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4.1

Getting certified

How do you get PMP® certified, step by step?

You get the PMP in a fixed order: match your project experience to one of PMI®'s four eligibility tiers, finish 35 hours of project management training, apply, clear an audit if your application is picked, pay and schedule, pass the exam, then renew every three years. The steps below follow PMI's own sequence, with the source for each rule.

Exam
PMP
Updated
Oct 13, 2026

01The route, in order

  1. Match yourself to a tier

    PMI trades education against experience: 60 months leading projects with a secondary diploma, 36 months with a bachelor's degree, and as few as 24 with a degree from a program accredited by PMI's Global Accreditation Center (GAC). The months must fall in the last 10 years and cannot overlap. All four tiers are on PMP requirements.

  2. Finish 35 training hours

    Project management training aligned with the PMP Examination Content Outline (ECO), or an active Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM®), which PMI credits as the full 35. From December 1, 2026, live instructor-led hours count only from certain provider types; what counts toward the 35 contact hours sorts them out.

  3. Apply on pmi.org

    The form asks for your education, your training and every project you led, month by month. The application and audit walkthrough covers how to describe the work and which documents to keep ready.

  4. Clear the audit if you are picked

    PMI selects a percentage of applications at random. If yours is one, you have 90 days to send the documents, and the review takes about 5–7 business days (PMI Certification Handbook, as of October 2026).

  5. Pay, then book a seat

    The exam fee is due only after your application is accepted. PMI's U.S. store listed $405 for members and $655 for non-members as of October 2026, and prices vary by region; the PMP cost breakdown tracks them. Test center or online slots are covered on PMP exam registration.

  6. Sit the exam inside your eligibility year

    Approval opens a one-year eligibility period with up to three attempts. The exam is 180 questions in 240 minutes, with two 10-minute breaks (PMP Examination Content Outline, as of October 2026).

  7. Keep it current

    The credential renews on 60 professional development units (PDUs) per three-year cycle. How they split between learning and giving back is on PMP renewal and PDUs.

02Where the route actually stalls

The step that feels heaviest is rarely the exam. It is the application form: a blank box for a project you ran three years ago, and the job of working out which months you were leading and which you were helping. Stalling there says nothing bad about your experience. The form asks you to rebuild a career in monthly units, and anyone would slow down on that.

The second stall is study order. The work habit is to master the material first and book the exam once you feel ready. The calendar argues the other way: your one-year eligibility period starts at approval, or on the day PMI confirms a completed audit (PMI Certification Handbook, as of October 2026). Apply when you can commit to studying inside the next 12 months, and let the exam date set the pace.

Baseline Binder is an independent study resource, not affiliated with PMI. Nothing on this site or in our apps counts toward the 35 training hours; practice questions are for rehearsing the exam's scenarios.

03Before you start the route

Can I get PMP certified without a degree?

Yes. A secondary diploma (high school, GED or equivalent) qualifies with 60 months of non-overlapping experience leading projects in the last 10 years, plus the 35 training hours (PMP Examination Content Outline, as of October 2026).

Is there a way to do PMP certification online?

Mostly. Self-paced online training from any provider counts if it ends with an assessment, the application is online, and the exam can be taken online through Pearson VUE's OnVUE as well as at a Pearson VUE test center, which PMI recommends (PMI, as of October 2026).

What happens after three unsuccessful attempts?

PMI requires a one-year wait from the date of the last exam before you reapply for the PMP. You may apply for other PMI certifications during that year (PMP Examination Content Outline, as of October 2026).

Does a PMP practice app count toward the requirements?

No. PMI states that books and practice exams alone are not accepted as training. The 35 hours have to come from a course; practice questions prepare you for the exam itself (PMP Examination Content Outline, as of October 2026).

04Sources

  1. PMI: PMP Examination Content Outline (rev. August 11, 2026) checked Oct 13, 2026eligibility tiers, training rule, exam length, retake policy
  2. PMI Certification Handbook (rev. June 2026) checked Oct 13, 2026audit timing, eligibility period, member pricing rule
  3. PMI: PMP certification page checked Oct 13, 2026fee timing, delivery options
  4. PMI store: PMP exam (CBT) checked Oct 13, 2026member and non-member price, U.S.
  5. PMI store: individual membership checked Oct 13, 2026annual price, U.S.