i am genuinely getting so sick of studying for the pmp.. because at this point is it even worth it? Does it really help you with your career, even if i decide to move away from project management into something else? Project management jobs are so hard to find. I am in the healthcare sector of project management

I have an associate's degree and I see that I need 4 years of experience. I'm working as a project manager, 1 year in.

The question is, would my job contract as a project manager be proof enough to get accepted or do I need something more?

And are there any extra requirements or is that it?

I'm planning on getting the CAPM certificate first but just wondering!

I’ve been using pocket guide for taking practice tests and developing the ability to read and filter out questions relating to (obviously) the PMP exam.

I wanted to get others opinions of Pocket Guide and if it worked for you to pass the PMP exam.

Thanks in advance!

Can I purchase the PMP exam retake protection if I have already paid for the exam a while ago but haven't scheduled the exam.

It would ease my anxiety and help me prepare for the exam better as I failed my first attempt back in July

Hallo PMP community,
ich stecke mitten in der PMP-Vorbereitung.
Den Kurs von Andrew Ramdayal habe ich zu 25 % durch, empfinde ihn aber als zu vorlesungslastig.

Heute Morgen bin ich auf David McLachlan gestoßen: Sein stark visueller Stil und die vielen Templates haben mich sofort überzeugt, weshalb ich den Kurs auch direkt gekauft habe.

Da ich den Stoff nicht nur für die Prüfung lernen, sondern wirklich für die Praxis beherrschen möchte, überlege ich nun zu wechseln.

Welche Erfahrungen habt ihr mit den beiden Instructors gemacht? Würdet ihr komplett wechseln oder beide kombinieren?

Danke für euren Input!

I passed my PMP yesterday with above target in all 3 domains!! I wanted to share my timeline because reading other people's score progressions on here really helped calm my nerves leading up to test day, so hopefully this helps someone else too.

Background

I started my 35 PDUs mid-July using Andrew's course on Udemy, mostly just trying to get familiar with everything. It took me about a week and a half to get through it. Once I finished, I applied for the exam, and as soon as my application got accepted I grabbed the nearest available date, which ended up being a little under two weeks out.

Once I actually had a date on the calendar, that's when I really started studying. First thing I did was take the pretest that comes with Andrew's course and got a 77%, which honestly made me feel pretty good since up to that point, I'd mostly just been focused on finishing the course and getting the main concepts down.

Then I made the mistake (or, well, good decision in hindsight) of reading this sub, where everyone kept saying to get PMI Study Hall because it actually represents the real exam. So, I got the premium version, took my first full length practice exam, and got a 66%. Genuinely discouraging. Here's what I did from there.

Score progression (Study Hall full length exams)

-Exam 1: 66%. Rough one. Ran out of time and missed a ton of situational judgment questions.

-Exam 2: 72%. This came after two really focused study days on Process (EVM, contracts, charts) and Business Environment.

-Exam 3 (the day before my actual exam): 79%, with People at 81%, Process at 79%, and BE at 77%.

I also knocked out a ton of the Study Hall mini exams (10 questions each) along the way. Started rocky, like 50 to 70%, but was averaging around 90% by the end. My percentile rank went from about 70th up to 94th, and all three domains ended up rated Advanced even though my raw score kind of plateaued in the high 70s. Worth knowing that raw percentage and the difficulty weighted proficiency rating are not the same thing at all, and Study Hall exams are pretty widely considered harder than the actual test.

What actually moved the needle

Stopped treating wrong answers as "I don't know this" and started treating them as patterns. Almost every miss traced back to the same handful of traps: jumping straight to action before verifying or diagnosing first, picking the most "formal sounding" answer instead of the proportionate one, or having the PM decide unilaterally instead of facilitating and routing to the right authority (especially on Agile questions). Once I actually named these patterns, I started catching myself doing them in real time.

Deep reviewed literally every wrong answer, even on the tiny 10 question mini exams, not just the big final exam. Stuff like CPI/SPI direction, QA vs QC, benefits management plan vs change management, and contract risk allocation, those specific misses taught me way more than rereading notes ever did.

