2–5 years of project management experience
RequiredExperience needed: secondary diploma 5 years; associate/vocational diploma 4; bachelor’s 3; GAC-accredited degree 2. Count non-overlapping project work from the last 10 years.
Project Management Professional (PMP) Exam Guide
Validates knowledge of project leadership, team management and delivery across predictive, agile and hybrid approaches.
PMP tests how you apply project-management knowledge to decisions about teams, delivery and business outcomes. Learn the concepts, practice reasoning through scenarios, then rehearse the full exam with timed mocks.
Understand the exam
Syllabus
IPeople33%
- Task 1Develop a common vision
- Task 2Manage conflicts
- Task 3Lead the project team
- Task 4Engage stakeholders
- Task 5Align stakeholder expectations
- Task 6Manage stakeholder expectations
- Task 7Help ensure knowledge transfer
- Task 8Plan and manage communication
Example scenario: Two team members disagree about priorities. How would you understand the conflict and help them agree on a way forward?
IIProcess41%
- Task 1Develop an integrated project management plan and plan delivery
- Task 2Develop and manage project scope
- Task 3Help ensure value-based delivery
- Task 4Plan and manage resources
- Task 5Plan and manage procurement
- Task 6Plan and manage finance
- Task 7Plan and optimize quality of products/deliverables
- Task 8Plan and manage schedule
- Task 9Evaluate project status
- Task 10Manage project closure
Example scenario: A supplier delay threatens a milestone. Which schedule and delivery options should you evaluate before committing to a new date?
IIIBusiness environment26%
- Task 1Define and establish project governance
- Task 2Plan and manage project compliance
- Task 3Manage and control changes
- Task 4Remove impediments and manage issues
- Task 5Plan and manage risk
- Task 6Continuous improvement
- Task 7Support organizational change
- Task 8Evaluate external business environment changes
Example scenario: A new regulation affects your project. How would you assess compliance, risks and approvals before changing the plan?
Official exam content outline · July 2026 syllabus
Format
- Questions
- 180
- Duration
- 4h
- Delivery
- Test centre or online
- Languages
- English, Arabic, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), French, German, Hebrew, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Turkish
Question types
Single & multiple choice
Choose the best answer, or the stated number of answers.
CertUp example · Select one answer
CertUp example · Select two answers
Case studies
Use one shared scenario to answer a series of questions.
CertUp example · Shared scenario
A team is piloting a customer-support portal. Feedback shows customers struggle to find answers. The sponsor wants to roll it out next week, but the team has not tested whether a proposed redesign solves the problem.
- What should the project manager recommend before rollout?
- Which measure would best show whether the redesign delivers value?
Show answer & reasoning
1. Review the pilot evidence with the sponsor and agree a focused test of the redesign before committing to wider rollout.
2. Measure whether customers can find a useful answer or resolve their issue. Counting completed features alone would not establish the outcome.
Charts & diagrams
Interpret visual information before choosing an answer.
CertUp example · Graphic-based question
What does this chart tell you at the end of week three?
━ Completed work┄ Planned work
Show answer & reasoning
Completed work is 9 units below the plan (21 versus 30). Investigate the cause with the team; the chart alone does not establish whether scope, capacity or another issue explains the difference.
Matching & enhanced matching
Pair related items, sometimes using a chart or diagram.
CertUp example · Matching
Match each situation to the appropriate record.
A. A supplier may deliver late.
B. A required server has failed.
C. The sponsor requests a new feature.
1. Change request
2. Risk register
3. Issue log
Show answer & reasoning
A → 2, B → 3, C → 1. A risk is uncertain; an issue has already occurred; proposed scope changes follow change control.
In enhanced matching, you may place labels onto a chart. For example, a point on a progress chart could be matched to “behind plan.”
Point and click
Identify the relevant area of an image.
CertUp example · Point and click
Work is piling up before testing. Select the column you would investigate first.
Select an area of the diagram to answer. This is an original illustration of the interaction, not an official exam question.
Dropdown selections
Choose the answer that completes a statement.
CertUp example · Dropdown
Examples by CertUp, not real exam questions.PMI lists these formats without a fixed share for each. Matching, point-and-click and dropdowns appear in test-centre computer exams. Official types and examples, pp. 18 to 20
Eligibility and booking
Apply with PMI, complete any requested audit, then pay and schedule once approved. You can do this during preparation; don’t wait until the final week to check appointments.
Make a study plan
Read the syllabus and try a short set of questions first. Use what you know, what is unfamiliar and where you struggle to apply it to adjust your time budget.
Most candidates spend 100–160 hours. Plan for the low end if you manage projects now and already work the PMI way; add time if you are new to formal project management or to agile and hybrid. Includes the 35-hour course.
- 1Understand the examRead the syllabus and format, check you’re eligible and pick a target date.6 h
- 3Learn the core conceptsWork through one main course or book, topic by topic.72 h
- 4Practice with mock examsTake timed practice tests and review every mistake.36 h
- 5Prepare for exam dayBook the exam and check the ID and delivery rules.6 h
Learn the core concepts
Choose one main course covering the current syllabus. After each topic, answer a few scenarios and explain why the best response fits the situation.
Best self-paced videoPMP Certification Exam Prep Course
Best course + simulatorBrain Sensei PMP Exam Prep
Best bookRMC PMP Exam PrepFor PMP: compare how the same situation is handled in predictive and agile projects. For example, a scope change follows the agreed change process in a predictive project; an agile request may need backlog prioritization.
Practice with mock exams
Use fresh questions to find gaps, then take full timed mocks to rehearse the exam. Review incorrect answers and correct guesses before moving to another test.
OfficialPMI Study Hall (Essentials or Plus)
FreeFree PMP Practice Test (2026 Exam)
Best valueTIA PMP Exam SimulatorAre you ready?
- You can explain why one plausible answer is better than the others.
- You make fewer repeated mistakes on questions you haven’t seen before.
- You can finish a full mock without rushing the final section.
Prepare for exam day
Use the checklist for your delivery route.
Before travelling to the test centre
Before testing from home
- Check the appointment confirmation, location and arrival instructions.
- Confirm your identification meets the provider’s requirements.
- Plan your journey and check the rules for personal belongings.
- Review the breaks and section-navigation rules before starting.
- Run the provider’s system test on the computer and connection you will use.
- Prepare a private testing space that meets the current room rules.
- Check accepted identification and the name on your booking.
- Follow the check-in timing and break instructions in your confirmation.
Advice from exam takers
Learn why an answer fits the scenario, not just which answer is correct.
Candidates describe making progress when they learned the reasoning expected in PMP scenarios rather than relying only on workplace habits. Review explanations for wrong answers and correct guesses, then explain why the other options are less suitable.
Use a focused set of resources and spend time applying what you learn.
Several candidates prepared with a small set of materials, with Study Hall question practice central to their approach. Choose resources that address your gaps and leave time to use them; adding another course or set of notes is not automatically the next useful step.
Rehearse full-exam pacing, not just short question sets.
Candidates recommend full timed mocks, and one second-attempt account still describes time management as a challenge. Practice sustained concentration and checking your pace so you can finish without rushing the final section.