Logo of the American Institute of Building Design (AIBD) with letters A, I, B, D arranged in a grid, and the word 'MEMBER' on top.

The Certified Professional Building Designer (CPBD) program is a voluntary credentialing program for design professionals designing and preparing construction documents for one and two-family dwellings and light commercial buildings within the United States. CPBD examinations are developed and maintained to the ISO 17024 standard and include a continuous review by various workgroups of experienced professionals.


Qualifications:
The following is the minimum required to begin the certification evaluation process. Experience and education are verified before the examination. Therefore, total experience may be six (6) years plus the number of years certified or more.

● At least six (6) years of practical experience as defined and documented in the Application for Certification policy.
● As defined and documented in the Application for Certification policy, up to a maximum of three (3) years of educational experience may be substituted for practical experience.

Examination:
The owner of this certification has passed an examination consisting of the following specifications.

(Knowledge Domain / # of Knowledge Statements / Weighted %)
● Business Administration / 22 / 10%
● Business Practices / 6 / 10%
● Design Process / 8 / 20%
● Building Design / 111 / 60%

Recertification:
The owner of this certification must obtain a minimum of 8 hours of personal development every 12 months. At least 5 hours must consist of the following specifications.

(Knowledge Domain / Minimum # of hours / Weighted %)
● Business Administration & Business Practices / 1 / 20%
● Design Process / 1 / 20%
● Building Design & Sciences / 3 / 60%

Examination
The PMP® exam through the Project Management Institute (PMI) is a rigorous, scenario-based test designed to assess a professional's ability to manage projects effectively across a variety of industries and methodologies. Here’s what it’s like:

Exam Structure:

● 180 questions total
● 230 minutes to complete
● 2 scheduled breaks (each 10 minutes)

Question types include:

● Multiple choice
● Multiple responses (more than one correct answer)
● Matching
● Hotspot (clicking on a diagram)
● Fill-in-the-blank (very limited)

Content Focus:

The exam is based on three domains:

1. People (42%) – Leadership, conflict resolution, team performance
2. Process (50%) – Managing project tasks, budgets, timelines
3. Business Environment (8%) – Project alignment with organizational goals

It blends questions from predictive (waterfall), agile, and hybrid approaches, with about 50% of questions from agile/hybrid methods.

Difficulty Level:

● It’s considered challenging, emphasizing practical application over memorization.
● Many questions are scenario-based, testing your judgment and problem-solving in real project situations

A certificate from the Project Management Institute (PMI), such as the Project Management Professional (PMP)® certification, is a globally recognized credential that validates a professional’s expertise in project management.

Earning a PMP certification shows that a professional is capable of leading and directing projects, applying standardized project management practices, and delivering results across diverse industries. To become certified, candidates must meet PMI's eligibility requirements, which include a combination of education and professional project management experience. Additionally, applicants must complete 35 hours of project management education and pass a rigorous exam that tests their understanding of project management concepts, methodologies, and real-world application.

Qualifications

  • 36 months of project management experience (within the past 8 years)

  • 35 hours of project management education or CAPM® certification

Recertification

Earn 60 PDUs every 3 years

● PDUs are educational or professional activities that support continuous learning and development in project management.PDUs are split into two categories:

1. Education (minimum of 35 PDUs)
● Technical project management
● Leadership
● Strategic and business management

2. Giving Back (maximum of 25 PDUs)
● Volunteering
● Creating content
● Working as a professional in project management