How to fill your PMP application form like a pro? (with examples)
- Rohit Gupta
- Jul 16, 2021
- 21 min read
Updated: Jul 30
Filling out the PMP application form and getting approved by PMI is one of the first hurdles you must cross to become a PMP. Hence, it's imperative to understand how to correctly fill out the PMP application to enhance your chances of approval. In the article below, I've explained how to write your PMP application step by step and provided multiple PMP experience examples so that you can get your application approved without stress on the first try.
However, if you’re feeling anxious or unsure about how to write your PMP application in 2025, we offer a fully personalized PMP application review and rewrite service that can help reduce your application anxiety, alleviate approval uncertainty, and expedite the approval process.
We've written PMP applications for over 500 PMP exam applicants and helped every single one of them get approved on the first try.
How to fill the PMP Application: Table of Contents |
Navigating to the PMP Application form
To apply for the PMP exam and access the application form, first visit the Project Management Institute's website (pmi.org) and register for an account. The registration process is straightforward and is similar to registering with an email address and password on any other website. Once you have completed registration and logged into your dashboard under the 'myPMI' section, you need to navigate to the 'PMP application' home page and click on "Apply now for your PMP". Once you do this, you will be directed to the page where you must start documenting your project management education and experience details.
How many sections does the PMP application have?
The PMP application primarily consists of four sections that should be completed: Academic Education, Professional Education, Experience, and Exam Details.
#1 Completing the Academic Education Information section
The first section to complete is the Academic Education Information section.
Before you start entering your details in the PMI portal, it’s important to review the PMP application requirements and assess your eligibility for the exam. Based on the highest level of academic education attained, your total project management work experience requirements will vary.
As shown in the table below, for those with a bachelor’s degree, the project management experience requirement is 36 months, whereas for high school graduates, PMI requires you to demonstrate 60 months of project experience.
You must enter the highest level of education you have attained (e.g., Master's or Bachelor's degree), the starting and ending years of your education, the country, and the institution's name in which you received your education.
#2 Completing the Professional Education section
The Professional Education section is where you need to demonstrate your Project Management education, i.e., provide evidence of 35 contact hours you would've acquired from attending a project management class or PMP training provider.
Here are all the different ways you can earn the 35 contact hours required for your PMP exam application:
A. Physical or Live Virtual PMP certification training from training companies offering project management courses.
B. A self-paced PMP certification online course.
C. PMP Blended Programme offered by CareerSprints.com (personalized coaching + self-paced PMP online training course + live PMP training.
D. PMI Authorized training partners (ATPs).
E. PMI Chapters
F. Employer-sponsored programs.
G. University or college programs related to project management/PMP.
To fill this section, you must document the course title, the name of the PMP certification training provider, the start and end dates of the course, and the qualifying hours (typically, this will be 35 hours). Ensure you have these details with you when you reach this section. When you complete a course with a training provider, they will provide you with a 35-hour contact certificate. However, you don't have to upload your training certificates in this section, but they will be required if your application is selected for an audit.
#3 Completing PMP Project Experience section
The PMP application experience example section is the hardest to fill out for most candidates. In this section, you need to document information about the projects which you led and directed. This section carries the most weight in your application, as PMI will pay the most attention to the project descriptions you provide.
You must spend sufficient time writing your project management experience section, as getting it right is your doorway to application approval.
Here are the sections you need to fill out in the PMP application:
Project Title
The organization where the project was carried out
Your Job Title
Functional Reporting Area: the organizational department where the project was carried out.
The primary focus area of the organization.
The project approach used (Traditional, Agile, or Hybrid).
Project Team size
Project Budget
Project Start and End dates
Project Description: A high-level summary of your experience includes the project objective, outcome, role on the project, and responsibilities and deliverables. According to PMI, the standard response is between 200 and 500 words, although people have written descriptions exceeding 500 words. However, we suggest keeping your project description between 200 and 500 words so that it provides the reviewer with enough information without getting overly detailed.
While filling out the application, you cannot have overlapping months of experience. This means that if you've been working on two projects simultaneously, you can only count experience towards one project for the months they were overlapping.
