PMP Exam Check-in 2026: OnVUE and Test Center Guide

The PMP is one of the few big-name certifications where the online option is a genuine first-class choice, and it is also one where first-timers lose their fee over avoidable setup problems. Pearson VUE’s own PMI page warns that failing to meet the online requirements on exam day can mean immediate cancellation and loss of your exam fee. This guide walks you through the check-in so that doesn’t happen to you.

I checked the PMP exam page and exam security page on pmi.org and the PMI-specific OnVUE page on pearsonvue.com in October 2026. Details that neither organization publishes are labeled so you know to confirm them yourself before booking.

How This Exam Is Delivered

Pearson VUE delivers the PMP. You have two ways to sit it: in person at a Pearson VUE test center, or at home or in a private space with Pearson’s OnVUE online proctoring. PMI says both options exist and describes the test center as the recommended one. You schedule through your PMI account, which sends you to Pearson VUE to pick a date and format. Pearson also notes that eligibility can take up to 24 hours to appear after approval, so a “not found” message right after your application is accepted is not unusual.

Item	What PMI and Pearson publish
Exam name	Project Management Professional (PMP)
Exam code	No separate exam code is published on the pages reviewed. The exam is identified as “PMP”.
Number of questions	180
Duration	240 minutes (four hours), with two 10-minute breaks. Whether break time is inside the 240 minutes is not stated. (confirm on the official page)
Content split	People 33%, Process 41%, Business Environment 26%
Delivery platform	Pearson VUE: OnVUE (online) or Pearson VUE test center
Check-in window (online)	Begin check-in 30 minutes before your appointment
Retakes	Up to three attempts within your one-year eligibility period; re-exam fees apply

Regional limits: Pearson says OnVUE delivery is restricted in Belarus, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia, Syria and restricted regions of Ukraine, and IDs from those places are not accepted online. Outside that list, the pages I reviewed do not give a country-by-country availability table, so check the scheduling screen for your location. (confirm on the official page) Test center seats also vary by location, and Pearson notes that not every PMI exam is available in every center, so use the seat availability tool before you commit.

Pre-Exam Preparation

Hardware and Network Requirements

Pearson’s PMI page sets these minimums for online delivery:

Windows 10 or macOS 14, or a higher version.
A working webcam, microphone and speaker. Headphones and headsets are not allowed.
One display only. Multi-monitor setups are not permitted.
A stable connection with at least 6 Mbps download and 2 Mbps upload.
The ability to close every application except OnVUE.

The same page lists what must not be present: virtual machines or beta operating systems; phones, tablets, headphones, earbuds, styluses and watches; smart speakers, smart glasses and other connected devices with recording or AI features; secondary or touchscreen displays (disconnect them, or cover them if you cannot remove them); and VPNs, corporate networks or public and shared networks. In plain terms: use a personal computer on your home network, not your work laptop.

The page does not say that a laptop’s built-in webcam is banned. It only requires a working webcam, so a built-in camera should qualify. (confirm on the official page)

Exam Tip: Run the OnVUE system test on the same computer and the same network you will use on exam day. Pearson says exactly that. Then unplug your second monitor the night before and restart the computer on exam morning, so no background app is still holding the camera.

ID Requirements

You need one valid, government-issued ID with a recognizable photo. The name on it must exactly match the name on your exam booking. Pearson’s PMI page lists these as acceptable:

International passport
Plastic driver’s license
National, state, provincial or EU ID card
Alien registration card (green card or permanent resident or visa card)
Approved Aadhaar cards, under Pearson’s Aadhaar ID Policy
Non-U.S. military ID, including spouse or dependent ID
Japanese employee or student ID together with a Japanese Health Insurance Eligibility Certificate

Paper IDs are accepted online only in Algeria, Brazil, Cameroon and the Dominican Republic. Expired, digital, damaged, copied or privately issued IDs are refused, as are birth certificates, naturalization papers, Canadian health insurance cards and several secure-access IDs.

For a global audience, a passport is the safest pick because it is recognized everywhere on the list and rarely has a format problem. Use a national ID card or driver’s license if it is plastic, current and shows the same name as your booking. That recommendation is my reading of the list, not a Pearson statement.

The online page asks for one ID, not two. A secondary ID is not mentioned for OnVUE. Test center check-in has its own ID process on Pearson’s site, which I could not confirm for PMI specifically. (confirm on the official page)

Name matching is where careless mistakes happen. “Exactly matches” means the spelling, the order and any middle names or diacritics on your ID should line up with the name in your PMI profile and appointment. Check your booking against your ID before exam week. If they differ, fix the profile with PMI, not on exam morning. The pages I reviewed do not say how Pearson treats a missing middle name or a hyphen, so do not rely on tolerance. (confirm on the official page) If you are under 18, you must show your own valid ID and a parent or guardian must be present at check-in with their ID to give consent.

