What Is a Certified Product Manager (and How Do I Become One)?

To become a certified product manager (CPM) you must complete an education program from a product industry organization. You must also meet the requirements of a product management certification program offered by a relevant, reputable product industry organization.  

You must also pass an exam that covers business and technical product management competencies to call yourself a certified product manager. Completing a product management certification program can validate your skills as a product manager and help you qualify for higher-paying jobs. Learn how and why you should get certified in product management.

What is a certified product manager?

A certified product manager is an expert on the entire product lifecycle. As a certified product manager, you'll be responsible for developing and managing products from conception to launch. You'll work with cross-functional teams to ensure products are delivered on time and within budget. A certified product manager’s job may involve:

• Requirements gathering

• Competitive analysis

• Market research

• Positioning and promotion

• Requirements definition

• Design planning and development

• Validation of hypotheses and release into production.

Read more: What Does a Product Manager Do? And How to Become One

Key skills of a certified product manager

As a product manager, you’ll need strong analytical and technical skills. You’ll also need to communicate effectively with diverse stakeholders and be able to work in a fast-paced environment.

Some key technical skills that you’ll need as a product manager include:

• Strong analytical skills: As a product manager, you’ll need to be able to analyze data to make informed product decisions.

• Technical expertise: You’ll need a good understanding of the technology used to develop the product.

• Project management skills: You’ll be able to effectively manage the product's development from conception to launch.

Some essential workplace skills you should possess may include:

• Communication skills: A product manager needs to be able to effectively communicate in written and verbal form with different stakeholders, such as developers, customers, and upper management.

• Interpersonal skills: You need to be able to build relationships with various people within the organization to complete objectives.

• Organizational skills: You’ll organize and prioritize tasks to meet deadlines and have strong time management skills.

AI skills are in high demand across nearly every industry today. With IBM's AI Product Manager Professional Certificate, you can learn to apply your leadership skills to the AI product management lifecycle. You'll examine real-world case studies of successful AI integration and develop or strengthen your knowledge of Agile concepts and methodologies. By the end, you'll have earned a Professional Certificate from an industry leader in technology.

Read more: 12 Key Project Management Skills

How to become a certified product manager

Different certifications help build the competencies suitable for product management positions.

To help determine the best certifications for different product management roles, network with professionals on LinkedIn to discuss what they value in product managers. Popular product management certifications to consider include:

1. AIPMM Certified Product Manager (CPM) 

This certification covers market planning, competitor research, product specifications, and product lifecycle modeling. Upon completion, it demonstrates you have the knowledge, skills, and abilities to be an effective product manager and are committed to this career. 

Cost: starting at $1,500 [1]

2. Product School’s Product Manager Certificate 

Product Schools' product management certification program is an eight-week online course where you’ll learn how to manage products successfully in all stages of their lifecycle. You'll discover how to set goals, build teams, manage stakeholders, and deliver desirable products. The instructors are professionals with experience working as project managers in companies like Amazon, Spotify, and Google.

Cost: Product School’s tuition starts at $442 a month [2]

3. The Pragmatic Institute’s Product Manager Certificate 

This program teaches you how to manage products from conception to launch. It covers an eight-step approach that follows the “foundation, focus, design, build, market, launch, price, and insight” elements of the product life cycle.

Cost: Three separate courses of $1,295 each [3]

4. Certificate in Product Ownership Analysis by IIBA

The Certificate in Product Ownership Analysis is a product management certification designed for those who want to demonstrate their proficiency in integrating business analysis and product ownership operations with the Agile methodology. The International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA) offers the course online and typically takes ten weeks to complete. 

Cost: $250 for members, $400 for non-members [4]

5. Agile Certified Product Manager and Product Owner by AIPMM 

Agile Certified Product Manager (ACPMA) is a certification that demonstrates your ability to manage the product process from beginning to end using Agile. Agile Certified Product Owner focuses on:

• How to frame product management and business strategy with Agile

• How to lead your Agile teams and influence them

• Best practices for utilizing Agile

• Ideas outside of Scrum, including Lean, XP, and Kanban

Cost: Starting at $1,500 with options for live instruction or self-study [5]

Read more: 10 PMI Certifications to Level Up Your Project Management Career

How easy is the certified product manager certification?

Whether you find a certification program easy or more challenging, you can take steps to prepare yourself ahead of time and choose a program that works best for you. For example, you can find self-study courses and live training to choose from, as well as longer programs spread out over the course of several weeks or months or shorter, more intensive programs to get you into a new career faster. If you already have experience and knowledge about product management, you may be able to jump straight into a certification exam without sitting for a course.

How to get certified in product management

The first step to becoming a CPM is determining the right certification for you. When choosing a certification to pursue, you'll also want to consider cost, duration, program structure, and course content.

Cost 

The price of certification can range from a few hundred to several thousand dollars. Before making a decision, research the costs and compare them to similar programs. If a certification is out of budget, it may not be worth the time and financial investment if it doesn’t directly affect your career progression. 

Duration 

Some programs can be completed in weeks or months, while others may require several years of product-related experience to take the exam. Consider how much time you can commit to a program.

Program structure 

As you look at programs, you’ll discover some are self-paced, while others have strict deadlines and are in-person. Some programs are entirely online, and others require you to attend a specific campus. Consider your learning style, availability, and preferences when choosing a type of program structure.

Course content 

Ensure the certified product manager training program covers topics relevant to your career goals. For example, AIPMM’s certified product manager course includes the following topics as a guide:

• Product management and marketing

• Marketing mix

• Product lifecycle management process

• New product development

• Commercialization

• Understanding goods and services

• Product decisions

• Strategic planning

• Market research

• Product positioning

• Product management toolbox

• Value creation

• Pricing

Job outlook and salary for certified product managers 

Certified product managers are in high demand since they help companies create products that meet consumer demand. According to Glassdoor, the average annual certified product manager’s salary is $123,536 [6]. 

Is CPM certification worth it? Benefits of certified product manager certification 

Product management certifications can benefit your career, even potentially increasing your salary. Certification can also:

• Improve your career mobility and progression 

• Make you a more attractive candidate

• Help you to learn in-demand skills

• Gain valuable knowledge and expertise

Explore product management Professional Certificates on Coursera

If you're still investigating the product manager career path, consider a Professional Certificate to learn more. A Professional Certificate in product management gives a glimpse into the role and helps develop job-ready skills and knowledge for product roles. You might consider the Google Project Management: Professional Certificate on Coursera.