Eligibility requirements for the CCP, CISSP, and PMP certifications explained

Looking to level up your résumé (and have a little fun along the way)? Let’s take a whirlwind tour of three heavyweight IT and management credentials—CCP, CISSP, and PMP—explaining where you go to get them and what you need to qualify.

The Certified Computing Professional (CCP) is awarded by the Institute for Certification of Computing Professionals (ICCP), an independent, vendor-neutral body founded in 1973. To earn the CCP, you must demonstrate at least 48 months of professional experience in computer-based information systems, although up to half of that requirement can be waived if you hold a relevant post-secondary degree in computer science or information systems. Once your experience is documented, you register on the ICCP website, pass one core “IT fundamentals” exam and two specialty exams of your choice—such as Business Information Systems or Office Information Systems—and voilà, you earn the CCP designation, proving you’re a bona fide computing pro .

The Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) comes from (ISC)², the International Information System Security Certification Consortium, and is recognized as the gold standard in cybersecurity. To qualify, you need a minimum of five years of paid, full-time work in at least two of the eight CISSP domains—ranging from Security Architecture to Risk Management—although one year can be waived if you hold a four-year degree or another approved credential. After passing the rigorous CISSP exam at a Pearson VUE center, you must secure an endorsement from an existing (ISC)² professional in good standing. Once that’s done, you join the ranks of over 150,000 CISSPs worldwide, guarding cyberspace one network at a time .

Finally, the Project Management Professional (PMP) credential is offered by the Project Management Institute (PMI) and validates your ability to lead projects from kickoff to close. Eligibility depends on your educational background: if you hold a four-year degree, you need 36 months of project leadership experience; with a high-school diploma or associate’s degree, you need 60 months. In all cases, you must complete 35 contact-hours of formal project management training (or hold PMI’s CAPM certification), document your hours in an online application, and pass the 180-question exam at a Pearson VUE center or via remote proctoring. Achieve all that, and you’ll join over a million PMPs who drive projects to success every day .

Each of these certifications—CCP, CISSP, and PMP—opens doors, boosts credibility, and looks pretty snazzy on LinkedIn. Whether you choose computing, security, or project management as your battleground, the certification journey is your chance to prove you’ve got the skills to excel.