Short answer
- Exam fee: $405 for PMI members, $655 for everyone else, according to PMI’s PMP page on September 21, 2026 (PMI).
- PMI membership: $139 a year plus a small one-time activation fee. For the PMP it pays for itself on the exam alone.
- Cheapest path to the credential: join PMI, then book the exam: $544 plus the activation fee and your 35 hours of required training.
- Retake: $275 for members, $375 for non-members.
- Renewal every three years: 60 PDUs plus $60 (members) or $150 (non-members).
People who ask what the PMP costs usually get one number, the exam fee. On Reddit, one of the top results for this question is a thread titled “Honestly, in total, how much does the PMP cost?”, which tells you how well that one number works. This guide adds up everything PMI charges, shows five realistic totals, and flags two things currently going around that we could not confirm on PMI’s site. Every fee links to PMI. We checked them on September 21, 2026.
A note on the price before you budget
PMI’s PMP page lists the exam at $405 for members and $655 for non-members. Several training providers have reported that PMI raised the price to $445 and $675 on August 6, 2026. We could not find that increase on pmi.org, and PMI states that prices “may vary based on a candidate’s membership status and regional location” (PMI certification handbook).
Two practical consequences:
- Check the price in your own PMI account before you pay. It reflects your region.
- The membership decision doesn’t change. At $405/$655 membership saves you $250 on the exam, at $445/$675 it saves $230. Either way that’s more than the $139 membership.
Every PMP fee in one table
| Fee | Member | Non-member | When you pay it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exam | $405 | $655 | After PMI accepts your application |
| Retake (per extra attempt) | $275 | $375 | Only if you fail |
| Renewal (every 3 years) | $60 | $150 | Within 90 days after your cycle ends |
| PMI membership | $139 per year + activation fee | – | Before you pay the exam fee, if you want the member price |
| Application | no fee listed | no fee listed | Before the exam |
| 35 hours of training | price set by the provider | price set by the provider | Before you apply |
Sources: exam fee, retake, renewal, membership, activation fee. The retake, renewal and membership prices are the ones PMI’s online store shows for those products.
PMI charges the exam fee only once your application has been accepted and you are ready to schedule (PMI). PMI’s membership FAQ says new members pay “a small processing fee” but doesn’t publish the amount; you see it at checkout.
What the PMP really costs: five scenarios
| Scenario | Membership | Exam and retakes | Total before training |
|---|---|---|---|
| A. Join PMI, pass on the first attempt | $139 | $405 | $544 |
| B. Don’t join, pass on the first attempt | $0 | $655 | $655 |
| C. Join PMI, fail once | $139 | $405 + $275 | $819 |
| D. Don’t join, fail once | $0 | $655 + $375 | $1,030 |
| E. Join and stay a member through your first renewal | 3 × $139 | $405 + $60 renewal | $882 |
Add PMI’s new-member activation fee to scenarios A, C and E. Add your training cost to all five (next section).
What the scenarios show:
- Membership is worth buying once. It saves $250 on the exam and $100 on a retake. Keeping it for the renewal only saves $90 ($150 − $60), less than another year of dues. Scenario A, then letting membership lapse, is the cheapest route unless you want membership for other reasons.
- The member price only applies if you’re a member when you pay the exam fee. Join first, then pay.
- Failing once costs members $275, non-members $375. You get up to three attempts within your one-year eligibility period (PMI handbook).
The 35 training hours: required, but not priced by PMI
To apply you need 35 contact hours of project management education. PMI doesn’t set a price for them, so they’re the widest part of your budget:
- A self-paced course from any provider counts toward the 35 hours.
- PMI sells its own courses too, but they are optional; any qualifying provider works.
- An active CAPM certification waives the requirement entirely.
- From December 1, 2026, live instructor-led classes only count if they come from a PMI Authorized Training Partner, a China REP or an accredited higher-education program. Self-paced courses from any organization still qualify (PMP examination content outline).
If you are comparing bootcamps, check whether the price includes the exam. Many don’t. Simplilearn’s PMP course, for example, says in its FAQ that the PMI exam fee is not included and is paid separately to PMI (Simplilearn). Budget the course and the exam fee as separate items.
Renewal: the cost that shows up in year three
The PMP is valid for three years. To renew you need:
- 60 PDUs (Professional Development Units) during the cycle, at least 35 of them in Education and at most 25 in Giving Back.
- The renewal fee: $60 for members, $150 for non-members.
The payment deadline is the bigger risk. You must pay within 90 days of your cycle end date. If you miss it, your certification is suspended for a year, and after that it expires, which means a new application and a new exam (PMI CCR handbook). PMI also audits a random share of renewals before payment; if you’re selected, you have 90 days to submit proof of your PDUs.
