
What are the benefits of IPMA Certification?
- A broad orientation that looks across different business sectors
- A good broad business and theoretical foundation
- A competence approach makes professionals widely employable Competences: proven by the candidate; independently assessed
- An emphasis on the leader who takes responsibility
- Many decades of experience that IPMA has with the assessment of competences
- Self-reflection during the process makes the candidate aware of their own strengths and weaknesses
- Recertification encourages up-to-date knowledge and experience
- IPMA also checks whether the candidate has been able to make a difference and has left an impact
IPMA Level D® is IPMA’s starting level, aimed at starting professionals.
Level C® is aimed at people who have 3-5 years of working experience, and is comparable in level to most internationally used certification schemes.
Level B® and Level A® are the levels for the very experienced and competent project, programme and portfolio managers. When you reach these levels, you have proven to be an all-round, experienced professional, capable of running complex initiatives.
More detailed information regarding levels and the certification process is available here.
If you are looking for project, programme and portfolio managers who have proven competences, check IPMA Register of Certified Professionals.

Become Recognised as a Professional with IPMA 4-L-C® Certification
- Do you want international recognition as a project, programme or portfolio professional?
- Do you want to be assessed on your current competence level and be internationally certified?
- Do you want to be assessed in your own country?
- Do you want to employ or hire a project, programme or portfolio manager who has proved to be competent?
- Do you want to know how you can improve your competences as a professional project, programme or portfolio manager?
- Do you want a system that allows you to demonstrate progress as your competences improve?
- Do you want to know how you can improve in your chosen profession?
- Do you want a certification scheme that allows you to have the flexibility to work in different sectors and/or in different countries and/or for different employers?
You need a role based certification system that is run locally and commands global recognition. You certify based on your experience and maturity in your current role.
IPMA offers an international, competency-based, four level certification (4-L-C®) scheme. In your own country, in your own language, at your own competence level. If you want to learn more about our levels, please look at IPMA Level A®, Level B®, Level C® and Level D®. If you want to understand the certification process, see here. If you want to connect to the Certification Body in your own country, please find your local Member Association here and you will be redirected to your local IPMA Membership Association and Certifying Body.
Re-certification
A certificate needs to be updated on a regular basis. After a specific period of time, a certificate is withdrawn unless a person undergoes the re-certification process. In this process, a professional can maintain the certificate, by proving the required competences are still maintained at the right level.
See here for the re-certification process.
Individual Competence Baseline®, IPMA ICB®, version 4.0
Worldwide, the IPMA certification is based on the global competence standard, IPMA ICB®.
This standard is defined by the IPMA and describes the competences that project, programme and portfolio managers should possess. Currently, IPMA is transitioning from ICB version 3 to ICB version 4. You can contact your local organisation to get more details on the transitioning path. By the end of 2019, all certifications will be based upon ICB version 4 – worldwide.
Testimonials
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Gerente Executivo, PETROBRAS/TRANSPETRO, Brazil
Wilson Guilherme R. da Silva
Gerente Executivo, PETROBRAS/TRANSPETRO, Brazil
“Porque a certificação IPMA 4L é a que melhor endereça o equilíbrio entre experiência e conhecimento profissional.”
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Jefe de Proyectos, Thales España, Spain
Tomas Coronado
Jefe de Proyectos, Thales España, Spain
“Por que es una certificación de gestión de proyectos reconocida internacionalmente y la elegida por mi organización.”
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Gerente de Oficina de Proyectos e Instalaciones, Thales, Spain
Adrian Benito Rios
Gerente de Oficina de Proyectos e Instalaciones, Thales, Spain
“Thales, Empresa en la que trabajo, decidió comenzar un proceso en el que se certificara el nivel de competencias en cuanto a Gestión de Proyectos de todas las personas involucradas en dicho área.”
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Consultant, IPMA Mexico, Mexico
Alberto Fuentes
Consultant, IPMA Mexico, Mexico
“I applied for certification based on the international reputation of the certification on the project management field.”
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Project Communication & Knowledge Manager, Italy
Andrea Di Ciolo
Project Communication & Knowledge Manager, Italy
“La società per la quale lavoro “Baker Hughes, a GE company” ha iniziato a partire dal 2012 una mappatura delle competenze della propria organizzazione tramite il processo di certificazione IPMA.”
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Project Manager, Diez Torrijos Desarrollo y Gestión de Proyectos 10t, Spain
Antonio Ramón Albert
Project Manager, Diez Torrijos Desarrollo y Gestión de Proyectos 10t, Spain
“Para obtener la certificación como Project Manager, de modo que se refleje, por un organismo internacional, la cualificación para el trabajo que habitualmente desarrollamos.”
