The confusing part of the PMP often isn't the studying. It's the admin. When do you join PMI? When do you pay? Do you book the exam with PMI or with Pearson VUE? If it's your first time, even the order of steps feels unfamiliar. I submitted my application on June 1 and had my exam booked in the early hours of June 13. Here are the emails I got from PMI and Pearson VUE over those 12 days, in order. The application and scheduling screens sit behind a login and aren't public, so this post shows the process through PMI's and Pearson VUE's public pages and the emails I actually received. **In three lines** — The order is: join PMI, submit the application, get approved, pay the exam fee, receive your eligibility email, book with Pearson VUE. I applied on June 1, was approved on June 9 (no audit), paid on June 12 and finished booking at 12:56 a.m. on June 13. Thanks to the member price, my exam fee came to $445.50 with tax, and you can move your date for free as long as you do it more than 30 days before the exam. ## Application to booking at a glance All times below are Korea time (KST). Submitting the application doesn't cost anything; you pay the exam fee after the approval email. Here's what I spent along the way: | Item | Date | Amount paid | Notes | |---|---|---|---| | PMI membership | June 1 | Separate | Current list price in PMI's Korea store: $139 (not my receipt) | | PMP exam fee (member price) | June 12 | $445.50 | $405 + $40.50 tax | | PMI Study Hall Essentials (optional) | June 1 | $53.90 | $49 + $4.90 tax, for practice exams | My full costs and receipts are in [Part 1](/en/posts/pmp-pass-review-part-1). ## Step 1: Join PMI first On June 1, I joined PMI first and then submitted my application. The reason I recommend joining first is the exam fee. PMI welcome email titled Get Familiar with Your Membership, with the line Welcome to PMI, JOOHYUNG

PMI welcome email titled Get Familiar with Your Membership, with the line Welcome to PMI, JOOHYUNG

*The PMI membership welcome email I received on June 1, 2026.* Viewed from Korea, PMI's site lists the PMP exam at $405 for members and $655 at full price. That's a **$250** difference, while membership currently costs $139 in PMI's Korea store. Even after paying for membership, you're $111 ahead on a single attempt. The $405 member price I paid in June hasn't changed.

PMI's PMP page viewed from Korea showing Member price $405, Full price $655 and an Apply Now button

*PMI's PMP page viewed from Korea: member price $405 next to the full price of $655.* Membership also gets you: - Retakes: $275 for members vs. $375 for non-members - Renewal every three years: $60 vs. $150 - A free PDF of the PMBOK Guide 8th edition - A free PDF of PMI's AI standard (The Standard for Artificial Intelligence in Portfolio, Program and Project Management) Prices vary by region. In PMI's US store, for example, the exam is $425 for members and $675 for non-members, and membership is $164. Check the prices PMI shows you where you live. ## Steps 2 and 3: Submit the application and get approved ### What the application asks for You fill in the application online on PMI's site. It covers three main areas: - **Education**: How much project experience you need depends on your education: 60 months with a secondary-school diploma, 48 with an associate or vocational degree (a newly added category), 36 with a bachelor's degree, and 24 with a GAC-accredited degree. - **35 hours of project management training**: List the courses you took and the hours. An active CAPM certification waives this requirement. - **Project experience**: For each project separately, describe its aim and dates, how you led it, who you worked with, which activities you directed, and the outcome. Only experience from the last 10 years counts. When I applied it was 8 years; it has since been extended to 10. The application now also includes an "enhanced verification" step: before you pay, you confirm your identity through a service called Persona with a selfie and a government-issued ID. The rules for the 35 training hours change on December 1, 2026. From then on, live classes only count if they come from a PMI Authorized Training Partner (ATP) or an accredited higher-education program. Self-paced online courses from any provider still count. Books or practice exams alone never count. Writing up your experience and preparing for a possible audit deserves its own post, so I cover it in [Part 4: Writing up your PMP experience and handling an audit](/en/posts/pmp-experience-application-audit). ### June 1: Application received Right after I submitted, at 2:51 p.m. on June 1, the receipt email arrived. PMI email titled Your PMP application has been received, ending with the line Applicants may be selected randomly for audit during the application process

PMI email titled Your PMP application has been received, ending with the line Applicants may be selected randomly for audit during the application process

*The application receipt email, June 1, 2026. The last line says applicants may be selected randomly for audit.* That last line sticks with you: you may be selected at random for an audit. If you are, you'll need a copy of your diploma or degree, a supervisor's sign-off for each experience entry, and your training certificates. PMI tells you by email before you pay, and you have 90 days to submit everything online. ### June 9: Approved At 11 p.m. on June 9, the approval email arrived: 8 days after I applied, roughly a week. No audit. PMI email: Congratulations! Your PMP application has been accepted, saying the next step is to pay the exam fee, with a banner about member pricing on exam fees

PMI email: Congratulations! Your PMP application has been accepted, saying the next step is to pay the exam fee, with a banner about member pricing on exam fees

