PMP Exam Prep Seminar - Complete Exam Coverage with 35 PDUs

I did my 35 contact hours from Joseph Philips training course from Udemy and recently got my PMP certification.

https://www.udemy.com/course/pmp-pmbok6-35-pdus/

Cost: $16.99 CAD

New PMP Passed, first try! AT/AT/AT

I just passed today - I wanted to thank the community here, I found this reddit late in my studies but all of the info everyone has shared was so helpful!

Background

Two years leading a mix of predictive and agile projects, and another year of dedicated PM'ing for a hybrid/agile team, but five years project coordinating overall. I applied for the exam back in March 2020, but from April 2020 until now life got in the way. Coming up on my one year, I figured I needed to bite the bullet and get the exam out of the way before it expired.

Resources

I originally took Sandra Mitchell's course on linkedin/Lynda (No longer available) last year for the learning units to qualify for the exam, but there was no agile portion and it had been a year since I reviewed any of the content.

For the last month, I've been doing 2-4 hours per day with Joseph Phillips Course on Udemy PDUs (https://www.udemy.com/course/pmp-pmbok6-35-pdus/) – His predictive sections are great for breaking everything down in a memorable way, and he did some big updates to add Agile content which were helpful to review. I took notes during his course to create flashcards and only occasionally referenced the PMBOK. Note: The quizzes between lessons are 'meh' - they aren't nearly as hard as the actual questions and many and just plain wrong or contain errors.

Read the Agile Practice Guide – Absolutely necessary, way easier to digest than the PMBOK. I know agile pretty well - better than waterfall - and there was still some specific information in here I didn't know. Don't skip this one.

Ricardo Vargas's PMBOK Processes Explained (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GC7pN8Mjot8) I took the recommendation from another user's post here and took the time to watch this, it's a great way to learn PMBOK without memorizing the ITTOs one by one, which was perfect for the updated exam.

Agile Product Ownership in a Nutshell (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=502ILHjX9EE) My original introduction to agile theory from about 8 years ago, it was and still is a great review of the Agile lifecycle for those who are visual learners.

PMP Exam Simulator from Prepcast (https://www.project-management-prepcast.com/pmp-exam/the-pmp-exam-simulator) This wasn't cheap but with less than a month and working full time/parenting my young kid, I needed the best simulation I could get. The content here was pretty spot compared to the exam and I definitely think I would've failed without it - especially the full length exams and practicing not touching my face or ducking out of the webcam accidentally.

Professional Pocket Prep App for Android (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pocketprep.android.professional) I bought a month subscription and it was pretty helpful. All the time I couldn't be on my computer, I used the short quizzes to churn through information on my phone. The questions don't have any of the matching or multi-select answers like the real exam, but the question and answer content was pretty solid compared to the actual exam questions. I definitely learned a few key terms and principles from questions in the app that weren't covered in any of my other resources.

Exam Day

· I was REALLY anxious about PearsonVue, the proctors, and my potential bad internet connection but overall everything went really smoothly. I did have to show the proctor around my room via webcam after submitting the photos, but no hiccups otherwise.

· Almost every question was situational. I used the calculator once and that probably wasn't necessary. No EVM questions. A couple situational ones that mentioned CPI/SPI, but you just had to know at a glance if something was under/over performing.

· Supporting other users' posts, the test is definitely way more agile/hybrid then predictive· Most agile/hybrid was about Scrum, I didn't have any mentions of Crystal, xP, or Kanban

· I had a bunch of multi select and drag and drop questions, but the multi selects almost never required more than two answers. The drag and drops definitely slowed me down a bit

Overall

Get the PrepCast simulator, take at least 2 of the full length exams. Fully practice like it's exam day - as a windows user I had the exam, calculator, and microsoft paint up to emulate PearsonVue's system and that was pretty darn close. Get used to sitting still, not thinking out loud, etc so it's not on your mind during the actual exam.

Oh! And if you're impatient like me - you'll see your pass/fail at the end of your test but it disappears right away. Afterward you can navigate to the PearsonVue site where you entered the exam, on the right hand side it says "View Score Reports", and you can view the actual results. I guess the test results won't sync up with PMI's website for a few days.

I am a PMP! (5xAT)

I just passed today! Here is what I did to prepare.

I applied last October and put off the test a couple of times due to other obligations. The fire was lit when I realized I only had a couple more months left before my year window was to expire. I planned to read a chapter from the PMBOK and then watch the corresponding section from Joseph Phillips’ Udemy course, PMP Exam Prep Seminar - PMBOK Guide 6, one chapter per two days. It didn’t go exactly as planned and it ended up taking a whole month to finish. I also took the quizzes from Udemy and took 30-40 custom exams from Pocket Prep per section.

