To qualify for the PMP certification in 2026, you need one of four combinations of education and project experience, plus 35 contact hours of project management training (or an active CAPM, which covers it). All of that experience has to fall within the last 10 years. That's the whole eligibility picture, and the sections below break down each path, what actually counts as experience, and how the application works. Two things did change for 2026: the experience window moved from 8 years to 10, and PMI expanded the education paths from two to four.
To sit the 2026 PMP exam you must meet one of four education-and-experience paths, hold 35 contact hours of project management training (or an active CAPM), and have all your experience fall within the last 10 years.
| Education | Experience leading projects |
|---|---|
| High school / secondary diploma or GED-type equivalency (EQF Level 4 / ISCED 3-4) | 60 months (5 years) |
| Associate's, higher certificate, or advanced technical/vocational program (EQF Level 5 / ISCED 5) | 48 months (4 years) |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (EQF Level 6 / ISCED 6) | 36 months (3 years) |
| Bachelor's or postgraduate degree from a GAC-accredited program | 24 months (2 years) |
Every path also requires 35 contact hours of project management education, or an active CAPM (which waives the 35 hours). All experience must be non-overlapping and accrued within the last 10 years.
What Changed and What Stayed the Same
| What changed in 2026 | What stayed the same |
|---|---|
| Exam format and content (new version live July 9, 2026, aligned to the PMBOK Guide 8th Edition) | The requirement to lead and direct projects, not just take part in them |
| Domain weights (People 33%, Process 41%, Business Environment 26%, with Business Environment tripled from 8%) | The per-tier experience months (24 to 60) |
| Exam fees (the non-member fee rises on August 6, 2026) | The 35 contact hours of education, and the CAPM waiver |
| What the exam tests and rewards (real-world impact and value) | The audit process and the one-year eligibility window |
| Eligibility: the experience window (8 to 10 years) and the education paths (two to four) | 60 PDUs every three years to keep the credential |
Eligibility shifted less than the exam did, but it did shift. The experience window moved from 8 to 10 years, and PMI expanded the education paths from two to four. The per-tier months and the 35-hour rule are otherwise intact. What changed most is what the exam tests and what it costs, both covered at the end of this guide.
Who Qualifies: The Four Paths
You only need to satisfy one of the four paths in the table above. PMI describes each education level using two international frameworks, the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) and UNESCO's ISCED levels, so the same rules work for candidates whose credentials were awarded anywhere in the world. EQF Level 4 and ISCED 3-4 mean upper secondary school. EQF Level 5 and ISCED 5 mean a short-cycle qualification above secondary school but below a bachelor's, such as an associate's degree, a higher certificate, or an advanced technical or vocational program. EQF Level 6 and ISCED 6 mean a bachelor's degree. PMI maps global credentials to those levels rather than to any one country's degree names.
A degree is not required. The secondary-school path simply asks for more experience: 60 months instead of the 36 a bachelor's needs. Nothing else about the application, the audit, or the exam changes based on your education level.
The GAC path is narrower than it looks. GAC accreditation is a program-quality designation, and it does not by itself change the degree level you need to be eligible. What it changes is the experience bar: a bachelor's or postgraduate degree from a GAC-accredited program qualifies at 24 months instead of 36.
One caveat matters if your qualification is not a conventional degree. A non-degree qualification counts at the bachelor's tier only when a competent authority explicitly maps it to EQF Level 6, or to the national equivalent of a bachelor's degree. The title on the certificate is not enough on its own. Words like "advanced," "professional," or "graduate" in a program name carry no weight with PMI without an official level mapping behind them.
What Counts as Project Experience
Experience means time spent leading and directing projects, not simply participating in them. PMI defines a project as a temporary initiative undertaken in a unique context to create value, which is why running a help desk, maintaining a system, or any other routine operational or administrative work falls outside the requirement.
The work does not have to have been paid, but it does have to have happened in a professional setting. That rules out a specific list: school projects, academic research done for a degree-granting program, planning personal events, home improvement, and ordinary day-to-day operations.
Two things do not matter:
- Your job title. It does not need to say "project manager." Team leads, coordinators, and analysts who led project work all qualify.
- Your methodology. Predictive, agile, and hybrid experience all count equally, because the exam covers all three.
You report experience in months, not in hours and not in number of projects. Months that overlap are counted once, so leading three projects in the same quarter still earns you one quarter of credit. Every month you claim has to fall within the last 10 years.
The 35 Contact Hours
Every applicant must complete 35 contact hours of project management training aligned to the Exam Content Outline before applying. One contact hour equals one hour of instruction. The hours never expire, so training earned years ago still counts today.
