The Program Management Professional exam from Project Management Institute is taken by people who already lead programs and want that work formally recognised. This page gives you free practice sets by topic, three worked questions with full reasoning, a study plan, and the exam facts that PMI publishes: format, time limit, fees, retakes and renewal.
The Program Management Professional has 170 questions and takes about 4 hours[1] (Project Management Institute, verified Oct 25, 2026).
Numbers in brackets link to the official sources listed under Sources & last verified. Dates that have passed are removed automatically.
| Item | Detail | Source · Verified |
|---|---|---|
| Number of questions | 170 questions (150 scored, 20 pretest)[1] | Project Management Institute · Oct 25, 2026 |
| Time limit | 240 minutes (4 hours)[1] | Project Management Institute · Oct 25, 2026 |
| Passing score | Set by psychometric analysis[2] | Project Management Institute · Oct 25, 2026 |
| Exam fee (Non-member) | $1,000[3] | Project Management Institute · Oct 25, 2026 |
| Exam fee (PMI Member) | $800[3] | Project Management Institute · Oct 25, 2026 |
| Retake fee | Repayment of fees applies to the 2nd and 3rd attempts[2] | Project Management Institute · Oct 25, 2026 |
| Retake policy | Up to 3 attempts within the 1-year eligibility period[3] | Project Management Institute · Oct 25, 2026 |
| Validity | 3 years[2] | Project Management Institute · Oct 25, 2026 |
| Renewal | 60 PDUs every 3-year cycle[3] | Project Management Institute · Oct 25, 2026 |
| Delivery | Center-based testing (standard)[1] | Project Management Institute · Oct 25, 2026 |
| Score release | Score report on completion of computer-based exam[2] | Project Management Institute · Oct 25, 2026 |
| Testing window | 1-year eligibility period[2] | Project Management Institute · Oct 25, 2026 |
According to Project Management Institute, “The PgMP examination consists of 170 multiple-choice questions. Of the 170 questions, 20 are considered pretest questions.”[1]
The Program Management Professional credential from Project Management Institute is aimed at people who lead programs, meaning groups of related projects managed together to deliver benefits. PMI describes center-based testing as the standard method of administration for its exams.
The exam has 170 multiple-choice questions. Of these, 150 are scored and 20 are pretest questions. You have 240 minutes (4 hours) to finish. The passing score is set by psychometric analysis, so there is no fixed percentage to aim for. When you complete a computer-based exam, you receive a score report.
The fee is $800 for PMI members and $1,000 for non-members. You are granted a 1-year eligibility period to pass, and you may attempt the exam up to 3 times within it. Repayment of fees applies to the 2nd and 3rd attempts. Application requirements, such as experience and education, are not covered on this page, so read the current handbook on pmi.org before you apply.
The certification is valid for 3 years. To renew, holders earn 60 PDUs in each 3-year cycle. Fees and rules can change, so check the official PMI pages for the latest details before you book.
The content areas below are copied from the official Program Management Professional content outline published by Project Management Institute, with the share of the exam each area carries. The right-hand column shows which of our practice sets covers it.
| Official content area | Weight | Practice on this site |
|---|---|---|
| Benefits Alignment[4] | 11% | Program Management Professional Benefits R... Practise identifying expected benefits, planning how they will be delivered, and tracking them through and after the program. |
| Governance[4] | 14% | Program Management Professional Program Go... Practise who decides what at program level, how oversight bodies work, and how change and escalation are handled. |
| Program Life Cycle Management[4] | 44% | Program Management Professional Program Li... Practise what happens in each phase of the program, how components are started, transitioned and closed, and where risk, issue and financial management fit in. |
| Stakeholder Engagement[4] | 16% | Program Management Professional Program St... Practise identifying stakeholders, analysing their influence and expectations, and choosing engagement and communication approaches. |
| Strategic Program Alignment[4] | 15% | Program Management Professional Program Go... Practise linking the program to organisational strategy, its business case, and the reasons it should continue or change course. |
Prepare for the Program Management Professional exam with our free practice test modules. Each quiz covers key topics to help you pass on your first try.
These are practice questions written for this site, not questions from the real exam. Each explanation shows why the right answer is right and why the others are wrong.
