Project Management Professional
The PMP is PMI's flagship certification for experienced project managers, covering people skills, process, and the business environment across predictive, agile, and hybrid approaches. Candidates need documented project leadership experience and formal training before taking the exam.
Issued by Project Management Institute (PMI) · Official page
Who can apply
- High school diploma or equivalent plus 5 years (60 months) of project management experience; or
- Associate's degree or vocational trade diploma plus 4 years (48 months); or
- Bachelor's degree or higher plus 3 years (36 months); or
- Bachelor's or post-graduate degree from a PMI GAC-accredited program plus 2 years (24 months).
- All paths: 35 hours of project management training (waived with an active CAPM). Experience must fall within the last 10 years and overlapping project time is not double counted.
- From 1 December 2026, live training hours count only from a PMI Authorized Training Partner, a China Registered Education Provider, or an eligible academic program; self-paced courses may come from any provider.
Exam
- Exam
- PMP Exam
- Format
- Computer-based; updated exam launched July 2026 with domain weights of People 33%, Process 41%, Business Environment 26%
- Questions
- 180
- Time
- 240 minutes, including two 10-minute breaks
Exam fee is paid after the application is accepted.
Official fees
| Fee | Amount | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exam fee, PMI member | Data unavailable | Not verified. PMI says the member price is lower, but no amount appears on its public pages. | Official page |
| Exam fee, nonmember | Data unavailable | Not verified. PMI says prices vary by membership and region. | Official page |
| Reschedule or cancel within 30 days of appointment | $70 | Plus taxes, per the PMI Certification Handbook revised June 2026. | Official page |
Only fees published by the issuer or regulator are listed. Blank amounts mean no official figure was available to verify.
Renewal and continuing education
- Cycle
- Every 3 years
- Requirement
- Earn 60 professional development units (PDUs) in each three-year cycle through PMI's CCR program.
Related careers
| Occupation | National median wage |
|---|---|
| Project management specialists | $102,320 |
Sources
- PMI: Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification, accessed October 18, 2026
- PMI: How to apply for the PMP, accessed October 18, 2026
- PMI: The new PMP exam launched in July 2026, accessed October 18, 2026
- PMI Certification Handbook (revised June 2026), accessed October 18, 2026
Verification notes
PMP exam fees for members and nonmembers are not published on the PMI pages or handbooks reviewed (pricing is region and membership based and shown only in the PMI account), so amounts are null. Renewal fees were also not published. An older PMP exam content outline PDF lists 230 minutes and 175 scored plus 5 pretest questions; the current PMP page states 180 questions and 240 minutes, which is used here.
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