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Exam Information
Official specifications published by PMI
Exam Format
Professional (Knowledge-based sustainability credential)
Registration
Pearson VUE or online proctoring
Validity
3 years
Earn and report 30 PDUs every 3 years (CCR Program)
CSPP Exam Topics and Domains
CSPP is organized into 6 weighted domains.
1
Foundations of Sustainable Project Work
12%
Determine Sustainability Objectives
- Identify principles of sustainability
- Identify why organizations adopt sustainable practices
- Identify why individuals commit to sustainability
Explain the Triple Bottom Line in relation to People, Planet, and Prosperity
- Determine people considerations
- Determine planet considerations
- Determine prosperity considerations
Recall major global frameworks that influence sustainability and their significance
- Identify the purpose of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
- Match ESG components to their corresponding focus areas (environmental, social, governance)
- Recognize principles of the UN Global Compact
Identify the role of sustainability reporting and ESG disclosures in project contexts
- Identify sustainability reporting standards & frameworks (GRI, SASB, TCFD, and the IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards)
- Determine key differences between ESG Disclosures and Sustainability Reports for a specific scenario
- Identify accurate mapping of P5 Elements to Reporting Standards
Define sustainability, regeneration, and resilience in project environments
- Determine how to reduce negative environmental impact and conserve resources during a project
- Design so as to improve the environment and/or community in which a project lives
- Design project to withstand or recover from unexpected extreme events
2
PRiSM (Project Integrating Sustainable Methods) Life Cycle Approach
23%
Identify core PRiSM concepts and principles
- Identify project management concepts as they relate to PRiSM
- Identify features of the PRiSM Project Life Cycle
- Identify key PRiSM deliverables
Apply the PRiSM life cycle phases in a given project scenario
- Determine appropriate staffing and personnel in a given scenario
- Determine deliverables
- Determine how to manage risks and opportunities
- Determine how to manage costs and finance
- Determine project time and schedule for a given scenario
- Select appropriate management plans
Determine PRiSM supporting processes for a given scenario
- Select appropriate stakeholder engagement practices for a given scenario
- Select an appropriate estimation process
- Determine the appropriate process for developing a team in a given scenario
- Select sustainable procurement processes
- Determine performance monitoring and control processes in a given scenario
- Select appropriate processes for change control, configuration management, and issue management
3
P5 Standard: Sustainability and Impact Analysis
24%
Identify the structure and purpose of the P5 Standard
- Identify P5 Categories, Subcategories, and Elements
- Identify P5 Perspectives and Lenses
- Determine P5 impacts on Projects, Programs, and Portfolios
Perform a P5 Impact Analysis to identify sustainability impacts
- Apply P5 Impact Lenses for Product (Product Lifespan and Servicing)
- Apply P5 Impact Lenses for Process (Efficiency, Effectiveness, and Fairness of Project Processes)
- Determine how to integrate a sustainable value chain in a given scenario
- Determine sustainable impacts to Projects, Programs, and Portfolios
Evaluate results of a P5 Impact Analysis in a given scenario
- Identify P5 Impact Analysis features (PSIA Mechanics, Assigning Items to Elements, Format)
- Determine Project Status Reporting and project closure for a given project
Evaluate People impacts for a given scenario
- Determine appropriate Labor Practices and Decent Work for a given context
- Determine how to manage society and customer concerns in a given context
- Identify Human Rights considerations for a given scenario
- Determine Ethical Behavior in a given scenario (anti-corruption, fair competition, responsible technology, green claims and greenwashing)
Evaluate Planet and Prosperity impacts for a given scenario
- Determine transport considerations for a given context (Local Procurement, Digital Communication, Traveling & Commuting, Logistics)
- Identify Energy considerations (energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, renewables and clean energy)
- Identify sustainability considerations for Land, Air, and Water
- Determine appropriate Consumption processes for sustainability (recycling and reuse, disposal, contamination & pollution, waste generation)
- Determine how to calculate Project Feasibility (business case, financial analysis, social return on investment, modeling and simulation)
- Identify Business Agility considerations (Flexibility, Optionality, Resiliency)
- Identify Market and Economic Stimulation for a given scenario
Identify materiality for ESG disclosures and sustainability reports
Determine the significance (materiality) of sustainability matters to reporting users
4
Developing a Sustainability Management Plan based on Sustainability Standards
12%
Evaluate aspects of a sustainability management plan for a given scenario
- Identify standards that support sustainable material reuse (circular economy) and procurement
- Select environmental and energy management systems
