PMP exam retake policy: how many attempts you get

The one-year window

Your eligibility period is one year. Within it you can take the PMP® exam up to three times. If your application is selected for audit, the year starts when PMI tells you that you passed the audit, not when you applied.

If the year runs out before you pass, you need to submit a new application.

What if you fail three times?

You wait one year from the date of your last exam before you can reapply. PMI's handbook adds that you may apply for a different PMI certification during that wait.

Do retakes cost the same?

No. PMI says retakes within your eligibility period are discounted, with the amount depending on your membership and region. It doesn't publish a single retake figure, so check the price in your PMI account before you book. For the first-attempt fee, see our PMP exam fee guide.

Moving your exam date

Rescheduling is free if you do it more than 30 days before your appointment. Inside 30 days it costs US$70 plus taxes. Within 48 hours you can't reschedule or cancel at all, and if you don't turn up you lose the whole exam fee. Changes are made in your PMI.org account, because PMI doesn't accept them by email.

The practical lesson: book a date you can realistically keep, not an optimistic one.

If it does go wrong

Read the score report carefully. PMI gives you pass or fail along with diagnostic information for each domain, which tells you where to focus. Resist the urge to rebook within days. With three attempts in a year, a few extra weeks aimed at your weakest domain will usually do more than a rushed second try. Our mock exam strategy shows how to use practice tests for that.

3FOLD covers the same ground in how many attempts you get to pass the PMP exam.

Where 3FOLD fits

Learners on our live PMP® course get one-year LMS access, full-length mock exams and one year of free retraining on the same exam version, so a weak domain isn't something you have to fix alone.

Frequently Asked Questions