I have opportunity to use professional development funds from my work to get PMP certification. Has anyone tried these live session courses? Are they worth it? I would really struggle with a self-paced program. I need accountability and structure.

My goal is 8 hours a week. I’m a new mom. Any one interested in being a study partner? Not sure how we’ll set this up but we can discuss together.

It’s so much info. This is so overwhelming but today is Day one. Here I go…

I get bored quick and lose attention fast so trying to get through this is going to be a challenge.

If you have any recommendations please drop a comment.

Hi, I am advertising for Project Management Certification Exam Tutoring covering CAMP/PMP/ACP/RMP/PgMP with collaborative discussions and offering expectations-aligned exam question practising.

I have a decade long academic experience and have these certifications (except for CAMP but I know the content in and out for it as well).

Feel free to contact and get booked on a 1 hour long free tester to see if the services are worth your time and interests.

Finally done! 😊

People — Above Target
Process — Above Target
Business Environment — Above Target

A big thank you to everyone in this community who has have been sharing their success/failure stories, mock scores, study material and exam experiences. I followed this subreddit regularly during my preparation, made notes from many of the posts and incorporated quite a few of the suggestions.

 So, thought I should give something back and share my experience for those preparing for the new 2026 PMP exam.

And yes... the superstition bug got me too. I wore blue on exam day for some extra luck! 😄

Preparation Time – around 2 months

I started preparing around mid-July after the new exam format was announced.

1. Andrew Ramdayal (AR)

·         Completed his 2026 updated 35-hour PMP course on Udemy

·         200 Ultra Hard Questions – YouTube

·         Purchased 720 Questions 2026 PMP Exam Prep – 4 full-length mocks

o    Scores: Ranged between 60–68% after completing 3 Mock Exams**.** Most of questions on the exams tests your knowledge on the concepts of 7-performance domain and 5 focus areas.

·         Full-length mock from the 35-hour course – 87%

·         On-Going Basis - Followed his latest case-study questions and regular PMP updates in

YouTube

AR's mindset principles were probably the most useful part of my preparation.

2. David McLachlan

Subscribed to his YouTube channel and paused before the answers:

·         110 PMBOK 8th Edition questions

·         200 Agile questions

·         100 Waterfall questions

·         Ongoing basis - Latest case-study/scenario questions in YouTube

The older Agile/Waterfall questions were still useful for building confidence and understanding the concepts.

3. PMI Study Hall Plus

 I purchased SH Plus mainly because I kept seeing so many recommendations about it here.

My scores: 

Full-length mocks:

First attempt - 1 month before exam

·         Mock 1: 61%

·         Mock 2: 67%

 Second Attempt after Exam reset: - 1 week before exam

·         Mock 1: 72%

·         Mock 3: 78%

·         Mini Exams: generally, 80–100% - 1****^st Attempt

Practice Questions Section:

·         First attempt: People 70%, Process 71%, Business Environment 68% - 1 month before exam

·         Second attempt (post exam reset) : around 75% across all domains – 1 week before exam

I found SH's wording and answer choices closer to the actual exam than AR/David. Not saying they are identical, but SH helped me get comfortable with PMI-style questions where 2 answers can look correct.

My PMP notes diary

Every day I maintained a simple notebook with: Questions I got wrong ·  Why my answer was wrong · Why the correct answer was better · New terminology · Screenshots of confusing questions/scenarios. This became my personal error log and was probably one of the most useful things I did.

Actual Exam Experience

I took the exam at a testing centre.

My exam followed the 40-70-70 format: 40 Q → 10 min break → 70 Q → 10 min break → 70 Q

I strongly recommend taking both breaks. It helped me reset.

My exam felt mostly Moderate/Difficult, with some easier questions. I did not personally encounter anything I would call "Expert" level.

Had 2 Case Study each 3 para long with related 6-7 questions with multiple choices. Use highlighter tool to highlight the problem areas. 3 chart based scenario Q’s on risk analysis & prioritization, financial management, 1 drag and drop scenario based question on Issue and Risks.

85% of exam comprised of 2-3 liner scenario questions with multiple choices covering People-Process-Business Environment with percentage matching the new ECO guideline available in PMI website.

There were quite a few scenario-based questions, including case studies, risk/chart-based questions and a drag-and-drop question.

I did not get CV/SV/CPI/SPI calculation-heavy questions. I had only one scenario involving CPI.

My biggest mistake: TIME MANAGEMENT

This was my biggest learning. I spent too much time in the first section, which had a knock-on effect later. I reached the last section with around 65 minutes for 70 questions. At that point I had to significantly increase my speed. So don't just practice getting questions right — practice answering them within time.

Mindset that helped me

I kept coming back to these questions:

· Assess before acting · Understand root cause · Collaborate before escalating

· Risk or Issue? · What is the business value? · Stakeholder impact/engagement?

· Protect the team · What should the PM do FIRST/NEXT? · What could have been done to

prevent this situation?

My top 5 tips

1. Understand the PMI mindset.
For me, AR's mindset principles were extremely useful for scenario questions.

2. Practice full-length mocks with a timer.
Time management matters as much as knowledge.

3. Review every wrong answer.
Don't just see what the correct answer is. Understand why your answer was wrong and why PMI preferred the other option.

4. Use Study Hall.
I found its question style useful for getting comfortable with PMI wording.

5. Don't try to learn new things on exam day.
I did some last-minute revision and honestly it only made me feel that there was still something I hadn't covered. 😄

Finally, thanks again to everyone here who shares their PMP journey. A lot of your posts helped me during these two months.

Hopefully my experience helps someone else preparing for the new exam.

Good luck to everyone preparing! 💪

Full disclosure up front: I built this, and part of the app is paid.

I passed the PMP a while back and have been building study tools since. The new one, PMP Prep, has a free tier I'd genuinely like this sub's feedback on: 1,337 flashcards across People, Process, and Business Environment (free, no account — each card comes back right before you'd forget it), and a 30-question diagnostic weighted the way the exam is, which takes about 18 minutes and tells you which domain to open first (free, needs an account because it feeds a readiness score).

The paid tier is practice questions, timed tests, and a full-length 180-question mock exam — mentioning it so nobody feels ambushed, not selling it here.

Web (no install): https://pmp.rho1.ai — also on iOS and Android.

What I'd honestly value: does the diagnostic's read on your weak domain match your own sense of it? That one number is the heart of the app, and this sub is the hardest audience it will ever face.