Muhamad Thasveer Arafath May 26, 2025

Everything About PMP Exam, Syllabus and Industry-Specific Use Cases

The PMP® is the professional certification for project managers offered by the Project Management Institute (PMI). The PMP® stands for Project Management Professional. Individuals who pass the PMP certification exam are awarded the PMP Certification. So, if you successfully pass the PMP test, you become a Project Management Professional (PMP).

The PMP certification is the most recognised Individual certification in the area of Project Management and is valued worldwide. According to the Project Management Institute (PMI), there are over 1 million PMP certification holders worldwide. Many big firm considers PMP Certification as a mandatory qualification for project management job roles. A project manager with a PMP certification can work as a project manager in any industry, anywhere in the world.

The image illustrates the PMP Process groups and knowledge areas covered in the PMP certification exam.

PMP (Project Management Professional) Certification Exam Details

The Project Management Institute (PMI) offers a professional certification for project managers, known as the Project Management Professional (PMP)®. PMI’s examination development processes stand apart from other certification programs. PMI aligns its process with certification industry best practices, such as those found in the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing. The PMP® certification is also accredited against the internationally recognised ISO 9001 and ISO/ANSI 17024 standards.

PMP® Examination Structure

Exam Duration: 230 Minutes
Question Format: 180 Questions
- Multiple Choice Questions
- Multiple Response (More than one correct answer)
- Drag & Drop Questions
- Hotspot Graphical Questions

Cost Associated with PMP® Certification

These fees are paid directly to the Project Management Institute (PMI):

PMI Membership: USD 139 + Taxes
- PMP® Exam Fee for PMI Members: USD 405 + Taxes
PMP® Exam Fee for Non-Members: USD 555 + Taxes

How to Maintain Your PMP® Certification Status

The certification remains valid for three years. Professionals must earn 60 Professional Development Units (PDUs) during this period. PDUs are divided into two categories:

Education PDUs (Minimum 35)

Ways of Working: 8 PDUs
Power Skills: 8 PDUs
Business Acumen: 8 PDUs
Remaining 11 PDUs: Any of these areas

Giving Back PDUs (Maximum 25)

Working as a Professional: Up to 8 PDUs
Volunteering/Creating Knowledge: Remaining PDUs

PDU Earning Methods

Education: Courses, webinars, self-learning, reading
Giving Back: Writing, volunteering, working (max 8 PDUs)

PMP® Certification Renewal Costs

Certification Renewal Fee for PMI Members: USD 129 + Taxes
Certification Renewal Fee for Non-members: USD 550 + Taxes

PMP Certification requirements

If you are considering getting a PMP Certification, ensure you meet one of the following sets of requirements before applying for the PMP exam.

Eligibility Set	Requirement
Set A requirements	High school or secondary school diploma Minimum 60 months/5 years of experience leading and managing projects within the past eight years 35 hours of project management education/training. You can also meet this requirement with: CAPM® certification, or PMI Authorised On-Demand PMP Exam Prep, or Instructor-Led PMP® course (Available Online and In-Person)
Set B requirements	Bachelor's degree or higher (or global equivalent) 36 months/3 years of experience leading and managing projects within the past eight years 35 hours of project management education/training. You can also meet this requirement with CAPM® certification, or PMI Authorised On-Demand PMP Exam Prep, or Instructor-Led PMP® course (Available Online and In-Person)
Set C requirements	Bachelor’s degree or higher (or global equivalent) from a GAC-accredited program 24 months/2 years of experience leading and managing projects within the past eight years 35 hours of project management education/training (GAC core project management coursework is pre-approved to fulfil this requirement)

PMP Exam Syllabus

The PMP examination is a vital part of earning this PMP certification thus, it is imperative that the exam accurately reflects the practices of project managers. All the questions on the examination have been written and extensively reviewed by subject matter experts who hold a valid PMP and are tracked to at least two references. The following table identifies the proportion of questions from each domain that will appear on the examination.

The PMP Certification exam covers all the PMP process groups and knowledge areas, including Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring and controlling and closing as detailed in the PMI standards. Here is a detailed knowledge areas covered in the PMP.

Initiating: Integration and Stakeholder
Planning: Scope, Schedule, Cost, Quality, Resource, Communication, Risk, Procurement, Stakeholder and integration
Execution: Quality, Resource, Communication, Risk, Procurement, Stakeholder and Integration.
Monitoring and Controlling: Scope, Schedule, Cost, Quality, Resource Communication, Risk, Procurement, Stakeholder and integration.
Closing: Integration

PMP Industry-Specific Use Cases

Project Management Professional (PMP)® certification is recognised globally for its robust framework and strategic approach to managing projects. adaptability across various industries and methodologies. From engineering to healthcare, PMP-certified professionals apply different project management approaches based on sector-specific needs. Take a look at the PMP Industry-Specific use cases

Industry Sector	Primary Methodology	Key Focus Areas
Construction & Engineering	Predictive	Planning, Cost Control, Resource Optimisation
Information Technology	Agile	Sprint Planning, Iterative Development, Adaptive Changes
Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals	Hybrid	Compliance, Quality, Risk Management
Oil & Gas	Predictive	Stakeholder Management, Safety, Regulatory Compliance
Manufacturing	Predictive & Adaptive	Production Optimisation, Quality Integration
Utility & Infrastructure	Predictive	Resource Planning, Stakeholder Management

Start Your PMP Exam Preparation

Now that you know all the important details about the PMP exam. The next big step is to start preparing for it. Edoxi offers a Project Management training course that can help aspiring project managers get the education they need to pass certification exams like the PMP® Certification and gain real-world knowledge that is useful for any project management career.

PMP certification is recognised worldwide. On average, a PMP-certified professional can expect to earn an annual salary ranging from $110,000 to $125,000. So, if you are still wondering whether a PMP certification is worth the effort, then the answer is definitely a YES!

Check out: Project Manager Salary Guide

Muhamad Thasveer Arafath

Project Management Consultant and Trainer

Muhamad Thasveer Arafath is an engineer with a post-graduation MBA who possesses 20+ years of industry work experience in Project Management. To name a few of his area expertise, he has worked in various multi-million construction/development projects and programs in the UAE concerning project planning, project controls, project advisory/valuations, as a project lead, etc.

Muhamad is currently a project management consultant and trainer specializing in Project Management Institute (PMI) certifications. He has now completed training for 65+ batches for various PMI certifications, holding an excellent passing rate among his training participants.

He holds eight certifications from PMI and is an Award winner from the PMI UAE Chapter in 2019/2020 for being the member with the highest number of PMI certifications in UAE. He is certified from PMI in PfMP, PgMP, PMP, RMP, SP, SP, PBA and CAPM. He is also a Fellow of the Indian Institute of Valuers (FIIV).