PMP® Renewal: PDU Activity Types, Claim Types and Claim Status Explained
Ten activity types, six claim types and five claim statuses can make a PDU claim confusing. Here is what each one means, how they fit together and how to keep your renewal on track.
In this guide
You open your Project Management Institute (PMI®) account to log continuing education for your Project Management Professional (PMP®) renewal, and the form asks for an activity type, a claim type and then shows a claim status. For a busy professional trying to log a few hours between projects, three similar-sounding menus are easy to mix up. This guide explains each term, so your Professional Development Unit (PDU) claims are accepted the first time.
Quick answer
In Project Management Institute (PMI®) renewal for the Project Management Professional (PMP®) certification, the activity type describes what you did, the claim type describes which PDU bucket the hours count toward, and the claim status shows where your claim stands. PMI lists 10 activity types, 6 claim types and 5 claim statuses. A PMP holder needs 60 Professional Development Units (PDUs) in each 3-year cycle.
| Awarding body | Project Management Institute (PMI) |
| Requirement | 60 PDUs in each 3-year cycle |
| Education PDUs | Minimum 35, with no maximum |
| Giving Back PDUs | Maximum 25 |
| Talent Triangle minimums | 8 each in Ways of Working, Power Skills and Business Acumen |
| Work as a Practitioner | Maximum 8 PDUs, once per cycle |
| Carryover | Up to 20 PDUs earned in the final 12 months of the cycle |
| Record keeping | At least 18 months after the cycle ends |
What do activity type, claim type and claim status mean?
An activity type is what you did, a claim type is the PDU bucket your hours count toward, and a claim status is where PMI has reached with your claim.
| Term | Question it answers | Options |
|---|---|---|
| Activity type | What did you do? | 10, such as a course, reading or volunteering |
| Claim type | Which PDU bucket does it count toward? | 6, such as Power Skills or Giving Back |
| Claim status | Where is my claim now? | 5, from Submitted to Approved |
PMI sets out the renewal rules in the Continuing Certification Requirements (CCR) Handbook. Our guide to what happens if you do not renew your PMP certification on time covers the deadlines.
Preparing for the PMP exam first? See the course outline and the 35 contact hours included.
What are the 10 PDU activity types?
PMI groups the 10 activity types into Education, which has 5, and Giving Back to the Profession, which has 5.
| Activity type | Category | What it covers | What to keep |
|---|---|---|---|
| Course or Training | Education | Instructor-led courses, in person or online, including company-sponsored training | Registration form, certificate or letter of attendance |
| Digital Media/Webinar | Education | Self-paced online learning such as recorded webinars, videos and podcasts | Notes and dates of the learning |
| Organization Meetings | Education | Professional meetings and local events, such as chapter events | Registration form or letter of attendance |
| Informal Learning | Education | Structured discussions, such as mentoring sessions or lunch-and-learn | Notes and dates of the learning |
| Read | Education | Self-directed reading relevant to your certification, such as books, articles and white papers | Notes and dates of the reading |
| Create Content | Giving Back | Creating knowledge resources such as books, articles, blogs or webinars | Copies of publications or sample materials |
| Give a Presentation | Giving Back | Presenting profession-related topics at events or within an organization | A copy of the presentation |
| Share Knowledge | Giving Back | Mentoring, teaching, coaching or acting as a moderator or subject matter expert | Evidence of the arrangement, with notes and dates |
| Volunteer | Giving Back | Unpaid service to organizations that are not your employer or client | Evidence of the service; confirm details with PMI |
| Work as a Practitioner | Giving Back | Working in your certified role | Proof of employment, such as a job description |
PMI counts 1 hour as 1 PDU, with smaller amounts reported in quarter-hour steps. Each course is reported separately, and entire degree programs are not recognized. Organization meetings are typically limited to 1 or 2 PDUs. Activities completed before you earned the certification do not count, and the same activity cannot be claimed twice.