After I completed the PMBOK and Udemy course I started reading "PMP Exam Prep Simplified" by Andrew Ramdayal. I tried to do one chapter a night along with the quizzes. Some days I just wasn’t able to fit in studying so this also took longer than anticipated. I really liked the book, it was an easy read.

I also bought an EVM course on Udemy. Learn PMP Math EVM Concepts in 1 Hr to Dominate the PMP Exam by Garrett Heath. I would highly recommend if you are worried about remembering the formulas. I also watched the Vargus video twice to help understand the correct flow of the 49 processes.

I started practice exams about a month before my exam. I had planned to use multiple sources for my practice exams, but after reading that Prepcast was the preferred choice, I stuck with Prepcast. I had also planned on taking 12 practice exams. I quickly found out I didn't have time to fit this is. It was too difficult for me to schedule 4 hours outside of work and kids. In the end I did three practice tests (74.5%, 73.5% and 83%). After getting 83% less than a week until the exam I decided I didn’t want to take anymore. My confidence was high and I didn’t want to risk getting a lower score and having my confidence decrease.

Here are some non-study exam prep that I did.

• I took 4 days off before my exam to focus on studying. I did a lot less studying than I intended, but it was nice to focus on the material in the mornings and not have work stress on top.
• The day before I did minimal studying. I got a neck and shoulder massage at the mall and drank some de-stress tea.
• I went to bed at 9:30 and took some melatonin to help me fall asleep.
• It was tempting to roll out of bed and take the test in sweatpants, but I decided to feel confident I needed to look nice. I wore jeans and a cardigan and did my hair and makeup. 
• Before I went into the building I did a power pose for two minutes. It felt silly, but anything to help me stay confident was my goal.
• I took the first 10 minutes to write down all the processes and formulas. I think the act of doing it helped my confidence level by showing myself I knew what I was doing.

I have a few items that I’m no longer using. PM if you are interested.

• PMP ExamPrep Simplified: Based on PMBOK® Guide Sixth Edition by Andrew Ramdayal – $20
• PMBOK Sixth Edition – $30
• Prep Cast Simulator (active until December 14th) - $90
• BrainBok PMP 5-Exam Pack (active until November 14th) - $40 (I took a practice exam through this when I started studying last year. I panicked and bought Prep Cast, but now looking back at the practice test I took, I think I could have continued with BrainBok.

They do not. But if you are looking for cost effective ways of getting the contact hours is use udemy. They have a PMP cert class and it is less than $50 usually. Here is one that is popular.

PMP requires a 3-pronged approach.

1. Understanding the concepts, methodology and vocabulary. i suggest this Udemy at about $10 'on sale' https://www.udemy.com/course/pmp-pmbok6-35-pdus/

2. Practice questions and simulation tests in the format and style of the actual exam. i suggest this Book with an online component at about $10 https://www.amazon.com/Project-Management-Practice-Questions-Certification-ebook/dp/B07XV1N9VJ

3. And lastly Experience. PMP is a professional credential for those with solid 5+ years leading and directing project activities. You don't have to be a Project Manager by title, but the exam is designed to challenge those who are not experienced in the role. That is what the CAPM is for!

Now get back on that horse and ride...

Yes, Coursera will qualify, but you need to pay the $40 fee to get the certificate.

Most of the people take PMP courses in Udemy Academy for $15. The most appreciated are the courses by Joseph Phillips and Andrew Ramdayal. If you don't get these for $15, clean up your cookies on your computer and access the site again, until you get it at this price.

I found Joseph Phillips' Udemy course to be great and very engaging. Its been updated for this year's exam as well. Unfortunately, it's not on sale right now, but you'll occasionally see it drop down to about $10-15.

https://www.udemy.com/course/pmp-pmbok6-35-pdus/

just FYI, Udemy is having a sale right now. So it's $14 https://www.udemy.com/course/pmp-pmbok6-35-pdus/

You should also compare the cheap choices out there beyond the LinkedIn one. No personal experience, but many like this one for $13: https://www.udemy.com/course/pmp-pmbok6-35-pdus/

3rd attempt and finally passed AT/AT/AT (=yes, you can do it!)

Hi All,

I just wanted to share my experience with taking PMP, as OMG it was a difficult journey.

