Schedule and Take the PMP Certification Exam

After you have successfully settled the PMP Certification fee or completed the PMP application audit (if you have been unfortunately selected), you will receive an approval email / audit verification confirmation email from PMI. The email contains the PMI Eligibility ID which enables you to schedule your PMP exam session at the Pearson VUE (you have already paid the PMP Exam fee, so there is no need to pay again at Prometric).

Breaking news: You can now take PMP Exams 24/7 online! No need to commute to exam centers.

Do act fast to book your preferred exam session as exam seats are limited and confirmed on a first-come-first-served basis.

Fix a Date for Your PMP Exam at Pearson VUE

Pearson VUE is a global provider of testing services and is considered one of the most trusted examination administration body. Only examinations that require the highest level of quality assurance and security would make use of Pearson VUE.

As said, you can find the PMI Eligibility ID in the email sent to you by PMI. This PMI Eligibility ID is also recorded on the myPMI section of PMI website in case you have lost the email. Do keep this PMI Eligibility ID in a safe place as it enables to book PMP exam session online without further payment (you have already paid the PMP Certification fee to PMI already). One strange thing is that you may not be able to find the URL to book for the PMP exam in the email from PMI. The Pearson VUE URL is buried deep inside the Exam Scheduling Instructions PDF file.

On the Pearson VUE website, you will be able to search for an exam centre with seats available or available online proctored exam timeslots based on your preferred time and date. If you would like to take the exam in a centre, do try to get to know the transportation arrangement to the exam center before choosing one. If you would like to take the exam online, do check if you have the required equipment and if you are indeed eligible (candidates from Cuba, Iran, Sudan, North Korea, Mainland China, Japan, South Korea and Slovenia are currently not allowed to take online PMP Exam).

The term “Schedule an Appointment” is used on the website to mean schedule your PMP exam section. Follow the on-screen instructions. You will need to have your PMI Eligibility ID and the first four letters of your last name to verify your eligibility status. After you have selected and confirmed a suitable exam slot, you will be presented with the examination confirmation details. There is no need to copy this as you will also receive this in email.

It is advisable, though not required, to print out the exam confirmation information for your PMP exam and bring it to the exam centre if you would like to take the exam in exam centres. Accidents do happen. I have once read that when one PMP exam candidate arrived at the exam centre, the centre staff told him that they did not receive his booking. He had to phone Pearson VUE customer care immediately with his confirmation number to re-arrange the exam.

In Case You Need to Reschedule the PMP Exam

Changes may be inevitable. In case you need to reschedule your confirmed PMP exam session, do it as soon as possible. You are allowed to reschedule your exam date up to 2 days before your actual exam (fees apply if it is within 30 days of the scheduled booking). You will just need to go to the Pearson VUE website to carry out an appropriate action. The PMP exam reschedule fee is arranged as follows:

1. Beyond 30 days (not including the PMP exam date): free of charge
2. Within 30 days and 2 days before the exam (not including the exam date): US$70
3. Within 2 days: no refund, all fees forfeited, you will have to pay the re-exam fee in full to schedule another exam session

There are exceptions to the above fee schedule and may be waived e.g. in case of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Advice On the Scheduled Date of PMP Exam in Exam Centers

1. Arrive early at the examination centre (better 30 minutes earlier), especially if you need to travel far to the examination centre as the traffic condition may not be predictable.  If you were late for the exam, you may be refused to enter and have booked another session by paying the re-exam fee. It is advised to book a hotel room near the exam centre to save you from the traffic jam and allow you to relax. Or you can visit the exam centre a day before the actual PMP exam to more accurately estimate the transportation time.
2. Check the Pearson VUE website again about your exam venue. Some PMP aspirants have reported that the exam venue was relocated after they have booked the exam session but the information has not been passed to the candidates. Or you can phone the exam centre to confirm the correctness of the address.
3. In case you encounter any irregularities before or during your PMP exam (e.g. power outage, evacuation, etc.), stay calm. Contact PMI or Pearson VUE customer care for direction. Ask the centre staff to give you some sort of written proof of the situation. Don’t leave the exam centre without it.

Advice On the Scheduled Date of PMP Exam Online

1. Check your computer/equipments well in advance on the Pearson Vue website.
2. Make sure your internet connection speed is fast enough and stead, avoid using other devices that consume a lot of bandwidths during the exam. Your computer must be online throughout the whole exam period; otherwise, the exam may be void.
3. Make sure the room in which you are taking the PMP Exam is free from distractions or disturbances for the whole exam period (at least 4.5 hours).
4. PMI / Pearson Vue has implemented a rigorous data forensics program to identify candidate misconduct and other exam validity issues – so be really careful if you are taking the exam online or you might be banned from the PMP Exam forever.
5. PMI has changed the 10-minutes break rules – you can only take a mandatory 10-minute break after the first 100 questions, you will need to submit those answers and will NOT be allowed to make any changes afterward! So, the PMP Exam will now look like two 100-question mini exams each lasts for 2 hours straight.

PMP Exam Taking Strategies

To attempt such a mind-wrecking 4 hours 200 questions exam as PMP, you will need to have a good exam taking strategy. The following outlines the most effective ways to tackle multiple choices questions. Choose ones that suit your style.

1. Question First – read the question in full, think of the correct answer before reading the answer choices, this allows you not to be confused by the answer choices
2. Answers First – this is the reverse of question first technique, suitable for wordy and lengthy questions. Read the answer choices first and then read the question. You will have a better knowledge of what keywords to look for when reading the questions.
3. Eliminate – according to the experience of PMP exam takers, out of the four choices for each question two answers are usually obviously wrong. Just cross out these two answers and focus of the difference between the remaining two answers and look for hints from the question.
4. Look out for “Absolutes” – absolutes in the answers are usually wrong, do look out for them. Absolutes include “always”, “all”, “never”, “none”, “only”, etc.
5. Read Through – you read the question word by word from the beginning of the question to the end of the answer choices, this is what most candidates will do

And for the calculation questions:

1. Calculate First – read the question and choose the correct PMP formula, calculate your own answer before even reading the choices provided
2. Calculate Back – if you are not sure how to calculate, work backwards by reading the answer choices first and try to fit the number provided into an appropriate PMP formulas

What’s Next?

Hopefully, you have well prepared for the PMP exam and you will surely pass it. You are immediately a PMP!