PMI certifications: matching CAPM, PMP and PMI-ACP to the experience you have
In November 2026, PMI charges $300 for the CAPM exam, $495 for PMI-ACP and $675 for the PMP in the US, or $225, $435 and $425 for PMI members. Unlike most IT exams, every PMI exam needs training hours completed before PMI accepts your application, so a first attempt runs from about $700 for CAPM and $1,474 for the PMP with PMI's own self-paced courses. PMP and PMI-ACP also require documented experience. All three renew every three years through professional development units (PDUs).
PMI exams we cover, with fees and entry rules
| Certification | Level | US exam fee | PMI member | Formal prerequisite | Validity and renewal | Our page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) | Entry | $300 | $225 | Yes: 23 hours of project management education, a secondary diploma and age 18 or over; no experience | 3 years; 15 PDUs | CAPM guide |
| PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP) | Practitioner | $495 | $435 | Yes: a secondary diploma, 21 hours of agile training and 2 years of agile work in the last 5 (shorter routes below) | 3 years; 30 PDUs | PMI-ACP guide |
| Project Management Professional (PMP) | Professional | $675 | $425 | Yes: 35 hours of training or an active CAPM, plus 3 to 5 years of project experience | 3 years; 60 PDUs | PMP guide |
The PMP experience figure depends on your education: 3 to 5 years, or 2 years with a degree from a PMI-accredited program. PMI-ACP accepts one year of agile work if you also hold a degree from a PMI Global Accreditation Center program or an active third-party agile certification held for more than a year, and an active PMP meets its experience rule outright. Membership cuts the PMP fee by $250, CAPM by $75 and PMI-ACP by $60; PMI's membership page sets the dues to weigh against that.
What a first PMI attempt costs with training
| Certification | Cheapest route | With a live class |
|---|---|---|
| CAPM | About $700 (PMI's $400 self-paced course) | Up to $3,295 |
| PMI-ACP | From $1,990 (a $1,495 self-paced university course) | Up to $2,190 with the courses we priced |
| PMP | About $1,474 (PMI's $799 self-paced course) | Up to $4,025 with a five-day class |
PMI paths from three starting points
No project experience yet. Take CAPM. It asks for no experience, and once you hold it an active CAPM covers the 35-hour training requirement when you later apply for the PMP.
Some project leadership, short of the PMP rule. Count your project months against PMI's PMP rule first. If you are short, take CAPM now and the PMP when the experience is there. If your projects run in sprints, look at PMI-ACP once you have the agile time it asks for.
You meet the PMP experience rule. Apply for the PMP directly. Scrum masters, product owners and agile leads with two years of agile work take PMI-ACP; PMP holders already meet its experience rule. Our PMP vs PMI-ACP comparison sets the two side by side.
Outside PMI: Scrum and PRINCE2
Two non-PMI credentials compete for the same readers. PSM I and CSM are Scrum Master credentials with no experience rule: Scrum.org's PSM I is a $200 online test with no required class and no renewal, while Scrum Alliance's CSM requires a 16-hour course (the one we priced costs $995 with the test) and renews every two years for $100. PRINCE2 Foundation (Version 7) from PeopleCert has no prerequisites and is sold in bundles from $701 with the exam voucher; it fits organizations and clients that run projects on PRINCE2. If you hold the PMP or CAPM, PeopleCert lets you skip Foundation and take PRINCE2 Practitioner.
PMI rule changes in 2026
- From December 1, 2026: live training counts toward the PMP's 35 hours only when a PMI Authorized Training Partner, a China Registered Education Provider or an eligible accredited academic program delivers it. Training finished before that date still counts, and self-paced courses from any organization still qualify.
- March 2026: PMI's current PMI-ACP exam content outline carries this date. It has four domains (mindset, leadership, product and delivery) and also tests enterprise agility, meaning how agile teams line up with organizational priorities. None of the three course pages we priced names this outline, so ask.
- PMP exam update: PMI has a 2026 PMP exam update page, and some providers sell courses as updated for the 2026 exam. Ask any course seller which exam version its material covers before you pay.
PMI's own preparation
PMI does not offer free preparation for these exams on our pages. Its own on-demand courses are the cheapest way we found to cover the required hours for CAPM ($400, or $350 for members) and the PMP ($799, or $699 for members). For PMI-ACP, PMI points candidates to its Authorized PMI-ACP Exam Prep, but PMI's shop pages did not load for us, so that price is not on our page.
PMI eligibility questions
- Do I need CAPM before the PMP?
- No. CAPM is not a prerequisite; an active CAPM only replaces the 35 training hours.
- Which PMI exam costs least?
- CAPM: $300, or $225 for members, as of November 2026.
- Can I take PMI-ACP without the PMP?
- Yes, with two years of agile work in the last five, or one year plus a qualifying degree or an agile certification held for more than a year.
Next step
Ask which PMI credential your experience supports
Sources
- PMI: Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) (fees, exam, eligibility, renewal), checked November 5, 2026
- PMI: Project Management Professional (PMP) (fees, eligibility, renewal, CAPM and the 35 hours), checked November 5, 2026
- PMI: 2026 exam update and live-training rule from December 1, 2026, checked November 5, 2026
- PMI: PMI-ACP certification page (exam fee, eligibility), checked November 5, 2026
- PMI: PMI-ACP Examination Content Outline, March 2026 (eligibility, domains, renewal), checked November 5, 2026
- PMI: membership, checked November 5, 2026
- Scrum.org: Professional Scrum Master I certification (fee, lifetime status), checked November 5, 2026
- Scrum Alliance: Certified ScrumMaster (course rule), checked November 5, 2026
- Scrum Alliance: renewing certifications (SEUs and fees), checked November 5, 2026
- PeopleCert: PRINCE2 Project Management Foundation (Version 7) (bundles, exam), checked November 5, 2026
Prices are published list prices we recorded on the dates shown, not quotes. How we research.
Course prices come from the named providers, as listed and dated on the certification pages linked above.