For example, if Project 1 lasted from Jan 2020 to April 2020 and Project 2 from Feb 2020 to June 2020, you can count Project 1 experience from January–April, a total of 4 months, and Project 2 experience only from May and June, a total of 2 months. Adding the experience of Project 1 and 2 sums up to 6 months of total experience.
PMP Application Tips to consider while documenting your project management work experience:
Understand what PMI considers a project and how it differs from operational activities.
Use project management terminology as outlined in the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) when writing your project descriptions.
Include projects where you've played the role of a Project Manager, specifically highlighting your experience of leading and directing projects.
A typical description of a project in a PMP application is clear and easy to understand, written in business-like language and free of technical jargon. See the PMP project description examples below.
Start from the current project and work backward until you've reached the total months required.
Reduce the number of overlapping projects to acquire more time for each project.
Demonstrate your project management experience and skills across a wide range of domains and activities from the PMBOK. For example, you can write specific actions you performed across the five process groups: initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling, and closing a project.
Note that project management experience is required in each process area when all projects are totalled, but not necessarily for each project.
Check spelling and grammar using an app like grammarly.com.
Stick to the PMI suggested word limit.
Before submitting your application, ensure that you thoroughly review it.
Let's see two PMP experience examples below, written by one of the candidates.
PMP Experience Example #1
The PMP application project description example below combines elements of both waterfall and agile methodologies, also known as a hybrid project.
Project Objective: To research, design, and deliver a new IT training course to the marketing and sales teams for a global launch.
Project Outcome: An IT training product ready for global launch by the company.
Role on the Project: My role on the project was that of a Project Manager.
Responsibilities: I evaluated the feasibility of the new course and, based on the results, created a project charter with the sponsor. I identified major stakeholders whose involvement would have an impact on the project and vice versa. Since the project used an agile approach for product development, I gathered high-level requirements from the stakeholders, determined the 'must-have' and 'should-have' user stories that the IT training product must contain, and created a release schedule and project budget. I set up a risk register, identified high-level risks that we might encounter during the iterations, and a risk management plan to deal with them. I acquired the team and the resources to execute the project, managed team members, facilitated agile meetings, removed impediments that obstructed the team, and resolved team conflicts. I closely monitored the project's progress to keep it within project timelines and budget. I also worked with stakeholders and the team to incorporate any changes required to the product during the project. I worked with the sponsor and the subject matter experts to get formal acceptance of the IT training product and handed over the product to the sales and marketing teams for the global launch.
Project Deliverables: The deliverables of this project include a fully developed IT training product aligned with stakeholder requirements and ready for global launch, detailed course content and supporting training materials, a comprehensive risk register and management plan, and release schedules and budgets to ensure timely delivery within allocated resources.
PMP Experience Example #2
This PMP application example is for a Predictive or Waterfall Project.
Project Objective: Design, deploy, and deliver a Learning Management System (LMS) across various internal organizational departments.
Project Outcome: Provide a more user-centric and engaging learning experience for the employees of the organization.
Role on the Project: I led the successful creation and delivery of the Learning Management System (LMS)
Responsibilities: Created a business case to justify the investment in developing a Learning Management System (LMS) for the organization. Created measurable success criteria for the project and a benefits measurement plan. Identified vital project stakeholders and documented their expectations in a stakeholder register. Determined the scope, time, cost, quality, and risks affecting the project and created the project management plan with its component plans. Got the plan formally approved by the project sponsor and held a kick-off meeting before the project execution. During execution, delegated work packages to various teams, evaluated individual and team performance, and led team-building activities. Evaluated and mitigated the risks affecting the project. Provided regular project progress reports to the sponsor and senior stakeholders and facilitated product approval meetings with reviewers and customer representatives. Continuously monitored the project against its performance baselines and managed the change control process in collaboration with teams and stakeholders. Gained final acceptance of the end product from the customers and solicited feedback about project quality and performance. Consolidated lessons learned into an organizational knowledge base. Archived project documents and records.
Project Deliverables: The deliverables of this project include a fully functional, user-friendly Learning Management System deployed across departments, engaging course content tailored for employees, and comprehensive training manuals and user guides to support effective system use.
#4 Completing the exam section
The final section of the PMP application online form is the exam details section. In this section, you'll need to complete all the information related to the PMP exam and provide your contact information.
