No. Each three-year cycle requires its own set of PDUs, counted from the date your current cycle began: 60 for PMP, PgMP, PfMP and PMI-PBA; 30 for PMI-ACP and PMI-RMP; 15 for CAPM. PDUs earned above that number in one cycle do not carry forward into the next.

PDUs to renew PMI-ACP or PMI-RMP

PMI-ACP and PMI-RMP need 30 PDUs every three years, of which at least 18 must be Education.

15

PDUs to renew CAPM

CAPM needs 15 PDUs every three years, of which at least 9 must be Education.

3

years

A continuing certification cycle runs three years from the date the certification was earned or last renewed.

Do unused PDUs carry over to my next cycle?

No. A continuing certification cycle runs three years from the date the certification was earned or last renewed, and the PDU requirement resets with it. Whatever you earned above your requirement in the cycle that just closed stays in that cycle. It does not get added to the fresh three-year period that starts the moment you renew.

This means the number you owe on day one of a new cycle is the full requirement for your credential, not the full requirement minus whatever surplus you built up before. If you finished your last cycle with, say, ten extra PDUs, those ten do not reduce what you need to earn in the new cycle.

How many PDUs do I need for my credential?

The requirement is set per credential, and it applies fresh to every three-year cycle:

PMP, PgMP, PfMP and PMI-PBA: 60 PDUs every three years

PMI-ACP and PMI-RMP: 30 PDUs every three years, of which at least 18 must be Education

CAPM: 15 PDUs every three years, of which at least 9 must be Education

What counts toward this cycle's requirement, and what doesn't roll forward

Within a 60-PDU cycle, the categories have their own limits, and none of them roll into the next cycle either. At least 35 of the 60 PDUs must be Education, and Education has no ceiling, so it is possible for all 60 to be Education. Giving Back PDUs are optional and capped at 25 in a 60-PDU cycle, so you cannot lean on Giving Back for more than 25 of the total even if you have the time to earn more.

Inside the 35 Education PDUs, a minimum of 8 must sit in each of the three Talent Triangle areas, Ways of Working, Power Skills and Business Acumen. That fixes 24 of the 35, leaving 11 Education PDUs free to place in whichever area you choose. Extra PDUs earned in any one area beyond what the cycle needs do not transfer to the next cycle’s Talent Triangle minimums either.

Why plan against the reset rather than a running total

Because nothing banks forward, the safer way to track your PDUs is by cycle, not by lifetime total. Note the date your current three-year cycle started, note the requirement for your specific credential, and check your progress against that window rather than against everything you have ever logged. If your cycle is close to its three-year mark and you are short, the fix has to come from PDUs earned inside this cycle. PDUs you plan to earn after renewal belong to the next cycle and cannot be applied backward to close a gap in this one.

If you hold CAPM and want the exact split of Education and non-Education PDUs required to renew, see how many PDUs do I need to renew my CAPM? For the full breakdown of the 8-PDU minimums across Ways of Working, Power Skills and Business Acumen, see how many PDUs do I need in each Talent Triangle area?

Closing out a cycle that is running short

If your current cycle is nearing its three-year end and you have not reached your requirement, the PDUs need to come from activity you complete before that date, not after. For a PMP, PgMP, PfMP or PMI-PBA holder working against the 60-PDU requirement, that means checking the 35-PDU Education minimum, the 8-PDU minimums in each Talent Triangle area, and the 25-PDU Giving Back cap before assuming any single course or activity will close the gap.