Key takeaways
- The July 2026 PMP® exam opens with case studies: a detailed scenario, then a series of questions on it.
- PMI does not publish how many cases there are, or how long they are. Keep both easy to change.
- A good case names the people, says how the work runs, gives one table and builds to a decision.
- In Vacademy, a comprehension-based question holds the case as a passage with sub-questions.
Sunday afternoon in Mumbai. A PMP trainer opens her question bank for the next batch. Every question stands alone: a short situation, four options, one answer. Since 9 July 2026 the exam has a case-study section before its first break, and a case is a different thing to write. PMI facts here come from its July 2026 Examination Content Outline; where PMI is silent, the advice is marked as ours.
What PMI says about the case-study section, and what it does not
From the July 2026 outline
Known and unknown
PMI says
- A detailed scenario, which may include graphs or charts
- About a business, a project, a decision, or a mix
- Followed by a series of questions
- On every delivery mode, test center or online
- The first break comes straight after it
- After that break, no going back
PMI does not say
- How many cases a form has
- How many questions each case has
- How long a case is
- How long the section takes
- How the case is laid out on screen
Candidates’ accounts online do not agree on the numbers, so do not build mocks around one person’s count. Write cases so a set can hold two, three or more.
Writing a case scenario: length, roles, a decision point
PMI sets no length or structure for a case, so these six points are our advice.
Anatomy of a case set
One case, one table, three linked questions
The case
A cold-storage company runs four warehouses near Pune. Its operations head, the sponsor, wants an app that shows storage temperature live before the busy season in March. You are the project manager. The work is hybrid: sensor installation follows a fixed plan, and the app is built in two-week sprints by an outside vendor.
After sprint 4, the product owner reports that the alerts feature is behind. The vendor says two of its developers have left. The warehouse supervisors, who will use the app every day, have not seen a demo. The company’s largest customer now wants temperature records in a new format from February. The company also plans to open a fifth warehouse next year.
| Item | Planned | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Sensors in all four warehouses | December | Done in three of four |
| Temperature alerts in the app | Sprint 4 | Moved to sprint 6 |
| Supervisor training | February | Not started |
Question 1 · People
The supervisors have not seen the app yet. What should the project manager do first?
Checks: Engaging the people who will use the result
Question 2 · Process
Based on the table, which item puts the March date at the most risk?
Checks: Reading the data, not only the story
Question 3 · Business Environment
The customer's new record format arrives in the middle of the project. What is the best next step?
Checks: Judging the impact of an outside change on scope
Each question has its facts in the case: the supervisors, the table, the new format. The fifth warehouse is the extra detail no question needs. Reading past it is the skill a case section rewards.
Set up this case as a timed linked-question setWe will build it with you in Vacademy: the case as a passage, the three questions under it, and a report on time spent per question.
Linked questions on one case: comprehension-based sets in Vacademy
Rules for questions that share a case
- Each question can be answered from the case alone.
- Spread the domains: People, Process, Business Environment.
- At least one question needs the table.
- Wrong options are things a real manager might do, just not first or best.
- One question gives away another's answer.
Vacademy’s Question Paper Builder has a type made for this: comprehension-based, a passage with several sub-questions. Paste the case text as the passage, add each linked question under it, and group the sets under one topic. If your case has a table or chart, check in preview how it shows on the student’s screen before you publish. AI can draft questions from a file you upload; rewrite each draft to fit the case. After a mock, the report shows time spent per question and the wrong options picked most. More in how Vacademy creates quizzes and assessments.
Timing a case section, then the break
240 minutes for 180 questions is 80 seconds a question. PMI gives the case section no separate clock, but a case needs reading first. Our starting point: three minutes per case, plus 80 seconds a question, tightened as the batch improves.
Practice order
The rhythm to drill
- Read the caseAllow about 3 minutes
- Answer its questionsAbout 80 seconds each
- Review every answerLast chance
- 10-minute breakThe section locks
Mocks run on the standard Vacademy test screen, not a copy of the PMP screen, and there is no PMP-style break screen. One way to practise: run the case set as its own timed mock (once a student starts, the timer is locked), take a 10-minute pause, then run the next part.
Teach the review as a habit: on the real exam, once the break starts, the case questions are closed for good.
For the other July 2026 changes and the 1 December 2026 training rule, read PMP exam changes: what trainers must update. For L&D teams, see Vacademy for corporate training.
Questions PMP trainers ask
How many case-study questions are on the PMP exam?
PMI does not publish the number. Its July 2026 outline puts the first break straight after the case-study section and gives no count. Build mocks so the number is easy to change.
What is a PMP case-study question?
PMI calls it a Case or Scenario question: "a detailed scenario or situation, which may include graphs or charts", followed by "a series of questions" based on it.
Can candidates go back to case-study questions after the break?
No. Once a candidate reviews their answers and starts the break, they cannot return to the earlier section. Every case answer must be final before the first break.
How long should a practice case scenario be?
PMI does not set a length. Our advice: about three minutes of reading, roughly 250 to 400 words, with one small table or chart.
How do we build case question sets in Vacademy?
Use the comprehension-based question type: the case is the passage and each linked question is a sub-question. Run the sets as a timed mock and read the time spent per question in the report.
Does Vacademy have a PMP-style exam screen?
No. Vacademy's exam-style screens are JEE Main-style, JEE Advanced-style, GATE-style and Railway JE (RRB)-style. PMP case sets run on the standard Vacademy test screen.
Try Vacademy with one of your cases
Send us a case you teach. We will set it up as a timed mock with linked questions.
“PMI” and “PMP” are marks of Project Management Institute, Inc. Vacademy is not affiliated with or endorsed by PMI. Exam facts are from PMI’s published documents as of 13 November 2026.