How to get PMP® certification: step-by-step process
Getting the Project Management Professional certification takes 10 steps, from checking your eligibility to renewing every 3 years. Here is each step in order, updated for the 2026 exam.
In this guide
- What are the steps to get PMP certification?
- Step tracker (tool)
- Step 1: What do you need to be eligible?
- Steps 2 and 3: How do you train and apply?
- Steps 4 to 7: How do you get approved and schedule?
- Step 8: What is the exam like?
- Steps 9 and 10: What happens after the exam?
- Frequently asked questions
- Where 3FOLD fits
You want the Project Management Professional (PMP)® certification, but the route has several stages and the order matters. The Project Management Institute (PMI)® updated the exam and parts of the eligibility rules in 2026, so older guides may no longer match. This guide sets out the 10 steps in sequence, so you always know what to do next.
Quick answer
To get the Project Management Professional (PMP) certification from the Project Management Institute (PMI), a candidate confirms eligibility, completes 35 hours of project management training, applies online, waits for PMI approval, pays the exam fee to PMI, schedules and passes the exam, and then renews every 3 years with 60 professional development units (PDUs). PMI approval starts a 1-year eligibility period with up to 3 exam attempts. Training and eligibility come before the application, and approval comes before payment and scheduling.
| Awarding body | Project Management Institute (PMI) |
| Eligibility | 2 to 5 years of experience managing projects, depending on education, within the last 10 years |
| Training | 35 hours of project management training, or an active CAPM certification |
| Application | Online with PMI; any application may be audited |
| Eligibility period | 1 year from approval, with up to 3 attempts |
| Exam format | 180 questions in 240 minutes, at a test center or online |
| Pass rule | PMI does not publish a fixed passing percentage |
| Fees | Paid to PMI; check the amounts in your PMI account |
| Results | Preliminary score at the end; official result within 10 business days |
| Renewal | 60 PDUs in each 3-year cycle |
What are the steps to get PMP certification?
There are 10 steps, and PMI handles some of them while you handle the rest.
| Step | What you do | Who acts |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Check your eligibility | You |
| 2 | Complete 35 hours of training | You, with a training provider |
| 3 | Submit the online application | You |
| 4 | Wait for approval, and for any audit | PMI |
| 5 | Pay the exam fee | You, to PMI |
| 6 | Receive your PMI Eligibility ID | PMI |
| 7 | Schedule the exam | You |
| 8 | Take the exam | You |
| 9 | Receive your official result | PMI |
| 10 | Renew every 3 years | You |
The sections below cover each step. Our guide to the PMP application process goes deeper on steps 3 and 4, and the difference between PMP certificate and PMP certification explains what the training certificate does and does not prove.
Not sure you meet the 35-hour rule? Our PMP course is 35 hours of Virtual Instructor Led Training from a PMI Authorized Training Partner.
Step tracker
For planning only. Tick the steps you have finished, and the tracker shows your next one.
The preloaded example is a candidate who has confirmed eligibility, finished the training and submitted the application. The next step is step 4, waiting for PMI approval.
Step 1: What do you need to be eligible?
You need the right amount of project experience for your education level, within the last 10 years, plus 35 hours of project management training or an active CAPM certification.
| Your education | Experience managing projects | Training |
|---|---|---|
| High school diploma or GED | 5 years (60 months) | 35 hours |
| Associate degree or vocational trade school | 4 years (48 months) | 35 hours |
| Bachelor’s degree or higher | 3 years (36 months) | 35 hours |
| Degree from a PMI Global Accreditation Center (GAC) program | 2 years (24 months) | 35 hours |
Months of experience must not overlap, and PMI states that its 2026 update also expanded eligibility to apprenticeships and training. Check the current rules on the PMI Project Management Professional page, because older guides quote earlier windows. Our guides on PMP eligibility requirements, PMP application professional experience and what projects count as PMP experience help you decide what to claim.
Steps 2 and 3: How do you complete the training and apply?
You complete 35 hours of project management training first, then submit the online application with your education, experience and training details.
From 1 Dec 2026, PMI states that live classes must come from a PMI Authorized Training Partner (ATP), a China Registered Education Provider or an eligible academic program, while training completed before that date still counts. When you finish a course from an ATP, you complete a Knowledge Check, which generates your completion certificate. Keep it, because PMI can ask for it later. See the PMI page on the new PMP exam for the full rule.
For the application, you create a PMI account, enter your education, each project and your training, and submit. PMI generally reviews online applications within about 5 days. Our article on when to submit your PMP exam application after training helps you time it.
What if PMI audits your application?
PMI selects some applications at random and asks you to prove what you declared. You have 90 days to upload the documents, and PMI states the review takes about 5 to 7 business days once they meet the requirements. Read the PMP application audit guide before you need it.
Steps 4 to 7: How do you get approved, pay and schedule the exam?
After PMI approves your application, you pay the exam fee, receive your PMI Eligibility ID by email and then schedule the exam.
Approval starts your 1-year eligibility period, with up to 3 attempts. The exam fee goes to PMI, and PMI membership is optional because it changes only the price. Fees vary by country, so see our guides to PMP exam fees and PMI membership cost by country and the total cost of PMP certification.