To my person - 3 degrees in business (1 done abroad with majors in projects, MBA with focus on strategy done in the UK, 1 in Finance done in the UK), few other certifications (scrum, prince2, itil, apm), \~ 7years experience in project managent (mostly in financial sector, predicive). And despite all this.. I failed twice!

First attempt in Nov - I thought, ok with so much experience and knowledge around projects, it should be easy. And I was very wrong (and arogant?)!! I read PMBOOK (somehow lost the focus after 3/4 of it), I got some past exams from a work colleague (who did the exam a years ago and passed on first attempt), did some free online exams, some questions bought on ebay and.. yup, I failed. I finished all the questions but was too slow. The exam had about 10questions to calculate (incl. network diagrams) and I hung too long on it. It was a hard and painful lesson.

Second attempt in Dec - I read through some forums on how to prepare. I flicked through PMBOOK again, I did udemy's Joe Philips' course (I did it only once, had \~ 60-65% in his exams on average), ashamed to say I didn't do the big 200qs exam. I thought I did well in the exam, my time management was great. It was a HUGE shock to see I failed it again. And also a huge headache thinking about how much money I lost and it was an absolute confidence killer.

Third attempt in Feb. I thought I definitely have to change my strategy. I was so embarrassed I didnt even tell anyone that Im taking it again... I was very focused on studying (from 10.1-27.2. at least 3hrs/daily-usually 5hrs and 8-10hrs on the weekends), as passing the certificate was important to reach my next career goal (and felt like a total loser not passing it twice and losing so much money). I read PMBOOK Agile part (and took notes), I did udemy Joe Philip's agile part (I later listened to it at 2x speed, also took notes), I also did all of his exams again (incl 1*180, 1*90 and agile qs), I read Rita Mulcahy 10th edition book (I did a few of her exams, not all of them), I installed/tested a few apps (the free ones were bad, I used one for a week that cost me £1.79 but deinstalled it later), I did a free PMP agile course and free 200qs test, I did Gina's pm1world bridge course (that she kindly offered for free) and..most importantly I used her pm1world simulator that was the major help to pass the exam (she also was so nice to go with me through questions I didnt understand).

A long post, I know. But maybe it will be useful for some people on here. I noticed that most of the posts on here are from people who passed the exam on the first try (congrats and huge respect to you guys!). However, I know how upsetting and self-confidence destroying it is not to pass (even twice!) and later how scary it is to take the last chance. Not saying about the anger losing so much money... But I think my example shows that with a lot of studying (last week before the exam in my case until 1-2am..), it is all achievable. Also, the issue is if you are not a native speaker and have educational background where MC questions are not that common (and if so, test knowledge i.e. definitions not understanding i.e. situational questions).

To summarize, my advice (in order of subjective importance to pass the exam):

1 - get some general knowledge

2- do A LOT of tests

- Udemy JP course (£10) - it was all very well explained, a lot of materials to dowload as pdf, possible to listen at 2X speed - a cheap source to get the overall knowledge on the topic that I found very useful, perfect for me as I am a self-studying type, I never liked sitting in a course at uni and rarely did.. https://www.udemy.com/course/pmp-pmbok6-35-pdus/

- PM1world simulator (5*180qs, 7*60qs, $ 59). I read about people on here using prepcast but found it too expensive (as already paid so much due to failing). I am so grateful Gina approached me on the PMP forum seing my desperation, as I feel I passed the exam thanks to preparing with these questions. The issue with questions at udemy, Rita's book, apps - they are not similar to those in the exam!! Rita's questions are too complicated, you wont get up to speed in the real exam, Joe's questions are too "easy" (as in, mostly asking about definitions of something), apps - I sometimes felt the answers are incorrect and had issues understanding the questions at all. I did PM1world all tests and it helped me gain the confidence. This was my #1 for the exam and I cant be happy enough I bought it https://pm1simulator.com

- PMBOOK Agile part (free) - it is a must! It is very compact, 90 pages so an easy read. It is very important to read it as the exam was agile heavy

- PM1world bridge course (was free, not sure if it is still now) - very well structured course with introduction to agile

- Free exam at PMI website (200qs, no agile part) - if you have access - it is important to try it

- PMBOOK (only if you like reading a lot) - it is free, so great, but getting though it is very exhausting, being on page 500 I forgot what I was reading at the begining

- Rita Mulcahy's book 10th edition (£69) - the book gives a good overview of the topics but the agile part is too less and I had the feeling it's chaotic. It was a good "refresher" for predictive but if you want to save money, I think reading PMBOOK or doing udemy JP course is sufficient. Also as written above, the test questions in her book were not good - much too complicated. And no, imo it will not prepare you for the real exam, as what really counts is speed and understanding short situational questions

- Free agile course at PMI website - I found it..bad. I did the beginning of it, and then just skipped to the questions (same quality=bad..)

