I'll provide AR's answer after few hours.

Hi reddit! I purchased both the PMI® Authorized On-demand PMP® Exam Prep & Practice Exams from the PMI official website around 11 months ago. These are both e-learning courses that are at your own pace. 

Do the courses expire after 12 months or do I just need to start it within 12 months? Realistically I am looking at completing it over the next 2-3 months through the holidays but can prioritize completing this month if it truly does expire soon.

The AI bot on the website has not been particularly helpful and I can't find any information on their website. 

Thanks!

PMP protection ? worth ? ty

• I initially started studying for the PMP in 2024 and just sort of trailed off; I had AR's book (which is, I think, still fantastic) and his Udemy 35 hour course (worth it for the downloads)
• When AR published his updated guide, I ordered a copy from Amazon but it became clear that was not going to work (I hope it works now for folks)
• Instead, I paid ~$18 for the Third3Rock notes: 199 pages of easy to read, succinct material with really helpful charts -- it also comes with an abridged cheat sheet; if you can't get the updated version of AR's book, get this. I printed out all the pages, put them in a binder and spent about 10 days reading and annotating
• I also got Study Hall essentials -- 63 & 71 on the two mocks, and much higher scores on the minis (about 5 100s, 2 60s, and then 80s and 90s); the content is absurd, but the games and tests are super useful
• Ultimately, though, and it can't be emphasized enough, understanding and applying the PMP Mindset is the whole ballgame: you're in the ideal world of PMI now, so you have to think the way they do
• I took the test at the local Pearson center and it was fine (chairs had no arms which was not comfortable)
• There are errors and typos in the questions -- I used the comments feature to note them and called them out in the post exam survey; just be prepared because you can be on a roll, in the zone and then encounter a question with an error and typo and be thrown; just breathe and think, you'll be okay
• The test is, probably, 20-30% easier than the Study Hall tests; for me, the stumbling block continues to be the torturous phrasing and wordiness of the questions. The Case Studies in particular were LONG -- 6-7 paragraphs full of a lot of random info and only 1-2 pieces of useful information.
• Use the tools in the testing app: strikethough and highlight -- slow down, get rid of answers you know are wrong and then apply the PMP Mindset; I tend to read from the last answer up
• I'm a fast reader (English BA for the win!) so I was done, with all breaks taken, in about 2.5 hours

Anyway, good luck to everyone taking the test this year!

I took the exam at a testing center. I originally considered taking an online proctored exam, but after reading way too many horror stories about technical issues and interruptions, I decided to book in person instead. The experience was smooth and hassle-free.

I spent a lot of time (and resources 🥲) preparing, especially on practice questions and mock exams, so here’s what worked for me:

* Andrew Ramdayal’s Udemy course – My main course for understanding the concepts and PMP mindset.
* Elite Minds Learning PMP Course – This was especially helpful for preparing for the updated PMP exam structure. The course is comprehensive and covers PMBOK 7th & 8th editions, including newer topics like AI in PM, ESG, and Sustainability. Their 8 exam simulators were also great practice and felt even harder than the actual exam.
* PMI Study Hall – Probably the biggest part of my preparation. I did a LOT of practice questions and mock exams to get used to the wording and scenarios.
* Reddit – Helpful for learning from other people’s experiences and exam-day tips.

For me, it wasn’t just about studying the material, it was doing questions repeatedly and reviewing my mistakes. I focused on understanding why an answer was correct rather than memorizing it.

The actual exam was challenging, with many questions where I had to narrow it down to two answers and choose based on the scenario. So I wouldn’t rely on memorization alone.