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licenciado en derecho, 10t (Diez Torrijos Desarrollo y Gestión de Proyectos), Spain
Benjamín Benlloch Miralles
licenciado en derecho, 10t (Diez Torrijos Desarrollo y Gestión de Proyectos), Spain
“Elegimos certificarnos en IPMA después de analizar las restantes entidades certificadoras porque es la única que se ajusta a la visión real del director de proyectos”
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Project Manager, Spain
Carmen Molinero
Project Manager, Spain
“La empresa donde trabajo necesitaba que todos sus project managers estuvieran certificados”
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Navigation & Observation Programs Portfolio Director, THALES ALENIA SPACE Italy.
Claudio Bruno
Navigation & Observation Programs Portfolio Director, THALES ALENIA SPACE Italy.
“THALES ALENIA SPACE ha definito gli standard IPMA come riferimento aziendale per i processi di PPP management. La certificazione di Livello A meglio si è adattata alla mia responsabilità in azienda.”
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Project Manager, Thales España, Spain
Francisco de los Santos
Project Manager, Thales España, Spain
“Por tener una certificación en competencias como Jefe de Proyectos frente a otras que evalúan solamente conocimientos en la gestión de proyectos”
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Ingeniero Técnico de Obras Públicas. Spain
Gonzalo Pinacho
Ingeniero Técnico de Obras Públicas. Spain
“Por la motivación de adquirir conocimientos relacionados con la Gestión y por la repercusión laboral de estar certificado.”
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Consultant, Weserhak Management, Sweden
Hakan Westman
Consultant, Weserhak Management, Sweden
“Jag ser det som en fantastisk möjlighet att tillsammans med internationella experter granska de bästa projekten från hela världen.”
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Project Manager, THALES, Spain
Joan Vives
Project Manager, THALES, Spain
“En realidad fue una decisión de la empresa para todos los Project Managers. Después de entender la filosofia del IPMA, decisión acertada.”
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Senior Partner, Talent Vectia, Finland
Jori Kosonen
Senior Partner, Talent Vectia, Finland
“Hain kansainvälisesti tunnustettua sertifikaattia ammatillisen tunnustuksen todentamiseksi, jossa yhdistyisivät vahvat näytöt, kokemus ja strategisen tason osaaminen. IPMA PPMC täytti nämä odotukset.”
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ARQUITECTO, 10t PROJECT MANAGEMENT, Spain
Jose Agustin Lillo Arnalte
ARQUITECTO, 10t PROJECT MANAGEMENT, Spain
“POR ORDENAR LOS CONCEPTOS APLICADOS EN EL DIA A DIA DE LA GESTION DE PROYECTOS REALIZADOS EN MI TRABAJO PROFESIONAL Y POR IMPLEMENTAR DE MANERA MAS EFECTIVA LAS COMPETENCIAS EN LA GESTION”
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Program Manager Airports, COPA Airlines, Panama
Jose Reyes
Program Manager Airports, COPA Airlines, Panama
“Considero el Sistema 4LC de IPMA como la vía que puede un profesional utilizar para establecer un plan de desarrollo que homologe sus competencias con las mejores prácticas.”
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Managing Director / Vice President, Finland
Mats Soderlund
Managing Director / Vice President, Finland
“IPMA certifiering erbjuder en bred och konkret helhet för projektledning.”
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Projekt-und Prozess- Managementsysteme, Germany
Michael Boxheimer
Projekt-und Prozess- Managementsysteme, Germany
“Das Konzept des Project Excellence Awards hat mich interessiert sowie die Möglichkeit, die PM-Ansätze anderer Firmen kennenzulernen.”
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Director PMO, INNOVAGRO, Mexico
Oscar Arturo Cruz Torres
Director PMO, INNOVAGRO, Mexico
“En lo personal el uso de competencias blandas es algo basico con lo que debe de contar un buen PM, IPMA da un claro ejemplo de lo que debe de hacer un PM en determinadas situaciones reales.”
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CEO 10t Project Management – Director de Proyectos – Ing. Agrónomo, 10t Project Management, Spain
Santiago Díez Torrijos
CEO 10t Project Management – Director de Proyectos – Ing. Agrónomo, 10t Project Management, Spain
“Después de 15 años de experiencia en la gestión de proyectos, entendí que era necesario obtener una certificación en Project Management.”
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Consultant, Konsultointi Lehtimäki, Finland
Timo Lehtimäki
Consultant, Konsultointi Lehtimäki, Finland
“Hain arvioijaksi oppiakseni Project Excellence mallin perinpohjin sekä päästäkseni jakamaan aiheesta ajatuksia kollegoiden kanssa eri toimialoilta ja eri maista.”
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Masters, Learning and Changing Consultants, Mexico
Veronica Sama
Masters, Learning and Changing Consultants, Mexico
“En mi trayectoria profesional buscaba una certificación que validara mi experiencia dirigiendo proyectos y encontré en IPMA la visión integral que buscaba.”