Anyone planning to sit for the Project Management Professional (PMP) certification has a date to put on the calendar. Beginning December 1, 2026, live instructor-led training will count toward the PMP's 35-hour education requirement only when it is delivered by a PMI Authorized Training Partner or by an eligible accredited academic program, including programs accredited by PMI's Global Accreditation Center (GAC). The Project Management Institute (PMI), which awards the credential, has set out the change in its own guidance for candidates.

The change is narrow. Training already finished stays valid, and self-paced courses keep their wider eligibility. Here is what changes, what does not, and what to do if you are partway through.

What the 35-hour requirement is

To apply for the PMP, a candidate needs at least 35 hours of project management training aligned with the PMP Examination Content Outline, completed before the application is submitted. PMI treats this as separate from the professional experience requirement: the training shows knowledge, while the experience shows that the candidate has led and directed projects at work.

An active Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) certification waives the training requirement entirely. An expired CAPM does not, and PMI advises anyone whose CAPM is in its suspension period to renew it before applying if they want to use the waiver.

What changes on December 1

From December 1, 2026, live training (in person or live virtual, led by an instructor) qualifies only when it comes from one of two places:

  • A PMI Authorized Training Partner, the network of providers that teach PMP courses using PMI-developed content
  • An eligible accredited academic program, including GAC-accredited programs at colleges and universities

PMI notes that a separate Registered Education Provider pathway applies in China. Everywhere else, a live class from a provider outside those two groups will not count toward the 35 hours once the new rule is in force.

What does not change

Training you have already completed. PMI says courses completed before December 1, 2026 remain eligible under the requirements that applied at the time, even if the application is submitted after the new rule takes effect. Qualifying training hours also do not expire, so a course taken several years ago can still count if it covered project management topics and the hours can be documented.

Self-paced training. On-demand courses may still come from any organization, provided the course aligns with the current exam content outline. PMI's own self-paced PMP Exam Prep Course provides the full 35 hours and can be applied to an application automatically.

Combining courses. Hours can be pooled from several qualifying sources, such as a college project management course, employer-sponsored training and an older prep course. Only time spent on project management instruction counts. PMI's example: a college course that met three hours a week for 15 weeks provides 45 training hours, but if project management was only part of a broader course, only those portions count.

How to check a self-paced course before paying for it

PMI's guidance lists five things a self-paced course should do: provide formal instruction in project management, align with topics in the current PMP Examination Content Outline, state clearly how many training hours it provides, include an end-of-course assessment, and issue a certificate or other completion record.

PMI also cautions candidates not to rely on a course title. A course advertised as 35 hours or 35 PDUs does not automatically qualify, and PMI recommends caution with any provider that guarantees a passing result. Books, practice exams and other self-study do not count on their own.

One distinction trips up many candidates: training hours establish eligibility to apply, while professional development units (PDUs) are what certified professionals earn to maintain the credential afterward. They are not interchangeable.

Keep your records

The PMP application asks for each course used toward the 35 hours: the provider, the course title, the number of hours and whether it was live or self-paced. Certificates and transcripts are not uploaded with the application, but PMI asks for them if an application is selected for audit, and all training is subject to audit. Useful records include completion certificates, transcripts, employer program records, syllabi showing the project management content, and anything documenting the hours.

What to do now

  • If you are midway through a live course from a provider that is not an Authorized Training Partner or an accredited academic program, finishing it before December 1, 2026 keeps it eligible under the current rules.
  • If you are choosing a live course that ends after December 1, confirm the provider is a PMI Authorized Training Partner, or that the course is part of an eligible accredited academic program.
  • If you hold an active CAPM, the training requirement is already waived.
  • Once approved, candidates have one year from the approval date to take the exam.

PMI's Authorized Training Partner listings on pmi.org are the place to confirm a provider's status before enrolling.

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