PMP Audit: What PMI Asks For and How Long It Takes

How PMI picks PMP applications for audit

Every PMP application is subject to audit, and submitting one means you agree to the audit terms. PMI's Certification Handbook says only a percentage of applications are actually selected, and that selection is random. Two exceptions matter. PMI reserves the right to audit any candidate at any time, including after the certification has been granted, and it audits every application from its own employees and volunteers.

Being selected says nothing about the quality of your application. Treat the audit as a check you should be able to pass on the day you click submit, not as something to prepare for afterward.

The rules in this guide come from the PMI Certification Handbook (revised June 2026) and the PMP Examination Content Outline (revised August 11, 2026), as checked on October 27, 2026.

The PMP audit timeline, step by step

While an audit is open, you cannot continue with the certification process. Because the notice arrives before payment, that means no exam fee and no appointment until the audit is closed. The wait is still usable study time, since nothing stops you from preparing before approval. The PMP exam overview with the 2026 domain weights shows what that study will cover.

The handbook does not say whether the 90 days run from the date of the email or from another date. Use the deadline written in your own audit notice, and do not plan to finish on the last day.

What the PMP audit asks you to send

The handbook lists three kinds of evidence, one for each part of the application.

The outline adds two training rules that an audit can test. Books and practice exams alone are not accepted as training, and PMI may disqualify training it judges to be of poor quality. From December 1, 2026, live instructor-led training counts only when it comes from a PMI Authorized Training Partner, a China Registered Education Provider, or an eligible accredited academic program. The PMP 35 contact hours guide explains what counts on each side of that date.

Keep exam prep out of the training evidence. Question banks and practice exams are study material, not training, and that includes the full PMP prep planned for launch on Passy. Only the courses you recorded in the training section belong in the package.

Getting supervisor signatures in time

Signatures depend on other people's calendars, so they are the part of the audit you control least. A few habits shorten the wait:

• Map every entry to a person. List each project you recorded and the supervisor or manager who can confirm it.
• Find current contact details before you apply. Your oldest qualifying project can be close to ten years back, and people change jobs.
• Send the same text you submitted. The signer is confirming your entry, so give them that entry, not a new summary.
• Ask PMI early if someone is unreachable. The handbook does not describe an alternative signer. Contact PMI Customer Care well before your deadline instead of improvising.

The outline also says experience entries must describe leading and directing project work, without routine, operational, or administrative tasks. A description written that way is easier for a supervisor to sign. The guide to applying for the PMP shows how to write one.

What a failed PMP audit costs

If you do not meet the audit requirements, or choose not to comply, you fail the audit. The handbook then enforces a one-year suspension before you can reapply. If an audit after certification goes against you, you are not entitled to a refund.

A failed audit can be appealed. The handbook lists "dispute over a failed audit" as an example of an appeal. Appeals must be filed in writing within 30 days of the event you are appealing, by email to PMI Certification Appeals, and must include your name and email address, why the appeal should be granted, and your evidence. PMI says it acknowledges an appeal within 3 days and decides within 30 days of receiving it, unless it notifies you of a delay.

The suspension has a second cost that is easy to miss. PMI counts only experience gained within the 10 years before you submit an application. A year's delay can push your oldest months out of that window.

Grace, a fictional candidate with a bachelor's degree, shows how. She needs 36 months.

Prepare for a PMP audit before you apply

Because any application can be audited, the safest time to assemble the evidence is before you submit.

1. Scan your diploma or degree and check whether it states a framework level. If it does not, request one of the three accepted proofs now.
2. Count your months without overlap. The PMP eligibility guide shows how PMI treats projects that run at the same time.
3. For each experience entry, confirm the supervisor's contact details and let them know a signature request may come.
4. Save a certificate for every training course, with hours shown.
5. Keep a copy of the exact application text you submitted.

Once the audit is closed, your one-year eligibility period is running. The guide to scheduling the PMP covers booking, rescheduling fees, and choosing between a test center and online delivery. To use the year well, set your exam date in the free PMP study plan, and when you compare paid options, see how planned PMP prep splits practice across the three domains.