PMP renewal: PDUs, fees and how to keep your certification
A PMP is valid for three years. To keep it, PMI asks for 60 professional development units (PDUs) in each three-year cycle, reported in its online system, plus a renewal fee. This page explains the PMP renewal requirements as PMI publishes them, how to earn the PDUs — including for free — and what happens if you miss the deadline.
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How long is PMP certification valid?
Three years. Each PMP certification renewal opens a new three-year cycle, and the clock for the next one starts the day the current cycle ends. So the short answer to how long PMP certification is valid is one cycle — after that you renew, or the credential lapses.
Maintaining PMP certification is therefore a continuous task rather than something you think about once every three years. PMI’s own advice after you renew is to “take a break before you start planning for your next 3-year renewal cycle” — and then to start earning again.
Source: PMI — How to maintain your certification. Checked 9 October 2026.
PMP renewal requirements: 60 PDUs in three years
PMI states it directly: “you are required to earn 60 PDUs in a 3-year cycle.” One PDU equals one hour of training or giving back. Those 60 PDUs for PMP renewal have to meet two rules at once.
- Education: a minimum of 35 PDUs. There is no upper limit, so you can earn all 60 in Education if you prefer.
- Giving Back: a maximum of 25 PDUs. It is optional — a cap, not a requirement.
- Talent Triangle: within Education, at least 8 PDUs in each of Ways of Working, Power Skills and Business Acumen. The remaining 11 Education PDUs can come from any of the three.
Source: PMI — Continuing Certification Requirements (CCR) Handbook. Checked 9 October 2026.
How to renew PMP certification, step by step
The PMI PMP certification renewal process has three practical steps, all handled online:
- Earn the PDUs during your cycle, following the Education, Giving Back and Talent Triangle rules above.
- Enter them in PMI’s Continuing Certification Renewal System (CCRS). Report each course separately.
- Pay the renewal fee. PMI says: “You will receive information by email with a link to pay your renewal fee.”
Source: PMI — How to maintain your certification. Checked 9 October 2026.
PMP renewal cost
PMI does not print one figure for the project management professional PMP certification renewal fee. The CCR Handbook says that “Renewal fees are subject to membership and regional pricing” and points you to your myPMI dashboard, under Renew Certification, for your own amount. The maintenance page adds that “The Certification Renewal Fee is independent of the PMI Membership Renewal Fee” — paying for membership does not renew the certification.
Membership does change the price, though: PMI lists “members-only pricing on certification renewal” among its membership benefits. The full PMP renewal cost is therefore the fee shown in your dashboard plus whatever you spend on PDUs, which can be close to nothing if you use free sources.
Source: PMI — Continuing Certification Requirements (CCR) Handbook. Checked 9 October 2026.
How to earn PDUs for PMP renewal
PMI recognises more activities than most people expect. The CCR Handbook sorts them into two groups.
Education counts courses or training (instructor-led, in person or online), organisation meetings such as PMI chapter events, online or digital media for self-paced learning, reading materials (“1 hour of learning equals 1 PDU”), and informal learning such as mentoring discussions, panels or lunch-and-learns.
Giving Back counts working as a practitioner, creating content, giving presentations, sharing knowledge and volunteering. Working as a practitioner earns “up to 8 PDUs if you were working within the profession for the entire 3 years of your certification cycle”, claimed once per cycle.
Source: PMI — Continuing Certification Requirements (CCR) Handbook. Checked 9 October 2026.
How to get 60 PDUs for PMP renewal for free
It is possible, and PMI’s own rules make it realistic. The Giving Back side costs nothing but time: up to 8 PDUs for working in the profession, plus volunteering, mentoring, presenting or writing, up to the 25-PDU cap. On the Education side, reading materials and informal learning count hour for hour.
For structured learning, PMI lists “access to free, PDU-earning courses and webinars” as a member benefit, and describes PMXPO as “the world’s premier free virtual event for Project Professionals”. Membership itself is paid, so free PMP PDU courses through PMI are free at the point of use rather than entirely without cost.
Whatever mix you choose, keep the Talent Triangle minimums in view: 8 PDUs in each of the three areas, inside your 35 or more Education PDUs.
Source: PMI — Renew your PMI certification. Checked 9 October 2026.
Choosing PMP PDU courses
Paid PMP renewal courses are one way to fill the Education requirement quickly, and many are sold as bundles of 35 or 60 PDUs. Before you buy PMP renewal PDU courses, check three things: that each course maps to a Talent Triangle area, that you receive documentation you can keep, and that the provider can show what you studied. PMI selects a percentage of certification holders at random for audit, and if you are selected you must provide supporting documentation — PMI asks you to keep it for at least 18 months after your cycle ends.
PMI lists its Authorized Training Partners as a source of online learning in the CCR Handbook. Other providers can also count, provided the learning is genuine and relevant to the Talent Triangle.
Source: PMI — Continuing Certification Requirements (CCR) Handbook. Checked 9 October 2026.