What are the 6 PDU claim types?
The 6 claim types are Ways of Working, Power Skills, Business Acumen, General Education, Giving Back and Work as a Practitioner.
| Claim type | Category | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Ways of Working | Education | Skills in how work gets done, such as agile, predictive and hybrid approaches. PMP minimum: 8 PDUs |
| Power Skills | Education | People and leadership skills, such as communication and collaboration. PMP minimum: 8 PDUs |
| Business Acumen | Education | Understanding how projects connect to strategy and business results. PMP minimum: 8 PDUs |
| General Education | Education | Education hours that count toward the 35-PDU minimum without a specific skill area (see the note below) |
| Giving Back | Giving Back | Hours from creating content, presenting, sharing knowledge or volunteering. PMP maximum: 25 PDUs |
| Work as a Practitioner | Giving Back | Hours for working in your certified role. PMP maximum: 8 PDUs, once per cycle |
Ways of Working, Power Skills and Business Acumen together form the PMI Talent Triangle, which is PMI’s framework for the skills a project professional needs. Education PDUs relate to the Talent Triangle and to the PMP exam content outline. Giving Back PDUs are optional, and PMI does not map them to Talent Triangle areas.
What is General Education?
General Education appears to be the claim type for education hours that are not tied to one skill area. The CCR Handbook does not use the term. It does state that, for a PMP holder, the 35 Education PDUs include the 8 + 8 + 8 PDUs in the three skill areas, and the remaining 11 PDUs can come from any Talent Triangle area. Check the wording in your PMI account when you file.
How does an activity type become a claim type?
You choose the activity type for what you did, then PMI’s form asks which bucket the hours belong to. A recorded webinar on stakeholder leadership is a Digital Media/Webinar activity, and the hours would sit in Power Skills. A day you spent working as a project manager is a Work as a Practitioner activity, and the hours go under Work as a Practitioner. Education activities are filed under a skill area, and Giving Back activities are filed under Giving Back.
PDU activity sorter
For planning only. Pick an activity type to see its category, where it usually counts and what to keep. Your PMI account and the CCR Handbook are the official record.
The preloaded example is a Course or Training activity. It is an Education activity, it counts toward Ways of Working, Power Skills, Business Acumen or General Education depending on the content, and a certificate of completion is the document to keep.
What are the 5 PDU claim statuses?
A claim moves through five statuses: Submitted, Needs More Information, Approved, Rejected and Retracted.
| Claim status | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Submitted | PMI has received your claim. Processing can take up to 5 business days | Wait, then check Claim History |
| Needs More Information | PMI needs a supporting document before it can approve the claim. The claim is not rejected | Add a document that proves the activity and submit again |
| Approved | PMI has accepted the claim and the PDUs count toward your cycle | Keep your documents for at least 18 months after the cycle ends |
| Rejected | PMI did not accept the claim, so the PDUs do not count | Read the reason, and file a corrected claim only if the activity is eligible |
| Retracted | The claim was withdrawn, so the PDUs do not count | Re-file only if you still want to claim the activity |
The CCR Handbook does not define each status, so the Rejected and Retracted descriptions above are plain-language summaries. Check the detail shown on your own claim. After you add a document to a Needs More Information claim and submit it, the claim moves to Needs Review while PMI checks it.
Where do you check your claim status?
Sign in to your PMI account, open your Dashboard and select Claim History. You can filter by status and see the PDUs approved for each claim.
What limits apply to PMP PDUs?
A PMP holder needs 60 PDUs in 3 years, with a minimum of 35 Education PDUs and a maximum of 25 Giving Back PDUs.
| Rule | PMP |
|---|---|
| Total PDUs per 3-year cycle | 60 |
| Education PDUs | Minimum 35, no maximum |
| Giving Back PDUs | Maximum 25 |
| Ways of Working, Power Skills, Business Acumen | Minimum 8 each, and 11 more from any area |
| Work as a Practitioner | Maximum 8, once per cycle |
| Carryover to the next cycle | Up to 20, from the final 12 months |
Work as a Practitioner counts against the Giving Back maximum, and those PDUs cannot be transferred. The other Giving Back activities have no separate cap, only the overall 25.