-Mobile apps (£1.79/week) - as above, I tested a few, found them bad, used one for a week only. They were either very complicated questions or too easy, not similar to these in the exam (and I saw it before twice, right...). They were written badly - either too long, bad English or the answers seemed incorrect. Also I found better to use the simulators on the screen - gaves you the feeling of sitting the real exam

- "ebay questions" (£3.99) - as you probably read about my first attempt..they were just bad quality, not worth buying

About the exam - I found the exam difficult, actually thought my second attempt was the easiest. Honestly, PMP exam was the most difficult one I took in my enitre life (no, not exaggerating)! All questions were situation based, they were very agile heavy (more than 50%) and so happy they introduced 2 breaks! Also I would advise to take the exam in the early morning, as it is very exhausting. I passed with AT/AT/AT. It was a huge shock, as after my 2 attempts I thought I have failed again. So..never lose hope.

Good luck! :)

https://www.udemy.com/course/pmp-pmbok6-35-pdus/

35 hour

The 35 contact hours need to be through a PMI registered education provider (REP). I would recommend Joseph Phillip's Udemy course to get your 35hrs. It is a great resource and usually 'on sale' for about $10. https://www.udemy.com/course/pmp-pmbok6-35-pdus/

Edit: And contact hours do not expire. But once you start your application, you have 90 days to complete it. Once your application is approved, you have 1year to take the PMP exam.

this one? https://www.udemy.com/course/pmp-pmbok6-35-pdus/

Checked an hour ago and price is 18$.

Am I seeing the correct udemy course of J.Philipps? https://www.udemy.com/course/pmp-pmbok6-35-pdus/

the Joseph Phillips course on udemy is super popular on this sub, and that’s what I used! His lectures are good and he uses tons of examples when teaching. There’s also assignments, quizzes and practice tests.

https://www.udemy.com/course/pmp-pmbok6-35-pdus/

https://www.udemy.com/course/pmp-pmbok6-35-pdus/

https://www.udemy.com/course/pmp-pmbok6-35-pdus/

I've seen this course recommended a lot. I just started taking it so I can get my PMP but most of the "real" work won't be learned until you're on the job.

This satisfies your PDUs and it's only 11 bucks. Much better than spending hundreds on other classes.

https://www.udemy.com/course/pmp-pmbok6-35-pdus/

https://www.udemy.com/course/pmp-pmbok6-35-pdus/

Would agree with some responses in that other thread. So, you may just need to approach your attack. You can't really memorize the material for the PMP. You have to understand the why and how. You should be able to explain how every process ties together.

I studied close to a year off and on, and was able to pass. I used the below course and can't recommend it enough. I had a friend that failed and almost gave up. He took the course and passed. His original materials were just bunk.

I suggest take a few weeks off, and refresh. Then take take course below. The same provider also has a cram session you can get as well.

Good luck!

https://www.udemy.com/course/pmp-pmbok6-35-pdus/

https://www.udemy.com/course/pmp-pmbok6-35-pdus/ It was on sale a few months back

You would want to take this course

https://www.udemy.com/course/pmp-pmbok6-35-pdus/

Yes! Here’s one based on new exam format https://www.udemy.com/course/pmp-pmbok6-35-pdus/

https://www.udemy.com/course/pmp-pmbok6-35-pdus/

Here is the link

https://www.udemy.com/course/pmp-pmbok6-35-pdus/

Course on Udemy

Thanks!

I paid $12 for the course https://www.udemy.com/course/pmp-pmbok6-35-pdus/

You might be able to find videos on YouTube if you need help with situational questions. I don’t have ref materials since I only practiced using the PMI mock. Good luck!

Not really. I worked in project implementations for a few years without learning all the technical terms/processes. Joseph Phillips Udemy course is the best tool for learning project management from beginning to end in my opinion. Here is the link.

This is the course I did. pmp

Thank you so much!

- Read the PMBOK once (just read it, didn't take notes) to familiarize myself with the vocabulary and concepts.

- Read PMP exam Prep once (highlighted)

- Joseph Philipps Udemy - https://www.udemy.com/course/pmp-pmbok6-35-pdus/ (Took very detailed notes here)

Then I submitted my application.