Testing Environment

Clear your desk completely. Only the testing computer, pre-approved items and a beverage in an unmarked container may be on it.
Remove everything on, under or within arm’s reach of the desk: electronics, books, notes, paper, pens, tissue boxes, makeup, food, smoking products, bags, wallets, coats, glasses cases and weapons.
Pick a quiet room where nobody else will enter and nobody can see your screen, even from a distance.
Clear whiteboards and note boards in view before you start.
Do not test in a bathroom, an office, a library, a coffee shop or any public space. You must be fully dressed.

The “drink in an unmarked container” rule trips people up. Peel the label off the bottle or use a plain glass, because a branded label is a visible marking. Whether PMI allows pre-approved comfort aids is not detailed on the pages I reviewed. (confirm on the official page)

Step-by-Step Check-in Walkthrough

Pearson publishes three official check-in stages for PMI: technology checks, photos of you and your ID, and a 360-degree room scan. The finer order of screens inside the OnVUE app can change with software updates, so the list below combines those three stages with the other documented steps. (confirm on the official page)

Run the system test days ahead. Use Pearson’s PMI system test on the exam computer and network. Sticking point: a test that passes on the office laptop and fails on the personal one. Handle it by testing the device you will actually use, and fix any firewall or permission prompt now.
Start check-in 30 minutes before your appointment. Sign in through your PMI and Pearson account and launch OnVUE. Sticking point: opening the app at appointment time and finding the checks still running. Handle it by starting at the 30-minute mark. The pages I reviewed do not state a late-arrival grace period or what happens after it, so do not plan on one. (confirm on the official page)
Complete the technology checks. OnVUE checks your camera, microphone, speaker and connection, and asks you to close other applications. Sticking point: a chat app or backup tool launching in the background. Handle it by quitting everything, including the system-tray icons, before you begin.
Photograph yourself and your ID. Take the photo with your face centered and well lit. Sticking point: glare on a plastic ID that makes the text unreadable. Handle it by tilting the card under soft light and avoiding a window behind you.
Do the 360-degree room scan. Pan the camera around the room, including your desk and surroundings. Sticking point: forgotten items such as a second screen, sticky notes or a bag within reach. Handle it by doing a dry run the night before and clearing everything you notice.
Accept the agreements. Just before the exam, PMI presents the Candidate Security Acknowledgment. Sticking point: declining any part of it ends the session and you must pay fees and book a new appointment. Handle it by reading it in advance on PMI’s exam security page.
Wait for the proctor and begin. You follow on-screen instructions and the proctor’s guidance. Sticking point: a proctor message you did not notice. Handle it by keeping the chat window visible and answering promptly.

What the Proctor Looks For During the Room Scan

Items on or near the desk: paper, pens, books, phones, tablets, watches and other electronics.
A second display, including one that is switched off, which you should disconnect or cover.
Other people, voices or pets that could interrupt you.
Whiteboards, note boards and posters with writing on them.
Whether your face matches the photo on your ID.
Anything with a recording or AI function, such as smart speakers and smart glasses.

Pearson says the session is monitored by human proctors and assistive AI tools throughout, and the exam session is recorded. The proctor can ask you to adjust the camera or move items, so keep the camera stable and do not leave your seat during the scan.

Rules During the Exam

Neither PMI nor Pearson publishes a warning ladder for PMP candidates. What exists is a list of prohibited actions and a statement that violations lead to a revoked exam. I have split them into two tiers based on how Pearson and PMI word them. The first tier is my reading, not a published process. (confirm on the official page)

Tier 1: Likely Proctor Prompts

Looking away from the screen for long periods or moving partly out of the camera frame.
Speaking or reading aloud when not instructed to.
Covering your mouth or face, or having a person or sound appear in the background briefly.
An object appearing in view that the proctor asks you to remove.

Treat any proctor message as an instruction. Pearson says to follow all on-screen instructions and the proctor’s guidance.

Tier 2: Exam Revoked, Fee Forfeited, Possible Ban

Cheating or allowing another person to take your exam. PMI calls the latter proxy testing.
Recording, sharing or letting anyone else view your screen, even when you have a technical problem.
Leaving the webcam view without an approved break.
Using your phone unless a proctor explicitly permits it.
Photographing or sharing exam questions, or discussing exam content with anyone.
Bringing unapproved items into the room, such as calculators, notebooks or a phone.

PMI says a proctor who detects misconduct can end your session immediately. The Exam Security team investigates, and discipline can include canceling your score, revoking your certifications, banning you from future PMI exams permanently or for a set period, and legal action. PMI also says it may announce revoked credentials publicly. I did not find a published appeal procedure on the pages I reviewed. The PMI Certification Handbook is the document that PMI points to for policy details, so read its disciplinary section before you contest anything. (confirm on the official page)

Exam Tip: Do not stand up to stretch, fetch water or answer the door outside a scheduled break. PMI explicitly lists leaving the testing room outside a scheduled break as misconduct, and Pearson says leaving camera view is not allowed unless you are on an approved break.