Have a question about PMP renewal or PDUs? Message our team on WhatsApp or send your question through the course inquiry form.
Need structured learning for your PDUs? Explore PMP training from a PMI Authorized Training Partner.
How do you avoid PDU claim problems?
Log each activity soon after you finish it, choose the right activity and claim type, and keep the matching document.
- Record PDUs as they happen, so dates and details stay accurate.
- Match each activity to the right claim type, and cover all three skill areas with at least 8 PDUs each.
- Keep a document for every claim, such as a certificate, notes with dates, or proof of employment.
- Do not claim the same activity twice, and do not claim activities from before you earned the certification.
- Keep all records for at least 18 months after the cycle ends, because PMI randomly audits a percentage of holders.
PMI explains the rules on its maintain your certification page, on its ways to earn PDUs page and in the CCR Handbook. If you are still deciding whether to keep the credential, see whether the PMP certification is still worth it in 2026.
Frequently asked questions
What are the PDU activity types for PMP renewal?
The Project Management Institute (PMI) lists 10 activity types for Project Management Professional (PMP) renewal. The 5 Education types are Course or Training, Digital Media/Webinar, Organization Meetings, Informal Learning and Read. The 5 Giving Back types are Create Content, Give a Presentation, Share Knowledge, Volunteer and Work as a Practitioner.
What is the difference between a PDU activity type and a claim type?
For Project Management Professional (PMP) renewal with the Project Management Institute (PMI), the activity type describes what you did, such as a course or reading. The claim type describes which bucket the PDUs count toward, such as Power Skills, Giving Back or Work as a Practitioner.
What are Ways of Working, Power Skills and Business Acumen?
They are the three skill areas of the Project Management Institute (PMI) Talent Triangle. A Project Management Professional (PMP) holder needs at least 8 PDUs in each area as part of the 35 Education PDUs required in each 3-year cycle.
How many PDUs can you claim for Work as a Practitioner?
The Project Management Institute (PMI) allows a Project Management Professional (PMP) holder to claim up to 8 PDUs for Work as a Practitioner, once per cycle. These PDUs count toward the Giving Back maximum of 25.
What does Needs More Information mean on a PMI PDU claim?
It means the Project Management Institute (PMI) needs a supporting document before it can approve a Project Management Professional (PMP) PDU claim. The claim is not rejected. Add a document that proves the activity and submit the claim again.
How long does PMI take to approve a PDU claim?
The Project Management Institute (PMI) states that processing a Project Management Professional (PMP) PDU claim can take up to 5 business days. The Claim Submission Results page shows this note after you submit the claim.
What does Retracted mean for a PDU claim?
A Retracted status means the claim was withdrawn, so its PDUs do not count toward Project Management Professional (PMP) renewal with the Project Management Institute (PMI). The CCR Handbook does not define each status, so check the detail on your claim in your PMI account.
Can you claim PDUs for a full degree program?
No. The Project Management Institute (PMI) recognizes individual courses for Project Management Professional (PMP) PDUs, and each course is reported separately. Entire degree programs are not recognized.
How long should you keep PDU documents?
The Project Management Institute (PMI) advises Project Management Professional (PMP) holders to keep documentation for all PDU claims for at least 18 months after the cycle ends. PMI randomly selects a percentage of holders for audit, and selected holders must submit supporting material.
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, full-length mock exams and exam application support, plus one year of free retraining on the same exam version. If you are preparing for the exam, the course comes first. If you already hold the PMP and need to renew, use this guide to file clean claims and keep your records in order. Check the current batches on the course page.
Next step: ready to prepare for the PMP exam? Choose a batch that fits your schedule and get one-year LMS access.
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