email with instructions to confirm your identity.
• Once your identity is confirmed by our team, your profile will be activated.
• Log in by entering your username and password, click “Buy Exam” and follow the purchasing instructions.

Important! 

• Each candidate must purchase its own exam.
• The person who purchases the exam is the individual who must take it.
• If you have a colleague who also wants to purchase an exam, you cannot purchase on his/her behalf.

Country-Specific Processes
Profile approval and exam access are restricted in selected countries.
Candidates from China and Saudi Arabia must follow country-specific processes to create their profiles and
complete their exams. Please review more details by reading the Terms of Use.

No – not directly on our exam portal!

Each candidate must purchase its own exam. The person who purchases the exam is the individual who must take it. If you have a colleague who also wants to purchase an exam, you cannot purchase on his/her behalf.

If you purchase more than one exam,  you will not be able to transfer and a request for a refund will be necessary, following the 2CheckOut (payment system) time and requirements.

If you would like to purchase multiple exams for a group or organization, contact our team and share the details of your need.

Exams are refundable before you take them. If you have already started the exam, it cannot be refunded.

If you have purchased an exam and you would like to cancel it, send your request to exams@pm4ngos.org.

The certification exams are available online via the PM4NGOs Exams Platform. Prices have been established that aim to make the cost of access affordable to staff working for NGOs anywhere in the world.

For more information about our pricing structure, click here

No. Exams have the same composition, content, and recognition regardless of the price. The different prices have been set to benefit local and community-based organizations / professionals, students, and volunteers.

PM4NGOs implement auditing processes periodically, requesting proof of status (e.g., student cards) of candidates who selected local or in-country organization pricing.

For more information about our pricing structure, click here.

The Foundation exams have different pricing depending on your actual job or working status. Check the category descriptions before making the purchase.

To use a voucher to purchase your exam, you must follow the same steps of a regular purchase, except for the payment one.

Once you have added your exam to the cart and reached the checkout step, you must enter your voucher code in the appropriate field and click “Add Voucher.” The voucher discount will be applied to your cart.

You can try the exam as many times as you want. However, each purchased exam grants one attempt only. If you would like to try it again, you need to purchase a new exam.

Foundation exams are composed of 75 questions that can be:

• Multiple choice: 1 correct answer
• Multiple choice: 2+ correct
• Fill a blank (select)
• Rank or put in the right sequence

• In order to successfully pass the exam, you need 49 correct marks (out of 75 available) – 65%.

• The exam duration is 2h (120 minutes).

Yes! The sample exam is free of costs, and you can take as many times as you want. Visit the PM4NGOs Sample Exams platform to practice them.

Once you complete your exam, its status will be marked as “Under Review”. Every seven days, the PM4NGOs team reviews all exams completed during that period. The team analyzes exam data and records, and a random sample of candidates may be selected for an interview.

Click here if you would like to read more about the DPro Exam Review and Audit Procedures.

No. PM4NGOs is the guardian of Project DPro, Social Good DPro, Program DPro, Finance DPro, and MEAL DPro. We are also a platform to connect professionals and training organizations and, for that reason, we do not run training courses.

Check on the Training Partners page to find the nearest training organization. We would like to ask you to contact them directly. They will be able to enroll you in a training course and apply for the certification exam at its completion.

You can also check our agenda with training and events from our partners and other seminars, webinars, and conferences that we have curated to share with you.

PM4NGOs works with a group of official training partners that you can find on our website. However PM4NGOs does not accredit trainers or training organizations.

Please click here if you would like to become a PM4NGOs Training Partner.

PM4NGOs does not grant exclusivity of Project DPro (PMD Pro) or other DPro guides, exams, or training, neither per region / country nor any other criteria.

Please note that only PM4NGOs Official Training Partners and Nonprofit Partners are allowed to offer certification exams as part of their training courses and provide support and guidance to candidates.

Please click here if you would like to become a DPro Training Partner.

If you or your organization is willing to incorporate, distribute, or adapt the Project DPro or other DPro Guide, please observe the Creative Commons indication in each guide and read the Terms, Conditions, and Reference for using our methodologies and content.