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How Much Does the PMP Exam Cost in 2026? (Fees, Membership, Retakes)

Last updated : 2026-08-30

The PMP exam fee jumped on August 6, 2026 — from $405 to $445 for PMI members, and from $555 to $675 for non-members — which is very likely why "pmp exam price" and "pmp exam cost" searches spiked this year. Here's the full breakdown of what you'll actually pay.

In brief

• Exam fee (as of August 2026): $445 for PMI members, $675 for non-members — confirm the current figure on pmi.org, since this exact price rose mid-2026 and could change again.
• PMI membership: roughly $130-$165/year, and joining before you register almost always costs less overall than paying the non-member exam fee.
• Retake fee: roughly $275 (members) / $375 (non-members) for a second or third attempt within your one-year eligibility window (up to 3 attempts total).
• 35 hours of project management training is required (waived if you hold an active CAPM) and isn't included in the exam fee — cost varies from free to over $1,000 depending on the provider.
• Realistic all-in budget for most candidates: $600 to $1,500+, driven mostly by how much you spend on training.

The exam fee itself

The gap between member and non-member pricing — $230 — is larger than the annual cost of PMI membership itself, which is the whole reason the "should I join PMI first?" question has an almost-always-yes answer (see below).

Should you join PMI before registering?

PMI membership runs roughly $130-$165 a year depending on the exact figures at the time you join (this has also shifted alongside the exam fee increases, so check the current rate). Joining first and then paying the member exam price of $445 typically comes out cheaper than paying the $675 non-member fee outright — before even counting the other membership benefits, which include a digital copy of the PMBOK Guide (itself normally a paid resource) and discounts on other PMI certifications and events.

The only scenario where non-member pricing makes sense is if you're certain you'll never renew membership or use any other PMI benefit, and even then the first-year math usually still favors joining.

Retake costs, if you need them

If you don't pass on your first attempt, PMI's re-examination fee is lower than the full exam fee — historically around $275 for members and $375 for non-members. You get up to three attempts within a one-year eligibility period tied to your original application; if you don't pass in three tries, you have to wait a year before reapplying and paying the full fee again.

This is one more reason realistic, timed practice matters before your first attempt: the retake fee is a real cost, and three failed attempts within a year is a genuinely bad outcome, not just a minor setback.

The cost that varies the most: training

PMI requires 35 hours of project management education or training before you can apply for the PMP — unless you already hold an active CAPM certification, in which case this requirement is waived entirely. This is the single most variable cost in the whole process:

None of this is included in PMI's exam fee — it's a separate purchase, and it's where most of the spread in "total PMP cost" articles online comes from.

Putting it all together

A realistic budget for most self-funded candidates:

• PMI membership: ~$150
• Member exam fee: $445
• Training (35 hours, budget option): $50-$400
• Practice questions / exam simulator: varies

That lands most candidates somewhere between $650 and $1,000 for a lean but complete prep, or well over $1,500 if you opt for a premium instructor-led bootcamp. None of these figures are locked in by PMI beyond the exam fee itself — training and practice-question spend is entirely up to you.

If you're weighing where to spend that training budget, our pricing page breaks down what's included at each tier, including the free preview questions you can try before paying anything. And since the exam itself changes significantly on July 9, 2026, make sure whatever practice resource you choose has actually been rebuilt for the 2026 domain weighting — an outdated question bank is money spent on the wrong material, regardless of price. Questions about a specific cost scenario? Reach out.