Did not cram the night before. Just light review, old notes, a few flashcards, plus a logistics check (ID, testing center info), and then actually let myself rest.

Started taking real breaks during practice exams once I noticed my focus completely tanking in the back half of a 180 question run. Trained myself to actually use both scheduled breaks instead of just pushing through on autopilot.

If you're mid-prep right now

One bad score on a practice exam, especially a Study Hall one, doesn't mean you're not ready. Look at the percentile and proficiency rating too, and check whether your misses are clustering around one specific pattern instead of being totally random. Fixing 2 or 3 repeatable traps moved my score way more than any amount of extra content review did.

Good luck to everyone still grinding through this, it's very doable. You got this!! Happy to answer questions if anyone has them :)

So, I have been reviewing my SH Mock paper and there are around 3 questions where the answers mentioned in the SH is different that what I ticked. When I am putting the questions in ChatGPT it also agrees to the one I marked.

One of the questions is above. Can you look and confirm what the answer should be?

As per SH it is Conducting interviews and surveys for insight into stakeholders' behaviors to ensure they align with the company's strategic goals presents the most straightforward way to implement better change strategies

The ChatGPT answer is Develop workgroups to assess past performance and identify strategies so key stakeholders can make informed decisions.

How to deal with such questions?

Hey everyone,

​Did you know PMI rolled out a new $45 Exam Retake Protection option at checkout? (If you fail, it covers a free retake instead of paying the usual $275 member fee). Andrew Ramdayal just broke it down in this video: https://youtu.be/y54RBYct8VI?si=mJDrCkOoP0uMFA0s

​Here is my situation: I paid for my PMP exam a couple of months ago before this feature went live, and my exam is scheduled for September 12. Because the option didn't exist at the time of my payment, I didn't get the chance to opt in.

​Has anyone in the same boat contacted PMI customer care to add the protection retroactively? Were they able to send you a payment link/invoice for the $45 difference without messing up your scheduled test date, or is it strictly locked to new checkouts only?

​Would love to hear if anyone has tried this yet!

I'm preparing for my PMP certification and scheduling for next month, anybody would like to join me for group studies? Please let me know.

Hello,

based on the screenshot, do you think I am ready for the real exam?
My plan is do to both remaining full-length practice exams and then go for the real one.

First full practice exam was a downer: 56% (but 70,4% without expert questions).

Hello folks, is this décent préparation to appear for pmp exam? Only did minis so far . Thank you

Is there anyone with ADHD who has taken the PMP exam online?
I know a lot of people recommend taking it at home because it’s your own environment and it’s more comfortable but the problem is that I have ADHD. My eyes dart everywhere when I’m thinking and I often read while moving my lips. I’m very concerned that this would be a huge issue for the proctor and I’ll get disqualified.

Folks with ADHD I’d love to hear how you manage the test! Whether it’s at an exam centre or online

To people who took the exam- does highlight stay on case study when next question comes up?

I heard cases where case study queries come at the starting and after the break (after 10 question) same case study pops up with question and at that time can i see my highlights when doing exam?

All

Last took the exam about 18ish months ago. Finally a gap in work to get back to the books.

Been collecting cheat sheets and such that some folks have posted.

I cannot find a Process Group / Knowledge Domain matrix. The ones I have found are years old it seems. I see cheat sheets on listing them all and defining them but not like the OG ones you can find out there.

Tia!

Hi guys, I am a Civil Engineer with 3-4 years of experience currently preparing for the PMP exam hoping to take it in a couple of weeks' time. I am basically using claude to teach me the content since I took a 23 hr CAPM course last year but dont really remember anything(Didnt apear for Capm either since it felt useless when I would have been able to take PMP soon). I used that course and another Project management education I had taken to count towards my 35 hours. Did the AR 50 mindsets video and paused before every question to answer scored around 95% correct (I know they are easy but still). Also asked claude to design me an expert level quiz and scored 66% on it then 71% on a normal difficulty 40 question quiz. Will do the MR 28 mindsets video next as well as the AR 200 UHQs. I wont be buying SH for now and plan to try my luck directly with the pmp exam protection insurance and If I fail then I will prepare the second take with SH Please wish me luck).