Question: The concept of 'risk interdependency' at the program level refers to:
Answer: B. The way risks in one component project can trigger or amplify risks in other components
Explanation:
The correct answer is B. At program level, risks in separate components are not isolated. A problem in one component project can trigger a new risk in another, or make an existing one worse. That is what interdependency means, and it is why the program needs coordination above the component level.
A is wrong because having a single owner describes accountability, not how risks relate to each other. C is wrong because linking risks to financial line items is a cost-tracking method, not a risk relationship. D is wrong because a schedule link can be one cause of interdependency, but the term covers any way risks affect each other, not only schedule dependence.
Rule to remember: when a question asks about program-level risk, look for answers that cross component boundaries.
Question: Which activity occurs continuously throughout the Program Benefits Delivery phase?
Answer: B. Initiating, transitioning, and closing program components
Explanation:
The correct answer is B. The Program Benefits Delivery phase is where the program produces its benefits, and that work happens through components. New components are started, running ones are managed, finished ones are transitioned, and completed ones are closed, and this goes on repeatedly through the phase.
A is wrong because the program charter is developed earlier, when the program is being defined. C is wrong because the word only turns phase gate reviews into the sole activity, and they are not the thing that runs continuously. D is wrong because the original business case is not rewritten on a rolling basis during delivery; it is used as a baseline to check against.
Rule to remember: delivery is continuous component work, while definition work such as charters comes before it.
Question: What is benefits realization management in the PgMP context?
Answer: B. The process of identifying, planning, and delivering benefits throughout and after the program
Explanation:
The correct answer is B. Benefits realization management covers the whole path of a benefit: identifying it, planning how it will be delivered, and tracking its achievement during the program and after the program ends. Many benefits only appear once outputs are in use, so the work does not stop at delivery.
A is wrong because managing the financial budget is a separate area of program management. C is wrong because tracking deliverables against scope measures outputs, while benefits are the value those outputs lead to. D is wrong because managing stakeholder expectations is part of stakeholder engagement, and the word only makes it far too narrow.
Rule to remember: outputs are what the program produces, benefits are the value gained from them, and benefits management follows that value to the end.
Start with the official material. Read the PMI handbook for the exam and the content outline so you know the five content areas and how they are weighted. Then take a practice set cold, with no notes, to see where you stand. Do not worry about the score at this stage.
Next, work through the topic sets that match your weakest content areas, starting with Program Life Cycle Management because it carries the largest share of the outline. After each set, read every explanation, including those for questions you got right, and write down the rule behind each miss in a sentence of your own. Revisit those notes before each new session.
Once the topic sets feel familiar, move to the mixed MCQ, practice and trivia sets, which jumble the areas the way the real exam does. Practise sitting through a long session in a single block, because the exam is a long, tiring sitting.
In the last days, review your notes and the outline rather than learning new material. Our questions are written by us to practise ideas, not copies of real exam questions, so use them to check understanding and rely on PMI sources for the scope of the exam.
The exam has 170 multiple-choice questions. Of these, 150 are scored and 20 are pretest questions. You are not told which ones are pretest, so treat every question as if it counts. The allotted time to complete the center-based exam is 240 minutes (4 hours).
The fee is $800 for PMI members and $1,000 for non-members, according to the PMI certification page. Fees can change, so confirm the current amount on pmi.org before you pay. Repayment of fees applies to the 2nd and 3rd attempts if you need to retake the exam.
PMI does not give a simple percentage. It states that the passing score for all PMI exams is determined by sound psychometric analysis. When you finish a computer-based exam you receive a score report, so you will see your result at the test center rather than waiting for it.
You are granted a 1-year eligibility period in which to pass, and you may attempt the exam up to 3 times within it if you do not pass. Repayment of fees applies to the 2nd and 3rd attempts. Check the current PMI handbook for the exact steps.
The certification is valid for 3 years. To maintain it, holders take part in PMI's continuing certification requirements program and earn 60 professional development units (PDUs) in each 3-year cycle. Details of what counts as a PDU are on the PMI website.
No. The questions on this page are written by us with AI tools to practise the topics in the official outline. They are not real exam questions and do not predict your result. Use them to find weak areas, then check the PMI handbook and outline for what the exam actually covers.
How we verify: editorial & fact-checking policy. Report an error: contact us.