r/PMPprep

Hello everyone

so I have been thinking about getting my pmp for a while and as everyone else i thought of getting it before it changes in july.

however im now thinking about actually going for the new exam to maybe have first mover advantage?

even though there's not much to study in terms of material but ive seen that it hasnt changed much other than the integration of Ai and the higher focus on business enviorment section which - this part i think is managble with the current accessible materials-

what do you guys think has anyone taken the new test? did you pass? what did you notice about te questions?

I’m signed up to take the test this Saturday. My desk is clean but I’ve spent more time studying for the PMP than I have cleaning my room and am wondering if I should dedicate some time to cleaning it (mostly piles of stuff I need to free cycle - I do clean the floors and dust).

Any advice for me?

Hi guys,

I’m currently preparing for the PMP exam and I’m planning to take it by the end of June 2026.

At the same time, I’m also doing an MBA, so I’m not able to dedicate 100% of my time to PMP prep right now.

I’ll be taking the exam in English, which is my third language.

Yesterday, I took my first PMI Study Hall full-length mock exam (Exam 1) and scored 68%.

I also tried to classify my results according to the 2021 ECO domains:

People: 72 % (56 correct questions / 78 total questions)

Process: 69 % (42/61)

Business Environment: 58% (21/36)

In addition :

Easy (correct questions / total questions) : 28 /29 (97%)

Moderate : 55/73 (75%)

Difficult : 33 /58 (57%)

Expert : 3/15 (20%)

Do you think 68% is a good starting score?

Approximately how many study hours would I still need to be ready by the end of June?

Any advice or recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Actually I'm overwhelmed by plethora of content now. have used claude extensively and made a few Claude HTML file like this one apart from the obvious sources like MR Mindset , AR ,DM (youtube videos) also i have study hall essentials. but still having FOMO of Third3rock notes.

do i really need those or I'm having enough material? can someone having those noted confirm am i missing onto something or is just overthinking.

TIA.

I just paid for SH essentials but I can't find it anywhere in my account. When I search for SH, it says that I'm subscribed to it and there's a "View in account" button but when I click it, it just takes me to my personal information and I can't find SH anywhere.

I came across this question:

An agile team is halfway through a two-week sprint when a critical security vulnerability is discovered in a third-party library they use. The product owner insists the current sprint goal must not change. What should the project manager do?

a. Support the product owner in re-prioritizing the sprint backlog immediately to address the critical vulnerability, even if it changes the sprint goal.

b. Instruct the team to continue with the committed sprint backlog and plan to address the vulnerability in the next sprint.

c. Form a separate task force outside the sprint to fix the vulnerability so the main team can focus on the sprint goal.

d. Document the vulnerability as a high-priority item in the product backlog for the next sprint planning session.

-> Agile principles state that a sprint in progress should be protected from changes to allow the team to focus. However, option A suggests re-prioritizing the sprint backlog even if it changes the sprint goal. Doesn't this contradict the core Agile principle of sprint stability?

I got audit in my PMP application and was asked to submit the contact Hr/PDU certificate. I finished the Udemy course by Joseph Philips, the certificate says 35 PDU but 30 hrs. while checking with PMI agent they said this would not be accepted and my application will be rejected. Anyone faced same issue? Can i get Udemy certificate updated?

Passed the exam took it this morning. Feels good now studied for about a month and half.

-AR 35 hour course

-PMI Study hall (70%,67%) did some of the mini exams. Exam felt a little easier than SH.

-DM question on YT

-AR mindset

This all that I used. Don’t underestimate exam fatigue it is real take your 10 min breaks walk it off. I had trouble with the last 15 question I could not concentrate anymore

First 60 question had 170 minute left

120 had 100 minute left

Finished with about 45 minutes left.

I feel like if you understand it you shouldn’t take all the time

Good luck to everyone still’s studying don’t give up.

Hey y’all — thought I’d share a few tips and lessons that helped me through my PMP prep and the exam itself.

