PMP Training Requirements from December 2026: 35-Hour Guide

These are the PMP training requirements from December 2026: beginning on 1 December 2026, candidates who earn their required hours in a live instructor-led class must use an eligible provider. This covers live classroom courses and live virtual classes taught in real time, and PMI announced it for the Project Management Professional (PMP) certification.

The change does not mean every candidate needs an ATP course. The rule applies to one training format and to the completion date. PMI still recognises qualifying self-paced courses from other organisations, and training completed before 1 December 2026 stays eligible under the rules in force when it was completed.

What changes on 1 December 2026?

From 1 December 2026, live PMP training hours are eligible only when one of three kinds of provider delivers the course, according to PMI’s updated PMP exam page and PMI’s blog guide to the 35-hour requirement.

• A PMI Authorized Training Partner (ATP).
• An eligible accredited academic programme, including a PMI Global Accreditation Center (GAC) programme.
• A Registered Education Provider (REP) in China, under a separate pathway that applies there.

The affected category is live instructor-led training. It makes no difference whether the instructor and learners share a classroom or meet on Zoom or Microsoft Teams. If the instructor teaches in real time at scheduled hours, it is live training.

The completion date matters. Training completed before 1 December 2026 stays eligible under the requirements in place at the time. Enrolling or paying before the deadline is not the same as completing before it.

What does not change in the PMP training requirement?

The requirement itself stays at 35 hours of qualifying project management training aligned with the PMP Examination Content Outline (ECO); only the providers allowed to deliver live training after the effective date change.

• You must complete the qualifying training before you submit the PMP application.
• Training and professional project experience remain separate eligibility requirements.
• Qualifying training hours do not expire, provided you can document them and they meet the applicable requirements.
• You can combine hours from more than one qualifying course.
• Books, practice questions and mock exams do not count as training by themselves.
• An active CAPM^® certification waives the PMP training requirement.

Completing 35 hours establishes training eligibility. It does not mean you are exam-ready, so you may still need updated study material, practice questions and mock exams aligned with the current ECO.

Which 35-hour routes will PMI accept after 1 December 2026?

Live courses from an ATP, an eligible academic programme or a China REP are accepted, a live course from any other provider is not, and self-paced courses may qualify if they meet PMI’s criteria.

How do you spot a non-ATP live provider?

You spot one by asking the provider to show its current status in PMI’s official directory, because an advertisement, a logo or a verbal assurance proves nothing.

Be cautious if a provider says “PMI aligned”, “PMI recognised”, “based on the PMBOK^® Guide”, “internationally approved” or “delivered by a PMP trainer” without confirming that it is an active PMI Authorized Training Partner or another eligible provider. None of those phrases replaces the provider status required for live training.

Also separate the provider from the trainer. A trainer may hold the PMP credential, but that does not make the training company an ATP.

You must still attend and complete the 35 training hours and keep your completion documents.

What happens if the course does not qualify?

If a live course from an ineligible provider ends after the rule starts, the hours may not satisfy the eligibility requirement for your PMP application, however good the classes were.

• The 35-hour requirement stays incomplete. A certificate from an ineligible route does not make the hours acceptable.
• You may need to take another eligible course. That can mean paying again and delaying your application.
• Your application may be delayed by verification or audit. PMI may ask for evidence of the provider, course, dates, hours and project management content.
• Weak or inaccurate documentation adds risk. PMI states that all training is subject to audit and may be found ineligible on quality grounds.
• An unresolved audit can have serious consequences. According to the PMI Certification Handbook, a candidate selected for audit cannot continue until it is completed, and a failed audit can lead to a one-year wait before reapplying.

This does not mean every application with a doubtful course gets a suspension. It means you should not submit information you cannot support. If the route is doubtful, resolve it before you apply.

Can non-ATP self-paced training still count?

Yes, PMI’s published guidance allows self-paced, on-demand training from any organisation, but only if the course meets PMI’s criteria. The December restriction is aimed at live instructor-led training.

