Yukishi log.
When busy professionals aim to pass the PMP (Project Management Professional) exam, the most important factor is developing a study plan that fits their specific situation. This article introduces concrete roadmaps by study period, taking into account that the current PMP exam emphasizes PMBOK 7th Edition content and Agile approaches.
🔸 30-Day Intensive Plan
For professionals with extensive project management experience. Pass with 2-3 hours of focused study daily
🔸 60-Day Balanced Plan
Emphasizes work-life balance. Optimal plan to progress smoothly with 1-1.5 hours daily
🔸 90-Day Comprehensive Plan
For those wanting to learn thoroughly from basics. Build knowledge steadily with 30 minutes to 1 hour daily
🔸 Practice Question Focus
90% of actual exam consists of scenario questions. Practice questions in exam format are key to success
🔸 Agile Preparation Essential
About 50% of exam covers Agile/Hybrid approaches. PMBOK 6th Edition + Agile Practice Guide required
🔸 Material Selection Important
Efficient preparation possible with “Complete Study Text” or “Essential Guide” + online question banks
🔸 High Exam Costs
Exam fee of $405 (approximately $6,000) makes first-time pass strategy important
This article contains affiliate advertising. Recommended products and services have been actually used and researched before recommendation.
A transition to PMBOK 8th Edition is scheduled for 2025, which may impact PMP exam content. Therefore, taking the exam before changes occur is recommended while information and materials are well-established.
📏 Exam Duration
230 minutes (3 hours 50 minutes) to answer 180 questions. Two 10-minute breaks available after every 60 questions
💰 Exam Fees
$405 for PMI members, $555 for non-members – high costs make first-time pass important
📊 Question Distribution
Approximately half the exam covers predictive project management, the other half covers Agile or hybrid approaches
🎯 Passing Score
60% (108 correct out of 180 questions) is the estimated benchmark, but exact pass rates are not publicly disclosed
This plan is for professionals with extensive project management experience who want to achieve success through intensive short-term planning. Success is possible with approximately 45-60 hours of study time.
📖 Main Textbook
“PM Textbook PMP Complete Study Text PMBOK Guide 7th Edition Compatible” or “PMP Exam Success Essential Guide”
💻 Question Bank
Udemy PMP Practice Questions (360 questions) or PMI Study Hall Essential
📚 Supplementary Materials
Agile Practice Guide (essential for Agile preparation)
🗓️ Week 1 (Foundation Knowledge)
• Weekdays: 2 hours/day to complete main textbook
• Weekends: 3 hours/day for Agile Practice Guide study
• Goal: Understanding basic concepts and Agile knowledge
🗓️ Week 2 (Begin Practice Questions)
• Weekdays: 1.5 hours/day for question bank (50 questions/day)
• Weekends: 3 hours/day for mock exams
• Goal: Familiarize with question format, achieve 60% accuracy
🗓️ Week 3 (Address Weaknesses)
• Weekdays: 2 hours/day reviewing incorrect answers
• Weekends: 3 hours/day for additional practice
• Goal: Achieve 75% accuracy, strengthen weak areas
🗓️ Week 4 (Final Preparation)
• Weekdays: 1 hour/day for final review
• Weekends: Mock exams for final confirmation
• Goal: Take actual exam with 80%+ accuracy
This is a challenging schedule for those with limited project management experience. While busy management professionals have successfully passed with short-term intensive study, the 60-day plan is recommended for those lacking foundational knowledge.
The most balanced plan, securing approximately 100 hours of study time. This is a realistic schedule that allows busy professionals to progress comfortably.
📖 Main Textbook
“PM Textbook PMP Complete Study Text PMBOK Guide 7th Edition Compatible” (optimal for systematic learning)
📚 PMBOK Official Materials
PMBOK Guide 6th Edition (for detailed knowledge acquisition)
💻 Online Question Bank
Japan Project Solutions PMP Question Bank (1,180 questions)
🎥 Video Course
Udemy “PMP Certification Exam Efficient Test Preparation Course for First-Time Pass”
📅 Weeks 1-2 (Foundation Building)
• Weekdays: 1 hour/day for main textbook study
• Weekends: 2 hours/day for video course viewing
• Goal: Understanding project management fundamentals
📅 Weeks 3-4 (Agile Enhancement)
• Weekdays: 1 hour/day for Agile Practice Guide
• Weekends: 2 hours/day for Agile-related videos
• Goal: Master Agile and hybrid methodologies
📅 Weeks 5-6 (Begin Practice Questions)
• Weekdays: 1.5 hours/day for question bank (30-40 questions/day)
• Weekends: 2-3 hours/day for mock exams
• Goal: Understand question formats, achieve 50-60% accuracy
📅 Weeks 7-8 (Skill Improvement)
• Weekdays: 1.5 hours/day for weak area review + practice questions
• Weekends: 3 hours/day for comprehensive practice
• Goal: Achieve 70-80% accuracy, complete exam preparation
This plan is for project management beginners or those who want to build knowledge thoroughly. It’s a highly reliable schedule based on real experience of passing the PMP exam in 3 months.