- I did the practice exam in the PMP exam Prep course and my average was any 70%

- I did the Udemy practice exam at the end of the Joseph Philipps course and I did not find Exam #2 helpful (It was only about memorizing ITTOs) so I got a 55% on that, and about 65% on Exam #1.

- PMI PMP practice exam - First try I got a 60%, second try I got a 70%.

- The entire week before the exam, I reviewed my notes, reviews my exam scores and took more notes on them, reduced them to about 2 pages. Watched the Vargas video 3 times. Watched all of Aileen's videos on Youtube.

_

I finished the first part in 70 minutes, and used 10 minutes to review. Finished the second part with 30 minutes left, and used that 30 minutes to review my questions.

_

I had one ETC question which was straightforward, 1 network analysis questions (1 to determine the CP, one to determine the float of an activity), and 1 EAC question. All very straightforward.

Is this the class you took from joseph?

https://www.udemy.com/course/pmp-pmbok6-35-pdus/

i just bought this one PMP Exam Prep Seminar - Pass the PMP on Your First Attempt

and now im hesistant that i shoulve got the first link you posted, would love to hear people's experience

"One day" left of this sale: https://www.udemy.com/course/pmp-pmbok6-35-pdus/.

Is this the course you got from udemy?

udemy

It’s this one

By far it was:

1. Udemy - Joseph Phillips - PMP Exam Prep Seminar - PMBOK Guide 6
   • Using this Youtube video to create a 30-day study plan
2. PrepCast Exam Simulator

PMP Exam Mentor on my phone was also helpful, but since you can access PrepCast on your phone as well, that's what I used almost exclusively for the last week of prep.

Still over the moon! Passed PMP at Pearson testing center Friday evening!

Thanks to so many of you on this Reddit for your help and tips. I wouldn't have known about Rita Mulcahy's PMP Exam Prep (Ninth Edition) without you, and it was so key in helping me understand things in a different way. It was worth every bit of the $76 (and I'm giving it to one of my fellow test-takers now, so it's giving even more value.

What was even more amazing to me was all of the valuable inexpensive or FREE items that are out there, including Richard Vargas' Process Flow video AND downloads (AMAZING!), LinkedIn training videos from Sandra Mitchell and the Joseph Phillips Udemy course (It was on sale for $15.)

My main training (and the way to get the 35 hours) was PM Prepcast. For me, it was informative, but it was a SCHLOG. If I had to do it all over again, I might have started with JUST Joseph Phillips. No offense to the folks at Prepcast, but it's just more engaging to have a real live person that just the audio.

I passed with AT/AT/AT/T/BT, so it IS possible to pass with one BT domain (but of course, closing is the one with fewer questions, so I'm sure if I had been BT with others, that wouldn't have been the case. All that mattered is that I saw "Congratulations" at the end. I had to stop myself from squealing with joy/surprise, because I had been doing pretty poorly on practice exams up until about two days before the test. Then things started clicking in. Sandra Mitchell's explanation of how to determine float made WAY more sense than others I had seen. Don't know why, but suddenly, I'm now a critical path/forward pass/backward pass queen.

As for my experience at the test, I have been VERY hesitant to leave my house during COVID-19, so I was nervous about going to the testing center, but I am SO glad I did. It gave me the chance to just focus on the test instead of worrying about if my cat or husband would disturb me. And because it was a controlled setting, I felt calmer, for some reason. Pearson center in Altamonte Springs, Fla., could not have been better about masks/hand sanitizer/social distancing/cleaning lockers and keys, etc.

I arrived at 2:30 for my 3 p.m. test. They asked that you wash your hands and turn off your phone prior to coming in. They check you in, check your ID, take your photo and you lock your stuff up in a locker. Then you proceed into the next check-in point where you show your pockets are empty, that your mask is clear. I asked her for earplugs, which were provided. (They also offered sanitized over-the-ear, noise-canceling headphones.) Then you go into the room where the proctor gets you set up. You MUST wear your mask the whole time over your nose and mouth. She told me if you move it, you get a warning, and with three warnings, the test ends. I never got a warning, so I don't know what happened. NOTE: I did ALL of my practice tests with my mask on to get used to it.

I DID do the quick training session about the test and how to flag/highlight words/cross out answers/access the calculator - and was glad I did. It helped me calm my nerves.

I got a laminated sheet and marker which was plenty of space for a quick brain dump when the test started. You can NOT start using that until the test starts. I didn't write all 49 processes- just wrote down my 5 groups and 10 knowledge areas, some quick equations, communications channel equations, and then jumped in.

