PMP Exam Changes: Why you should consider taking the exam now

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ByElizabeth Harrin Training and Certification

If you want to certify as a PMP before the exam requirements change, you’ve just about got time.

I believe it takes 8-12 weeks to comfortably prep for the exam so if you are committed and prepared to put the effort in, you can squeeze in your exam.

So what’s changing?

You will only be able to claim the 35 contact hours of training for live courses if the live course is taught by an accredited provider.

Also, and this is a big one…

I think live learning under the new scheme will cost more.

Currently, pretty much any training that covers PMP-related topics can count towards the requirement for 35 contact hours. From the end of 2026, it will only be Authorized Training Partners (ATPs), or a China Registered Education Provider (REP), or be covered under the academic recognition scheme.

That means any organization currently teaching live PMP prep courses will have to register as an ATP (which I’ve heard from trainers is a long and expensive process), or market their courses as not covering the 35 hours requirement (which makes them less attractive to students).

Online, self-paced course requirements are not changing

There are no changes to the eligibility of self-paced courses. So if you plan to study with Brain Sensei (my recommended PMP training course), then you’re still good.

This change only affects live training, so unfortunately, if you are someone who learns better with the support a live instructor and a classroom environment, then try to get your application in as soon as you can!

The hybrid option is the Brain Sensei AI-powered course, which has an AI “instructor” you can ask questions to, use voice commands with and interact with as if you were with a mentor.

Elizabeth Harrin wearing a pink scarf

Project manager, author, mentor

Elizabeth Harrin is a Fellow of the Association for Project Management in the UK. She holds degrees from the University of York and Roehampton University, and several project management certifications including APM PMQ. She first took her PRINCE2 Practitioner exam in 2004 and has worked extensively in project delivery for over 20 years.
Elizabeth is the founder of RebelsGuideToPM.com and also the founder of the Project Management Rebels community, a mentoring group for professionals. She's written several books for project managers including Managing Multiple Projects.