Overall, the entire process took me around 2.5 months. Honestly, I’d say about 2 months of focused and disciplined preparation is enough for most people. (I'd like to add that around 2 years ago, I had enrolled for the Google Project Management certificate course and cleared the basics modules. This gave me a base to start with. This is not at all necessary, just stating that it had helped me personally with PMP terminologies).

1. My Primary Prep Source

I used PMTraining for both the 35 PDUs and exam preparation. I attended Danilo (“Dani”) Chaparro’s classes, and he was genuinely instrumental in helping me clear the exam.

I did not use additional resources like PMI Study Hall or Andrew Ramdayal’s materials — although I’ve heard great things about both. My preparation was based almost entirely on PMTraining’s mocks and course content, and personally, that was sufficient.

---

2. Read PMBOK 7 + Agile Practice Guide

I read through:

• PMBOK Guide 7th Edition
• Agile Practice Guide

Read it cover to cover, carefully, just once.

For people who are new to project management or transitioning into the field, this is non-negotiable. It helps build the PMI mindset rather than just memorizing answers - and this is key.

Note: PMBOK 8 is expected to replace Edition 7 in July. A lot of concepts surrounding AI is expected to be added. So you may wanna take it soon if you’re prepping now.

---

3. Don’t Memorize — Understand

This exam is less about memorization and more about understanding how PMI expects a project manager to think.

A useful question to constantly ask yourself is:

«“What would PMI expect the PM to do here?”»

That mindset shift makes a huge difference.

---

4. Take the PMP Application Seriously

Make sure you get expert guidance or feedback on your PMP application before submitting it.

A rejected application or audit can become stressful very quickly. The exam payment only opens after the application is approved, so getting this step right is extremely important.

In many ways, the application is step 1 of the PMP journey.

---

5. Schedule the Exam Quickly

Try not to wait too long after completing your prep classes.

A lot of PMP preparation is perishable knowledge. The longer you delay, the easier it becomes to overthink concepts and lose momentum.

---

6. What PMI Usually Prefers in Answers

In many situational questions, the better answers are usually the ones that:

• Follow a defined process
• Avoid unnecessary escalation
• Prioritize collaboration
• Focus on analyzing, evaluating, facilitating, or communicating before acting

---

7. Trust Your First Instinct

In many cases, your first answer is correct.

Avoid constantly changing answers unless you find a very clear reason to do so.

---

8. PMI Values Servant Leadership

The PMP mindset is heavily centered around:

• collaboration
• facilitation
• team support
• servant leadership

Not command-and-control management.

---

9. Watch Out for the “Odd” Answer

Sometimes one option feels slightly unusual compared to the others.

Interestingly, that can often be the correct answer because PMI sometimes tests your ability to think beyond instinctive operational reactions.

---

10. Flag Only When Necessary

If you genuinely cannot decide, flag the question and revisit it later.

But avoid repeatedly second-guessing yourself on every difficult question.

---

11. Use Elimination Aggressively

Very often, you can eliminate 2 options almost immediately.

Doing this early makes the remaining choices much easier to evaluate.

---

12. Read the Actual Question First

Most PMP questions contain a long scenario.

Usually, the final line contains the real question being asked.

Read that carefully first before getting lost in the story/context.

---

Hope this helps someone preparing for the exam.

I ended up performing better than I expected, and I’m sure many of you can too.

All the best to all future PMPs!

My application was just accepted! I did AR 35 hours on Udemy, I now need some advice of how to prepare for the exam in 2 weeks. I also bought ThirdRock study notes. Any help is appreciated 😊

Background: I sat the pilot exam for the new PMP format on 30 January with minimal prep (it was a 20% cashback offer with a free retake, so I treated it as recon). Got Below Target on People and Process, Target on Business Environment.

Now retaking properly on July 20.

Current resource stack:

Andrew Ramdayal YouTube course as the spine

Mohammed Rahman and David McLachlan as supplementary

PMI Study Hall (new format aligned)

PMBOK 8, Agile Practice Guide, Process Groups Practice Guide

Any gap in this stack?