Rules on Breaks, Scratch Paper and Drinks

PMI says the PMP includes two 10-minute breaks. Pearson’s generic rule that “not all exams offer breaks” does not apply here, because PMI’s own exam page lists them. Whether the clock pauses during a break, and whether break minutes sit inside the 240 total, is not spelled out on the pages I read. (confirm on the official page) Plan your bathroom visits around the two breaks.

Scratch work: physical paper, pens and whiteboards are banned for online testing. Pearson’s PMI page lists a digital whiteboard as an allowance, and states that it does not grant permission to use physical writing materials of any kind. Open the digital whiteboard during your practice session so you know where it is and how it behaves. At a test center, scratch materials are supplied under the test center’s procedures, and the specifics are not described on the pages I read. (confirm on the official page)

Drinks: a beverage in an unmarked container is allowed on the desk during online testing. Food is not.

Online Proctored vs. Test Center

Topic	Online (OnVUE)	Pearson VUE test center
Where	Private room at home or similar	Pearson VUE test center
Equipment	Your own computer, webcam, microphone and speaker	Provided by the center
Network	6 Mbps down and 2 Mbps up minimum, on your own network	Handled by the center
Check-in	Start 30 minutes before; tech check, photos, 360-degree room scan	Handled in person by the center (confirm on the official page)
ID	One valid government photo ID matching your booking	Check Pearson’s test center ID rules (confirm on the official page)
Scratch work	Digital whiteboard only	Center-provided materials (confirm on the official page)
Breaks	Two 10-minute breaks; do not leave camera view otherwise	Two 10-minute breaks
Tech failure risk	Yours: connection, software, power	Lower for you; the center handles equipment
PMI’s stance	Available	Recommended

Choose online if your home has a quiet private room, a wired or very stable connection and a personal computer that meets the requirements, and if the nearest center is a long trip. Choose a test center if your home is noisy, your internet is unreliable or you only have a work-managed laptop. For a first-time candidate, PMI’s own recommendation is the test center, and that is the lower-risk path. Do not carry OnVUE rules over from another exam, because each program can set its own allowances.

Exam Day Checklist

The Night Before

Confirm that the name on your booking matches the name on your ID exactly.
Unplug your second monitor and any docking station, and cover or disconnect secondary screens you cannot remove.
Clear the desk and the area around it, and remove papers, whiteboards and notes from the walls in view.
Run the OnVUE system test again on the exam computer and network.
Turn off VPN software and any company security client you installed on a personal machine.
Tell the people you live with the exact hours when nobody may enter the room.

60 Minutes Before

Restart the computer and close everything that starts automatically.
Plug in power so the battery cannot interrupt the session.
Ask others in the home to avoid streaming or large downloads on the network.
Peel the label off your drink bottle or pour into a plain glass.
Switch your phone off and place it out of reach, away from the desk.

30 Minutes Before

Launch OnVUE and begin check-in.
Have your physical ID ready, undamaged and not expired.
Sit in a well-lit spot, with light on your face and not behind you.
Take the ID photo, the face photo and the room scan, then wait for the proctor.

During the Exam

Stay in camera view and in your seat except on the two scheduled breaks.
Do not read questions aloud.
Use the in-exam chat to reach the proctor for rule questions, but remember the proctor cannot pause or extend the exam or fix your device or network.
Keep the digital whiteboard for scratch work.

FAQ

What happens if my internet drops or my computer freezes?

Pearson says to close OnVUE and relaunch it from your downloads folder. If problems continue, contact Pearson customer service for your exam program. The proctor can be reached through the in-exam chat, but cannot pause or extend the exam or troubleshoot your network. What happens to your time and your answers after a drop is not detailed on the pages I reviewed. (confirm on the official page)

Can I use my laptop’s built-in webcam?

Pearson requires a working webcam, microphone and speaker, and does not call out built-in cameras as a problem. Headphones and headsets are the part that is banned. Confirm your device passes the system test. (confirm on the official page)

Can I use two monitors or an external display?

You can only have one display. Multi-monitor setups are not permitted, and secondary or touchscreen displays must be disconnected or covered if you cannot remove them.

What if I arrive late to check-in?

Pearson tells you to begin check-in 30 minutes before your appointment. The pages I reviewed do not give a late-arrival grace period or the consequences of missing the window beyond the general statement that failing a requirement on exam day means forfeiting your fee. Treat the appointment time as a deadline. (confirm on the official page)

How many times can I take the PMP if I fail?

PMI says you can retake it two more times within your one-year eligibility period after a first failed attempt, which makes three attempts total. Fees apply to each re-examination, and PMI notes that some restrictions may apply.

Can I use paper and a pen?

Not online. Pearson’s PMI page lists a digital whiteboard as the allowance and says it does not allow physical whiteboards or writing materials of any kind.

Can I use a work laptop?

It is a risky choice. Pearson bans VPNs and corporate networks, and work laptops often run security software or management agents. Use a personal computer on your home network.

References

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