PMI-ACP renewal requires 30 PDUs every three years, the same requirement as PMI-RMP, with at least 18 of those 30 PDUs earned in Education. The three-year cycle begins the day you passed the PMI-ACP exam, not the day the certificate was issued or activated.
The
Your three-year CCR cycle begins the day you pass the certification exam, not the day the certificate arrives or is activated.
15
CAPM needs 15 PDUs every three years, of which at least 9 must be Education.
60
PMP, PgMP, PfMP and PMI-PBA each need 60 PDUs every three years.
PMI-ACP needs 30 PDUs per three-year cycle. This is the same figure PMI sets for PMI-RMP, and it sits between the two other tiers on PMI’s ladder: CAPM at 15 PDUs and PMP, PgMP, PfMP and PMI-PBA at 60 PDUs each. If you are tracking more than one credential, it helps to see the full breakdown on how many PDUs you need for your PMI certification.
The 30 PDUs are not a flat pool you can fill however you like. PMI splits the requirement into a minimum Education component and a flexible remainder, which is the next thing to get right before you start logging hours.
At least 18 of the 30 PDUs must come from Education, meaning taught learning rather than volunteer or professional-contribution work. That leaves 12 PDUs you can fill from other categories, or from more Education if that is simpler for your schedule. There is no maximum on Education PDUs for any credential, so you are free to earn all 30 as Education if that suits how you work.
For the 12 PDUs outside the Education minimum, most PMI-ACP holders lean on Giving Back activity such as mentoring, volunteering on a PMI committee, or creating content for the profession. If you are unsure which activities count where, the page on how to earn PDUs walks through each category with examples.
Your three-year CCR cycle begins the day you passed the PMI-ACP exam, not the day the certificate arrived in your inbox. From that date, you have three years to log the full 30 PDUs, with the 18-PDU Education minimum satisfied somewhere inside that window.
If the deadline passes and the PDUs are not complete, PMI suspends the certification for up to one year. Nothing is lost during that suspension, and any PDUs you earn while suspended still count toward the requirement. But if the one-year suspension period passes with the requirement still unmet, the certification expires outright. Reinstating it at that point means a new application, the exam fee again, and retaking the exam. It is not a matter of catching up on PDUs after the suspension window closes, so it is worth reporting PDUs in CCRS as you earn them rather than waiting until the final months of the cycle.
Everything below is pre-approved for PMI's CCR. Hold two certifications? The 60-PDU PMP pack counts for both.
No. PMP requires 60 PDUs per three-year cycle with at least 35 in Education, while PMI-ACP requires 30 PDUs with at least 18 in Education.
Yes. PDUs earned during the one-year suspension count toward the requirement, so continuing to log activity during that period is not wasted effort.
Yes. Education has no ceiling for any credential, so all 30 PDUs for PMI-ACP renewal can be Education if that is how you prefer to earn them.
If the one-year suspension passes with the requirement still unmet, the certification expires, and getting it back means a new application, the exam fee again, and retaking the exam.
Last reviewed: September 2026