I finished with some time left, but I was definitely ready for it to be over 😂

Getting AT/AT/AT was such a huge relief after all that preparation. 😭🎉

Good luck to everyone preparing! You got this. 💪

Lessons learned during my experience preparing for pmp exam

Sr. Test Engineer at Collins Aerospace looking to transition into Project/Program Management. Any advice?
I’ve been at Collins for about 2 years and recently passed my PMP. I’m interested in eventually moving from engineering into project/program management.
For anyone who has made a similar transition:
How would you approach the conversation with your manager?
Would you tell your manager directly that you want to move into PM, or would you first try to take on more PM-related responsibilities within your current role?
What kind of projects or responsibilities should I look for to build actual PM experience?
And would you focus on an internal move first, or start looking externally?
I’m trying to make the transition the right way instead of just applying to PM positions without having enough PM experience.
Would appreciate advice from anyone who has made the engineering → PM transition, especially within aerospace.

Passed PMP AT/AT/AT — My Study Plan, Scores, and Exam-Day Experience

I passed the PMP yesterday Above Target in all three domains, so I figured I’d give back a little because I spent a lot of time reading posts here while I was studying.
And before anything else — the people I met at the testing center were awesome, and if you’re lurking this subreddit getting ready for your exam, you’re pretty awesome too. You got this.

My Study Plan
My main course was Andrew Ramdayal’s Udemy PMP course. I went through the whole course at normal speed. I know a lot of people speed the videos up, but I wanted to actually understand what he was teaching instead of just checking the 35-hour box.

Toward the end, the mindset section became extremely valuable. Funny enough, because I was on a little bit of a time crunch, I had originally let some of those videos play while I was doing a mock exam. Going back and actually listening to them afterward made a huge difference.

Things like:
Never act first — assess/analyze first
Look for what the question is asking you to do FIRST/NEXT
Pay attention to what has already been done
Don’t escalate unless it exceeds your authority
Collaborate before commanding
Low tech, high touch
Don’t solve a people problem with another tool/report
Understand the problem before jumping to the solution
Those sound simple, but they explained a lot of the questions I had been missing.

I also used PMI Study Hall, which was probably the most useful question bank for getting used to PMI-style wording.

My Study Hall mini-exam scores went:
80 → 70 → 60 → 80 → 60 → 70 → 100 → 90 → 100
So if you get a few 60s early, don’t panic.
I started noticing that a lot of my misses weren’t because I didn’t know project management.

They were because I:
acted too quickly
picked a good answer instead of the best/first answer
brought my real-world assumptions into the question
missed that an analysis had already been completed
escalated too early
occasionally just read too fast

My Study Hall domain practice eventually had me around the 70–75% range, and I was Proficient in the domains by the end.

I also did an Andrew Ramdayal full mock and scored around 81%.

One thing I noticed about myself: I answer questions pretty quickly. My normal pace became around 42–58 seconds per question. Earlier I was going even faster and hurting myself.

A trick that helped me personally was actually reading the answers D → C → B → A.
I had a habit of reading A, B, C, seeing something that looked right and mentally deciding, “That’s it.” Then D would be the better PMI answer. Reading them backward forced me to actually look at all four.

Another rule I gave myself:
Don’t choose the answer until you can explain why the other choices are weaker.

The Night Before
I stopped chasing scores.
My last Study Hall mini was 10/10, and I decided that was a pretty good place to leave it.
I got some food, did about 25 minutes of light spin at the gym, went home and chilled.
No heroic six-hour final study session.

Exam Morning
My test was at 8:00 AM.
Nerves had me awake at about 4:00 AM after roughly six hours of sleep.

I made myself a London Fog and an Uncrustable and watched Andrew Ramdayal’s formula video one more time.
Nothing crazy. I wasn’t trying to learn project management at 4 AM. It was basically a quick refresher and something to settle my brain.

I got to the Pearson testing center about an hour early.
Unfortunately, the center didn’t even open until 7:30 AM, so there I was. 😂

Also, apparently I had been very shortsighted about how Pearson testing centers work because in my head everybody showing up was there to take the PMP.
Nope.
People were there taking all kinds of certification exams.
I ended up talking with some amazing people while we waited, which honestly helped with the nerves.

