Seeking the best PMP® exam prep courses to help you pass the PMP® exam from the first attempt? Check this comprehensive guide to find them all!
Studying for any exam can be quite a tedious process that requires significant time and effort. That’s even more so when a globally accredited exam, like the Project Management Professional (PMP®). Preparing for the PMP® can require a few weeks to a few months.
With that being the case, your prep is critical to your success, especially since project management is a broad area with a lot of material to grasp. Since the PMP® exam tests your ability to master the practical aspect of project management information, you need a solid prep plan for your PMP® exam.
We’ve compiled a list of the best PMP® exam prep courses to put you on the right track and ensure your success from the first attempt.
At a Glance:
- ExamsPM PMP® Prep
- Brain Sensei PMP®
- LearnSmart PMP®
- Vision Training Systems PMP®
- Simplilearn PMP®
- Master of Project Academy
- PM Prepcast
- PMTraining
The Top 8 Best PMP® Exam Prep Courses in 2021
Below, we’ll give you an overview of each of the 8 courses to provide you with a better idea of what to expect and choose the top one that makes the most sense for you.
ExamsPM PMP® Prep
The ExamsPM PMP® preparation course offers a comprehensive package covering everything related to project management and the PMP® exam. Plus, it’s taught by highly-professional instructors capable of simplifying complex materials for you to grasp.
The course consists of high-quality video lessons and instructor-led office hours to enhance your learning experience. You also get access to the course slides and even download individual slides if you want to add in your own notes.
Students can get an application review to ensure that they wrote all of their project descriptions the right way.
What’s more, you get 1500+ practice questions with extensive coverage of all the materials in PMI’s PMBOK® Guide.
All of the materials are updated based for the new 2021 PMP® exam.
Pricing-wise, it’s one of the most affordable options. There are 3 plans that you can choose from – you can either buy the exam simulator and the PMP® course separately or opt for the complete bundle at a discounted price. We highly recommend that you go for the bundle since both the course and exam simulator are essential for securing a passing score in the PMP® exam.
Not to mention, the platform offers pro email support and a Facebook community where you can network with all the other members.
Features & Benefits:
- 1500+ practice questions with 5 full length exams
- 35 accredited contact hours
- Money-back guarantee
- The materials are easy to understand thanks to the professional instructors
- Application support
- 60 PDUs for recertification
- Lifetime access to course content
- Pro email support with the complete bundle
Sign up for a free training to see how you can get PMP® certified in 6 weeks.
Brain Sensei PMP®
If conventional training courses get you bored, Brain Sensei can be an excellent option for you. Instead of following a traditional slideshow-based teaching method, the Brain Sensei PMP® course relies on interactive story-based learning techniques that make the whole learning experience much more fun and effective.
The story revolves around a female Japanese Samurai who goes through several quests to build a castle and protect her village. The course is divided into 8 modules, each representing a part of the story. Throughout the modules, you’ll be presented with dozens of challenges that require you to answer correctly so you can proceed to the next part of the story.
The icing on top is that the course includes a considerable number of downloadable materials that can help you expand your knowledge at a faster pace, including quizzes and templates. That’s in addition to 4 practice exams that include more than 900 questions.
It’s also worth noting that Brain Sensei qualifies you for the 35 contact hours required by PMI to attempt the PMP® exam.
Features & Benefits:
- Interactive video sessions and quizzes
- Comes with 4 mock tests at no extra fees
- 35 accredited contact hours
- Follow-up emails
- Active community
- Free trial and 7-day money-back guarantee
Shortcomings:
- Somewhat expensive; $499.99 for 6 months access
- Access to the materials is for a limited duration
LearnSmart PMP®
Next on our list is LearnSmart PMP®, a fully-fledged PMP® exam prep course that takes you from the basics all the way to project management mastery.
To begin with, the course consists of video lessons taught in a simplified way for an easier grasp of the material. Plus, it comes with plenty of supplementary materials to enhance the overall learning experience and keep you engaged, including mock exams, flashcards, and interactive games.
Speaking of engagement interactivity, another feature that we really like is the option to talk with the instructor using one-on-one video lessons. This can be an excellent way for you to ask the instructor about the course’s challenging parts.
What’s more, the platform has iOS and Android apps, making it easier for you to go through the study materials during your daily commute.
