The PM PrepCast stops selling on October 31, 2026 and shuts down every product, system and account on December 4, 2026. Your contact hours and certificate stay valid. The exam simulator and your score history do not survive the closure. If your PMP exam is after December 4, you need a new plan for practice exams, and the time to set it up is before you lose access.
Disclosure: PM Mastery is a PMP practice platform built by independent founder Ben Schenck, and it is one of the options listed below. Every fact about PrepCast in this post comes from PrepCast's own closure announcement and closure FAQ.
The Key Dates
OSP International, the company behind The PM PrepCast, announced on August 31, 2026 that it is closing after 18 years and roughly 70,000 students. Founder Cornelius Fichtner cited a structural shift in the PMI exam prep market: more options and sharply lower prices made the business unsustainable. The company chose to close rather than let quality slip.
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| August 31, 2026 | Closure announced. Purchases from September 1 on are final and non-refundable. |
| October 31, 2026 | Last day to buy any PrepCast product. |
| November 30, 2026 | PrepCast's recommended date to finish the course, so there is time to take the end-of-course assessment and download your certificate. |
| December 4, 2026 | All products, systems and access shut down. Accounts become inaccessible. |
What Happens to Each Part of Your Purchase
Your access continues as normal until December 4 or until your access period ends, whichever comes first. After that, here is how each piece breaks down.
| Part of your purchase | What PrepCast says happens |
|---|---|
| Contact hours and certificate | Stay valid. They are earned when you complete the training, not tied to the company staying open. |
| Course lessons | PrepCast is working on a way for customers to keep the lessons after closing. Details are still pending. |
| Exam simulator | Not part of that plan. The FAQ tells customers to prioritize their practice exams before December 4. |
| Simulator exam history and progress | Permanently deleted after December 4. |
| Refunds | No refunds or credits for access lost after December 4. Purchases on or after September 1 are final. |
| A future version elsewhere | PrepCast is exploring a third-party platform. Nothing is confirmed, and existing customers may not get access there. |
The line that matters most for anyone still studying is the simulator. The lessons may survive in some form. The practice exams and your score history will not.
Do This Before December 4
- Download your certificate now if you have finished the course. Do not wait for the last week.
- Finish the course by November 30 if you are still working through it, so you can pass the end-of-course assessment and download the certificate in time.
- Take your full-length simulator exams and save or print the score reports and question reviews. PrepCast calls these the best study material you will have after it closes.
- Download everything downloadable: the formula guide and any PDFs in your course.
- Keep your certificate and your receipt together. That pair is what PMI asks for if your application is audited. Our PMP application and audit guide covers what an audit looks like.
If Your Exam Is Before December 4
Keep going. Nothing changes for you before the shutdown, and PrepCast's own FAQ says a purchase still makes sense if your exam lands before December 4. Just save your score reports anyway, in case your exam gets rescheduled.
If Your Exam Is After December 4
Most PrepCast customers bought it for two things: the 35 contact hours and the exam simulator. PMI requires 35 contact hours of project management education to apply for the PMP (an active CAPM waives them), and those hours stay valid after PrepCast closes. The simulator does not. That is the piece to replace.
If you have not finished your contact hours and will not by November 30, you have a bigger problem: you need another 35-hour course, and you need it before you apply. Sort that out first. A practice platform cannot fix it. The 2026 PMP requirements guide lays out every eligibility path.
What to Look for in a Replacement Simulator
- Built for the 2026 format. The current exam is 180 questions in 240 minutes, opening with a case-study section, with two 10-minute breaks. You cannot go back to a section after its break. See the 2026 exam structure breakdown.
- Full-length timed mocks, not just quizzes. The PMP tests stamina as much as knowledge. Sit at least a few complete exams under time pressure.
- Explanations for the wrong options. The hardest PMP questions have two answers that both look right. Knowing why the runner-up loses is where the points are.
- A readiness read you can trust. One mock score swings a lot. Look for tracking across People, Process and Business Environment over many questions. If your mock scores dropped recently, here is what that usually means.
- Access that outlasts your exam date. Check the access window against your test date before you buy anything.
Your Options
| Option | What it covers | Good fit if |
|---|---|---|
| PMI Study Hall | PMI's own practice platform. | You want practice questions straight from the organization that writes the exam. |
| PMI PMP Practice Exam | One full-length simulation exam sold in PMI's store, listed at $99. | You want a single official benchmark close to exam day. |
| Another 35-hour course | Contact hours plus lessons. Andrew Ramdayal's Udemy course is the one r/pmp mentions most; Brain Sensei is another. | You have not finished your PrepCast course and will not by November 30. |
| PM Mastery | 4,000+ questions (including 200 in 40 case studies), unlimited full 180-question mocks on the Pass, an AI coach on every question, and a readiness score by domain. $99 one-time for 90 days, no subscription. Does not provide contact hours. | Your contact hours are done and you need the practice-exam piece to replace the simulator. |
For a wider look at the market, the PMP prep platform comparison covers the main platforms side by side.
Common Questions
When is PM PrepCast closing?
The PM PrepCast's last day of sales is October 31, 2026. All products, systems and account access shut down on December 4, 2026, according to OSP International's closure announcement. The Project Management Podcast is not affected and continues.
Are PM PrepCast contact hours still valid after it closes?
Yes. PrepCast's closure FAQ says contact hours are earned when you complete the training, whether or not the provider is still in business. Download your certificate before December 4 and keep it with your receipt, since that is what PMI asks for in an audit.
What happens to my PrepCast exam simulator scores?
They are deleted. PrepCast says all accounts become inaccessible on December 4, 2026, and simulator exam history is then permanently deleted. Save or print your score reports and question reviews before that date.
What can I use instead of the PrepCast exam simulator?
Any simulator built for the 2026 format: 180 questions in 240 minutes, starting with a case-study section. Options include PMI Study Hall, PMI's official PMP Practice Exam, and PM Mastery. If you still need your 35 contact hours, you also need a separate 35-hour course.
Replace the simulator before you lose it
4,000+ questions (including 200 in 40 case studies) · unlimited full 180-question mocks on the Pass · an AI coach on every question. 100 questions free to start.
Start Free →Related: Best PMP Prep Platform 2026 · 2026 PMP Exam Structure · 2026 PMP Requirements