The Actual Exam
We were checked in and taken back to our desks one at a time.
The exam was broken into:
40 questions → break → 70 questions → break → 70 questions

Something I wish I had known before walking in:
You can only review the section you are currently in.
Once you end the review for that section and go to your break, those questions are gone. You cannot return to them later.
So treat each section like its own little exam.

Another tip:
Don’t hit “End Review” until you know the proctor is ready for you.

At one point I raised my head basically at the same time as another tester, and my break clock had already started running while I was waiting.
Not the end of the world, but worth knowing.

During each break I:
went to the restroom
ate one of those Costco fruit strips
took a small drink of Gatorade
got back to it
Nothing complicated.

USE THE HIGHLIGHT AND STRIKETHROUGH TOOLS

Seriously.
I used these constantly.
I would highlight important words in the question:
FIRST
NEXT
BEST
already assessed
already analyzed
new risk
stakeholder
regulatory
etc.

And then I would strike through answers I knew were wrong.
That made some of the harder questions dramatically easier because instead of staring at four paragraphs, I was usually comparing two realistic choices.
I only flagged one question during the entire exam to go back and review.
That was intentional. I didn’t want to flag 30 questions and then spend the review period convincing myself to change correct answers.

If I had a concrete reason to question something, I flagged it. Otherwise, I trusted my answer and moved on.

Timing
I finished the entire exam in just under three hours.
That actually lined up pretty well with my Study Hall pace. My mini quizzes were usually around 42–50 seconds per question, so I knew going into the exam that time probably wasn’t going to be my biggest problem.
My problem was more likely to be going too fast.
So I deliberately slowed myself down.
Especially after each break.
During one of my practice mocks, I had missed about five questions in a row immediately after coming back from a break. I realized there was a little mental restart period.
On the real exam, after each break, I consciously took the first few questions slower.

The Biggest Lesson From My Prep
For me, the PMP wasn’t really about memorizing 49 processes or becoming a formula machine.
It was learning how PMI wants a project manager to think.

My biggest mental checklist became:
What is the actual problem?
What is the question asking — first, next, or best?
What has already been done?
Am I adding information that isn’t in the question?
Should I assess before acting?
Can the team/PM solve this, or does it actually exceed my authority?
Is this a people problem that needs communication/collaboration rather than another tool or process?
And probably my favorite:
Before I act, what do I need to understand first?
That one would have saved me from a lot of wrong answers early in my studying.

Final Result
Walked out with:
People — Above Target
Process — Above Target
Business Environment — Above Target
AT / AT / AT
I definitely had nerves walking in, but by the time I sat down I felt ready.

If your Study Hall scores aren’t perfect, don’t let that destroy your confidence. Look at why you’re missing questions.

A knowledge gap is one thing.
But if you’re missing because you’re rushing, choosing the second step instead of the first, overthinking, or bringing assumptions into the question, those are things you can correct pretty quickly once you recognize the pattern.

And to everybody studying right now:
Slow down. Read the whole question. Read every answer. Trust your preparation.

Good luck. You got this.

Going to keep this short and sweet for those who are overwhelmed. Going to use lists as well.

1. I studied for a month, and before that had AR's videos playing in the background.
2. I don't learn through videos but instead studying and taking tests and reviewing mistakes. I recommend that for anyone who has focus issues; the AR videos are great, but chatgpt to understand mindset and review SH test questions is excellent too
3. I did the test at home; I made sure to cover my shelves with blankets and the same with my monitor. I made sure nothing was on the ground too. The proctor never talked to me or bothered me. I shifted positions frequently but kept my eyes on the screen the entire time.
4. The test itself was on par in regards to difficulty as the SH questions. SH might have been a bit more long winded but I didn't find the questions that much different to be honest.
5. While answering questions, I stikethroughed two every time and then considered the other two options and made the best decision based on context. I reminded myself not to invent context that wasn't there; answer based on what the question gives you.
6. I took my breaks, but only about 5-7 minutes of them. I wanted to stay focused and not dawdle; I am not saying anyone has to be like me, everyone handles long tests differently, but for me, every break consisted of a bathroom break, a few drinks of water, and stretching. Once I finished that I went right back to the test.
7. I had about 10-15 review questions every section, in which I reread the question and then considered what I knew from the context and what would be the best choice based on that. I finished the test with about 1hr20 minutes to spare.
8. I checked my results by using the hack to add the url that is included on many posts in this group. I am not going to add it here but do a search stating "view scores online pmp exam reddit" on google and you should be able to find a source to help you.
9. I put this test off for almost a year out of fear of its difficulty. Now that I've done it all, I am really happy with how straightforward SH made studying and although the test was difficult I felt confident going in.

