How to Get PMP Certified
Written by Crae Wilke
What is Required to Take the Exam?
A four-year degree
36 months leading projects
35 hours of project management education/training or CAPM Certification
OR
A high school diploma or an associate’s degree (or global equivalent)
60 months leading projects
35 hours of project management education/training or CAPM Certification
35 Hours of Project Management Education/Training
There are many options available to meet the 35 hours of project management education/training. One of the most cost-effective and flexible options is a self-paced course from Udemy. Two standout options from Udemy are the courses led by Joseph Phillips and Andrew Ramdayal. Each course offers similar content and has their own pro’s and con’s. For my training, I completed Joseph Phillips’ course. However, if I were to redo my training I would take Andrew Ramdayal’s course, because of one additional section he offers. Andrew’s course offers a section called the PM mindset (more details on this later). The section focuses on the mindset a PMP needs to have to be successful. After completing the course you have technically met all criteria to sit for the exam. However, I highly recommend some additional studying.
Tip: Udemy regularly offers discounts on their courses. If you aren’t in a rush to take the exam you should be able to get one of these courses for around $20.00.
Final Studying and Mock Exams
Andrew Ramdayal’s mindset videos: This group of video is all about the mindset that a PMP needs to have to be successful. I HIGHLY recommend watching this group of videos 3-5 times. Trust me on this! This mindset will help you greatly on the exam and will make narrowing down answers on the exam much easier.
Mock exams: Prepcast or AR TIA mock exams are a great way to test your knowledge. I personally did the AR TIA mock exams and am very happy I did. There are 6 mock exams with 60 questions each. For any questions you get wrong there is a video explaining the correct answer.
YouTube: This is more of a nice to have item. If you are a looking for extra study materials, visit Andrew Ramdayal’s YouTube channel. Every week he uploads a new PMP session where he discusses various topics, including practice questions.
Tip: Fast forward to the last 20 minutes of the recording and he will walk through 10 or so sample PMP questions.
Submitting Application and Taking Exam
Submitting Your Application: It is important to submit your application as soon as you can. PMI states that it can take up to 5 days to review your exam. Exam dates, especially those on weekends, fill up very quickly. My recommendation is to select an exam date that is close to when you finish your study materials, this way you won’t risk losing any knowledge. Taking the Exam: I completed the online exam for my certification. Here are some tips:
Do the system check that is provided by Pearson’s ahead of time.
Ensure your desk space is neat and tidy. The exam providers are strict about what can be on your desk and surrounding area (read Pearson’s exam guide)
Log into the exam up to thirty-minutes ahead of time to ensure everything is functioning as expected.
Have a backup plan: second laptop, backup internet source, etc
Overall, I had a pleasant experience completing my exam online, and wouldn’t mind doing another online.