There are no mandatory prerequisites for the course. Also, LearnSmart makes you eligible to attempt the PMP® exam as long as you meet the other requirements set by PMI.
Features & Benefits:
- Unlimited access to the materials
- High-quality video lessons
- 35 accredited contact hours
- Lessons are easy to understand
- Includes mock tests, educational games, and flashcards
- One-on-one conversations with the instructor
- Mobile apps for learning on the go
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Active forum
Shortcomings:
- Relatively expensive
- Updating the course in accordance with PMI guidelines takes a while
Vision Training Systems PMP®
If you’re looking for a budget PMP® exam prep course, Vision Training Systems’ PMP® course would be your best bet. It offers everything you need in a PMP® training program, from high-quality video lessons to mock tests and flashcards. You should be able to ace the PMP® exam from the first attempt easily with the help of this prep course.
On top of that, the lessons feature case studies from the industry that boost your understanding of project management concepts, especially since most of the PMP® exam questions are situation-based.
It’s also worth mentioning that the course gives you lifetime access to the materials, which means you can use them as a reference throughout your career, and you’ll certainly need them.
Unfortunately, Vision Training Systems isn’t a Registered Education Provider, which means that you still need to take another course from a PMI REP to be qualified for the PMP® exam. Still, the course is worth checking out, especially at this price point.
Features & Benefits:
- Affordable
- Excellent course structure
- Includes case studies and examples from the industry
- Includes mock exams
- Unlimited access to the materials
- Comes with downloadable content like educational games and flashcards
Shortcomings:
- Contact hours aren’t accredited by PMI
Simplilearn PMP®
As one of the leaders of online training and boot camps, Simplilearn offers various training programs in many fields, including project management, digital marketing, and lean six sigma. It even offers online master’s degrees in collaboration with some of the world’s most prestigious universities.
Being a PMI Registered Education Provider, Simplilearn provides you with the required 35 contact hours needed to attempt the PMP® exam. As for the coursework, it offers 2 options for PMP® aspirants to pick from: a self-paced learning video course and a blended learning course. As its name implies, the video course mostly revolves around self-paced lessons. On the flip side, the blended learning course provides you with live online training.
Both courses come with 6 hands-on projects, 20 industry-related scenarios, 7 mock exams with over 1400 questions covering all of the knowledge areas of project management, and 8 industry case studies. Once you pay the one-time fee for each course, you’ll be granted lifetime access to the materials. However, the live lessons can be accessed over a period of 90 days.
There are no mandatory prerequisites to enroll in Simplilearn’s PMP® course. Nevertheless, Simplilearn recommends that students have 4,500 or 7,500 hours leading projects depending on their education level, which is one of PMI’s requirements for attempting the PMP® exam.
Features & Benefits:
- Excellent instructors
- 35 contact hours accredited by PMI
- Downloadable slideshows, educational games, and quizzes
- Comes with 7 practice tests and 6 hands-on projects
- Includes 8 case studies and 20 real-world scenarios from the industry
- Includes live classes (at additional costs)
- Offers Android and iOS apps for mobile learning
Shortcomings:
- Video lessons are too short
- The learning approach isn’t exam-oriented
- $400 for the self-paced course and $999 for the online boot camp.
Master of Project Academy
One of the best aspects about Master of Project Academy is that it offers PMP® courses in monthly and yearly plans. The monthly subscription starts at just $32, which is relatively cheap for a PMP® course. Alternatively, you can opt for the annual plan that goes as high as $379.
Both plans offer a broad set of features and materials to help you on their learning journey, including a mock exam, an active online forum, flashcards, quizzes, cheat sheets, and a PMP® exam application guide.
On a side note, you should keep in mind that Master of Project Academy is an accredited PMI Registered Education Provider, meaning that you’ll be officially eligible for the PMP® exam after completing the platform’s PMP® course.
Features & Benefits:
- Affordable price with flexible plans
- Includes a mock test
- Offers live classes
- Includes several practice exams
- Offered in 3 subscription plans
Shortcomings:
- Only 1 practice test
- $379 for the annual plan.
PM Prepcast
If you have a tight schedule, PM Prepcast would be an excellent resource for preparing for the PMP® exam. The website’s content is flawlessly optimized for mobile access as the video lessons, and study materials can be downloaded for offline viewing on your phone. You can also watch the videos online using any podcast app.
