<\/span>PMP Eligibility Requirements and the 35 Contact Hours<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\nBefore building a study plan, confirm you actually qualify to apply \u2014 this trips up more candidates than the exam content itself. PMI currently uses a tiered eligibility structure based on education level, each paired with a different required amount of project-leading experience, all of which must fall within the last 10 years:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Secondary\/high school education (or equivalent)<\/strong> requires a minimum of 60 months (5 years) of non-overlapping experience leading projects.<\/li>
- An associate’s degree, higher-certificate, or advanced technical\/vocational program<\/strong> requires a minimum of 48 months (4 years) of non-overlapping project-leading experience.<\/li>
- A bachelor’s degree (or equivalent)<\/strong> requires a minimum of 36 months (3 years) of non-overlapping project-leading experience.<\/li>
- A bachelor’s or postgraduate degree from a PMI Global Accreditation Center (GAC)-accredited program<\/strong> requires a minimum of 24 months (2 years) of non-overlapping project-leading experience.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
On top of whichever experience tier applies to you, every candidate must also complete 35 hours of commercial training<\/strong> in project management topics aligned with the current Examination Content Outline. Here’s how to actually satisfy that requirement:<\/p>\n\n\n\n- Eligible training sources include<\/strong>: PMI Authorized Training Partner (ATP) courses, China Registered Education Provider (REP) courses, PMI Global Accreditation Center (GAC) coursework, project management courses from accredited higher education institutions, employer or company-sponsored programs, training companies or consultants, and self-paced on-demand courses that include an end-of-course assessment.<\/li>
- Books and practice exams alone do not satisfy this requirement<\/strong> \u2014 PMI explicitly excludes them, so a 35-hour Udemy or ATP course with a completion certificate is necessary even if you’ve read every prep book available.<\/li>
- If you’re an active CAPM certification holder<\/strong>, this requirement is waived entirely \u2014 your CAPM credential earns you a full 35-hour credit toward commercial training.<\/li>
- All training is subject to audit<\/strong>, so keep your completion certificates and course records on hand even after submitting your application.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Once you’ve confirmed your tier and lined up your 35 hours, you’re ready to actually build a study plan around the exam itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n