You get a break at 90 questions. Keep in mind that leaves you 110 questions to answer after the break, so plan your time accordingly for the first half so that you have time for the brain dump and any review you want to do on questions. You can't go back to the first half after the break.

FYI, it's only a 10-minute break, so don't dawdle, because that includes time for them to search you again. Basically, use the restroom, wash your hands, grab a sip of water and head back.

I was behind on time when I came back, so for the second half, I just trusted my gut more and didn't flag as many questions. I felt more confident, too.

Overall, I thought the questions were easier and shorter than many of those the practice exams, especially those in Rita's or PM Prepcast. (Apparently, I was right, because I PASSED this one!)

Thanks again to everyone on here who shared their experience with me. Hopefully, this will help someone else! :)

Passed today!

Passed on my first attempt. A mix of AT and T. My brain is mush.

To prepare:

• Took the Joseph Phillips udemy course: https://www.udemy.com/course/pmp-pmbok6-35-pdus/
• Answered every MeasureUp practice test question: https://www.measureup.com/project-management-professional-for-pmbok-guide-sixth-edition.html (WOULD NOT RECOMMEND, questions are too simple)
• Watched the Vargas video on youtube about the process flow: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GC7pN8Mjot8
• Did this free process puzzle once: https://www.arkatay.se/tools/puzzle/pmbok6-process-puzzle.html
• Paid for Prepcast Exam Simulator a few days out, and did as many practice questions as I could (probably 500 of the 1600).

​

Lessons learned: everyone has a different test, so just prepare the best you can and then get a good night's sleep. Trust your gut. And don't get discouraged if you start feeling like you aren't sure how you're doing on the test, because you're probably doing just fine.

A Procrastinator's path to PMP. Bonus content: Rant about Pearson Vue Proctoring

​

Passed PMP test few days ago – T\/AT\/AT\/AT\/AT\/AT

STUDY PLAN: Approximately six weeks of study. Averaged 2 hours a day for the first five weeks. The last week put in 4 hrs/day and the day before the exam, devoted the full day. All domestic responsibility was transferred entirely to my partner’s portfolio during the last week.

INITIATION: 2 years ago, I had breezed through Joseph Phillips UDEMY course at 1.5x speed to get the 35 PDUs needed for the application. Did not submit the application till PMI sent a gentle reminder in 2019 that my application is about to expire, a year after starting it.

Hit submit on the application in Oct 2019. PMI sent back a lightning fast return volley within seconds of submitting the application with the good news that I have been selected for an audit. Great! Was planning on becoming a PMP in stealth mode, without knocking on the doors of my retired bosses who are managing gardens and grandkids these days instead of corporate projects. No, PMI would have none of it.

I was given a 3 month window to submit audit materials. Procrastinated and mulled about the worth of becoming a PMP for 2.5 months then in the end decided to take the leap after all. Submitted all the documents with required signatures & certs at the end of 2.99 months. PMI sent back a super-fast response again stating I passed the audit, even before their email confirming my audit package receipt was delivered to my inbox.

PLANNING: All amped up by my own audit performance and PMI’s superior customer service, I auspiciously chose an exam date at my neighborhood test center for May 2020. Giving myself abundant study time of 6 months, 5 of which was to be spent on mental prep of taking a test after 20 years of not taking any tests. Became a religious follower and reader of r/pmp, up-voting every post.

Then C19 struck. Like many gullible, easily excitable folks, at first, I too was thrilled at the prospect of taking the test from my own bedroom. Got an online test date at the end of June.

Spring sprung; I became a foot soldier in the global WFH exercise like many of you. Three kids under high school age thirsty for attention and knowledge (just like their parents) made things more interesting. Started working longer hours at work because I was working comfortably in my PJs and dress shirt and no one was leaving their desks at 5 pm anymore.

Panic started setting in mid-May, my June end test date was fast approaching. I barely remembered what Joseph Phillips' face looked like.

EXECUTION, MONITORING & CONTROLLING : Started going through the study material listed below in earnest. Read all the r/pmp posts twice or thrice to scour any information I might have missed.

