PMP 2026: exam dates, eligibility, pattern, how to apply and free practice tests
The Project Management Professional (PMP) certification from the Project Management Institute (PMI) is for people who lead and direct projects. There is no national PMP exam date in 2026: once PMI approves your application you have one year to take the exam, and you book a date at a Pearson VUE test centre or an online proctored slot. The exam changed in July 2026, so make sure your study material follows the July 2026 Examination Content Outline. This guide covers eligibility, applying, booking, the new pattern and syllabus, and a study plan.
PMP at a glance
| Conducting body | Project Management Institute (PMI) |
| What it is for | Certification for people who lead and direct projects |
| Mode | Computer-based at a Pearson VUE centre or online with a proctor; paper-based in mainland China |
| Questions | 180 (10 unscored pretest questions mixed in) |
| Time | 240 minutes, with two 10-minute breaks |
| Marking | Pass or fail with a rating for each domain; no published raw pass mark |
| Languages | English and several translations (see PMI's list) |
| How often | Any date you can book within your one-year eligibility period |
| Official website | pmi.org |
Test dates and booking
There is no fixed exam day. The PMI Certification Handbook (revised June 2026) says:
- After your fee is paid, PMI emails you a PMI Eligibility ID, which you use to schedule a test appointment.
- Once your application is approved, you have one year to take the exam, and you may take it up to three times in that year. The second and third attempts are paid again.
- If you are selected for audit, the year starts on the day you are told the audit is complete.
- If you fail three times in the year, you must wait one year from your last exam before reapplying for the PMP.
The PMP pages on pmi.org could not be opened on 20 October 2026, so fees are not stated here. The handbook says prices depend on membership status and region, and member rates apply only if you joined before paying. Check the current fee on the PMI PMP page.
Eligibility
The July 2026 Examination Content Outline lists four paths. All project experience must be in the last 10 years, in a professional setting, and the months must not overlap.
| Education | Experience leading projects |
|---|---|
| Secondary school (high school or equivalent) | 60 months (5 years) |
| Associate's level or advanced vocational program | 48 months (4 years) |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 36 months (3 years) |
| Bachelor's or postgraduate degree from a PMI GAC-accredited program | 24 months (2 years) |
You also need 35 hours of project management training aligned with the content outline. An active CAPM holder has these hours waived. Books and practice exams alone do not count as training.
How to apply
- Make sure you meet one path above and have your 35 training hours documented.
- Fill in the online PMP application on pmi.org: education, each project with dates and your role, and your training courses.
- Wait for PMI's review. If you are selected for audit (the handbook says audits are random), you get 90 days to send copies of your degree, signatures from supervisors for the experience you listed, and training certificates.
- Pay the exam fee. PMI then sends your Eligibility ID.
- Schedule a test-centre or online appointment and save every confirmation.
Keep ready before you apply: dates and descriptions of each project you led, supervisor contact details, your degree certificate, and training certificates showing hours.
Exam pattern
The July 2026 content outline is the current exam.
| Domain | Share of items | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| People | 33% | Vision, conflict, leading the team, stakeholders, communication |
| Process | 41% | Planning, scope, value, resources, procurement, finance, quality, schedule, status, closure |
| Business Environment | 26% | Governance, compliance, change control, impediments, risk, continuous improvement, organisational change |
- 180 questions in 240 minutes. Ten are unscored and not identified.
- Approaches. About 40% of items are predictive; the other 60% are adaptive (agile) and hybrid.
- Item types. Single and multiple-response choice, matching and drag-and-drop, graphics, case sets, pull-down lists and point-and-click.
- Breaks. One after the case-study section and one about halfway through the independent questions. Starting a break locks the questions already done.
- No negative marking is published; answer everything.
Syllabus
The syllabus is the 26 tasks across People, Process and Business Environment. The exam is not written to one edition of the PMBOK Guide; it tests how you apply practices to scenarios. Our PMP syllabus page lists every task, and PMI's content outline (PDF) has the full detail.
A plan for the weeks before your exam
A common approach is to book once your training is done and give yourself eight weeks.
Weeks 1–2: read the content outline task by task. For each task, write one sentence on what a good project manager does first in a predictive project and in an agile one.
Weeks 3–5: work through Process (the largest domain) and People. Practise scenario questions in sets of 20 to 30, and for each one write why the wrong options are wrong. PMP scenarios often have two plausible answers; the skill is choosing what to do first.
Week 6: Business Environment: governance, compliance, risk and change. Sit your first full PMP mock test: 180 questions in 240 minutes, with the two breaks.
Week 7: review the mock by domain and by approach (predictive, agile, hybrid). Our article on analysing a mock test explains how. Sit a second full mock at the end of the week.
Week 8: light review and rest. For an online exam, run the system check and prepare a clear room.
Pace: 240 minutes for 180 questions is 80 seconds per question.
Useful links
- PMI PMP certification page: apply and fee
- PMP Examination Content Outline, July 2026 (PDF)
- PMI Certification Handbook (PDF)
- Free PMP mock test
- PMP syllabus
- PMP exam dates
- How to use mock tests
- How to analyse a mock test
Frequently asked questions
What is the PMP pass mark?
PMI does not publish a raw pass mark or percentage. The passing standard is set by psychometric analysis, and the result is pass or fail with diagnostic feedback for each domain.
How many attempts do I get for the PMP exam?
Three within your one-year eligibility period, with a fee for the second and third. After three fails you wait one year from the last exam to reapply.
Is there negative marking in the PMP exam?
PMI does not describe any penalty for a wrong answer. Answer every question.
What are the PMP eligibility requirements?
With a bachelor's degree, 36 months of experience leading projects in the last 10 years; with secondary school, 60 months. Every path also needs 35 hours of project management training, waived for active CAPM holders.
Can I take the PMP exam online?
Yes. PMI offers the exam at Pearson VUE test centres or online with a proctor. In mainland China only the paper-based exam is offered.
Is the PMP exam based on the PMBOK Guide?
Not on one edition. The July 2026 content outline says the guide and the exam are different documents; questions ask you to apply practices to scenarios.