The 60 PDUs don’t have to cost anything, but they often do. The cheapest approach is to log them as you go, from work you already do and free events, rather than buying a course in the last few months.
The exam and eligibility, briefly
- Format: 180 questions (10 of them unscored pretest items), 240 minutes, two 10-minute breaks. Since the July 2026 update the exam covers People (33%), Process (41%) and Business Environment (26%) (PMP examination content outline).
- Experience, non-overlapping and within the last ten years: 60 months with a high school diploma, 48 with an associate degree, 36 with a bachelor’s degree, 24 with a degree from a GAC-accredited program. If you’re not there yet, the CAPM is PMI’s entry-level credential, and our guide on becoming a project manager without experience covers other first steps.
Reported, not confirmed: a $45 “retake protection” option
Since August 2026, some candidates have written that PMI offers an optional add-on of about $45 at booking that covers a second attempt. We could not find it on any public PMI page, in PMI’s certification handbook, or in its online store, so it isn’t part of our calculations.
If you are offered it at checkout, here is how to decide: a member retake costs $275, so a $45 add-on pays off if you think your chance of failing is higher than about 16% ($45 ÷ $275). For non-members, with a $375 retake, the threshold is 12%.
Five ways to pay less
- Join PMI before you pay the exam fee. It is the only purchase in the process that pays for itself immediately.
- Ask your employer. In the US an employer can cover up to $5,250 of education costs a year tax-free under an educational assistance program (IRS Publication 15-B). General information, not tax advice.
- Already have a CAPM? It waives the 35-hour training requirement.
- Don’t pay for a bundle twice. Check whether your prep course includes the exam fee, PMI membership or practice exams before you buy them separately.
- Put your renewal date in your calendar now. Missing the 90-day payment window turns a $60 renewal into a new exam.
PMP vs. other project management certifications
Three-year minimum cost = the cheapest way to earn the credential and keep it active for 36 months, without optional prep. Full method in the Certification Cost Index.
| Certification | Issuer | Exam | 3-year minimum | Renewal | Valid for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PMP | PMI | $405 / $655 | $544 + training | $60 / $150 + 60 PDUs | 3 years |
| CAPM | PMI | $225 / $300 | $300 + 23 hours of education | $60 / $150 + 15 PDUs | 3 years |
| PMI-ACP | PMI | $435 / $495 | $495 + 21 hours of agile training | $60 / $150 + 30 PDUs | 3 years |
| PRINCE2 7 Foundation | PeopleCert | $701 (exam bundle) | $701 | CPD via PeopleCert Plus or a new exam | 3 years |
| Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) | Scrum Alliance | course $250–$2,495, exam included | $350 | $100 + 20 SEUs every 2 years | 2 years |
| Professional Scrum Master I | Scrum.org | $200 | $200 | none | lifetime |
Sources: CAPM, PMI-ACP, PRINCE2 7 Foundation, CSM, CSM renewal, PSM I.
For CAPM and PMI-ACP, membership does not pay for itself: it saves $75 and $60 respectively, less than the $139 dues.
Is the PMP worth what it costs?
PMI’s own numbers say PMP holders in the US earn a median salary of $135,000 and report 17% higher median salaries than those without the credential (PMI). Those figures come from PMI’s salary survey, so read them as the issuer’s view.
Independent data points the same direction but with a caveat. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, full-time workers with a professional certification or license earned a median $1,460 a week in 2025, against $1,131 for those without. Among people whose highest degree is a bachelor’s, though, the gap disappears: $1,558 with a credential, $1,588 without (BLS). Our reading of both data sets: the PMP is most likely to pay for itself where a job posting or contract asks for it.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the PMP exam?
$405 for PMI members and $655 for non-members on PMI’s PMP page as of September 21, 2026. PMI notes that prices can vary by region, so confirm in your account before paying.
How much does PMP certification cost in total?
Without training, $544 if you join PMI first and pass the first time, or $655 without membership. Add the cost of your 35 hours of training and, if needed, a retake ($275 or $375).
Is PMI membership worth it for the PMP?
Yes, for the exam. It saves $250 (or $230 at the higher reported prices) and costs $139 plus a small activation fee.
How much does it cost to renew the PMP?
$60 for members or $150 for non-members every three years, plus 60 PDUs.
What happens if I fail the PMP exam?
You can retake it for $275 (members) or $375 (non-members), up to three attempts within your one-year eligibility period.
Does a PMP course include the exam fee?
Usually not. Check the provider’s terms; the exam fee is paid to PMI.
How we checked these numbers. Every fee comes from a PMI page or PMI’s online store, linked where it appears, checked on September 21, 2026. We viewed PMI’s site from Europe; PMI says prices can differ by region. Where reports from other sources don’t match PMI’s pages, we say so rather than choose one. Certificate Quest is not affiliated with PMI or any training provider and earns nothing from links on this page.