Study material I used:

1. Joseph Philips UDEMY course. Joe is such a calm steady teacher. I liked to keep moving forward with him. Took all his quizzes during my second run. The questions are good, although they are more verbose than real PMI questions.
2. PMBOK guide. Wished I had started reading this earlier. It suites my learning style, which is learning on my own. I work in STEM, facts and dry logic make more sense to me than talkative text (except when I write it myself, like this long winded post), the rest I research, explore and figure out. PMBOK guide + Google for further explanation.
3. r/pmp – Use search on this sub, almost all the answers/info you are looking for have already been posted by someone. Video links like Vargas process flow video, multiple free sources of PMP tests, free study material and notes compiled by fellow aspirants in Google Docs.
4. Praizon videos by Phil . His EVM video was the best and easiest video to remember the formulas
5. Rita’s book, cloud edition for 6 months, bought it two months before the test, finished each chapter and did the tests. While it is helpful, Rita’s book is a bit too chatty for my style. Chapter end quizzes are good though.
6. PREPCAST Exam Simulator Highly recommended. Bought it 3 weeks before the exam. Did a lot of timed tests in smaller quantities first, 20 or 30 questions at a time. Averaged about 65-75% on those. The last week I took 4 out of 7 full tests. Scores started at around 71 % to 86% for the last one. Realized I was a fast test taker, I usually finished 200 questions in 3 hrs. Made notes on the questions I was wrong on and the ones I answered right just by pure luck.
7. After all that Prepcast I felt I was ready for PMI’s 200 Q free test. Finished it in 3 hrs as usual. 68% and failed was the message that awaited me at the end. The questions were brief, but I felt that PMI mock test answers were on a different page than Prepcast when it came to change management. This did disturb me a bit because there were only a couple of days to go for my real test.

On the exam day, logged in 20 min before my appointment time. Repeated the same system check I had done as a test run a week before. After taking photos of the workspace with my phone and the system check was deemed successful, kept my phone in do-not-disturb mode, plugged in at the far corner of the room, out of reach. Interaction with the proctor and the test started only after this. Once you are on the clock you cannot move away from your seat. Used a Lenovo touch screen laptop with wireless mouse, didn't use touch screen, used it as a regular laptop.

After 89 questions, a quick review of marked up questions and 75 minutes later, took the break. You get a 10 min break with the option to skip the break. Please take the break. You can get up from your seat and go out of the room. I took a bathroom break, had some Gatorade, lied down in bed (in another room) for a couple of minutes and came back. The webcam will be on the entire time of the test, even when you are on your break. Ignore it during the break - those are your 10 minutes of freedom. LOL.

Didn’t use whiteboard, highlighter, strike-off or any of the app features during the test. Not a highlighter type of a person. Didn't use the calculator, no question was mathematically challenging to be not able to do it in your head. I did mark up the questions for review knowing that I would probably have time at the end, which I did. I finished all 200 Qs in 3.25 hrs, did the review of the marked-up questions for half an hour and finished the exam with 15 minutes to spare. Didn't think I would pass as there were only a handful of questions, I was absolutely sure that I chose the right answer. So was happy to see Congratulations screen show up at the end of the test.

Bonus content: I lost some precious minutes when I had run-ins with a proctor in the second half. 3 proctors changed during my test. The first two were women and were gentler. The first lady called me unprompted (on my end) using the webcam audio when I told her my internet has been acting up at my home lately and I was concerned how it would affect the test. This was before the test started. They will not call on your cell phone. If needed they will contact you using the testing app, that’s why you need a computer with a mic and a webcam.

The last proctor- a man, almost made me want to quit the test. He said he will issue one warning for resting my chin on my index finger if I do it again my exam will get canceled! WTH?!? My ears or mouth was not covered. I had only one finger under my chin like this photo. I couldn't figure out the logic of kicking people off a test because one of the proctors got their panties in a knot over a common human 'thinking' posture . I wonder what kind of script and training Pearson Vue proctors have to adhere to?

I calmed down by telling myself that this proctor had nothing to lose. He probably had to meet a month end quota of X # of suspended test takers to get his performance bonus. I had everything to lose if I lost my cool now. Somehow, I got my breathing and blood pressure under control, had both my elbows resting on the table almost like a human statue and managed to get through the rest 100 questions by moving only my mouse and eyeballs.

I even took the survey (I don't usually do surveys) after the test hoping that I could provide some feedback on Pearson Vue proctoring. But the survey had no place where I could provide proctoring feedback, so you have to suffer my rant.

CLOSING : Here's a fair warning to all potential online test takers – While taking the test act like a robot commandeering a mouse and you will be okay. Human like gestures or postures trigger the worst in proctors. Better still take the test at a test center if the option is available, thereby you can also avoid the notorious technical glitches. Thank goodness I didn’t have to encounter those as well. I had decided during the test that if I failed it, which I was almost sure I would, the next time I will be taking the test at a test center not online, even if I had to drive 4 hours to get there.