- Identify sustainability considerations for the management of assets, quality, occupational health & safety, anti-bribery, and risk & opportunity
- Select standards for supporting sustainable development in communities and social responsibility
Identify the project manager's roles and responsibilities in implementing the Sustainability Management Plan
- Identify the characteristics of a sustainable project manager
- Identify core concepts of systems thinking that a project manager should enact
- Identify successful examples of systems thinking for a sustainable project
- Distinguish roles/responsibilities between Project Managers, Project Sponsors, and PMO
Assess sustainability impact thresholds in a given scenario
- Identify sustainability impact thresholds for a given organization
- Evaluate impact of sustainability thresholds to value chain for a given scenario
- Determine impact to regulatory compliance and any associated consequences
Determine sustainability KPIs in a given scenario
- Determine which sustainability KPIs are relevant to a given scenario
- Identify which considerations to include when determining KPIs
Identify sustainable procurement practices for a given scenario
- Determine sustainability concerns & ethical considerations from suppliers & the supply chain
- Determine the procurement process (Supplier Selection, Contract Types, & Contract Management)
5
ESG & Sustainability Reporting, Governance, and Project Communications
7%
Identify types of sustainability-related communications and their importance
- Determine how to utilize P5 in ESG disclosures and sustainability reporting
- Identify the key reasons for communication (building trust, transparency, avoiding greenwashing, data accuracy, alignment)
- Identify various forms of communication and their purpose
Explain the link between project activities, ESG disclosures, and sustainability reporting
- Determine key differences between ESG disclosures and sustainability reports for a specific scenario
- Identify the role of materiality in ESG reporting
Determine an appropriate governance framework given a specific scenario
- Identify characteristics of good governance and its importance
- Select an appropriate project governance framework given a context
6
Project Management Considerations
23%
Apply value management in sustainable project delivery
- Apply the appropriate value management process for a given context
- Determine how to generate, evaluate, and refine alternatives
Manage project change control in alignment with sustainability objectives
- Determine how to apply the Organizational Change Management (OCM) process to their project
- Identify the links between sustainability in the project to the broader OCM
- Identify the intersections of Project Management and OCM
- Select the processes associated with specific change models
Define and evaluate sustainable project success
- Differentiate traditional vs. sustainable project success metrics
- Select aspects of sustainable project success in a given context
- Identify the dimensions of sustainable project success
- Select appropriate sustainable success criteria for a given scenario
Manage project artifacts
- Identify appropriate stakeholder engagement plans for a given scenario
- Determine project budgeting and adjustments given a scenario
- Determine project scheduling and adjustments given a scenario
- Determine what to include in an issues log or risk register
- Determine how to manage scope and scope creep in a given context
Identify sustainability-related activities in each project management phase
- Identify sustainability-related activities in the initiating phase
- Identify sustainability-related activities in the planning phase
- Identify sustainability-related activities in the execution phase
- Identify sustainability-related activities in the monitoring & control phase
- Identify sustainability-related activities in the closure phase
How do I earn this certification?
Passing CSPP earns the Certified Sustainable Project Professional (CSPP) certification. It sits in the Sustainability in Project Management track.
Next Level Options
PMP - Project Management ProfessionalAdvance core project management practice
Practice with Precision
The PlanetCert Simulator mirrors the real exam environment with authentic questions and timed pressure.
How to study for this exam?
The most effective way to prepare for CSPP is by using the PlanetCert Simulator to practice questions and review detailed explanations.
CSPP Exam Content Outline (ECO) — March 2026 V2PMI-GPM P5 Standard for Sustainability in Project Management (v3.1)Sustainable Project Management for Certified Practitioners — Exam Prep Course (EL199)Non-Certified Practitioners: Sustainable Project Management (e-learning course)PMI-GPM Practice Guide for Sustainability in Project Management — Fourth EditionCertified Sustainable Project Professional (CSPP) — Certification PageThe CSPP Certification — GPMSustainability in Projects — PMI Learning Hub
What's changed on this exam?
Current Status
- ACTIVE
- Last content update: 2026-03-01
Updates
v3.1 CSPP is a knowledge-based exam aligned to the PMI-GPM P5 Standard v3.1; candidates apply five sustainability lenses across the P5 categories, elements, and impact areas.
Who should take this exam?
12 hours of formal education related to Sustainability in Project Management
- PMI-GPM P5 Standard familiarity
- Project management experience