Certification helps new product development professionals advance their careers. Because it identifies them as individuals with a mastery of new product development principles and best practices, it makes them attractive to corporations seeking qualified people to move into leadership positions. Also, the study and preparation required in the process of certification supports continual improvement in job performance.
Certification also benefits employers. New product development professionals will learn valuable practices to enhance the corporate new product development process and decrease a new product's time to market.
Workshops to Help Prepare for the Exam
Click here to learn about workshops designed to help you pass the exam.
How to Become NPDP Certified:
STEP 1: Meet Eligibility Requirements
To become certified, candidates must pass the NPDP exam and meet additional criteria in education and experience.
If you do not yet satisfy the experience criteria, you may still take the exam. If you pass, you’ll be granted “NPDP Provisional Status” and will have up to 5 years to gain the experience necessary for regular certification, without having to pass the test again.
Education & Experience Criteria
There are 2 different combinations of education and experience that satisfy the certification requirement:
1. Bachelor’s or higher university degree (or equivalent degree) from an accredited institution AND at least TWO years of professional-level experience working in new product development. The candidate must work in this field at the time of application and must have accumulated the required experience within the prior FOUR years.
OR
2. High school diploma or equivalent AND at least FIVE years of professional-level experience working in new product development. The candidate must work in this field at the time of application and must have accumulated the required experience within the prior EIGHT years.
STEP 2: Register with PDMA for Certification
Register for PDMA Certification here.
STEP 3: Application Fee
PDMA members pay no application fee to take the NPDP exam, while non-members pay $200.
If you’re not a member, this is a good time to join! For new product professionals seeking certification, you pay $225 to become a member—and get all the benefits of PDMA membership for only $25 over the exam application fee. Click here to learn about those benefits.
STEP 4: Prepare for the Exam
PDMA provides recommendations on how and what to study, including a reading list. Click here to see this info.
Many professionals take advantage of NPLearning’s New Product Learning & Certification Class, which offers a guarantee that you’ll pass the exam. Click here to learn more.
The exam is comprised of 200 multiple-choice questions that test product development knowledge in six key areas:
1 – Strategy
2 – Portfolio Management
3 – New Products Process
4 – Tools & Metrics
5 – Market Research
6 – Teams, People & Organizational Issues
A good workshop will cover each of these areas in depth, using a combination of presentations, discussions, readings and self-check quizzes.
STEP 5: Schedule the NPDP Exam
The NPDP Examination is a computer-based exam administered by Thomson Prometric. You can take the exam at hundreds of designated test sites, both in the U.S. and internationally, at a date and time convenient for you.
You’ll need 4 hours to complete the exam. Your results, pass or fail, are provided immediately upon completion.
In addition to the $200 application fee required by PDMA from non-members, Thomson Prometric charges an additional fee to administer the exam of $250. This fee is required for both PDMA members and non-members.
If you are unable to schedule your exam online and/or if you want to pay by check, please call the PDMA office at 800-232-5241 or 856-439-9052.
To schedule your exam, follow these steps:
- Go to the Thomson Prometric Internet Registration web site, at www.2test.com. This should open a new browser window. If you have anti pop-up software installed, temporarily disable it. Open these instructions in a separate window so you can follow the steps while you’re on Thomson Prometric’s site.
- Under "Step 1: Select your testing program," choose "Academic, Professional Licensure, Government and Corporate Programs." In the drop-down box, also in the Step 1 box, select "Product Development and Management Association (PDMA)."
- Under “Step 2: Select your region," choose a country and, if applicable, your state/province. Then click the "Next" button.
- Click the "Schedule an Exam" link.
- The next two screens show some important policy information about the NPDP exam. After reading through both screens, and assuming you accept those policies, click the "I Agree" button at the bottom of the second screen, and click on the "Next" button.
- On the "Available Test Sites" page, choose from the list of test locations and click “Schedule Appointment.”
- Under Date and Time Selection, the calendar will show the available upcoming dates and times for taking the exam at that location. If those are inconvenient, you may select the following month for taking the test, or check a different test location to see if they have better availabilities for you. When you have selected a date, time and location that work for you, you’ll be linked to another form.
- Complete the form, providing your name and address.
- The last screen will ask for a credit card number for payment.
STEP 6: Review and Take the Exam
Make sure you’ve read all the recommended readings and are comfortable with their topics and major points. It’s important that you’re able to apply the knowledge you’ve learned in all 6 major topic areas:
1 – Strategy
2 – Portfolio Management
3 – New Products Process
4 – Tools & Metrics
5 – Market Research
6 – Teams, People & Organizational Issues
Arrive at the test site early, familiarize yourself with the location and complete the check-in process. Be sure to eat a snack before you go into the test.
Do not rush through the exam. Consider every question carefully. First, determine which topic the question refers to. Then, think about which best practice the question suggests. If you are struggling for the right answer, eliminate the answers you know are wrong and choose from the remaining options. Mark answers to review if you are unsure. Most importantly: do not rush through the exam.