*The approval email, June 9, 2026. It says the next step is paying the exam fee, and a banner at the top advertises member pricing.* The message is simple: congratulations, your next step is to pay, and once you've paid you can schedule your exam. PMI's 2021 documentation said review took about five calendar days without an audit, but current documents don't give a timeframe. Mine took a little over a week, so leave yourself some slack when you think about exam dates. ## Steps 4 and 5: Pay the fee and get your eligibility email ### June 12: Paying $445.50 Three days after approval, on June 12, I paid the exam fee: the $405 member price plus $40.50 tax, $445.50 in total. PMI order email for the PMP exam: purchase date June 12, 2026, Project Management Professional (PMP) Exam $405.00, taxes $40.50, total $445.50

PMI order email for the PMP exam: purchase date June 12, 2026, Project Management Professional (PMP) Exam $405.00, taxes $40.50, total $445.50

*The exam fee order email, June 12, 2026: $405 plus $40.50 tax, $445.50 in total. Order number hidden.* If your plans change after paying, you have an option: you can request a refund within 30 days of purchase, as long as you haven't scheduled and taken the exam in that time. ### June 13, 12:23 a.m.: Eligibility email Just after midnight, at 12:23 a.m. on June 13, an email titled "You are eligible to take the PMP® exam" arrived. It contains everything you need to book. PMI eligibility email: name exactly as it appears on identification JOOHYUNG IM, Eligibility Expiration Date 06 Jun 2027, Delivery Mode Center-Based Testing (CBT), and a note about the US$70 fee within 30 days

PMI eligibility email: name exactly as it appears on identification JOOHYUNG IM, Eligibility Expiration Date 06 Jun 2027, Delivery Mode Center-Based Testing (CBT), and a note about the US$70 fee within 30 days

*The eligibility email I received at 12:23 a.m. on June 13, 2026. Eligibility runs until June 6, 2027, and the delivery mode is Center-Based Testing (CBT). Eligibility ID hidden.* Four things to check in this email: - **Your name**: The name under "Name exactly as it appears on your identification" must match the ID you'll bring on exam day exactly. - **Eligibility period**: Mine ran until June 6, 2027. You get one year of eligibility and up to three attempts within it. - **Delivery mode**: Mine said Center-Based Testing (CBT), meaning a test center. - **The US$70 rule**: Rescheduling or cancelling within 30 days of your appointment costs US$70. More than 30 days out, it's free. The email also recommends booking as soon as you know your date, because seats are first come, first served. I took that advice literally. ## Step 6: Book your exam with Pearson VUE ### It starts at PMI and ends at Pearson VUE You book the exam with Pearson VUE, but you start at PMI. The flow: 1. In your PMI dashboard (myPMI), click **Schedule Exam**. 2. You're handed over to Pearson VUE. 3. Choose the PMP from your pre-approved exams. 4. Pick a test center or an online proctored exam (OnVUE). 5. Choose the exam language. I chose Korean. 6. Choose a test center, then a date and time. 7. Review your appointment and submit the order at checkout to confirm it. Don't panic if the exam doesn't show up in Pearson VUE right after you pay. According to PMI, it can take up to 24 hours for your eligibility to appear there. Pearson VUE's PMI page: To schedule, reschedule and cancel exam, Continue to log in, you'll be redirected to your testing program's website

Pearson VUE's PMI page: To schedule, reschedule and cancel exam, Continue to log in, you'll be redirected to your testing program's website

*Pearson VUE's PMI page. Scheduling, rescheduling and cancelling all start by logging in, which sends you over to PMI's site.* ### Look up test centers in advance Pearson VUE's "Find a test center" search lets you look up centers that deliver PMI exams before you're eligible. As the note on the page says, though, it won't show opening hours or availability. You only see those after PMI makes you eligible and you log in to book. Not every center delivers every PMI exam, and the PMP is only available at some of them. Pearson VUE Find a test center page with a note that exams such as the PMP run only at select centers and that hours and availability show only after PMI makes you eligible

Pearson VUE Find a test center page with a note that exams such as the PMP run only at select centers and that hours and availability show only after PMI makes you eligible

*The note on Pearson VUE's "Find a test center" page: hours and availability are only visible after PMI makes you eligible.* Searching for the address where I took my exam puts Pearson Professional Centers-Seoul (6F The Exchange Seoul, 21 Mugyo-ro, Jung-gu) at the top. Elsewhere in Korea, the search also lists LEXIS EXAM CENTRE Seoul (Gangnam-daero 53-gil, Seocho-gu) and LEXIS EXAM CENTRE Busan. Results can change, and appearing in the list doesn't guarantee a center offers the PMP, so confirm on the booking screen once you're eligible. Pearson VUE test center search result: number 1, Pearson Professional Centers-Seoul, 6F The Exchange Seoul, 21 Mugyo-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul 04520, with a map of South Korea

Pearson VUE test center search result: number 1, Pearson Professional Centers-Seoul, 6F The Exchange Seoul, 21 Mugyo-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul 04520, with a map of South Korea