PMI advises candidates to confirm that a self-paced course:

• Provides formal instruction in project management.
• Aligns with topics in the current PMP Examination Content Outline.
• Clearly states the number of training hours.
• Includes an end-of-course assessment.
• Provides a certificate or another completion record.

A collection of videos or questions does not qualify automatically. You are responsible for checking the content and keeping the evidence, and PMI may review the course during an audit.

Does PMP training finished before 1 December 2026 still count?

Yes. PMI states that courses completed before 1 December 2026 remain eligible under the requirements in place at the time, even if you apply or take the exam after the new live-training rule begins.

If you are in a non-ATP live course now, check the completion date on the certificate. PMI’s wording refers to training completed before the effective date. If your course runs past 30 November 2026, ask the provider straight away how it will meet the new live-training rule.

How do you verify a PMP course before paying?

Confirm six things before you pay: the format, the completion date, the provider’s status, the 35 qualifying hours, the evidence you will receive and your own record-keeping.

• Identify the delivery format. Confirm whether it is live classroom, live virtual or self-paced or on-demand.
• Check the planned completion date. For live training, work out whether you will finish before or after 1 December 2026.
• Verify the provider independently. Use PMI’s Authorized Training Partner page and directory and search the organisation’s legal or trading name, not a badge image.
• Confirm the course gives 35 qualifying hours. Ask for the outline and check that the learning objectives match the current ECO.
• Ask what completion evidence you will get. The record should name you, the provider, the course, the completion date and the hours.
• Keep everything. Hold the certificate, outline, timetable, payment record and provider emails in case PMI asks.

The application asks for the provider, course title, number of hours and whether the course was live instructor-led or self-paced. Complete these fields accurately.

What should already-enrolled candidates do?

What you do depends on your format and your completion date; the four cases below cover the common situations.

You completed the training before 1 December 2026

Keep the certificate and supporting records. You do not need to repeat otherwise qualifying training because the new rule begins. Compare what you learned with the current ECO, because eligibility and exam readiness are two separate questions.

Your non-ATP live training finishes by 30 November 2026

Complete the course on time and get a correctly dated completion record. Do not assume attendance alone is enough if the provider has extra completion requirements.

Your non-ATP live course finishes on or after 1 December 2026

Ask the provider for written confirmation of the eligible route it will use. If it cannot show ATP, China REP or eligible accredited academic status, consider moving to an eligible provider or completing qualifying training another accepted way. If the facts are unusual, ask PMI directly before you apply.

You are taking a non-ATP self-paced course

Do not apply the live-training restriction automatically. Check the ECO alignment, stated hours, assessment and completion record instead, and remember that PMI can review the quality of the course and your documents.

Why choose an ATP for live PMP training?

From 1 December 2026, ATP status is more than a marketing advantage for live training, because it is one of PMI’s recognised eligibility routes. PMI says ATPs offer instructor-led courses built on PMI-developed content and designed to meet the 35-hour requirement.

A structured live course can also give you things a certificate alone cannot:

• Real-time explanations and the chance to ask questions.
• A scheduled learning plan and accountability.
• Guidance from instructors who hold active PMP credentials.
• PMI-developed course content aligned with the exam.
• Support with mock exams and application preparation.

These benefits can improve your preparation, but they do not guarantee a pass. You still have to study, practise and show competence in the exam.

Frequently asked questions about the PMP training requirements from December 2026

Where are the official PMI sources?

The rule and the self-paced criteria are published on PMI’s own pages, so check them directly before you commit to a course.

• PMI blog: How to meet the PMP 35-hour training requirement
• PMI: What’s new in the updated PMP exam?
• PMI: PMP certification and current eligibility requirements
• PMI: Authorized Training Partners and provider directory
• PMI: PMP Examination Content Outline 2026
• PMI Certification Handbook

What should candidates do now?

Before you pay for PMP preparation, confirm the format, the provider’s status, the completion date and the evidence you will receive.

3FOLD Training is a PMI Authorized Training Partner delivering live PMP training with official PMI-developed courseware, instructor guidance, mock exams and application support. As an ATP, 3FOLD meets PMI’s provider requirement for eligible live PMP training from 1 December 2026.