Received official email notification and PMI profile updated after a week. Can see the results right away under your profile at Pearson Vue website. Lessons learned archived.

tl;dr – Passed PMP after 6 weeks of study. Was audited and passed the audit. PMI customer service is good. Pearson Vue proctoring for online testing sucks.

I used Joseph Phillips for the CAPM and just passed my test. I assume that his course for the PMP is just as good as the one for CAPM, and it's currently on sale for $15.
https://www.udemy.com/course/pmp-pmbok6-35-pdus/

Sorry to piggyback on this post, but can anyone pls confirm if this https://www.udemy.com/course/pmp-pmbok6-35-pdus/ course can also be used to satisfy CAPM educational requirements?

https://www.udemy.com/course/pmp-pmbok6-35-pdus/

make sure to get a promo code, should be less than $20

after you get your hours, there are lots of ways to study, and this sub answers the question well in its various posts. the prepcast simulator was my favorite.

https://www.project-management-prepcast.com/pmp-exam/the-pmp-exam-simulator

Joe's udemy offers good value for the money, its a available now for $14, and can always be found on sale on Udemy.

The prep classes and simulators advertised on pmi.org are wayyy over priced. pmtrain, prepcast, etc. just too expensive, not worth the money.

here is the winning combo, total $25:

• 1). Joe Phillips Udemy (currently $14) https://www.udemy.com/course/pmp-pmbok6-35-pdus/

• 2). This book of practice question comes with access to online simulation tests (kindle/ebook $10) https://www.amazon.com/Project-Management-Practice-Questions-Certification-ebook/dp/B07XV1N9VJ

Joe's Udemy has review questions that are accurate and correct, but are not challenging enough, nor do they explore the depth and situational nature of actual PMP exam questions.

The recommended book will supplement nicely by providing the questions in style, format and content of the real exam. Definitely worth a $25 investment for both.

The prep classes and simulators advertised on pmi.org are way over priced. pmtrain, prepcast, etc. just too expensive, not worth the money.

here is the winning combo, total $25:

• 1). Joe Phillips Udemy (currently $14) https://www.udemy.com/course/pmp-pmbok6-35-pdus/

• 2). This book of practice question comes with access to online simulation tests (kindle/ebook $10) https://www.amazon.com/Project-Management-Practice-Questions-Certification-ebook/dp/B07XV1N9VJ

I can't speak at all to the link you posted, but I know many people who used Joseph Phillips' Exam Prep on Udemy. He does a great job with the content if you're new to it and you can get the 35 Contact Hours. My only complaint is that he's a little slow but you can speed the videos up on the site. https://www.udemy.com/course/pmp-pmbok6-35-pdus/

I'm sorry BUT at least you now know how the questions are. Like u/andmypurplecrayon said, it really is about knowing which process you're in and the next step you should take. Take a look at your score report on Pearson and you will see where you excelled vs where you didn't. This quick and inexpensive boot-camp https://www.udemy.com/course/pmp-pmbok6-35-pdus/ helped to jog my memory quite a bit. Enjoy your drink and I think just taking the exam counts as an accomplishment! You'll ace it next time:)

Sure happy to share.

I bought below courses on Udemy.

1. PMP Exam Prep Seminar - Pass the PMP on Your First Attempt
2. PMP Exam Cram Session - Updated for the 2021 PMP Exam

I just passed PMP yesterday, and the most impactful resource by far was Joseph Phillips Udemy course. I paid 2k for an online bootcamp last year, and while it did help some, it wasn't nearly as good as the Udemy course. If I could do it over again, I would do Udemy, and find as many free practice exams as possible. Then go for it.

https://www.udemy.com/course/pmp-pmbok6-35-pdus/

I did this one. https://www.udemy.com/course/pmp-pmbok6-35-pdus/

I'm not saying its the best. Its certainly pretty brutal to sit through, and you'll probably want to bump up the play speed to 1.25 or 1.5x, slowing it when needed. But I passed the test without doing anything except listening to the lecture.

UDemy has sales like every month, so I've never paid full price for a class.

Not aware of local PMP classes, but I’d highly recommend this course in place of classes: Joseph Phillips’ Udemy Course

This online course is ~$10 and fulfills the 35 hours of education for the exam. I also highly recommend checking out the r/PMP subreddit. Lots of tips and tricks, but also study plans and other resources. Happy to help with any questions you may have!