PMI-SP study guide · 2026

The 5 PMI-SP domains, explained

5 domains and 32 official tasks. Schedule Monitoring and Controlling carries the most weight at 35%. Each guide explains what the domain covers, how its questions are framed and where candidates lose marks.

Start with Domain 3 See all domains
Questions
170 (150 scored, 20 unscored pretest)
Time
210 minutes (3.5 hours)
Passing score
Not published by PMI
Outline
PMI-SP Examination Content Outline (ECO dated 2012, appendix revised April 2020; current as of October 2026)

Exam blueprint

Bar widths follow the official weights. Weight ranges are drawn at their midpoint.

  1. 1 14%
  2. 2 31%
  3. 3 35%
  4. 4 6%
  5. 5 14%
  1. 1 Schedule Strategy
  2. 2 Schedule Planning and Development
  3. 3 Schedule Monitoring and Controlling
  4. 4 Schedule Closeout
  5. 5 Stakeholder Communications Management

All 5 domains

32 official tasks 110–165 hrs suggested study

  1. Domain 01 14%

    Schedule Strategy

    Schedule Strategy is where you decide how the schedule will be built, controlled and governed before a single activity exists. Every later domain inherits the rules you set here.

    Inside this domain

    • Establish project schedule configuration management policies and procedures
    • Develop schedule approach based on the unique characteristics of the project
    • Establish scheduling policies and procedures regarding methodology and selection of a scheduling tool
    • Develop the scheduling-related components for project management plans
    • and 1 more tasks

    Watch for Fixing the symptom instead of the policy

    Tasks
    5
    Questions est.
    ~24
    Study time est.
    15–25 hrs
  2. Domain 02 31%

    Schedule Planning and Development

    This domain turns scope into a logic-driven, resource-loaded and risk-tested schedule baseline. It carries nearly a third of the exam and most of its network calculations.

    Inside this domain

    • Develop the work breakdown structure (WBS), organizational breakdown structure (OBS), control accounts and work packages
    • Define activities and milestones
    • Estimate activity durations
    • Sequence activities incorporating defined dependencies, milestones and constraints
    • and 8 more tasks

    Watch for Constraint to the rescue

    Tasks
    12
    Questions est.
    ~53
    Study time est.
    35–50 hrs
  3. Domain 03 35%

    Schedule Monitoring and Controlling

    The heaviest PMI-SP domain covers what happens after the baseline: collecting honest status, auditing schedule quality, testing recovery options and controlling baseline changes.

    Inside this domain

    • Collect activity status at defined intervals from activity owners
    • Collect resource information and updates
    • Perform schedule analysis and audit on in-house and subcontractor schedules
    • Identify alternative project execution options using what-if analysis
    • and 2 more tasks

    Watch for Index without location

    Tasks
    6
    Questions est.
    ~60
    Study time est.
    40–55 hrs
  4. Domain 04 6%

    Schedule Closeout

    Schedule Closeout is the smallest PMI-SP domain, but it decides whether the project's schedule record is accepted, explained, reusable and retrievable after the team disbands.

    Inside this domain

    • Obtain final acceptance of the contractual schedule components
    • Evaluate final schedule performance against baseline schedule and scheduling approach
    • Update the organizational process assets
    • Distribute final schedule reports, including EVM calculations and variance analysis
    • and 1 more tasks

    Watch for Archive first

    Tasks
    5
    Questions est.
    ~10
    Study time est.
    5–10 hrs
  5. Domain 05 14%

    Stakeholder Communications Management

    A schedule only controls a project if the right people see it, trust it and act on it. This domain tests how schedulers build that trust and report bad news early.

    Inside this domain

    • Develop and foster relationships with project stakeholders
    • Generate and maintain visibility of project schedule
    • Provide senior management and other stakeholders with verbal and written schedule status
    • Communicate schedule issues that could impact delivery of project scope or adherence to schedule

    Watch for Wait for the report

    Tasks
    4
    Questions est.
    ~24
    Study time est.
    15–25 hrs

Study the heaviest domains first

Marks follow weight. This order puts the most marks behind you first, across about 110–165 hrs of study.

  1. 3 Schedule Monitoring and Controlling 35% · 40–55 hrs
  2. 2 Schedule Planning and Development 31% · 35–50 hrs
  3. 1 Schedule Strategy 14% · 15–25 hrs
  4. 5 Stakeholder Communications Management 14% · 15–25 hrs
  5. 4 Schedule Closeout 6% · 5–10 hrs

Try one

Practice questionDomain 3: Schedule Monitoring and Controlling

At the status date, planned value is $500,000, earned value is $440,000 and actual cost is $470,000. The schedule management plan requires corrective action analysis when SPI falls below 0.90. Which statement is correct?

One trap from every domain

The answer that looks right, and the clue that gives it away.

  • Domain 1

    Fixing the symptom instead of the policy

    Clue Words like 'again', 'different versions' or 'no one knows which file is current' point to configuration management.

  • Domain 2

    Constraint to the rescue

    Clue The logic-driven forecast is later than the required date and the question asks for the BEST action.

  • Domain 3

    Index without location

    Clue The stem gives float values or says the critical path is on plan.

  • Domain 4

    Archive first

    Clue The stem mentions an outstanding contractual schedule deliverable or pending customer sign-off.

  • Domain 5

    Wait for the report

    Clue The issue affects the critical or near-critical path and the next report is weeks away.

Other Project Management certifications

Study guides for exams that overlap with PMI-SP.

Practise what you read

PMI-SP domains: common questions

How many domains are in the PMI-SP exam?

PMI-SP has 5 domains with 32 official tasks between them: Schedule Strategy, Schedule Planning and Development, Schedule Monitoring and Controlling, Schedule Closeout and Stakeholder Communications Management.

Which PMI-SP domain carries the most weight?

Schedule Monitoring and Controlling is the heaviest at 35%, followed by Schedule Planning and Development (31%). The lightest is Schedule Closeout (6%). Weights come from PMI's official outline.

What is the PMI-SP exam format?

Questions: 170 (150 scored, 20 unscored pretest). Time allowed: 210 minutes (3.5 hours). Passing score: Not published by PMI.

How long should I study for PMI-SP?

Our planning estimate is 110–165 hrs across all domains, split by weight. It is an editorial estimate, not an official figure, so adjust it to your experience and to how you score on practice questions.

Where should I start?

Start with Schedule Monitoring and Controlling, because it carries the most marks, then work down by weight. Use the checklist on each domain page to confirm you can do what the domain asks before moving on.

Which outline is this guide based on?

This guide follows PMI-SP Examination Content Outline (ECO dated 2012, appendix revised April 2020; current as of October 2026), published by PMI. It was last reviewed in October 2026.

Domain names, weights and tasks come from PMI's official outline (PMI-SP Examination Content Outline (ECO dated 2012, appendix revised April 2020; current as of October 2026)). Question counts and study hours are editorial planning estimates, not official figures. Last reviewed October 2026.