Contact hours are not PDUs
A common source of confusion: course listings titled something like “PMP certification exam prep course – 35 PDU contact hours (PDU)” mix up two different things. The 35 contact hours are what you need before applying for the exam; PDUs are what you earn after you are certified, to renew it.
If you are still preparing for the exam, you need the 35 hours of training, not PDUs. If you already hold the credential, PDUs for PMP certification maintenance are earned under the CCR rules above, and an exam-prep course is unlikely to be the best use of them.
Source: PMI — Continuing Certification Requirements (CCR) Handbook. Checked 9 October 2026.
Does PMP certification expire?
Yes, but not overnight. If you do not meet the requirements by the end of your cycle, PMI suspends the certification for “1 year (12 months)”. During suspension you cannot use the PMP designation, but you can still earn PDUs and renew.
If the suspension year passes without renewal, the PMP certification expiration becomes final: you can no longer submit PDUs and you are no longer a certification holder. Getting it back means a new application, the associated fees and passing the exam again — reinstatement is not automatic.
Source: PMI — Continuing Certification Requirements (CCR) Handbook. Checked 9 October 2026.
Carrying PDUs into your next cycle
If you earn more than 60 PDUs, some can count towards the next cycle. Only PDUs earned in the final 12 months of a cycle qualify, and for PMP up to 20 can be carried over. It is a good reason not to stop at exactly 60 if you are earning PDUs late in the cycle anyway.
Source: PMI — Continuing Certification Requirements (CCR) Handbook. Checked 9 October 2026.
Keeping your knowledge current
Renewal does not require you to sit the exam again, but PMI updated the PMP exam in July 2026. If you mentor candidates or want to check how your own knowledge holds up against the current outline, Certsqill’s expert-developed PMP practice questions explain every answer option and show a readiness score per domain. Practice questions are not a PDU activity in themselves, and Certsqill is not a PMI Authorized Training Partner.
PMP renewal: questions people ask
How many PDUs for PMP renewal?
60 PDUs per three-year cycle: at least 35 in Education, at most 25 in Giving Back, and at least 8 in each Talent Triangle area. Source: PMI CCR Handbook, checked 9 October 2026.
How long is the PMP certification valid?
Three years per cycle. Renewing opens the next three-year cycle. Source: PMI, checked 9 October 2026.
What does PMP certification validity depend on?
On completing the CCR requirements — 60 PDUs and the renewal fee — before each three-year cycle ends.
How much is PMP renewal fee?
PMI publishes no single figure. Its CCR Handbook says renewal fees are subject to membership and regional pricing; your amount appears in your myPMI dashboard. Checked 9 October 2026.
How much does it cost to renew PMP certification?
The renewal fee shown in your myPMI dashboard, which PMI prices by membership and region, plus whatever you spend on PDUs. PMI members get members-only renewal pricing.
How much to renew PMP certification as a PMI member?
PMI lists members-only pricing on certification renewal as a membership benefit but does not publish the amount on its public pages. It appears in your dashboard.
Is the PMI PMP renewal fee the same as PMI membership?
No. PMI states that the Certification Renewal Fee is independent of the PMI Membership Renewal Fee.
Is there a PMP renewal promo code?
PMI’s renewal, maintenance and CCR pages list no promo code, checked 9 October 2026. The official saving PMI names is members-only pricing on certification renewal.
Is there a PMP renewal promo code 2026?
None is published on PMI’s renewal pages as of 9 October 2026. Be cautious with codes advertised elsewhere and check the final price in your myPMI dashboard.
How to renew PMP?
Earn 60 PDUs within the cycle, enter them in PMI’s Continuing Certification Renewal System, then pay the renewal fee using the link PMI sends by email.
How to maintain PMP certification without spending much?
Use Giving Back (up to 25 PDUs, including up to 8 for working in the profession), self-directed reading, and the free PDU-earning courses and webinars PMI offers members.
What happens if my PMP certification expired?
After your cycle ends you are first suspended for one year and can still renew. Once that year passes, the certification expires and you must apply again, pay the fees and retake the exam.
Does the PMP certification expire if I stop working in project management?
Not because of your job. It expires if you do not complete the renewal requirements. Working in the profession simply lets you claim up to 8 Giving Back PDUs.
When is my PMP certification expiry date?
At the end of your three-year cycle. Your cycle dates are shown in PMI’s certification system.
Do PDUs for PMP certification have to come from PMI?
No. PMI recognises courses, reading, meetings, informal learning and Giving Back activities from many sources, as long as the PDU rules are met and you can document them.
What counts as one PDU for PMP certification?
One PDU equals one hour of training or giving back. Source: PMI CCR Handbook, checked 9 October 2026.
Are PMP PDU courses free for PMI members?
Some are. PMI lists access to free, PDU-earning courses and webinars as a member benefit; membership itself is paid. Checked 9 October 2026.
Are free PMP PDU courses accepted?
Yes, if they are genuine learning in a Talent Triangle area and you keep proof. Price does not affect whether a PDU counts.
