Project+ for IT people who manage projects on the side
For Project+, CompTIA charges $399 for a PK0-005 voucher in the US (November 2026); adding Retake Assurance raises that to $519. Paying for help puts a first attempt between $548, for CompTIA's practice bundle, and $3,349, for a five-day class. Nothing is required before booking, though CompTIA suggests 6 to 12 months of hands-on project work in a tech setting. With that background, 4 to 6 weeks of study is realistic, by our estimate.
Key facts
- In the US, CompTIA sells the Project+ voucher at $399, or at $519 bundled with a retake; either has to be used within 12 months. (CompTIA, checked November 5, 2026)
- PK0-005 (Project+ V5) went live November 8, 2022, and CompTIA's Project+ page gives no retirement date. (CompTIA, checked November 5, 2026)
- Candidates get up to 90 questions and 90 minutes, and need a scaled score of 710 out of 900. (CompTIA, checked November 5, 2026)
- Keeping Project+ takes 30 CEUs plus $150 in fees over each three-year cycle. (CompTIA, checked November 5, 2026)
Project+ next to CAPM and PMP
CompTIA aims Project+ at IT professionals who need entry-level skills to manage "small to medium-sized projects". 18% of the exam covers IT itself: infrastructure and cloud basics, security, privacy and IT change control. It asks for no training hours or project experience before you book, which is where it differs most from the PMP.
Against PMI's CAPM, the trade is focus and entry rules. CAPM is a general project management credential: PMI requires 23 hours of project management education before the exam, which costs $300, or $225 for PMI members. Project+ costs $399, has no entry requirement, and spends 18% of the exam on IT and governance. Choose CAPM if project management is the career; choose Project+ if projects sit on top of an IT job.
A good fit if
- Sysadmins, analysts or developers who already coordinate IT projects part of the time
- Teams whose employer uses CompTIA credentials and wants project skills on top of Network+ or Security+
- People who want agile, waterfall and IT change control in one credential
Think twice if
- Project management is becoming your main job: PMI's CAPM and PMP are built for that path
- You already meet PMI's experience rule for the PMP: go straight to it
- Your work is outside IT: 18% of the exam is IT and governance content
Consider instead: CAPM for an entry-level PMI credential, or PMP if you already meet PMI's experience rule.
PK0-005: who can sit it and how it is scored
Booking is open to anyone with a voucher. The 6 to 12 months of tech project experience CompTIA mentions is a recommendation only. Expect up to 90 items, a mix of multiple choice and performance-based tasks, in a single 90-minute sitting; the pass mark is 710 on CompTIA's 100 to 900 scale. Languages are English, Japanese and Thai. V5 dates from November 8, 2022, and on November 5, 2026 the Project+ page named neither a retirement date nor a newer version, so look again before buying study material.
| Exam area | Share of exam |
|---|---|
| Project management concepts | 33% |
| Project life cycle phases | 30% |
| Tools and documentation | 19% |
| Basics of IT and governance | 18% |
Ways to prepare for PK0-005
- Free: the objectives plus your own work. Hand CompTIA an email address and it sends the PK0-005 objectives. No major provider we checked offers a free full Project+ course.
- Dion Training, $315. Video lessons, the official CompTIA study guide and eBook, and over 500 practice questions, aimed at people who study alone. Buy the exam on top.
- CertMaster from CompTIA. Sold singly at $209 (Practice), $499 (Learn) or $628 (Learn+Labs); taking one inside an exam-and-retake bundle works out cheaper.
- Instructor-led. ONLC, New Horizons and Global Knowledge each run five-day Project+ classes online, a fit for teams and for anyone who prefers a classroom rhythm.