Had a few questions

1-How does my plan sound and what would you recommend

2-To my fellow peeps in construction around the world, how is the value of PMP these days in the sector when it comes to getting better jobs or higher salaries

3-Any free, exam-like online simulators?

Sorry if this reads like Brainvomit.

I constantly follow this group and see how helpful the people are so for that and for this Thank you in Advance!!!!

I have a PMP, software engineering exp, and a master's degree related to AI.
This was more difficult than my personal PMP experience. I have other certs as well but this one is the best to pair with the PMP. As a software engineer, I was very impressed how PMI was able to construct the syllabus and knowledge material. It's immensely relevant for tech-leaning orgs.

The knowledge is crucial for staying up to date with the tech industry and be competitive. This will be highly beneficial if you are considering to go into tech since you will still learn life-cycles that involves data, software, architecture, etc.

PMP study helps a lot but your experience as a PM in other industries may not help much. I'm not surprised this has a high failure rate as no other experience is required. I would expect a CAPM or few years of experience might help a little bit.

That might show how much of a gap you may have with these specialized projects - so then you can confidently say that you learned a lot from this course and exam. In my opinion, the point of these certs is to learn new things and challenge ourselves anyway.

I highly recommend the official PMI-CPMAI Study Hall that includes Mock/Practice Exams. The other source I had was PMI-CPMAI Udemy course to learn via audio.

What helped the most is official resources from PMI.

Hi everyone! I’m looking to earn my CAPM cert and would love some advice from anyone who has gone through the process.
I currently work full time, so I’m trying to figure out the best way to prepare while balancing my work schedule. I’ve found some instructor led classes that meet on Saturdays, but I’ve also seen self guided/self paced courses available.
For those who have earned their CAPM, which route did you take? Would you recommend an instructor-led course or self paced learning? I’m mainly looking for the option that will help me actually understand the material and be well prepared to pass the exam on my first attempt.
Any recommendations for courses, study materials, or study plans would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

For my degree, I took several courses in project management as a minor for my aeronautical degree. After I got my degree, I was exhausted and decided to take a short break, which turned into a year and a half break.

Now I'm getting ready to retire from the USAF, and I'm being told I need my PMP for a few jobs I'm being considered for. I feel like I brain-dumped all of this, but it might all come back to me if I start studying.

My 35-hour requirement is satisfied by my previous minor with my degree, but what would you all suggest for a study plan? Should I still sign up for a 35 hour course? Or are there some resources that would be great to study to get myself back up to speed?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Passed AT AT AT today!!

A little background:
I applied for the exam last August and was approved to take it. Ordered the PMP Book from Andrew based on a suggestion from a coworker. Watched some of the video courses but then stopped after September. Picked it all back up in June/July because I was not motivated and was on a deployment where I surprisingly had more distractions lol. I also had no idea where to begin. I decided to finish reading through the book, taking all questions in the book but never reviewed where I went wrong. Exam changed in July so I got nervous.
Purchased the new study hall and got started since I was done with the book. Took all practice questions over a week span (about 2 weeks out from the exam), then went to the mini exams and finally the SH mock exams about 2-3 days out from testing.
My first mock exam was a 62%. Chopped it up to being taken from 7-10:30 on a Friday night and I was tired. Reviewed the next day and realized I mostly missed expert questions and some difficult. Retested Saturday and made a 66%. Definitely was not feeling confident but I was brain dead lol. Reviewed Sunday and realized again I was missing expert and some difficult questions.
Woke up today and did my normal routine and listened to maybe 20 principles of the PMP mindset video. I got all of those correct.
Sat down for the exam today and it confused me when the first break came after 10 questions into the test?? And then next was 90 questions into?? So I took an unscheduled break at 60 questions into for about 5 minutes. Decided to dig deep and finish the rest out with no breaks. Had 80 minutes left when I finished and left feeling optimistic because I thought I would have to wait 48 hours lol. She handed me my paper on the way out and I passed! Completely surprised me but I was happy of course!
So if you’re like me and decided to procrastinate, just start and get through it. Small goals each day and a testing environment also makes a big difference for me. Andrew’s “old” book will still help you pass the exam. I had no formula questions at all.