You can sit the exam at a Pearson VUE test center or online with secure remote proctoring. Pick a date that leaves time to prepare and room for a retake. Our guide for UAE candidates covers when and where to take the PMP exam.
Want help with your PMP application? Exam application support is included with the course.
Step 8: What is the PMP exam like, and how do you prepare?
The exam has 180 questions and lasts 240 minutes, with two 10-minute breaks, and it covers 3 domains.
| Exam domain | Weighting |
|---|---|
| People | 33 percent |
| Process | 41 percent |
| Business Environment | 26 percent |
The updated exam launched in July 2026 and gives Business Environment a much larger share than before. See PMP exam domain weighting in 2026 and whether the new PMP exam is harder for what that means. PMI also lists the exam outline on its PMP certification page.
- Finish your course and keep the completion certificate.
- Study the PMP course modules for 2026 and the official materials from your training provider.
- Take full-length mock exams under timed conditions.
- Study your weakest domain first, and book the exam when your results are steady.
More habits are in our guides to avoiding PMP exam failures and the top 10 study resources for PMP preparation. If an attempt does not go well, read how many attempts you get to pass the PMP exam.
Steps 9 and 10: What happens after you take the exam?
You see a preliminary score at the end, PMI confirms the official result within 10 business days, and you then renew every 3 years with 60 PDUs.
The PMI Certification Handbook states that a score shown at the end of the session is preliminary until PMI sends an official notice, which arrives no later than 10 business days after the exam date. After certification, a digital badge email follows within 1 to 2 business days. Read the PMI Certification Handbook for the official procedure.
A professional development unit (PDU) is 1 hour of learning, teaching, volunteering or similar activity. Plan your 60 PDUs across the 3-year cycle instead of leaving them to the last month, and see what happens if you do not renew your PMP certification on time.
Frequently asked questions
How do you get PMP certification step by step?
To get the Project Management Professional (PMP) certification from the Project Management Institute (PMI), you confirm eligibility, complete 35 hours of project management training, submit the online application, wait for approval, pay the exam fee, schedule and pass the exam, and then renew every 3 years by earning 60 professional development units (PDUs).
What do you need to apply for the PMP exam?
The Project Management Institute (PMI) requires 35 hours of project management training or an active Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) certification, plus experience managing projects within the last 10 years. The amount depends on your education: 5 years with a high school diploma or GED, 4 years with an associate degree, 3 years with a bachelor's degree or higher, and 2 years with a degree from a PMI Global Accreditation Center program.
Do you need 35 hours of training before you apply for the PMP exam?
Yes, unless you hold an active CAPM certification. The Project Management Institute (PMI) states that from 1 Dec 2026, live classes for the Project Management Professional (PMP) exam must come from a PMI Authorized Training Partner, a China Registered Education Provider or an eligible academic program. Training completed before that date still counts under the current requirements.
What happens after PMI approves your PMP application?
After the Project Management Institute (PMI) approves your Project Management Professional (PMP) application, you pay the exam fee and receive your PMI Eligibility ID by email. You then have 1 year to take the exam, with up to 3 attempts in that period.
Where can you take the PMP exam?
The Project Management Institute (PMI) offers the Project Management Professional (PMP) exam at a Pearson VUE test center or online through secure remote proctoring. You choose a date and format when you schedule, after PMI approves your application and you pay the exam fee.
When do you get your PMP exam result?
A candidate sees a preliminary score report when the Project Management Professional (PMP) exam session ends. The Project Management Institute (PMI) states that the official result is available no later than 10 business days after the exam date, and a digital badge email follows within 1 to 2 business days of certification.
How do you renew your PMP certification?
The Project Management Institute (PMI) Project Management Professional (PMP) certification runs in 3-year cycles. You renew it by earning 60 professional development units (PDUs) in each cycle and following PMI renewal rules. A PDU represents 1 hour spent on learning, teaching, volunteering or similar activities.
Is PMI membership required to get PMP certification?
No. Membership of the Project Management Institute (PMI) is optional for the Project Management Professional (PMP) certification. It changes the price you pay to PMI, not your eligibility or the exam you take.
How does 3FOLD Training help you get PMP certification?
3FOLD Training, a Project Management Institute (PMI) Authorized Training Partner, delivers the 35 hours of Project Management Professional (PMP) training as Virtual Instructor Led Training (VILT) and includes exam application support. 3FOLD prepares you; PMI reviews your application, sets the exam and awards the certification.
Where 3FOLD fits
3FOLD Training is licensed by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) in Dubai and is a PMI Authorized Training Partner. Our PMP certification training is delivered as Virtual Instructor Led Training (VILT) with 35 contact hours, one-year Learning Management System (LMS) access, HD recordings, full-length mock exams and exam application support, plus one year of free retraining on the same exam version. We have prepared 30,000+ learners across 100+ countries. We prepare you; PMI reviews your application, sets the exam and awards the certification. Have a question first? Send it through the course inquiry form, or check the upcoming batches on the course page.
Next step: ready to start step 2? One year of free retraining on the same exam version is included with the course.
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