📖 Introductory Book
Illustrated Immediate Application PMBOK 7th Edition Knowledge and Methods Complete Textbook (for foundational knowledge)
📚 Main Textbook
“PMP Exam Success Essential Guide” or Complete Study Text
🎓 35-Hour Training
Udemy official training (approximately $240) to obtain exam eligibility
💻 Multiple Question Banks
• PMP Dojo (370 questions, free)
• Use alongside paid question banks for comprehensive question coverage
📅 Month 1 (Foundation Learning + Qualification)
• Weeks 1-2: Understand project management basics with introductory book
• Weeks 3-4: Complete 35-hour training to obtain exam eligibility
• Goal: Understand basic concepts and prepare PMP exam application
📅 Month 2 (Knowledge Deepening)
• Weeks 1-2: First half of main textbook (predictive methods)
• Weeks 3-4: Agile Practice Guide and second half of main textbook
• Goal: Master both predictive and Agile methodologies
📅 Month 3 (Practical Practice)
• Weeks 1-2: Assess abilities and identify weaknesses with question banks
• Weeks 3-4: Final adjustments with mock exams + weakness reinforcement
• Goal: Take actual exam with 80%+ accuracy
📏 Latest Edition Compatibility
Essential to choose reference books compatible with PMBOK 7th Edition from October 2021 onwards
💻 Practice Question Focus
Choose reference books with abundant practical practice questions to reduce additional costs
📖 Japanese Comprehensibility
Important to select materials that help familiarize with PMP exam’s unique Japanese expressions
Recent PMP exams consist of 90% story-based scenario questions, making success difficult through mere memorization. Solving many questions in formats similar to the actual exam is the shortest path to success.
🎯 Recommended Question Banks
• Udemy PMP Practice Questions (360 questions): Closest to actual exam format
• PMI Study Hall Essential: Official question bank but in English
• PMP Dojo: 370 questions available for free
• Japan Project Solutions: Large-capacity question bank with 1,180 questions
📊 30-Day Plan (Total 60 hours)
• Foundation learning: 20 hours (complete textbook)
• Practice questions: 30 hours (300+ questions)
• Mock exams: 10 hours (3 attempts)
📊 60-Day Plan (Total 100 hours)
• Foundation learning: 40 hours (textbook + videos)
• Practice questions: 45 hours (500+ questions)
• Mock exams/review: 15 hours (5 attempts)
📊 90-Day Plan (Total 150 hours)
• Foundation learning: 60 hours (introductory book + main materials)
• Practice questions: 60 hours (700+ questions)
• Mock exams/review: 30 hours (7+ attempts)
💡 Understanding PMI Philosophy
PMP exams require answers aligned with PMI thinking, even if not realistic. Understanding the “Agile Manifesto’s 4 Values” and “12 Principles” is fundamental
⚡ Importance of Short-Term Intensive Study
Busy management professionals tend to succeed more with short-term intensive plans. The longer the study plan, the less likely it is to proceed as expected
🔄 Question→Review→Question Cycle
Effectively repeat the cycle of solving questions, researching incorrect answers, and solving more questions until achieving 80% accuracy
📚 35-Hour Training
• Udemy courses: Approximately $240 (even cheaper during sales)
• Authorized training institutions: $2,000-3,000 (consider if company-sponsored)
• Certificate issuance confirmation is important
📝 Project Experience Documentation
• 4,500 hours (bachelor’s degree) or 7,500 hours (high school) of project management experience
• Must be written in English (takes about a full day to create)
• Possibility of being selected for audit
💰 PMI Membership
Even with annual fee of $149, exam fee is $150 cheaper, making it effectively beneficial
🎯 Importance of First-Time Pass
Retake fee is $275, making first-time pass strategy economically important
📖 Utilizing Free Materials
• PMP Dojo (370 questions free)
• PMBOK Guide PDF free for PMI members
• YouTube videos (I LOVE PM / Project Management Channel, etc.)
🎯 Realistic Schedule Setting
Based on actual successful candidate experiences, with sustainable study plans designed for easy continuation.
💻 Utilizing Online Materials
Practice questions on smartphones during spare time, effectively utilizing commute time.
📊 Clear Guidelines by Period
Choose from 30-day, 60-day, or 90-day plans based on your situation, with specific time allocations for each.
💰 Cost-Effectiveness Optimization
Strategic approach aimed at first-time pass considering high exam fees.
🔄 Practice-Focused Approach
Practice-centered learning rather than memorization builds real skills to handle actual scenario questions.
💸 High Initial Investment
Combined costs of 35-hour training, exam fees, and materials require over $1,000 investment.
📝 English Application Process
All exam applications and experience documentation are in English, potentially time-consuming for those uncomfortable with English.
🌏 Unique Japanese Language Expressions
Machine translation-like Japanese requires prior familiarization.
⏰ 2025 System Changes
Transition to PMBOK 8th Edition is scheduled, making early examination recommended.
✅ 30-Day Plan Suitable For
• 5+ years of project management experience
• Good at short-term intensive learning
• Can take exam during non-busy periods
• Can secure 2-3 hours of daily study time
✅ 60-Day Plan Suitable For
• 2-5 years of project management experience
• Want to emphasize work-life balance
• Prefer steady knowledge building
• Can secure 1-1.5 hours of daily study time
✅ 90-Day Plan Suitable For
• Project management beginners
• Want to learn thoroughly from basics
• Prefer taking time to understand concepts
• Can consistently continue with 30 minutes to 1 hour daily
📋 Before Starting Study
• Complete 35-hour training application
• Prepare project experience documentation (in English)
• Prepare study materials (textbook + question bank)
• Create study plan and share with family
📋 At Study Midpoint
• Achieve 60%+ accuracy on mock exams
• Identify and address weak areas
• Secure reliable Agile-related knowledge
• Submit exam application
📋 Before Exam
• Stable 80%+ accuracy on mock exams
• Confirm exam venue and schedule
• Health management and day-of preparation
• Final review for knowledge confirmation
From 22 years of IT project management experience, I can say that the PMP exam requires both practical experience and theoretical knowledge. Particularly from experience transitioning from system operations to project management, problem-solving abilities from the field proved valuable in the exam. While Agile methodologies were initially confusing, understanding that the essence of team management remains unchanged makes application possible.
としゆき