Project+ costs, $399 to $3,349
Where a provider leaves the exam out, its total below adds the $399 voucher. Self-study from the free objectives costs only that voucher.
| Route | Provider and course | Published price | Exam fee | First attempt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Self-study video course | Dion Training, Project+ (PK0-005) Complete Certification Course, with the official CompTIA study guide and eBook and over 500 questions; a year of access. Checked November 5, 2026. | $315 | + $399 voucher | $714 |
| CompTIA practice bundle | CompTIA, Project+ Practice and Exam Bundle with Retake (timed practice exams, the exam and one retake). Checked November 5, 2026. | $548 | Included | $548 |
| CompTIA lessons bundle | CompTIA, Project+ Learn and Exam Bundle with Retake (CertMaster Learn lessons, the exam and one retake). Checked November 5, 2026. | $764 | Included | $764 |
| Instructor-led online, exam in the price | ONLC, Project+ Certification Training (with Exam Voucher) for PK0-005, five days. Checked November 5, 2026. | $2,495 | Included | $2,495 |
| Instructor-led online, voucher extra | New Horizons, CompTIA Project+ Training, 5 days, virtual instructor-led, with 90 days of class recordings; dates from January 25, 2027, marked guaranteed to run; exam voucher a $399 add-on. Checked November 5, 2026. | $2,495 | + $399 voucher | $2,894 |
| Instructor-led online | Global Knowledge, course G011 for PK0-005, five days; every US date shown is virtual, and the exam is a separate purchase. Checked November 5, 2026. | $2,950 | + $399 voucher | $3,349 |
Two costs come later. Failing on a plain voucher means paying $399 again, which is why the $519 voucher with a retake is worth a look if you are unsure. Anything inside a CompTIA bundle has to be redeemed within a year of purchase. And Project+ carries the same $150 renewal fee every three years as Network+ and Security+.
Picking a Project+ course
- Does the outline match PK0-005's four areas? Dion's page lists four domains named for project phases (initiation, planning, execution and delivery, closure), which differ from CompTIA's PK0-005 areas; ask whether it covers tools and IT governance.
- Exam and second-attempt terms. ONLC's price covers the PK0-005 exam and comes with what ONLC calls an Exam Pass Guarantee. Dion promises to pay for a retake under its 60-day pass guarantee. New Horizons sells the voucher as a $399 add-on, and Global Knowledge sells the exam on its own.
- Dates. On November 5, 2026, ONLC listed live online dates from December 7, 2026 into April 2027, and New Horizons listed dates from January 25, 2027 marked guaranteed to run; for any other date, ask whether it is confirmed before you schedule time off.
Renewal every three years
A Project+ certification lasts three years. There are two ways to keep it: log 30 CEUs within that window and pay $150, or pass the newest Project+ exam, which needs no CE fee. No other CompTIA certification renews Project+, and passing another CompTIA exam earns no partial CEUs toward it.
Common questions
- What does the Project+ exam cost in 2026?
- CompTIA lists $399 for a US voucher in November 2026, and $519 with one retake.
- Is Project+ easier to get than the PMP?
- It has no entry requirement. The PMP has experience and education requirements you must meet before you can sit it; our PMP page covers them.
- Does Project+ expire?
- Yes, after three years, unless you renew it through CompTIA's continuing education program.
- Is PK0-005 being replaced?
- CompTIA's Project+ page showed PK0-005 as the current exam with no retirement date on November 5, 2026.
Next step
If you are deciding between Project+, CAPM and the PMP, send a short request about your role.
Ask for help choosing Project+ training
Sources
- CompTIA Project+ page: PK0-005 details, domain weights and product prices, checked November 5, 2026
- CompTIA: CEUs needed to renew each certification, checked November 5, 2026
- CompTIA: CE fee table, checked November 5, 2026
- CompTIA: which certifications renew others, checked November 5, 2026
- PMI: CAPM requirements and exam fee, checked November 5, 2026
- Dion Training: Project+ PK0-005 course page, checked November 5, 2026
- ONLC: Project+ class schedule and prices, checked November 5, 2026
- New Horizons: CompTIA Project+ Training (read in a browser session), checked November 5, 2026
- Global Knowledge: course G011 page, checked November 5, 2026
Prices are published list prices we recorded on the dates shown, not quotes. How we research.