What Counts as 35 Contact Hours for PMP Eligibility?

The 35-contact-hour requirement is one of the most-asked PMP eligibility questions. PMI is specific about what it accepts, and an audit will reject hours that do not match.

What PMI accepts

A contact hour is one clock-hour of instruction in a project management topic. PMI accepts hours from:

PMI Authorized Training Partner (ATP) courses — verified directly by PMI if audited.

University and college courses in project management (degree or continuing education).

Training programmes offered by your employer that focus on project management content.

Distance-learning courses with formal assessment and a completion certificate.

What PMI does not accept

PMI chapter meetings, webinars, and self-study reading — these count toward PDUs once you are credentialed, but not toward the initial 35 hours.

Generic leadership or business courses with no project management focus.

Conference attendance without a structured curriculum and assessment.

Watching YouTube videos or unstructured online content.

How an ATP course logs the hours

An Authorized Training Partner course awards a completion certificate listing the exact number of contact hours. PMI maintains a registry of ATPs — when a PMP application is audited, PMI verifies the hours by cross-referencing the certificate against the ATP's records. There is no separate "submit hours to PMI" step; the ATP relationship does it.

Subject mix inside the 35 hours

PMI expects the contact hours to span the current Exam Content Outline. A course that covers only one domain (for example, only agile) will be flagged in an audit even if the total hours add up. PMCOE's PMP programme structures the 35 hours across all three ECO domains to match.

GI Bill funding

For US military veterans, an ATP course can be funded through the GI Bill if the provider has a WEAMS facility code. PMCOE is approved under WEAMS facility code 46P05243 for Post-9/11 and Montgomery GI Bill reimbursement.