The 20 Most Useful Resources When Preparing For the PMP Exam

Are you planning to take the Project Management Professional (PMP) exam soon?

Getting your PMP certification will help you get a step ahead of the competition, whether you’re an aspiring or a current project manager. We’ve lined up the most useful resources we can find to help you prepare--and ace--the big test.

1. PMP Exam Guides

The PMP Exam Guides is one of the most comprehensive resources you can find, to help you jumpstart your review. It contains a lot of PMP terms, concepts, and topics you’ll need to answer the PMP exam questions. 

2. PMP Exam Preparation Tool

The PMP Exam Preparation Tool is based on the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) Guide, 6th edition. It has a training program that contains study notes, a PMP formula guide, flash cards, practice questions--and more--to help you prepare for the big test. Best of all, you can get this PMP exam prep tool online.

3. Earned Value Management

Measuring a project’s performance is a key skill for current and future project managers. To do this, you must learn Earned Value Management (EVM). It’s more than just a set of formulas; EVM is a process of finding inconsistencies between the work that’s been done and the project plan. EVM provides qualitative data crucial for making decisions.

4. PMP Formula Guide

Speaking of formulas, the PMP Formula Guide by Mohammad Usmani is one of the best PMP exam prep materials out there. It provides project managers with an easy way to understand the many PMP formulas and math-based questions in the test.

5. Pass the Exam on Second Attempt

If you failed to pass the PMP exam, the first time around, read this book by Mohammad Usmani. Titled “Pass the Exam On Your Second Attempt”,.this book will guide you to the right way to prepare for the exam, analyze your weakness, and solve the questions in different scenarios.

6. Learn the PMBOK Guide

PMBOK is an essential tool to help you create your study plan. It initially started out as a collection of common terms, phrases, and definitions in project management. Later, the guide was developed to include a new knowledge area for the current trends in processes and terminology. This makes it an important starting point for project managers.

7. PMP Exam Practice Kit

Taking the PMP exam can be expensive. According to project management, the PMP exam costs a hefty USD555.00. That’s why the PMP Exam Practice Kit is a must-have for project managers, not only to get a feel for the test, but also to save money. You can get a PMP exam prep PDF kit to try things, first-hand.

8. PM 4 Girls

PM 4 Girls provides free to low-cost training for the PMP exam. There are online tutorials, tips, training sessions, and a whole lot more of other resources for you to explore to ace the exam.

9. PMHub

As the name might suggest, PMHub is a hub of almost everything that you could possibly need to prepare for the exams. You can spend countless hours digging through this website to uncover hundreds of tips and tricks, tools, lessons learned, and even PMP certification study materials in PDF format.

10. Bright Hub PM

Bright Hub PM is your online resource for the PMP exams. It’s a website that contains articles about the methodologies, templates, and tips that can be used for the exam. It also has reviews of various project management software, as well as tips and tricks that you can try.

11. PMP Forums

Want to mingle with your PMP certified managers? Log on to PMP Forums. Discuss the common issues you face, as you prepare for the exam; learn study tips from other examinees; try answering PMP exam questions; and share tips and tools.

12. PMZilla

Another forum you might want to visit is PMZilla. Here you can prepare for the PMP examination with the help of its PMP exam bank, tips and tricks, and even go beyond with real-world issues and best practices in the industry.

13. PMP Best Group on Facebook

Almost everyone is on social media nowadays. So why not join a Facebook group for project managers like you who want to take the exam. PMP Best Group is one of these social media groups that you could join. You can ask for tips, tricks, and review materials that you could use as you prepare for the test.

14. PMP StudyGroups

Joining study groups may give you the edge when it comes to preparing for the PMP test. Reviewing with other people will help you learn faster, fill in gaps in your notes, break monotony, and hone your people skills, according to the Angeles Institute.

15. PMP FAQs from PMI

The Project Management Institute’s frequently asked questions (FAQs) will fill you in on the common queries of project managers who would like to take the exam for the first time. It will help paint a picture of how the test will go and how to prepare for it, as well as give some tips and tricks to use.

16. Project Smart

Need more guidance on how to learn the EVM concept? Take a look at Project Smart’s resources for EVM. Aside from its definition, you will also get to learn the basic formulas and how to solve problems with the EVM concept.

17. The PMBOK Guide

The PMBOK Guide is a book that has the foundational standards of becoming a project manager. It is here where most of the resources you would see online are based, which makes it a must have for project managers who want to take the test.

18. Head First PMP

This book is presented in a unique way, containing puzzles, games, problems, and exercises to help prepare you for the PMP exam. Additionally, it will teach you the latest principles from the PMBOK guide. 

19. Electric Cloud WIKI

Electric Cloud is a project management platform with resources such as planning and management tools, automation, and the release process. This is perfect for project managers who need to know the ins and outs of the process of the job that can help them as they study for the PMP certification exams.

20. PMP Mock Exams 

Want to know how tough a PMP exam can get? Then why not try answering a plethora of mock PMP exams?  These are one type of exam that can never be leaked, as they change on a yearly basis, to stay updated on the latest questions and project management trends.

The PMP exams is a tough test. If you want to increase your chances of passing the exams, check out these most useful resources when preparing the PMP Exam. Good luck!