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PMI · Project Management & Agile · Professional

PMI Scheduling Professional (PMI-SP) exam guide

Exam PMI-SP

The PMI Scheduling Professional (PMI-SP) validates expertise in building, maintaining and analyzing project schedules, including critical path, resource leveling and schedule risk. It is especially valued in construction, engineering, defense and large capital programs where schedule control drives contract performance.

Questions170 (150 scored, 20 unscored)
Time limit210 minutes
Passing scoreSee official page
Exam fee$670 USD
Valid for3 years
DeliveryPearson VUE test center or online proctored

Format: Multiple choice. Fee note: PMI member USD 520.

Who it's for

Planners, schedulers and project controls specialists who develop and maintain schedules in tools such as Primavera P6 or Microsoft Project.

What the exam covers

Schedule Strategy14%
Schedule Planning and Development23%
Schedule Monitoring and Controlling30%
Schedule Closeout7%
Stakeholder Communications Management26%

Eligibility & prerequisites

Required: Secondary degree with 40 months of project scheduling experience in the last 5 years and 40 contact hours of scheduling education; or four-year degree with 24 months of experience in the last 5 years and 30 contact hours.

Recommended: Hands-on schedule building with CPM, resource loading, baseline management and earned value reporting.

Keeping it active

Valid 3 years. Earn 30 PDUs in project scheduling topics per 3-year cycle and pay the renewal fee.

Skills & careers

Skills it validates

  • Critical path method and float analysis
  • Resource loading and leveling
  • Schedule baselining and change control
  • Earned value schedule metrics (SPI, SV)
  • Schedule risk analysis
  • Schedule compression (crashing, fast tracking)

Job roles

Project SchedulerPlanner/SchedulerProject Controls SpecialistProject Controls ManagerPlanning EngineerProject Manager

Where it fits in your path

Planning a degree too? See how this cert earns college credit in the College Credit Navigator.

Build my study plan

  1. Week 1: Read the PMI-SP Examination Content Outline and the Practice Standard for Scheduling.
  2. Weeks 2-3: Schedule strategy and development: WBS to activities, dependencies, estimating.
  3. Weeks 4-5: Monitoring and controlling (30%): CPM math, float, EVM schedule indices, forecasting.
  4. Week 6: Stakeholder communications and closeout; practice reporting scenarios.
  5. Weeks 7-8: Two full timed simulations; drill network diagram calculations to speed.

Make it yours: pick your exam date and weekly hours. We'll split your time by domain weight and give you a printable plan.

Exam-day tips

  • Expect many network diagram calculations; practice forward and backward passes until fast.
  • Know free float vs total float and how leads and lags change them.
  • Stakeholder communications is 26%, so do not over-focus on tool mechanics.
  • Resource leveling can extend the critical path; resource smoothing cannot.
  • Answers are tool-neutral; do not rely on P6- or MS Project-specific features.

Key terms for this exam

All 68 terms Study with thinQcards™

Commonly confused on this exam

Frequently asked questions

How much does PMI-SP cost?

USD 520 for PMI members and USD 670 for nonmembers.

How long is the PMI-SP exam?

170 questions in 3.5 hours.

Is PMI-SP worth it?

Yes for construction, energy, defense and engineering project controls roles where scheduling is a distinct career track.

PMI-SP vs PMP?

PMP covers all of project management; PMI-SP goes deep on scheduling and is often added by planners or held alongside PMP.

How do I renew PMI-SP?

Earn 30 scheduling PDUs every three years and pay the renewal fee.

Official page: www.pmi.org. Reviewed November 2026. Vendors change fees and objectives, so confirm with the vendor before you book. Spot something out of date? Tell us.