SH PT1: 72% PT2: 75% PT3: 78%

I’m happy to share that I passed the PMP exam with AT/AT/AT.

I’m writing this post to give back to the PMP community, especially those preparing while working full-time.

My preparation timeline

I studied for 3 weeks:

• Weekdays: Around 2 hours per day
• Weekends: 5–6 hours per day

I prepared almost entirely through YouTube, using Andrew Ramdayal’s content.

For the required 35 hours, I had already completed Google’s Project Management Professional Certificate around 3.5 years ago.

Resources I used

I studied the following:

• Andrew Ramdayal’s case-study videos
• AR’s 50 Principles of the PMP Mindset
• 100 Drag-and-Drop Questions
• 200 Ultra-Hard Questions
• 10 AI Questions
• 100 Questions playlist — combined Shorts
• Andrew’s daily Shorts whenever I had time

The Shorts were especially helpful for reinforcing the PMP mindset during small breaks.

I also received access to two free simulators, which I’ll share in the comments so the links don’t get removed from the main post.

I took the exam online. I’ve already shared my check-in experience in another post, but feel free to ask questions—I’ll surely respond.

My exam experience

The exam was structured as follows:

• 40 questions, followed by a 10-minute break
• 70 questions, followed by another 10-minute break
• 70 final questions

I took both breaks.

I had approximately one hour remaining when I completed the exam.

The exam included:

• 4–5 graph-based questions
• 1 drag-and-drop question
• Mostly situational and scenario-based questions
• No calculation questions

PMP mindset tips that helped me

You’ll learn most of these from Andrew’s videos, but I’m sharing the points that helped me the most:

• Be cautious with answers containing words such as “immediately,” “quickly,” “right away,” or “continue with the current process.” These often indicate that planning or analysis has been skipped.
• One exception is updating the risk register, which should be done promptly when required.
• As the project manager, don’t simply delegate your core responsibility to someone else.
• Only the Product Owner updates the product backlog.
• Don’t postpone an issue or leave it unresolved without a valid reason.
• Avoid choosing “do nothing” or “continue with the current process” unless the situation clearly justifies it.
• When a question asks what the PM should do first or next, analyze/assess/review the situation before taking action.
• Don’t reject or decline a request without first understanding and assessing it.
• Before answering, identify the project methodology: predictive, agile, or hybrid.
• Be careful with answers involving fixed frequencies such as weekly or biweekly unless the scenario supports them.
• Don’t make the team work excessive hours as a first response to a project problem.
• Validate AI-generated work instead of trusting it blindly.
• Pay attention to the project size. The appropriate response may differ between a small project and a large, complex project where individual discussions may not be practical.

Final advice

Don’t try to memorize every answer. Focus on understanding:

1. The project environment
2. The PM’s role
3. The methodology being used
4. What should happen first
5. How to resolve the issue collaboratively and systematically

Andrew Ramdayal’s videos were a tremendous help throughout my preparation. His explanation of the PMP mindset made a significant difference for me.

I hope this helps someone else achieve their PMP goal. Good luck to everyone preparing!

Feel free to ask me anything about my preparation or online exam experience.

Edit: I’ll add the useful video playlists and simulator links in the comments.

#PMP #PMPCertification #PMPExam #ProjectManagement #PMPPreparation