The PM Prepcast PMP® course is offered in 3 subscription plans: basic, elite, and elite plus. The basic plan is limited to the video lessons and study materials, while the elite plan includes PMP® mock tests. Alternatively, you can opt for the elite plus plan if you want to access the guidebooks and formulas.
What’s more, the course qualifies you for the PMP® exam by granting you 35 contact hours upon completion of all the materials, a prerequisite set by PMI for PMP® aspirants.
The only downside of the PM Prepcast PMP® exam prep course is that it follows a more traditional learning approach that heavily relies on video lessons and slideshows, which many students find a bit boring. Some interactive quizzes and educational games would’ve made it easier to go through.
Features & Benefits:
- Reasonable price with 3 subscription plans
- The content is easy to comprehend
- 35 accredited contact hours
- Comes with flashcards
- PMP® exam practice with more than 1600 questions (selected plans only)
- Comes with guidebooks and formulas (selected plans only)
- Mobile-friendly course website
- Excellent customer support with a 90-day money-back guarantee
Shortcomings:
- Lessons can get boring as there are no interactive elements
- Cost: $1999 for 4 days
PMTraining
One of the most notable features of the PMTraining platform is that it offers both live and self-paced PMP® lessons. Some people can have difficulty finishing self-paced lessons, making live classes a much better deal for them.
The self-paced lessons are a part of the platform’s On-Demand PMP® Boot Camp, including PMP® quizzes, PMBOK® Guide exercises, and PMP® quizzes.
On the other hand, if you decide to opt for live classes, you can subscribe to the PMP® Live Virtual Classes package that includes PMI exam application assistance, an online exam prep student portal, class study materials, and one-on-one webcam lessons with the instructor.
Moreover, PMTraining offers 2 resources for you to practice the PMP® exam: an exam book and an online simulator. However, the simulator is a much more sophisticated tool, considering that it’s updated more frequently and gives you a complete exam experience similar to the real thing.
Also, keep in mind that the exam simulator is offered as a separate package with additional fees, but you’ll get free access to it if you subscribe to the live classes.
Finally, whichever learning path you choose on PMTraining, you’ll be granted 35 accredited contact hours upon successful completion of the course, allowing you to attempt PMI’s PMP® exam.
Features & Benefits:
- Professional instructors
- Offers live lessons
- Exam-oriented learning approach
- Includes mock tests
- 35 contact hours approved by PMI
Shortcomings:
- Limited interaction with peers and instructors
- Cost: $999 – 1299 for 4 days online live training
Make sure to also read our review of PMStudy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is PMP® Training Really Worth It?
Definitely! The PMP® certification is globally recognized by employers, and it’s thought of as the ultimate certification a project manager can get throughout their career. Not to mention, project managers are highly in demand, and a PMP® certification will make you stand out from the crowd.
How Much Do Project Management Professionals Earn?
According to payscale.com, the average salary of a PMP® in the United States is $107,302/year. It’s worth noting that the salary varies according to several factors like experience level and education.
How Much Should I Study for the PMP® Exam?
On average, people spend anywhere from 200 to 400 hours preparing for the PMP® exam. It all depends on your dedication and studying techniques, but as a general rule of thumb, dedicate 3-4 months for preparation before the exam.
What Are the Minimum Requirements of the PMP® Exam?
There are two requirements set by PMI for the PMP® exam, which include:
- 35 training hours from an education provider or CAPM® certification.
- 36 months of leading projects for degree holders or 60 months for non-degree holders.
What Are the Career Prospects for Project Management Professionals?
Here are some of the most common jobs for a PMP® holder:
- Implementation Manager
- Associate Project Manager
- Stage Manager
- Project Communications Officer
- Project Management Assistant
- Business Intelligence Analyst
- Team Assistant
Final Thoughts
That’s it for now. We hope that our guide has helped you shape your decision when choosing the best PMP® exam prep. It all depends on your expectations from the course, your available budget, and preferred learning methods. You should also consider whether you need to access the course materials for a predefined period or the rest of your life.
Just make sure that the course comes with some practice tests, as they’re one of the most crucial factors for securing a passing score in your PMP® exam.
Also, don’t forget to register for our free PMP® training below!