Before PMI accepts your PMP application, you need 35 contact hours of project management education. It's one of the most searched PMP questions, and one of the most misunderstood. Here's what it means in plain language.
What is a contact hour?
One contact hour is one hour of learning about project management. You need 35 of them, completed before you submit your application. They prove you've studied project management formally, on top of your work experience.
If you hold an active CAPM certification, PMI treats that as meeting the requirement, so you don't need the 35 hours. That's one reason some people take the CAPM first.
What usually counts
- A project management course from a PMI Authorized Training Partner
- University or college courses that cover project management
- Training from your employer or a professional training company
- Online courses with a certificate showing the hours and topics
The course should cover project management topics, for example planning, scope, schedule, risk, stakeholders or agile delivery. It doesn't all have to come from one course: you can add up hours from several.
What usually doesn't count
- Your day-to-day work on projects (that counts toward experience, not education)
- Self-study from books, videos or practice tests without a course that issues a record of hours
- Chapter or networking meetings that aren't structured training
Be honest about this: practice tests, including the free ones on this site, are excellent for passing the exam, but they are not contact hours. Treat them as your exam preparation, and get your 35 hours from a course that gives you a certificate.
How to record them on your application
- Keep every course certificate or transcript.
- For each course, note the provider, the dates and the number of hours.
- Enter them in the education section of the PMP application.
- Keep the records safe. PMI audits a random share of applications and may ask for proof.
Contact hours are not the same as studying for the exam
A 35-hour course gets you eligible. Passing the exam usually takes more: most people spend 8 to 12 weeks practising scenario questions and sitting full mock exams. Our 8-week PMP study plan shows how to use that time.
Start practising for free
While you complete your hours, start on the free PMP chapters, the free practice questions and the free full-length mock exam. Requirements can change, so always check the current PMP handbook on PMI's website before you apply.