Exam fact
What happens if you fail the PMP® exam?
If you fail the PMP exam, you can take it again. PMI® allows up to three attempts within your one-year eligibility period, and attempts two and three cost the retake fee: $275 for members or $375 for non-members in PMI's store as of October 2026.
- Exam
- PMP
- Source
- PMI Certification Handbook (rev. June 2026)
- Checked
- Oct 13, 2026
- Updated
- Oct 13, 2026
Attempts allowed
3 within one eligibility year
You get up to three attempts in your one-year eligibility period. After a third unsuccessful attempt you wait one year from the date of that exam before you can reapply.
Source: PMI Certification Handbook (rev. June 2026) · checked
01Before you rebook
A fail after four hours of scenario questions lands hard, and the first instinct is to start over from chapter one. Give it a few days. The result measured how your answers lined up with the outline on one day; your ability to run projects was already on your application.
Then read the domain diagnostics before you open a book. PMI reports your performance for each domain, and the report is online within 10 business days of the exam (PMI Certification Handbook, as of October 2026). It won't show a gap to a published cut-off, because there isn't one; the PMP passing score page explains why.
02What each attempt costs
| Attempt | PMI member | Non-member |
|---|---|---|
| First, exam fee | $405 | $655 |
| Second, retake | $275 | $375 |
| Third, retake | $275 | $375 |
Prices vary by region and membership status. Membership and the other fees are on the PMP exam cost page.
03Inside one eligibility year
Day one
Application approved
The one-year window opens (or, if you were audited, on the day PMI confirms the audit is complete).
Attempt 1
Exam day
A preliminary result on screen; the report follows within 10 business days.
Attempt 2
First retake
Retake fee. Book it with the reschedule rules in mind: inside 30 days a change costs $70 (see PMP registration and scheduling).
Attempt 3
Second retake
The last attempt in this window, also at the retake fee.
After a third fail
One-year wait
Counted from the date of the last exam, then a new application. PMI notes that you may apply for other PMI certifications in the meantime.
04Re-planning the next attempt
Does attempt two need a full reread? The report has already done the triage for you. Put most of the new hours into the domain with the weakest diagnostic, run timed sets there, and touch the other two only to stay warm. Then rebuild the calendar with the PMP study plan.
05Second and third attempts
Do I pay the full exam fee again?
No. Attempts two and three in the same eligibility year are charged at the retake price: $275 for members, $375 for non-members (PMI store, as of October 2026).
Does a retake use the 2026 outline?
Yes. PMI's new-exam page says every exam scheduled on or after July 9, 2026 uses the new exam, so a retake does too.
What if all three attempts fail?
You wait one year from the date of the last exam before reapplying for the PMP (PMP Examination Content Outline, as of October 2026).