You'll need to enter the following information:
Your address
Your name in the form as it appears on your ID
Your name exactly as you want it to appear on your certificate.
Your email address
Your phone number
The country where you want to take the exam.
You'll also be asked to state if you wish to request any exam accommodations, for example, due to disability and/or other conditions that may impair your ability to take the exam.
#5 Commonly asked PMP application questions
Here is a list of commonly asked questions we encounter from candidates working on their PMP applications. We've categorized the questions under various categories, including the PMP application process, 35 contact hours, project descriptions, project experience, and questions related to rejected and audited applications.
PMP Application Process and Approval Questions
Within how many days should you finish my application once started?
Once you start the PMP application, you have 90 days to complete the online application form. You cannot cancel the application once begun.
Can you edit the PMP application?
PMP applications can be edited as often as needed before submission to PMI. Once submitted, the submission is final, and no edits are allowed.
How long does PMP application approval take, and does PMI send an email when it's approved?
PMI takes up to five business days to review your application and provide a decision. Based on their review, your application status may be approved, rejected, or temporarily rejected, which will be indicated by a pending status. PMI does not send an email upon approval, so you should log into the PMI portal to check your application status.
Additionally, PMI may randomly select your PMP application for an audit. If this occurs, you will have 90 days to complete the audit package by submitting the requested documents and reference information.
How to schedule your exam once the application is approved?
After PMI confirms that you qualify for the PMP, you will have the option to schedule your Project Management Professional (PMP) exam. The exam can be scheduled within a period of 1 year after application approval, so there's no need to rush to book it.
Many students choose to refocus their efforts to prepare for the exam even more diligently after approval. They often pay and take the PMP exam when they feel more confident.
PMP 35 contact hours questions
What exactly are 35 contact hours for PMP?
PMI has mandated that students accumulate 35 contact hours to apply for the PMP certification exam. PMP applications can't be submitted without the contact hours, which can be acquired by enrolling in a PMP certification training programme.
Generally, 1 hour of project management training equals 1 contact hour. Contact hours are different from Professional Development Units (PDUs). PDUs are required after passing the PMP to maintain your PMP designation. Contact hours must be accumulated before applying for the PMP certification exam.
To learn more about how to maintain your PMP certification, read our 'Complete Guide to Earn and Report PDUs'
How to get 35 contact hours for the PMP application professional education requirements?
If you've undergone project management training in university or college, you can use the training received to fulfill the 35 contact hours requirement. Other ways to obtain contact hours are as follows:
1. Get a PMP e-learning course.
2. Go through a PMP classroom course (usually sold as PMP boot camps of 4-5 days).
3. Register for CareerSprints.com PMP Blended course (includes application review, rewrite and help with PMP preparation)
PMP Application Examples Questions
What kind of experience is needed for PMP?
Project management experience is required for the PMP, rather than general work experience. Therefore, operational work cannot be counted as relevant experience when applying for the PMP. Candidates should demonstrate that their project management experience spans the entire project lifecycle, from Initiating to Closing, not just specific stages like Executing. Your academic qualifications will impact the number of years of project management experience you need to demonstrate.
You can review these two examples of project management experience for the PMP application and refer to the PMP Application tips section to understand how the information should be presented.
How to write a project description for the PMP application?
In general, a typical PMP application project description should contain the project's objective, a project outcome, your role on the project, your responsibilities and a brief sentence about the project deliverables. However, these must be expressed in PMI language, increasing your chances of application approval.
We've assisted several PMP exam candidates in understanding how to write their experience for the PMP and helped them get their PMP applications approved on the first try.
Can I have similar project descriptions on my PMP application? Would it be considered operational work rather than project work?
A project is a unique endeavour undertaken to fulfill a specific objective. By this definition, each project you list should be unique in some way, particularly in its objective. If your projects appear too similar, PMI may assume your work was operational rather than project-based. PMI rejects applications that do not clearly demonstrate project work and appear to be operational in nature.
How to get the PMP Application Approved?
To get your PMP application approved, use our PMP Application Review and Rewrite service to ensure your submission meets PMI’s criteria and clearly demonstrates project work instead of operational tasks. Our team has extensive experience writing successful applications for professionals across diverse industries, including IT, healthcare, manufacturing, construction, finance, self-employment, military, and more.
