How To Pass The 2024 PMP Exam With Above Targets

As a full-time project manager in the corporate world, I’ve been on a personal journey to achieve my PMP certification. I’ve shared some of my experiences on how I became a project manager, and now I want to share some tips and tricks that helped me pass the PMP exam on my first try with above target in all three domains.

You can watch the video below or keep reading for tips on how to pass the 2024 Exam!

What is the PMP Certification?

The PMP ( Project Management Professional) certification is a project management certification by the Project Management Institute (PMI).

The PMP is the gold standard certification in project management, and it is recognized internationally. It tests each candidate’s knowledge of managing professional projects’ people, processes, and business priorities.

The exam is divided into three domains: People, Process, and Business environment. 

The following screenshot is from PMI’s Exam Content Outline.

PMP Exam Requirements & Application Process

You must meet a few requirements before you can even sit for the PMP exam.

As listed on the PMI website, you must meet one of the following requirements below:

Four-Year College / University Degree

36 months of experience leading projects within the past eight years

35 hours of project management education/training or CAPM® certification

— or —

High School or Secondary School Diploma

60 months of experience leading projects within the past eight years

35 hours of project management education/training or CAPM® certification

I’ve read many stories of people still being able to qualify to sit for the exam even if they’ve never held the title of project manager. In corporate, many different positions are project-based, so this was no surprise to me. You just need to know how to articulate your project experience on your application.

My Experience:

I met the 36 months of experience through previous freelance projects and working full time as a project manager in corporate. 

To gain the 35 hours required for the project management training, I purchased Andrew Ramdayal’s PMP Exam Prep Simplified book from Amazon. This book is a study guide, and it comes with free access to his PMP course. 

If you’re looking for a cost-friendly option to meet one of the minimum requirements and prepare for the exam, this is a great option! The mindset section in his course alone is worth the price of this book! 

Application Process:

Be prepared to document your previous project management experience in detail! You risk getting audited if you don’t report how you managed each project listed from initiation to closing.

If you purchase the PMP Exam Prep Simplified book and course, Andrew explains in detail how to complete the experience section to prevent you from getting audited.

I submitted my application around October 30, and PMI approved it in about five business days. Once approved, I paid for the exam and selected to take it in person.

Tip: If you want a smooth and stress-free exam day, I would recommend taking the exam in person. I’ve read so many horror stories about people getting kicked out of their exam by the proctor because they moved out of frame or even read questions out loud. So save yourself a headache and book in person! 

If you take the exam in person, you will know immediately if you passed!

Helpful Resources/Tools I Used That Helped Me Pass the PMP Exam

 Andrew Ramdayal’s PMP Exam Prep Simplified Book and Course

As mentioned above, I purchased Andrew R’s PMP Exam Prep Simplified book because it included the 35-hour course required to sit for the PMP exam.

The content in this book is excellent, but be aware that if you try to watch the videos from his course while reading the book, the content will be out of order.

I recommend focusing on the course and taking your own notes OR using the book as your study guide.

I also downloaded his PowerPoints from specific sections to reference when studying. The most helpful section to me was his mindset module! Watch this section multiple times! It helped me approach each question from a PMI’s perspective rather than a practicing project manager’s perspective.

PMI Study Hall Essentials

If you don’t do anything else, please purchase Study Hall! It includes 700+ practice questions, 15 Mini exams, and two full-length exams. 

Study Hall gets such a bad rep online because it can be challenging, but this is the closest you’ll get to the exam, so I’m telling you it’s worth it!

I’m not going to lie. I scored very low on the first couple of mini-exams. However, I had a goal of passing this exam on the first try, and I was going to do whatever it took to get there!

I completed every practice question, mini-exam, and full-length exam before my exam day. If you do the same, you’ll be more than ready for the exam!

I recommend you review every question you scored incorrectly to better understand why it was wrong and continue to test your knowledge on that particular domain. Also, remember that the people and process domains account for 92% of the exam!

David Mclachlan’s Youtube Videos

In addition to the study hall, I watched David Mclachlan’s videos to understand the concepts and mindset better.

We spend so much money and time studying for the certification, I think its best that we do whatever we can to ensure we fully understand the concepts and not just study to pass the exam because there is a considerable difference between the two. 

Hopefully, your ultimate goal is to do this to become a better project manager, not a certification collector!

David Mclachlan’s videos were 6+ hours long but worth watching. I could kill time by listening to the videos while cleaning my house or during my daily walks. Here are the videos that I watched from David Mclachlan that were very helpful:

1. 200 Agile Questions and Answers
2. 150 PMBOK 7 Scenario Based Questions
3. 100 Waterfall PMP Question and Answers

Third3Rock PMP Study Notes

Another purchase that was worth the price x10 was the Third3Rock Notes. I purchased these based on feedback from the PMI Reddit, and these notes are incredible!

Despite me nailing down the mindset, I still felt like I was missing key concepts for the exam. 

This is where these notes come in. You have the option to purchase the full notes or a cheat sheet. I purchased both! The full study notes were helpful when I wanted to review agile concepts in more depth. However, the study guide was useful for my final study stretch the week before the exam.

You will not regret these notes, I promise!

The two most helpful resources I used to study were the Third3Rock Study Notes and PMI Study Hall!

What to Expect on Exam Day

When you arrive to the testing center, the staff there will ask you to provide your ID and verify what exam you are taking. They will explain the rules for the testing center and for your specific exam. Once all of that is completed, you will be asked to put your belongings in a locker and take a picture.

You will be extremely nervous, but don’t let the nerves get to you. Once you get into the exam room you have to take a deep breath and focus on your time management/pacing. Allow yourself about 1.5 minutes for each question to ensure you finish in time!

Tip: When answering each question, remember to choose the BEST answer for the specific question. Don’t overthink it! You’ll also want to read for any keywords to help you determine your methodology.

My exam covered about 50% Agile concepts, but I felt overprepared because Study Hall had multiple hybrid and Agile mini-quizzes!

Final Thoughts

Overall, I think if you set aside at least two months to study and use the resources I listed above you, should be able to pass the exam as well!

Let me know if you have any other questions down below!