What's on the New PMP Exam (2026): Domains, Format and Scoring

TL;DR

• New outline: PMI's July 2026 PMP Examination Content Outline (ECO) replaced the 2021 version and is now the basis of the new PMP exam.
• Domains: People 33%, Process 41%, Business Environment 26%. In 2021 the split was 42%, 50% and 8%.
• Format: 180 questions (170 scored, 10 unscored pretest) in 240 minutes, with two 10-minute breaks.
• Approach mix: About 40% of questions are predictive (waterfall) and 60% are agile or hybrid.
• What's new: 26 tasks instead of 35, case-study questions, and named trends such as AI, sustainability and value-based delivery.

What is on the new PMP exam in 2026?

The new PMP exam tests 26 tasks across three domains (People, Process and Business Environment) in 180 questions over 240 minutes. PMI published the outline as the "July 2026 PMP Certification Exam Update," and every figure in this guide comes from that document unless noted otherwise.

Why the 2026 change matters

The biggest change in the new PMP exam for 2026 is that Business Environment more than triples, from 8% to 26% of questions. Governance, compliance, risk, change control and organizational change now make up about one question in four. Study material written for the 2021 outline under-weights that whole area, so check that any course or question bank you buy has been updated for July 2026.

PMP exam domains and weights

Each domain's share of questions changed:

What each domain covers in the 2026 outline:

• People (33%): developing a common vision, managing conflict, leading the team, engaging and aligning stakeholders, knowledge transfer, and communication.
• Process (41%): the integrated project plan, scope, value-based delivery, resources, procurement, finance, quality, schedule, status, and closure.
• Business Environment (26%): governance, compliance, change control, issues and impediments, risk, continuous improvement, organizational change, and changes in the external business environment.

Risk management and change control are now Business Environment tasks. Under the 2021 outline they were Process tasks, which partly explains why Process shrank.

PMP exam format: questions, time and breaks

The 2026 PMP exam has 180 questions in 240 minutes. Of those, 170 are scored and 10 are unscored pretest questions mixed in at random, so you can't tell which ones don't count. The 2021 exam also had 180 questions but allowed 230 minutes.

• Question types: multiple choice (single or multiple response), drag-and-drop, and "practicum" items that can include tools, data and case studies.
• Breaks: two 10-minute breaks. The first comes after the case-study section, the second about halfway through the remaining questions.
• No going back: once you review your answers and start a break, you can't return to the questions before it.
• Delivery: at a Pearson VUE test center or online through OnVue, which needs a system check and a longer check-in.

Predictive, agile and hybrid: the 40/60 split

About 40% of PMP questions use predictive (traditional, plan-driven) approaches, and the other 60% are divided between agile and hybrid approaches. PMI does not say how that 60% splits between agile and hybrid, and the mix can vary from one exam form to another. All three approaches can show up in any domain, so don't study agile as a separate topic.

New themes: AI, sustainability and value delivery

PMI says new trends in the profession, including artificial intelligence and sustainability, were inputs to the job task analysis behind the 2026 outline. That shows up in specific tasks rather than as new domains:

• Sustainability: listed as an example of a critical information requirement when you develop the integrated project plan.
• Value-based delivery: a dedicated Process task. It covers identifying value with stakeholders, prioritizing work by value, delivering incrementally, and checking that benefits are measured.
• AI: named as a trend PMI evaluated. Expect it to appear as context inside scenario questions rather than as technical AI content.

How the PMP exam is scored

PMI doesn't publish a passing score or a fixed number of correct answers. Only the 170 scored questions count. You get a pass or fail result, plus a performance rating for each domain that shows where you were strong or weak. There is no penalty for a wrong answer, so answer every question.

Who can take the PMP exam

You need 35 hours of project management training aligned with the outline, plus experience leading projects in the last 10 years. How much experience depends on your education:

• Secondary school (high school diploma or equivalent): 60 months.
• Post-secondary short-cycle qualification (associate-level): 48 months.
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent: 36 months.
• Degree from a GAC-accredited program: 24 months.

You can take the exam up to three times within your one-year eligibility period. The PMP certification exam fee was $675 as of October 2026. Check PMI's site for the current member and non-member rates.

How prep courses help with the 2026 exam

A prep course does two jobs: it gives you the 35 training hours PMI requires, and it teaches you the scenario judgment the exam rewards. Options in our directory, with prices as of October 2026:

• PMP Exam Prep Course (35 PDUs)See price ↗: a Udemy video course at $129.99, with lifetime access. It is the cheapest way to cover the 35 hours.
• PMP Practice Exams (732 Questions)See price ↗: a Udemy question bank at $74.99, for timed full-length practice.
• Brain Sensei PMP Exam PrepSee price ↗: an interactive course at $99 for one month. Annual accessSee price ↗ is $499.99.
• Simplilearn PMP Certification Online BootcampSee price ↗: $799 for 90 days of live online classes, if you want an instructor and a fixed schedule.

Before buying any of these, check that the course says it has been updated for the July 2026 outline. Business Environment questions are the gap in older material. For a full ranking, see our guide to the best PMP exam prep courses in 2026.

How to prepare for the new outline

• Weight your study time to match the outline: spend about a quarter of it on Business Environment, especially governance, compliance and risk.
• Practice case-study sets: they come first and run until the first break, so pacing matters.
• Take at least two full 180-question timed exams: four hours is a long time to stay focused.
• Learn agile and hybrid in context: 60% of questions draw on them, mixed across all three domains.