So you wanna be a PMP?

[vetvso]

So, I hear that you want to be a PiMP, PMP. 'cause you know all the ladies, guys, and the non-binaries are very attracted to PMPs. A PMP stands for Project Management Professional. This is considered the gold-standard certification for a Project Manager. This is a highly attractive certification and the requirements are steep. This post is a guide on how to GET the PMP through a method I feel is the best way to pass. It's not about learning the proper way, etc. It is about passing. 

I am a certified PMP and this is how I would do it, if I had to do it all over again. 

How to Qualify
Two ways. 

No BA Degree - You need 5 years (60 months of experience), a high school diploma, and 35 PDU course. 

With BA Degree - You need 3 years (36 months of experience), and a 35 PDU course (or CAPM). 

How to get 35 PDUs / What to buy
Hands down Andrew Ramdayal's course is by far the best. The reason? The mindset section. Andrew's course is long, but, well worth it.  He's very thorough. He makes great metaphors and comparisons. His training is focused on making you a better project manager, and having you learn about the perfect world PMI thinks we live in. 

His course is on Udemy: https://www.udemy.com/course/pmp-certifi...h-edition/

If you purchase his book, PMP Exam Prep Simplified: Based on PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition, you get the course for free! Perfect if you want literature. 

You may use other courses. However, I tried multiple and didn't connect to them. Joseph's course was the worst and unorganized. 

You can get this for around $20. 

Do I need a boot camp?
Don't waste your coin. I can bother you 10x a day asking about your Udemy training for that $2000 instead. 

Great! Andrew's course is done. What do I do next?
Now that you finished Andrew's course, purchased his exam simulator. Click here to be taken to that page. This costs $40. 

1. Take Mock 1. 
   
2. Review what you got RIGHT and WRONG. Each question has a video with Andrew explaining what you got right/wrong and how to come to the answer. 
   
3. If you score under 50% go back to Andrew's course and rewatch the MINDSET section. 
   
4. Take Mock 2. 
   
5. Review what you got RIGHT and WRONG with the videos again. 
   
6. Review the mindset again. 
   
7. If your score is above 60% take Mock 3. 
   

If after Mock 3 you are still scoring below 70% review the FREE material.

Review FREE PMP Material

• Ricardo Vargas' PMBOK 6 guide to ITTOs - FREE This video is legendary. This is a great video to watch once or twice. It explains the ITTOs well.
  
• PMP with Ray Situational Questions - FREE Highly recommend. It builds into Andrew's mindset well. Sometimes the mindset doesn't apply, and it's still situational. His tips are ON the dot.
  
• PMP with Ray Servant Leadership - FREE I liked this video on top of Andrew's. It was good practice as Andrew kind of glazes over Servant Leadership in his course. Joseph Phillip's didn't even cover it when I took his course.
  
• Andrew Ramdayal's YouTube videos. FREE Go over the last few weeks of his practice questions and him explaining it. I always miss his lives, but, they were super helpful. I'm making a list of the last few I used below, the link will take you to the CORRECT timestamp.
  
  • December 14, 2021
    
  • December 7, 2021
    
  • November 30, 2021
    
  • November 16, 2021
    
  • November 9, 2021
    
  • November 2, 2021
    
  • October 26, 2021
    
  • October 19, 2021
    
  • October 12, 2021
    
  • October 5, 2021
    

I finished the free material, what next?
Now go back to the TIA Exam Simulator and take MOCK 4. Keep reviewing the videos of what you got right and wrong to solidify the reasoning and rationale. 

Your goal here needs to be to score 65% or more. Again, watch what you got right and wrong. These videos will continue to help solidify the reasoning and the rationale of what you got right and wrong. You need to eventually finish all 6 mock exams. Once your average score is 65% and above (don't worry if your first mock or 2 is low) you are READY to take the exam. 

A 65% - 70% should get you a low AT/AT/AT pass. 70-75% a medium AT/AT/AT pass, 75-85% semi-high AT/AT/AT pass. 85% + Not gonna break a sweat.

Application
You should do your application sometime before the Mock exams, but probably right before you finish Andrew's course. He gives instructions on his course how to do the application. It takes 5 days to get approved. If you get audited you may need to get signed letters from former bosses to prove your experience, and the certificate from Andrew's course. 

PMI Membership
Since you're on this forum you likely have an edu email. Sign up for PMI's student membership. It's very cheap and it gives you a discount on the exam. 

The Exam
You can do it in person or online. I did it online with a proctor from Pearson OnVue i had a good experience. I finished with over an hour left, close to a hundred minutes left. This approach depends on your test taking style.

If you have scored well on Andrew's simulator, answer these questions similar to how you did the simulator and move on. I find reviewing questions to be distracting as I will talk myself out of the right answer. Maybe you need the review, I didn't because I know myself (and would talk myself into changing everything to a wrong answer trying to think how the "exam" might trick me versus listening to my gut). 

Don't Buy

• PMBOK
  
• Joseph Phillip's course. People who take this score worse than the ones who take Andrew's. Andrew's course is DEAD ON and it is the best for right now.
  
• Any boot camps.
  
• PMBOK or Agile books. 
  
• Prepcast - Really far off from the exam... like really off. 
  

This is a very solid post, and I look forward to taking those tests soon. Thank you for taking the time to post it.