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Side by side

PMP® vs PgMP®: project or program management?

The PMP certifies leading a project; the Program Management Professional (PgMP) certifies coordinating several related projects as one program aligned with strategy. The PgMP asks for both project and program experience within 15 years, and adds a panel review of that experience before you can book the exam (PMI®, as of October 2026).

Exam
PMP
Updated
Oct 13, 2026

01PMP and PgMP side by side

From PMI's PMP and PgMP pages, U.S. prices, as of October 2026

PointPMPPgMP
≠ScopeOne project, initiation to closureA program of related projects managed together
≠Experience windowLast 10 yearsLast 15 years
≠With a secondary diploma60 months leading projects48 months project + 84 months program
≠With a bachelor's degree36 months48 months project + 48 months program
≠With a GAC-accredited degree24 months36 months project + 36 months program
≠Experience checkRandom audit of a percentage of applicationsPanel review by volunteer PgMP holders
≠Exam180 questions, 240 minutes170 questions, 240 minutes
≠Exam fee, member / non-member$405 / $655$800 / $1,000
Renewal60 PDUs every 3 years60 PDUs every 3 years

≠ marks a row where the two differ. On every PgMP path, a PMP can stand in for the project-management months.

02The PgMP route for a PMP holder

  1. Count program months

    Your PMP covers the project-experience part. The program months still have to be documented: 84, 48 or 36, depending on your education (PMI, as of October 2026).

  2. Write the experience summaries

    PMI asks for examples of your work in program strategy, program governance and program leadership.

  3. Pass the panel review

    After you pay, a panel of volunteer PgMP-certified program managers assesses your experience from those summaries.

  4. Take the exam

    170 questions in 240 minutes, across Strategic Program Alignment 15%, Life Cycle 44%, Business Alignment 11%, Stakeholder Engagement 16% and Governance 14%.

03Which one your work points to

Job titles blur this. A program manager title on one large project is project experience in PMI's terms; the PgMP panel looks for several projects steered together toward a shared strategic result.

If your months are mostly on single projects, the PMP is the match, and its tiers are on PMP requirements. Public pay data does not separate PgMP or PMP holders; the closest figures are BLS pay for project management specialists.

If the question is method rather than scale, PMP vs PRINCE2® is the comparison to read, and the whole field is in the certification overview.

04PgMP, briefly

Do I need a PMP before a PgMP?

No. A PMP is one way to meet the project-experience part; documented months of project management experience work as well (PMI, as of October 2026).

Does the PgMP renew the same way?

Yes, on the same count: 60 PDUs per three-year cycle (PMI CCR Handbook, as of October 2026).

05Sources

  1. PMI: PMP certification page checked Oct 13, 2026
  2. PMI: PgMP certification checked Oct 13, 2026experience sets, panel review, exam, domains, price
  3. PMI: PMP Examination Content Outline (rev. August 11, 2026) checked Oct 13, 2026PMP tiers
  4. PMI Continuing Certification Requirements Handbook (April 2026) checked Oct 13, 2026PDU counts