Exam fact
How many questions are on the PMP® exam?
The PMP exam has 180 questions and gives you 240 minutes to answer them, with two 10-minute breaks along the way. Ten of those questions are unscored pretest items, and nothing on screen tells you which ten.
- Exam
- PMP
- Source
- PMI, PMP Examination Content Outline (rev. August 11, 2026)
- Checked
- Oct 13, 2026
- Updated
- Oct 13, 2026
Questions and time
180 questions in 240 minutes
The exam has 180 questions: 170 that are scored and 10 unscored pretest questions. You get 240 minutes in total, and the exam includes two 10-minute breaks.
Source: PMI®, PMP Examination Content Outline (rev. August 11, 2026) · checked
01The format, line by line
| Item | What PMI states | Where PMI states it |
|---|---|---|
| Total questions | 180 | Content outline |
| Scored | 170 | Content outline |
| Pretest, unscored | 10, placed at random among the rest | Content outline |
| Testing time | 240 minutes | Content outline; new-exam page |
| Breaks | Two, 10 minutes each | Content outline |
| Tutorial and survey | Optional, outside the 240 minutes | Content outline |
| Delivery | Pearson VUE test center (PMI recommends it) or online proctoring | PMP certification page |
In Mainland China the exam is offered as paper-based testing only (PMI Certification Handbook, as of October 2026).
02Ten questions that don't count, and no way to spot them
PMI's content outline says 10 of the 180 questions are pretest items that do not affect your score, and that every question is placed at random. Pretest items are how new questions get tried out before they count. For you the rule is short: answer each one as if it's scored, because hunting for the unscored ten only costs clock.
Four hours for 180 questions leaves you under a minute and a half per question, and case items, which come with more to read, eat into that margin. Pace is something to rehearse. The timed PMP mock exam runs on a clock, so you see where your pace slips before exam day does it for you.
Once you start a break, you can't return to the questions before it. Clear the items you flagged in that stretch first, then stand up.
03Question types in the 2026 outline
- Case or scenario
- New in the 2026 outline and used in every delivery mode. You read a project situation, then decide what to do in it.
- Graphic-based
- Also new and also used in every mode: the item is built around a visual such as a chart or diagram.
- Multiple choice, single response
- One correct option. Used in every mode.
- Multiple response
- You select more than one option. Used in every mode.
- Matching and enhanced matching
- Pair items from two lists. PMI lists both as available on computer-based testing (CBT) only.
- Point and click
- Also called hotspot: you select an area of an image. CBT only, per PMI.
- Pull-down list
- You choose an answer from a drop-down inside the item. CBT only, per PMI.
04Format, quickly
Does the online exam have the same length?
Yes. PMI's new-exam page says you can still test at a Pearson VUE center or online, and that the exam is 240 minutes with 180 questions (as of October 2026).
What changed about the format in July 2026?
The 2026 outline brought new domain weights and two new item types, case or scenario and graphic-based. The full comparison is on the 2026 exam changes page.
How many of the 180 do you need right?
PMI doesn't publish a number. The PMP passing score page explains how PMI sets the bar instead.