PMI accepts that training from a wide range of providers, not just its own partners:
- PMI Authorized Training Partners (ATPs), and Registered Education Providers (REPs) in China
- PMI GAC-accredited programs, whose coursework counts toward the 35 hours
- Accredited higher-education courses
- Employer or company-sponsored training programs
- Training companies and independent consultants
- Self-paced, on-demand courses that include an end-of-course assessment
Books and practice exams on their own do not count. There is one way out of the requirement entirely: an active CAPM certification earns a 35-hour credit and satisfies it outright, because the CAPM itself requires formal contact hours. If you are weighing the two credentials, see our comparison of the PMP and the CAPM.
How the Application Works
The process is straightforward once your experience and education are in place:
- Create a PMI account and open the PMP application.
- Enter your highest education level.
- Log each project you led, with the dates, organization, your role, and the result, until the months reach your tier's threshold (24, 36, 48, or 60).
- Record your 35 contact hours of training.
- Submit and pay the exam fee.
PMI reviews most applications within about five business days, unless it selects yours for audit. A percentage of applications are audited, the selection is random, and PMI can audit at any point, so an audit is routine rather than a sign of a problem. If you are selected, you have 90 days to submit your documentation: copies of your diploma or degree, signed verification from the supervisor or manager attached to each block of experience you recorded, and certificates or letters covering your 35 contact hours.
If your credential does not cite a framework level, PMI will ask you to supply one. Any of three will do: an extract from your national qualifications register, an official statement from the awarding body or ministry, or a formal evaluation by a recognized national body.
Once your application is approved, you have one year to test and up to three attempts within that year.
The Two 2026 Dates That Do Matter
Eligibility barely moved, but two dates affect your timing and your cost:
- July 9, 2026: the exam changed. The new version is aligned to the PMBOK Guide 8th Edition, with rebalanced domain weights and new content on business environment, AI, and sustainability. If your exam date falls on or after July 9, study from the 2026 outline. See the full 2026 Exam Content Outline and everything changing on the exam.
- August 6, 2026: fees rise. PMI's non-member exam fee in the United States increases to $675. PMI members pay a lower rate and are not affected by the increase. If you are eligible and ready, submitting your application before August 6 locks in the current pricing. Confirm exact figures on PMI's official certification page before you pay.
Neither date changes the eligibility rules themselves. They change what the exam looks like and what it costs.
Maintaining the Certification
Once earned, the PMP is valid for three years. To renew it, you earn 60 professional development units (PDUs) across the cycle through learning, teaching, or volunteering in project management. The credential itself does not expire mid-cycle as long as you meet the renewal requirement.
Common Questions
Did the PMP requirements change in 2026?
Mostly no, but two things changed. The experience look-back window went from 8 to 10 years, and PMI expanded the education paths from two to four. The per-tier experience months, the 35 contact hours, and the CAPM waiver are otherwise the same.
Do you need a college degree for the PMP?
No. With a high school or secondary diploma you need 60 months of project leadership experience. An associate's or equivalent needs 48 months, and a bachelor's degree or higher lowers it to 36 months.
Do the 35 contact hours still apply, or can experience replace them?
They still apply to every eligibility path and cannot be waived by experience. The only exception is holding an active CAPM certification, which satisfies the requirement.
What counts as project management experience for the PMP?
Time spent leading and directing projects within the last 10 years. Job title does not matter, and predictive, agile, and hybrid work all count equally.
What are the PMP certification requirements?
You need one of four education-and-experience paths: a high school or secondary diploma with 60 months of experience, an associate's or equivalent with 48 months, a bachelor's or higher with 36 months, or a GAC-accredited bachelor's or postgraduate degree with 24 months. On top of that, 35 contact hours of project management training (or an active CAPM), and all the experience has to be within the last 10 years.
How much project experience do you need for the PMP?
It depends on your education. A bachelor's degree or higher needs 36 months of experience leading projects; a high school or secondary diploma needs 60 months; an associate's or equivalent needs 48 months; and a bachelor's or postgraduate degree from a GAC-accredited program needs 24 months. The experience must be non-overlapping and fall within the last 10 years.
Do the 35 contact hours have to come from a PMI Authorized Training Partner?
No. PMI accepts training from many providers, including Authorized Training Partners, employer-sponsored programs, accredited university courses, training companies, and self-paced on-demand courses that include an end-of-course assessment. Books and practice exams alone don't count, and an active CAPM waives the 35-hour requirement entirely.
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Start Free →Related: Not sure you qualify yet? Compare the PMP and the CAPM. See the full 2026 Exam Content Outline, everything changing on the 2026 exam, and whether the PMP is worth it in 2026.