After the PMP: I Started Volunteering on the PMI Korea Chapter's Education Committee

For the seven weeks I prepared for the PMP, I was always on the receiving end. I read pass reviews on Korean PMP communities and posts on Reddit's r/PMP almost every day, leaning on write-ups from people I'd never met. Now I want to start giving some of that back.

In three lines — After passing the PMP, I started volunteering on the education committee of the PMI Korea Chapter (PMI 한국챕터). The committee reviews and approves the chapter's study groups and research communities, supports them with free Zoom and member recruiting, and issues activity certificates and some PDUs. I studied alone with a lot of help from other people's posts, and now I want to help Korean candidates study together.

In Part 14, I looked at what the PMP means for work, pay and hiring. There's one more thing that's hard to put a number on: getting connected with people on the same path. This post is about that, and it's also the last post of the PMP Roadmap's first season.

Seven weeks of only taking

I prepared for the PMP on my own: online lectures, Study Hall questions, an error log, and review with ChatGPT and NotebookLM. I didn't have study partners, but someone's post was always open next to me.

When my two Study Hall full mocks came back at 66% and 65% and I kept asking myself, "Can I really sit the exam with these scores?", I went looking for reviews from people who had passed with similar scores. They helped me more than I can say. That's why, when I wrote my own pass review in Part 1, I said I hoped it would be a small map for someone, and this whole series grew out of that.

But there are things a post can't do. Work through questions with you, talk over your scores, steady you when you start to wobble. Study alone, and that seat stays empty.

What the PMI Korea Chapter is

The PMI Korea Chapter (pmikorea.kr) is listed by PMI as the "South Korea Chapter." It's part of the Asia Pacific region, was chartered in 2012, and is run by volunteers.

Here's what the chapter does:

• Monthly seminars (with PDUs)
• An online "PM Column Seminar" (PM 칼럼 세미나) every two months, free for members and with PDUs
• Study groups and research communities
• Networking for practitioners
• A project competition for university students

What the education committee does

The chapter has six committees, and the education committee (교육위원회) is one of them. Its community-support guide, dated 1 September 2025, spells out the role clearly:

• It administers the chapter's study and research activities.
• It reviews and interviews people who want to open a study group or research community, and approves them.
• It keeps an eye on running groups and can revoke approval if needed.
• It provides free Zoom and helps recruit members.
• It issues activity certificates and some PDUs.

In short, it's the group that keeps the chapter's study-together spaces running well.

What I hope to do

I volunteer on this committee. Rather than make big promises, I'll put what I want to do in one line: help study groups run well.

Having prepared alone, I know where people wobble: when your score won't move, when you keep getting questions wrong for the same reason, when you can't decide whether to book the exam. Having others preparing for the same exam beside you at those moments would make it much easier. I want to help build spaces where Korean candidates can study together instead of alone.

What volunteering gives back

To be honest, I get something out of it too.

First, PDUs. Volunteering for the chapter counts as Giving Back toward PMP renewal. The three-year plan I shared in Part 11 includes 12 PDUs from education committee volunteering.

Second, people. You get to meet practitioners who lead projects at other companies and in other industries. People I only knew through their posts while I was studying are people I can now actually connect with.

How to get involved

If you're preparing for the PMP, or already have it and need PDUs, the chapter is a good place to start.

• Join the chapter. Chapter dues are about $22 in the PMI store.
• Attend seminars. Both the monthly seminars and the online PM Column Seminar come with PDUs, and the PM Column Seminar is free for members.
• Join or start a study group. You can join an open group, or, if you want to run one, go through the education committee's review and get free Zoom and help recruiting members.

Seminar schedules and announcements are on pmikorea.kr.

Closing season one

1. 2026.06.01

   Joined PMI, bought Study Hall, applied for the PMP

2. 2026.06.09

   Application approved (no audit)

3. 2026.07.03

   Passed the PMP

4. 2026.09.03

   First PDU approved

   1.00 PDU from a PMI webinar

5. Now

   Volunteering on the PMI Korea Chapter education committee

It's been four months since I sent in my application on 1 June. The person who used to read other people's reviews ended up writing one, and is now helping make room for people to study together.

That's the end of the PMP Roadmap's first season: my pass story and the application, understanding the exam and how to study, choosing and keeping the certification, and life after the PMP. Fifteen posts in all. Thank you so much for reading to the end.

The full first season

My pass story and the application

1. PMP Pass Review Part 1: 7 Weeks of Prep, Study Hall Scores in the 60s, and a PASS
2. PMP Pass Review Part 2: Time Management on Exam Day and Final Tips for Passing
3. From PMP Application to Pearson VUE Booking: Applied June 1, Booked June 13 (Real Emails)
4. Writing Up Your PMP Experience and Handling an Audit: Applied June 1, Approved June 9

Understanding the exam and how to study

5. Everything That Changed in the 2026 PMP Exam, Plus PMBOK 7th vs 8th Edition
6. PMP Error Log: 6 Steps to Turn Wrong Answers into Judgment Rules (+ Free Word Template)
7. GPT for Concepts, NotebookLM Audio for the Commute: My PMP AI Study Routine
8. PMP Study on Your Commute: Short, Frequent Sessions (+ My PMP Vocabulary List)
9. How to Prepare for PMP Case-Study Questions: Reading and Solving the New 2026 Format

Choosing and keeping the certification

10. PMP vs CAPM vs PMI-ACP: Which One Fits You? (2026 Comparison)
11. My 3-Year, 60-PDU Plan to Keep the PMP, Starting with My First Approved PDU

After the PMP

12. What Changed at Work After the PMP: Not My Title, but How I Talk
13. The PMP May Matter Most for Non-PMs: When Developers and Designers Think Like PMs
14. Is the PMP Worth It? An Honest Look at Work, Salary and Hiring
15. Volunteering on the PMI Korea Chapter's education committee (you're here)

You can also see them all on one page: the full PMP Roadmap series.

To everyone preparing for the PMP right now: I'm rooting for you. I hope we meet in a chapter study group someday.

Frequently asked questions

How much does PMI Korea Chapter membership cost?+

About $22 in the PMI store. Prices can change, so check the final amount in the PMI store before you join.

Do PMI Korea Chapter seminars count toward PDUs?+

Yes. Chapter events count as Education PDUs. The monthly seminars come with PDUs, and the online PM Column Seminar, held every two months, is free for members and also earns PDUs.

Can I start my own study group in the PMI Korea Chapter?+

Yes. The education committee reviews and interviews people who want to open a study group or research community, then approves them. Approved groups get free Zoom and help recruiting members, and the committee issues activity certificates and some PDUs.

Sources

• PMI Korea Chapter (PMI South Korea Chapter)
• PMI: Continuing Certification Requirements (CCR) Handbook (PDF)
• PMI: Project Management Professional (PMP)