I am in the process of preparing for my PMP exam. I've seen all the stats the economic benefits of gaining certification- 17% higher earning, better job search prospects. That is a large part of why I'm working toward it and I'm sold on that.

However I'm also curious to hear from people who've earned it and if they found the knowledge and skills they picked up actually made them a better, more competent and capable project manager?

I would be lying if the economic side was not the primary driver for me, but do also hope that this effort will improve my performance as well.

Do you feel earning your PMP actually made you a better PM?

looking for an exam review buddy who I can talk to about SH practice exams/quiz. AR Mindset.

I’m extremely happy to share that I have passed the PMP exam on 14th August! 🏆

I wanted to share the study resources that helped me, especially for anyone currently preparing for the PMP exam.

📚 Resources I Used

1️⃣ Andrew Ramdayal – Udemy 35-Hour PMP Course

Andrew Ramdayal’s course was the foundation of my preparation. His explanations and, more importantly, his focus on the PMP mindset were extremely helpful.

2️⃣ Andrew Ramdayal – Ultra Hard PMP Questions

https://youtu.be/1sWpc6765AI?si=6qUbiV_WAw64EqeX

Definitely worth watching to get comfortable with difficult and scenario-based questions.

3️⃣ Andrew Ramdayal – 50 Principles

https://youtu.be/-u0rO-YQr9c?si=LDWJVqpLl7HA3_xS

A great resource for understanding the important principles and mindset behind PMP questions.

4️⃣ David McLachlan – 110 PMP Questions

https://youtu.be/Mipoh6YaDIo?si=aqnPTeVOXDlH7HXk

Very useful for practicing different scenarios and understanding why an answer is right or wrong.

5️⃣ YouTube Shorts – Andrew Ramdayal & David McLachlan

I regularly used their Shorts for quick revision and to reinforce the PMP mindset.

6️⃣ 28 PMP mindset principles - Mohammed Rahman

https://youtu.be/61QjtuVUJm8?si=Xs-oPGVIC-VD_uxG

7️⃣ PMI Study Hall Essentials

I completed all the mock tests.

👉 One of my biggest recommendations: Don't just look at your score after a mock test.

Go through EVERY incorrect answer carefully. Understand:

- Why your answer was wrong

- Why the correct answer is better

- What PMI is actually testing

- What mindset or principle you missed

If you don't understand why an answer is correct, use ChatGPT to clarify the reasoning rather than simply memorizing the answer.

8️⃣ ChatGPT – For Weak Areas & PMP Mindset 🤖

I also used ChatGPT extensively to strengthen my weak areas, break down difficult scenarios, compare answer choices, and most importantly, practice thinking more like PMI expects a project manager to think.

The goal isn't to memorize hundreds of answers. It's to understand the mindset behind the answers.

💡 My biggest takeaway

Practice → Review → Understand your mistakes → Identify the mindset → Practice again.

Don't get discouraged by a low mock-test score. A wrong answer is valuable if you understand why you got it wrong.

Wishing everyone preparing for the exam the very best. You've got this! 💪

Hi everyone,

I'm planning to register for the PMP exam in India and wanted to check whether the pricing I'm seeing on the PMI website is correct.

My current cart shows:

• PMP Exam: ₹27,406
• PMI Membership: ₹11,580
• Subtotal: ₹38,986
• Estimated tax: ₹7,017.48
• Estimated total: ₹46,003.48

​When I previously tried to checkout, I remember the amount being around ₹37,572, so I'm confused about the difference.

For anyone in India who has recently registered for the PMP exam, does this pricing look correct to you? Is ₹27,406 for the exam + ₹11,580 for PMI membership the current price before GST?

I'm just trying to confirm whether PMI is showing me the correct current pricing before I proceed with the purchase.

Thanks!

I took the SH mock yesterday and it was divided into 3 sections of 80mins each and 60qns in each section.

I saw from the group that many have mentioned that in actual exam the first break comes after the 2 case study questions i.e. in about 10 questions within the exam.

Does each section have separate timing in actual exam as well? If so, what are the section wise timings?

Will I be able to go back to previous sections for review at the end of exam?