PMP Project Experience Questions
How do I verify if I meet PMP eligibility requirements before investing my time and money in getting 35 hours of education?
A common question among PMP exam candidates is, 'Am I eligible for the PMP certification?'. There are 2 parts to answering this question.
The first thing to check is your overall experience. Do you have at least 3 or 5 years of work experience? If you hold a degree less than a 4-year Bachelor's Degree, you must have worked for at least 5 years. If you hold a 4-year Bachelor's Degree or higher, such as a Master's Degree, you require 3 years of work experience.
The second part is to assess how much of your experience is project management-related. It’s critical to determine how much of your work was truly project-based versus operational, since project management experience involves working on unique, time-bound projects, collaborating with teams and stakeholders, making decisions, and providing direction to achieve specific objectives. The fact is that to justify your experience for the PMP, you should identify work that meets PMI’s definition of a project, which is a unique, time-bound effort with specific objectives, outcomes, and deliverables and show your involvement across the entire project lifecycle, from Initiating to Closing.
Using the CareerSprints PMP Application Review and Rewrite Service, many students are able to identify which aspects of their work qualify as project management experience and how best to present it in their application. If you’re worried about meeting the PMP certification requirements, feel free to reach out to us for personalized guidance.
How many projects must be shown on the PMP application? Is there a minimum and maximum number?
As a minimum, at least one project must be shown on the application where you've worked across all process groups. There's no maximum limit. The sum total of the time spent on all projects shown must add up to the total project management time required for your application. As general advice, try not to show too many projects on the application because it can get repetitive and tiresome for the person reading and approving your application.
Can I have multiple projects on my PMP application? For example, would several 1, 2 or 3-month projects work?
When submitting your PMP application, you'll need to show that you've worked across all process groups in your projects. In a project that lasted just 1 month, you must ask yourself how much work you did and if you have substantial information to show for the project. Multiple projects are not a problem, but it would be better to combine related projects into a single project to show on your PMP application. There's always a possibility that too many similar projects may be perceived as operational work rather than projects. If this is a concern, we've helped several PMP aspirants evaluate their projects and combine related ones into a single project.
How do I get 4500 hours of project management work experience for PMP?
We meet several PMP exam candidates who need help to prove their 4500 hours of project management experience. Assuming all you did was project management in a calendar year, with average working hours of 2000 hours per year, you will be able to show 4500 hours within two years and a quarter. However, most candidates may not be fully involved in project management and would be spending time on operational work. Also, PMI only considers project experience accumulated within the last 8 years, not before that. Thus, you can look at all the projects you did within the previous 8 years and the time you spent managing them. Your total project experience must add up to 4500 hours of leading, directing or managing projects.
Do I need to be a project manager to apply for the PMP?
No, you do not need a project manager job or a project management title to apply for PMP, but you must have project management experience. For example, you could be called a 'Marketing Manager' in your company, but as long as you've managed marketing projects and can articulate that information on your application, it would qualify towards your PM experience.
Can I use industry jargon or technical terms in my PMP application?
Using general, easy-to-understand, business-like language on your application is better than technical or industry jargon. This is because the person reviewing your PMP application may not know or understand a specific industry jargon commonly used in your sector. So, for example, instead of using 'Amazon EC2', it might be better to write 'virtual server.'
You can also refer to the PMP experience examples shown above to better understand how to write your application in a clear, simple, and straightforward way.
Would personal work experience qualify for PMP? Should it only be employment-related experience?
The PMP handbook describes qualifying project management experience as: "The experience does not necessarily have to be paid work, but it does need to be in a professional setting. Activities such as school projects or planning personal events would not qualify.'
Simply stated, personal work not done in a professional setting would not qualify. For example, organizing a party or building a deck in your home would not qualify as professional work.
Will volunteer experience or charity work qualify as projects on the PMP application?
As stated earlier, PMI accepts any work done in a professional setting. A professional setting would mean that you were responsible for various project aspects such as defining requirements, determining scope, scheduling, budgeting, team management, deliverable production, resource management, stakeholder management, etc. For example, this could work, such as research projects, community services, or work done for non-profits.
