PMP Renewal: PDUs, Cost & CAPM Renewal [2026]
A. Togay Koralturk, Best-Selling PMP Author
Last updated on June 24, 2026
6 min read
PMP renewal is far simpler than earning the credential in the first place: you keep it active by collecting 60 PDUs every three years and paying a renewal fee — no second exam. The CAPM works the same way on a smaller scale. This guide explains what PDUs are, exactly how many each credential needs, how to earn them (including for free), and how to report them and renew.
What is PMP renewal?
PMP renewal is PMI's process for keeping your certification active under the Continuing Certification Requirements (CCR) program. Every three-year cycle, you earn 60 PDUs (professional development units), agree again to PMI's Code of Ethics, and pay a renewal fee of $60 for members or $150 for non-members. Crucially, there is no re-exam — you maintain the credential by staying engaged with the profession, not by re-testing.
The cycle starts on the date you pass the exam and runs for three years. You can earn and log PDUs at any point during that window, and you renew once you have the 60. The CAPM follows the identical model with a lighter requirement, which we cover below.
What is a PDU?
A PDU (professional development unit) is PMI's measure of professional development: one PDU equals roughly one hour of learning or contributing to the profession. PDUs fall into two categories:
- Education — time spent learning: courses, webinars, reading, conferences, or on-the-job instruction.
- Giving Back — time spent contributing: volunteering, creating content, mentoring, or working as a practitioner.
Education PDUs are further mapped to PMI's Talent Triangle, which covers three skill areas: Ways of Working (technical project management), Power Skills (leadership and communication), and Business Acumen (aligning projects to strategy). PMI wants your learning spread across all three, not concentrated in one.
PMP renewal requirements
The 60 PDUs are not a free-for-all — they have a required shape. You need at least 35 Education PDUs, with a minimum of 8 in each of the three Talent Triangle areas (24 of the 35), and the rest of your education in any area. You may count up to 25 Giving Back PDUs toward the total.
You then submit the renewal in PMI's online system and pay the fee. For context on where the renewal fee sits in the lifetime cost of the credential, see our breakdown of the cost of PMP certification.
CAPM renewal requirements
Since the CAPM moved to the CCR program, it renews on the same three-year cycle as the PMP — just with fewer PDUs. CAPM holders need 15 PDUs every three years plus a renewal fee, using the same Education and Giving Back structure scaled down.
| Requirement | PMP | CAPM |
|---|---|---|
| PDUs per 3-year cycle | 60 | 15 |
| Minimum Education PDUs | 35 | 9 |
| Maximum Giving Back PDUs | 25 | 6 |
| Re-exam required? | No | No |
| Renewal fee (member / non-member) | $60 / $150 | By membership status |
The CAPM's category minimums are smaller versions of the PMP's, so confirm the exact CAPM figures and fee in PMI's CCR Handbook before you plan your cycle. If you are still deciding between the two credentials, our CAPM vs PMP guide compares them in full.
How to earn PDUs
PDUs are easier to accumulate than most candidates expect, and a good share can be free:
- Education (where most of your PDUs come from). Online courses, webinars, recorded sessions, conferences, podcasts, and reading all count. PMI membership includes a large library of on-demand content that earns PDUs at no extra cost, which is one of the quiet ways membership pays for itself. Formal project management courses count too — our Complete Project Management Course qualifies as Education PDUs, as does any qualifying project management training you take after certifying.
- Giving Back (capped, but valuable). Volunteering for PMI or your chapter, mentoring, writing or presenting on project management, and even working as a practitioner (up to 8 PDUs per cycle) all count toward the Giving Back maximum.
Spread your Education PDUs across the three Talent Triangle areas as you go, and the requirement takes care of itself well before the deadline.
How to report PDUs and renew
You log PDUs in PMI's Continuing Certification Requirements System (CCRS), claiming each activity under its category and Talent Triangle area as you complete it — far easier than scrambling at the end of the cycle. Once you have reached 60 PDUs (15 for CAPM), you submit the renewal, reaffirm the Code of Ethics, and pay the fee.
If you miss the deadline, you do not lose the credential immediately: it enters a one-year suspension period in which you can still earn and report the PDUs to reinstate it. Only after that does it expire, at which point you would have to sit the exam again. The lesson from the opener applies to everyone — log PDUs as you earn them, and renewal is a formality rather than a scramble.
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Frequently asked questions
How many PDUs do you need to renew the PMP?
60 PDUs every three years. At least 35 must be Education PDUs (with a minimum of 8 in each Talent Triangle area — Ways of Working, Power Skills, and Business Acumen), and up to 25 can be Giving Back PDUs. You also pay a renewal fee and reaffirm PMI's Code of Ethics.
What is a PDU?
A PDU, or professional development unit, is PMI's unit of continuing education — roughly one hour of learning or of giving back to the profession. You earn them through activities like courses, webinars, reading, volunteering, and mentoring, and log them in PMI's CCR System across your three-year cycle.
How much does PMP renewal cost?
The PMP renewal fee is $60 for PMI members and $150 for non-members, paid once per three-year cycle. The PDUs themselves can be earned for free or cheaply — PMI members get a large library of PDU-earning content included with membership.
How many PDUs does CAPM renewal need?
15 PDUs every three years, on the same CCR cycle as the PMP, plus a renewal fee. The Education and Giving Back categories apply in smaller proportions; confirm the exact CAPM minimums in PMI's CCR Handbook.
How can I earn free PDUs?
PMI membership includes on-demand courses and webinars that earn PDUs at no extra cost, and giving-back activities — volunteering, mentoring, creating content, or simply working as a practitioner (up to 8 PDUs per cycle) — cost nothing. Between the two, many holders renew without paying for any PDUs beyond the renewal fee.
What happens if I don't renew my PMP on time?
Your certification is suspended for one year, during which you can still earn and report the required PDUs to reinstate it. If the suspension period ends without renewal, the credential expires and you would have to pass the exam again — so renewing on time is far easier.
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