The Project Management Professional Test Guide

The PMP Test Summary
What: The Project Management Professional exam is taken by individuals seeking credentialing in the area of project management.
Who: The exam is developed by Prometric, a test-administration company used by the Project Management Institute.
Where: The PMP exam is most commonly taken at a Prometric test center or an employer's office.
When: Year round
How: The PMP exam is most commonly offered in a computer-based format, but it may be offered as a paper-based exam if an individual is located too far from a test center or it is given at an employer's office.
Type: Multiple choice
Why: PMP credentials distinguish accomplished professionals in the project-management field.
Time: Four hours are allotted for the length of the PMP exam.
Language: The PMP exam is only offered in English, but language aids are available in Chinese, Portuguese, Spanish, Russian, Korean, French, Italian, Japanese, German and Hebrew.
Preparation: Individuals must gain experience in the project-management field and meet the experience requirements as defined by the Project Management Institute.
Cost: As of 2009, the fee for taking the PMP exam is $405 for PMI members and $555 for nonmembers.

By Caity Tarbert, Tests.com Contributing Writer

The Project Management Professional Credential, or PMP, is a combination application and exam process completed by individuals who wish to demonstrate their competency in project management. It is a globally-recognized credential developed by the Project Management Institute, known as PMI.

PMP Credential Exam Questions and Content Areas

The PMP credential exam consists of 200 multiple-choice questions, only 175 of which are counted towards the test taker's score. The allotted time limit for the test is four hours, though some individuals may finish before time expires.

The questions on the PMP exam revolve around six areas of concentration, including initiation, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling, closing and professional and social responsibility. Most questions focus on execution, planning, monitoring and control. Other questions are related to initiation, closing, and professional and social responsibility.

How to Register for the PMP Credential Exam

The PMP test is a computer-based exam most commonly taken at a Prometric test center in the test taker’s city. As of March 2009, the cost for the exam was $405 for a PMI member and $555 for a nonmember.

In order to become eligible to take the PMP exam, individuals must first submit payment and then complete an application documenting project management experience. After payment is received and the application reviewed, PMI will send out an electronic notification detailing exam scheduling instructions. Qualified individuals may then test any time within a year following their application's acceptance. Applications to begin the PMP credentialing process are available at pmi.org.

To qualify to take the PMP exam, individuals must meet the criteria listed on PMI's website. Applicants must:

Hold an associate's degree or equivalent
Have a minimum of five years (60 months) of unique, non-overlapping professional project-management experience during which at least 7,500 hours were spent leading and directing project tasks
Have a minimum 35 contact hours of formal education

Hold a bachelor's degree or equivalent
Have a minimum of three years (36 months) of unique, non-overlapping professional project-management experience during which at least 4,500 hours were spent leading and directing project tasks
Have at least 35 contact hours of formal education

How to Interpret PMP Exam Results

On computer-based examinations, individuals will receive a pass/fail notification immediately after testing. Prometric also provides a score report that includes a performance analysis of each test domain categorized as proficient, moderately proficient or below proficient.

Paper-based exam scores are available online approximately six to eight weeks after the date the exam was taken. They are available online.

Special Considerations

All PMP credential exams are administered in English, but language aids are available in Chinese, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish for those individuals who speak English as a second language.

Would you like more information on preparing to take the Project Management Professional Credential examination? Please see our PMP Test Directory.