What is the passing score?

PMI does not publish a numeric passing score. The PMI certification handbook describes the exam as criteria-based, with the passing standard set through psychometric analysis, and results are returned as pass or fail along with diagnostic information by domain. Figures such as '70% to pass' are not official.

What changed in the July 2026 revision?

The domain weightings became People 33 percent, Process 41 percent and Business Environment 26 percent. Graphic-based questions, which require reading charts and diagrams, were added to the question formats, and the case study section and the break that immediately follows it are now stated explicitly. The exam is 180 questions in 240 minutes with two 10-minute breaks.

What do I need before I can sit the exam?

You have to apply to PMI first. The experience requirement depends on your education: 60 months of leading projects for a secondary school qualification, 48 months for a short-cycle higher education or vocational qualification, 36 months for a bachelor's degree or higher, and 24 months for a degree from a PMI GAC-accredited program, all within the past 10 years. You also need 35 hours of project management training.

How many attempts do I get?

Eligibility lasts one year, and you can sit the exam up to three times within it. If you fail all three, you must wait one year from the last attempt before reapplying. You also have to reapply if your eligibility period expires. The second and third attempts require paying the exam fee again.

How do I maintain the certification?

On a three-year renewal cycle, by earning 60 PDUs and paying the renewal fee. PDUs accumulate at one per hour of activities such as studying, teaching others, speaking, reading, volunteering and creating content.

Project Management Institute (PMI)

Project Management Professional (PMP)

PMP is the project management certification awarded by the Project Management Institute (PMI). It can be taken in 16 languages in total: English plus 15 others, including Japanese. Candidates apply before they can sit the exam, and the application is reviewed against two requirements: between 24 and 60 months of experience leading projects, depending on the applicant's education, and 35 hours of project management training. The exam has 180 questions over 240 minutes with two 10-minute breaks, and is built around scenarios rather than definitions. Under the outline effective July 2026, the content is split across three domains: People at 33 percent, Process at 41 percent and Business Environment at 26 percent. Predictive, hybrid and agile ways of working are all examinable, so the vocabulary is not tied to a single methodology. PMI does not publish a numeric passing score; results are returned as pass or fail together with domain-level diagnostic information. The fee is USD 405 for PMI members and USD 655 for non-members. The certification lasts three years and is renewed by earning 60 PDUs.

Official page

Who takes it

Project managers who are actually leading projects, internal or client-facing
Staff at systems integrators and consulting firms who are accountable for schedule, cost and quality
PMO members who build the standards and progress-tracking framework for projects
Leaders who need a shared framework when working with overseas offices or multinational teams
Engineers moving from a development lead role toward management

What it lets you do

Predictive, hybrid and agile approaches are all examinable, so you gain a shared vocabulary that is not tied to one methodology
The July 2026 revision raised Business Environment to 26 percent, giving more weight to the business side
Work experience and 35 hours of training are reviewed at the application stage, so the credential comes with evidence of experience attached
It can be taken in 15 languages besides English, including Japanese, which lets you use the same framework in conversations with overseas colleagues
Renewal every three years requires 60 PDUs, so studying, speaking, writing and volunteering all feed directly into keeping the certification

The exam

As published by Project Management Institute (PMI). Anything we could not confirm is left out. Check the official page before you apply.

Questions: 180 questions (10 of them are unscored pretest items, so 170 are scored)
Time: 240 minutes (4 hours), with two 10-minute breaks partway through
Pass mark: Not published by the exam body. PMI does not release a numeric passing score; the certification handbook explains that it is determined through psychometric analysis. Results are returned as pass or fail together with diagnostic information by domain.
Fee: PMI member USD 405 / non-member USD 655 (paid once the application is approved and the exam is being scheduled)
Format: Scenario-based multiple choice (single and multiple response), drag and drop, matching, graphic-based questions that require reading charts and diagrams, and case studies. Taken at a Pearson VUE test center or with online proctoring.
Languages: English, Arabic, Indonesian, Brazilian Portuguese, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Russian, Spanish, Turkish
When it runs: Eligibility runs for one year from approval of the application. Within that year you can book any available slot and sit the exam up to three times.
Validity and renewal: Three years. Renewal requires earning 60 PDUs (professional development units) every three years and paying the renewal fee.

How hard it is

Pass rate: not published by the exam body. PMI publishes neither a pass rate nor a numeric passing score. The harder gate comes before the exam, at the application stage: depending on education, 24 to 60 months of experience leading projects within the past 10 years (overlapping periods cannot be double counted), plus 35 hours of training. The exam itself is 180 questions in 240 minutes, built mainly around scenario-based items. Eligibility lasts one year, during which you can sit the exam up to three times.

How long people study

Not published by the exam body. PMI does not state a standard number of study hours. It does officially require 35 hours of commercial project management training in order to apply, which is a condition of eligibility rather than a guideline for how long to study.

Syllabus

Domain I: People33%
Domain II: Process41%
Domain III: Business Environment26%

Our apps and books for this exam

PMP Exam Prep & Mock Tests

Questions people ask

What is the passing score?: PMI does not publish a numeric passing score. The PMI certification handbook describes the exam as criteria-based, with the passing standard set through psychometric analysis, and results are returned as pass or fail along with diagnostic information by domain. Figures such as '70% to pass' are not official.
What changed in the July 2026 revision?: The domain weightings became People 33 percent, Process 41 percent and Business Environment 26 percent. Graphic-based questions, which require reading charts and diagrams, were added to the question formats, and the case study section and the break that immediately follows it are now stated explicitly. The exam is 180 questions in 240 minutes with two 10-minute breaks.
What do I need before I can sit the exam?: You have to apply to PMI first. The experience requirement depends on your education: 60 months of leading projects for a secondary school qualification, 48 months for a short-cycle higher education or vocational qualification, 36 months for a bachelor's degree or higher, and 24 months for a degree from a PMI GAC-accredited program, all within the past 10 years. You also need 35 hours of project management training.
How many attempts do I get?: Eligibility lasts one year, and you can sit the exam up to three times within it. If you fail all three, you must wait one year from the last attempt before reapplying. You also have to reapply if your eligibility period expires. The second and third attempts require paying the exam fee again.
How do I maintain the certification?: On a three-year renewal cycle, by earning 60 PDUs and paying the renewal fee. PDUs accumulate at one per hour of activities such as studying, teaching others, speaking, reading, volunteering and creating content.

Sources

These are the pages the figures came from. Some are published in Japanese only, and are marked as such — we keep the original titles rather than translating them, so you can match what you find on the official site. Exam rules change; check the official page before you apply.

PMI Project Management Professional (PMP) 認定ページpmi.org · in Japanese
PMP Examination Content Outline 2026pmi.org
PMI Certification Handbookpmi.org

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