Since PMI is unclear in explaining what would qualify as work in a professional setting, we recommend running your application through us using our reliable and proven PMP application review and rewrite service to avoid audits and rejections.
Where can I get a PMP Application template for writing my PMP application?
While writing your application, it's a good idea to use a PMP application template that you can fill in before submitting your final version to PMI. As part of our PMP application review and rewrite service, we provide you with a PMP application template which you can use to document your project experience and calculate your project months. Additionally, our template contains helpful advice on the Dos and Don'ts to follow when writing your PMP application, which helps you to avoid mistakes commonly made by several aspiring PMP candidates.
How can I prove my work experience as a self-employed individual on my PMP application?
As a self-employed PMP applicant who runs a small business or you're an owner/operator, you can still apply for the PMP certification. You will need to ensure that you document the projects you've either done internally within your company or the ones you've done for your clients. Internal projects could include setting up processes, improving processes, carrying out marketing or sales initiatives, product development, etc. External projects could be from any industry for single or multiple clients. As a self-employed individual, you can pick up a wide range of projects you executed to run your business successfully.
Many self-employed individuals have applied for the PMP and have had their applications approved on the first try.
How can I get PMP Application examples for military work?
To qualify your military leadership experience for the PMP application, you need to translate your military project management experience into PMI language. While serving in the military, you may have worked in different areas, and therefore, you must ensure that your military project management experience is articulated properly and shows that you led and directed projects. Further, the information must be presented in an easy-to-understand language and should not seem too technical. We provide several military PMP Application examples as part of our PMP Application review and rewrite service, and can also assist with writing your entire application.
How to fill out the PMP Application with teaching experience?
Like any other professional, teachers also execute projects as part of their job. For example, developing a course curriculum or improving a course curriculum is an example of a project. Teaching experience can qualify as project management experience as long as it involves using project management principles and concepts. Examples of project management work in teaching include developing plans, monitoring project progress, managing project teams, etc., and you must be able to elucidate this in your application. Kindly note that this applies to teachers, trainers, coaches or people involved in any instructional work. If you are unsure about how to translate your teaching experience into PMI language or need help with it, then you can reach out to us, and we can help you with it.
Can I include projects which haven't gone through project closure in the experience section of the PMP application? Will it affect my application negatively?
Yes, you can mention projects that are yet to be closed or haven't gone through the closing a project process on your PMP application. In this case, you wouldn't mention any responsibilities or tasks related to closing a project. However, it's important also to consider that while the entire project may not have been closed, you may have closed a major phase of the project. Therefore, you can mention tasks and activities related to closing a phase, such as releasing phase-end deliverables or other formal activities carried out to close the project.
How does PMI verify work experience on my PMP application?
For PMI to verify your work experience, PMI conducts a PMP application audit. The application audit involves contacting your references via email and asking them to confirm the project management experience shown on your application. You can list anyone as a reference on your application, such as your manager, supervisor, colleague, or anyone intimately familiar with your project management experience. Once your references validate your work experience and PMI is satisfied with the verification, they will inform you via email that you have successfully passed the audit, and you proceed to book your PMP exam.
Does an expired CAPM certification meet the exam requirements for the PMP? Do I still need 35 hours of project management education/training, or can I use my expired CAPM?
Once your CAPM credential expires, you will need to complete the training for 35 contact hours. Only if you have an active Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)® certification, the requirement for 35 contact hours of project management education or training is waived.
Since the CAPM course typically provides 23 contact hours, you would still need to accumulate the remaining 12 contact hours. However, it would make sense to enroll in a full PMP prep course or program because the PMP exam content outline differs from the CAPM exam syllabus, and PMP prep courses typically offer the full 35 contact hours in one comprehensive package.
PMP Application Rejected Questions
I was provided with a PMP application rejection response by PMI. How do I get my PMP application approved?
PMP application rejections are pretty common. For example, they may get rejected because your work experience seems more operational than project work. Here's a video that explains the ‘6 reasons why your PMP might get rejected'. We’ve worked with various PMP application-rejected candidates and gotten their PMP applications approved through our PMP application review and rewrite service. Our success rates with PMP application approvals are incredibly high.
What happens if my PMP application is rejected? Can I reapply immediately?