*Search results for "21 Mugyo-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul." Number 1 is Pearson Professional Centers-Seoul, where I took my exam.* ### Booked 33 minutes after the eligibility email My booking confirmation arrived at 12:56 a.m. on June 13, 33 minutes after the eligibility email. The exam was set for Friday, July 3 at 10:15 a.m., about three weeks out, in Korean, at Pearson Professional Center Seoul on Mugyo-ro. ## Step 7: The confirmation email and the reschedule rules ### Booking confirmation Once you book, Pearson VUE emails a confirmation. Mine came in Korean. Pearson VUE booking confirmation in Korean: PMP-CBT in Korean (KOR), Friday July 3, 2026 at 10:15 a.m., appointment length 270 minutes, Pearson Professional Center Seoul, 6F The Exchange Seoul, 21 Mugyo-ro, Jung-gu

Pearson VUE booking confirmation in Korean: PMP-CBT in Korean (KOR), Friday July 3, 2026 at 10:15 a.m., appointment length 270 minutes, Pearson Professional Center Seoul, 6F The Exchange Seoul, 21 Mugyo-ro, Jung-gu

*My Pearson VUE confirmation email, June 13, 2026. Order number, PMI ID and registration ID hidden.* The appointment was 270 minutes because the 230-minute exam (the pre-change format) came with a tutorial and agreement beforehand and a survey afterward. The email also lists the exam-day rules: arrive 30 minutes early; if you're more than 15 minutes late you may be turned away and lose the fee; bring an original government-issued ID with your name, photo and signature. I describe exam day itself in [Part 2](/en/posts/pmp-pass-review-part-2). ### Rescheduling and cancellation rules | When you change | Reschedule or cancel | |---|---| | More than 30 days before the exam | Free | | Within 30 days of the exam | US$70 + tax | | Within 48 hours of the exam | Not allowed; a no-show forfeits the whole fee | Like booking, rescheduling and cancelling start at PMI and happen in Pearson VUE. I booked about three weeks out, which means I was inside the 30-day window from day one: any change would have cost me US$70. Pick your date carefully. ### If you take the exam in Korean (or another language) - **Seeing the English original**: In a translated exam, the questions and screens appear in your chosen language, and each question has an exhibit button that shows the English original. The two aren't displayed side by side. - **The language is locked once booked**: You can't change the language of a booked appointment. To switch, you have to cancel and book again, and the fees above may apply depending on timing. Double-check the language before checkout. - **Online exams in Korea**: If you take the exam online in Korean from Korea, it's proctored by ATA, not Pearson VUE. ## Checklist before you apply Gather these before you open the application and you'll get through it much faster: - **Education details**: school, degree, graduation date. If you're audited, you'll need a copy of your diploma. - **Training records for the 35 hours**: course names, providers, hours, certificates - **Project experience**: for each project in the last 10 years, the dates, aim, your role, the activities you led, and the outcome - **Someone who can confirm your experience**: an audit requires a supervisor's sign-off for each entry. - **Your name in English**: the name on your application and the ID you bring on exam day must match exactly. Matching your passport is the safest bet. - **A card that can pay in US dollars**: membership and the exam fee are both charged in dollars. - **Exam language and format**: which language, and test center or online. The language can't be changed after booking. - **A realistic exam date**: eligibility lasts a year, but seats are first come, first served, and changes within 30 days cost a fee. ## Wrapping up Once you know the order, the PMP application comes down to six emails: membership, receipt, approval, payment, eligibility and booking confirmation. Twelve days after submitting my application, I had my exam date. In Part 4, I cover the most time-consuming part of the application: writing up your experience and preparing for an audit. If you'd rather see how the exam itself has changed before applying, read [Part 5: Everything that changed in the 2026 PMP exam](/en/posts/pmp-2026-exam-changes-pmbok-8) first. **Next:** [Writing up your PMP experience and handling an audit](/en/posts/pmp-experience-application-audit) **Start from the beginning:** [PMP Pass Review Part 1: 7 Weeks of Prep, Study Hall Scores in the 60s, and a PASS](/en/posts/pmp-pass-review-part-1) ## Sources - [PMI: Project Management Professional (PMP)](https://www.pmi.org/certifications/project-management-pmp) - [PMI Certification Handbook (PDF)](https://www.pmi.org/-/media/pmi/documents/public/pdf/certifications/generic-certification-handbook.pdf): rescheduling, cancellation, refunds, exam language and ID rules - [2026 PMP Examination Content Outline (PDF)](https://www.pmi.org/-/media/pmi/documents/public/pdf/certifications/new-pmp-examination-content-outline-2026.pdf): eligibility requirements - [Pearson VUE: PMI exams](https://www.pearsonvue.com/us/en/pmi.html) - [Pearson VUE: find a PMI test center](https://find-seats.pearsonvue.com/clients/PMI/testcenters)

From PMP Application to Pearson VUE Booking: Applied June 1, Booked June 13 (Real Emails)

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