How to Register for the PMP Exam: Eligibility, Steps, Fees and Retakes

Last checked: 31 October 2026. Sources: the 2026 PMP Exam Content Outline and the certification page on PMI's website.

Experience required by education

Experience is counted in months, not projects, so overlapping months on two projects count once. It must be experience leading and directing projects in a professional setting; school projects and routine operational work do not count.

The 35 training hours

You need 35 hours of project management training covering the content outline, from providers such as PMI Authorized Training Partners, universities, employer programmes or self-paced courses that end with an assessment. Books and practice exams alone are not enough. An active CAPM holder is exempt. According to the certification page, from 1 December 2026 live instructor-led classes (in person or online) count only if delivered by a PMI Authorized Training Partner or an accredited higher-education programme.

Registration steps

1. Check eligibility: a secondary school diploma with 5 years of experience leading projects, a post-secondary diploma with 4 years, a bachelor's or higher with 3 years, or a degree from a PMI Global Accreditation Center (GAC) programme with 2 years. Experience counts within the last 10 years, with no overlap between projects.
2. Complete 35 hours of project management training aligned with the Exam Content Outline. An active CAPM holder is exempt; books and practice exams alone are not accepted.
3. Apply on the PMI website and record each project separately with its months; your application may be selected for audit, in which case you must provide proof of education and experience.
4. Once your application is accepted, pay the exam fee and book your date at a Pearson VUE centre or take the exam online with a remote proctor.
5. You have one year from your eligibility date to pass, with up to 3 attempts in that year.

Fees

The exam fee is USD 445 for PMI members and USD 675 for non-members; the final price is shown at checkout on PMI's website.

Exam day

You test at a Pearson VUE centre, which PMI recommends, or online with a remote proctor after a system and room check. You have 240 minutes for 180 questions, with two 10-minute breaks.

Retakes and certificate validity

You have a one-year eligibility period with up to 3 attempts. If you do not pass in three, you wait a year from the last attempt before applying again; if the year runs out before you pass, you reapply with no wait. Once you pass, the certificate lasts 3 years and is renewed with 60 professional development units (PDUs) and the renewal fee.

This is an independent website with no connection to the Project Management Institute (PMI). You register and pay for the exam on PMI's website.