Looking for a study partner also on the new July 2026 format. Want someone for weekly mock debriefs and async wrong-answer discussions. If you also took the pilot, even better, I want to compare notes.

Comment or DM.

I just decided that I will start studying for the PMP exam tomorrow following a 30 day plan in order to test for the exam before the new one comes out. 

I have PM experience but never committed to getting certified until now. Would love to have someone to practice with throughout this process!

Looking for realistic advice from people who’ve taken the PMP while juggling major life events.

Background:

- 2+ years as a Full-Stack Developer

- 1 year as a Technical PM

- Currently working as a PM for 1+ year

- Pursuing an MS in Business Analytics

- Already completed my 35 PDUs

- PMP exam fee already paid

- Have PMI Membership

- Purchased PMI Study Hall Plus

Current situation/timeline:

- Today is May 8

- Last working day before paternal leave: May 15 (Friday)

- Returning to office: June 15 (Monday)

- Baby expected anytime after May 20 (I am the father)

- Last semester of my MS — only 2 exams left:

- May 18 exam → probably needs 1–2 days of focused prep

- May 21 exam → only a few hours of prep needed

- After May 21, my MS is completely finished

- Eid ul Adha week is also around May 27

- Until May 15, I still have some time daily to study for PMP as well

I’m trying to decide when I should realistically schedule the PMP exam.

Initially I was thinking around mid-June, but I’m not sure how much the newborn phase will affect study consistency and exam performance.

For people who’ve taken PMP with a newborn, finals, demanding jobs, or similar responsibilities:

- What exam date would you target in my situation?

- Is early/mid June too aggressive?

- Would you take it before returning to work on June 15?

- How much focused prep time did you actually need in the final month?

- Since I already have Study Hall Plus, how much should I rely on it versus other resources?

Would appreciate honest and practical advice rather than motivational answers. Thanks!

Wanting to share my experience pursuing the PMP exam and the struggles I’ve had throughout the process. Throwaway account for obvious reasons.

I started studying in December with a PMTraining course. The instructor was very nice, but I honestly did not leave the course feeling any more prepared for the exam than when I started. The course covered the material, but it didn’t really teach the “PMI mindset” or what actually needs to be understood to pass this exam.

Since then, I’ve watched almost every David McLachlan video and really like his teaching style. His templates and explanations have been a huge help in bringing structure to projects at work, along with helping reinforce what I’ve learned. I’ve also used Study Hall extensively, completed all of the prep questions, and consistently struggle to score above 60–70% on practice questions and exams. Reading others posts on this sub I thought I might be able to pass, I guess not. I tried some AR content as well, but I struggled to stay focused with some of the explanations.

At this point, I’m really struggling to get into the “PMI mindset.” As someone with a learning disability who struggled through college, this has honestly been one of the hardest things I’ve ever tried to accomplish. I know that I'm an object learner and cannot wrap my head around this exam content. A lot of this exam feels more like psychology than managing projects in the real world, which has been incredibly frustrating for me.

I’ve spent over 100 hours studying, finally took the exam, and it was an epic failure - NI in all categories on taking the test today. I genuinely do not know where to go from here.

The entire process has honestly been a challenge from start to finish - the application, scheduling with the testing center, accommodation coordination, the extended scheduling timelines, and then the actual exam experience itself. My accommodation is paper testing with extra time in a quiet room to limit distractions, which already makes scheduling significantly more difficult because PMI requires someone onsite to manually enter the results as I go. Im not even in total silence. The process itself has been exhausting.

The absolute worst part of this entire experience was my originally scheduled exam on 4/15/26. I took the day off work, arrived to test, and the first question of of the exam setup did not match what was in the system. Escalated this to the proctor and PMI needed to investigate what went wrong. As a result, the exam had to be scrapped and rescheduled. There was literally no way for me to take the test on the date I had originally scheduled.

Any recommendations are welcome.