If your PMP application is rejected, you can reapply immediately with new project descriptions and related information. However, it's important to note that once your PMP application is denied, it will be selected by PMI for an audit and thoroughly scrutinized after you resubmit your project information. In this case, you must follow the audit process, which we've explained in answer to the question below.
PMP Application Audit Questions
Do all PMP applications get audited?
No, not all PMP applications get audited. A PMP application audit aims to verify if your educational and work experience credentials are authentic. Although all PMP applications are subject to an audit, only a minor percentage of applications may be selected for an audit. PMP application audits are generally random, but specific scenarios exist where your application may get selected for an audit. For example, if PMI is doubtful about your project management work experience, they may choose your application for an audit.
In our experience, several PMP applications were rejected after an audit because PMI wasn't convinced about the candidate's work experience. In such cases, it is best to get your PMP application reviewed and rewritten by experts to avoid audits or rejections.
What happens during a PMP applicant audit?
Amongst the plethora of PMP applications received by PMI, a handful may be selected for PMI audit.
PMI does not disclose how it selects applications for audit, and the application selections are mostly random. PMP applications selected for audit are informed immediately upon application submission on the next screen and via email.
Since anyone's PMP application can be selected for audit, it's best to know what you should do if your application is chosen for an audit.
You will need to submit the following documents to complete the audit process:
Copies of your academic education qualifications (e.g., degree/diploma certificates).
Digital signatures from your supervisor(s)/references for the project(s) are recorded in the experience section.
A copy of your 35 contact hours certificate from the training institute.
To complete the reference check during an audit, you will need to provide the names and email addresses of your references. PMI will then send them an email with your project details, and your references will be asked to digitally review and verify your project experience.
There's no need to print or mail any physical documents as the entire process is now handled electronically through PMI’s application portal. You have 90 days to provide all the documentation to PMI. The audit itself takes only 5-7 business days to complete.
What are my references supposed to do once PMI reaches out to them for a PMP application audit?
When your application is selected for a PMI audit, your references will receive an email from PMI asking them to review and verify your project experience. Your references will need to click the link sent via email by PMI and will be directed to DocuSign to digitally sign off the documents containing your work experience information. Once your references verify your PMP application experience example, PMI will approve your application within a maximum period of 2-3 business days or in some cases, even sooner.
What should I do if my PMP application has expired? Can I reopen my closed PMP application?
If the PMI dashboard indicates that your PMP application has expired, you can simply initiate a new application and re-enter your details. PMI encourages you to complete filling out your PMP application within the 90-day window. Reopening your expired PMP application will not have a negative impact on your application, but it is still recommended that you complete it before your PMP application is closed. Additionally, you can capture the information in a separate Word document, and once you are satisfied, you can later move it to the PMI portal.
In conclusion, filling out the PMP application can be both exciting and daunting. It is exciting because you now have the opportunity to demonstrate your body of PM work, which you have accumulated over the years, and daunting because you might feel overwhelmed about how to effectively capture and document all of your valuable experience and achievements.
If you are feeling stuck while writing the PMP application, feel free to reach out to us via our PMP Application writing service. We will be happy to provide our expert guidance and support so that you can breeze through the application process and make your project management dream a reality.
With our PMP Blended Programme, the application review and rewrite are included as a free service. Additionally, we provide 35 contact hours you need for the application, all necessary materials, videos and tests and fully personalized PMP coaching until you are completely ready for the exam. The PMP Blended programme is our flagship program that has helped hundreds of students pass the PMP certification exam on the first try.
If you have further questions about PMP application reviews or the PMP Blended Programme, you can also email us at info@careersprints.com.
About the Author
Rohit Gupta is a PMP and PRINCE2 certified project management trainer with 15+ years of experience training a global audience of more than 50,000 candidates.
He has helped over 500 professionals get their PMP applications approved and mentored 300+ candidates to earn their PMP certifications. As a lead coach at CareerSprints, Rohit continues to guide project managers with personalized, real-world preparation strategies.
Rohit is recommended by many PMP exam candidates for his ability to guide them through the PMP application process and for his personalized, structured coaching style that helps them achieve certification success.
He also holds other prestigious and in-demand certifications such as ITIL expert, Scrum Master Certification, FCAS certification and DevOps Foundation Certification.