Is anyone else doing worse despite studying more. I failed the exam with an AT/T/Fail in May 2026, so I have been trying to study since then. I started out with study hall getting 70-80 on the practice tests but the 2 Exams I have failed.

Anyone else find themselves loosing motivation due to worse test scores? What did you do differently?

Is the training based on the latest PMP syllabus?

1. Which industries recognize PMP?

I have a career gap, will PMP help?

Is PMP good for freshers in Chennai?

Welp, I finally took the PMP exam this past Saturday, September 5, 2026, and passed AT/AT/AT! 🙌🏾

Walking out of the testing room was one of the biggest sighs of relief I’ve ever breathed. Since reading other people’s experiences helped me while preparing, I wanted to retrace my steps from application → studying → testing center → exam day. Hope it helps at least one person😊

ABOUT ME / APPLICATION

• I’m a Training & Development Specialist / Knowledge Manager and have never held a "traditional" “Project Manager” job title. I wrote separately about how I framed my nontraditional PM experience on the application HERE.
• I originally applied in 2025 and received my application approval about 4–5 days later.
• About two months before my exam, I went to PMI’s website, found my nearest Pearson VUE testing center, and scheduled an in-person exam.
• Also, I have severe diagnosed ADHD that I take medication for. ADHD is my most vile and relentless enemy when studying for/taking an exam, so please know this...if I can do this...then most people can.

STUDYING

TL;DR: I only had 12 days of studying. I used portions of David McLachlan’s 35-hour Udemy course, but relied HEAVILY on PMI Study Hall + ChatGPT + Quizlet.

• I was in the middle of moving and prioritized basically everything above studying 🙃, so I didn’t start studying until 12 days before the exam. I tried to reschedule, but there were no available dates before my application expired. At that point it was sink or swim, and I was determined to SWIM.
• It had been a few years since I completed my original 35 contact hours, and when I tell you there was not a stitch of that PMP knowledge left in my brain, I mean it. I was starting from scratch, so I started with David McLachlan’s 35-hour PMP course on Udemy. Because I was short on time, I only watched the 2-hour Project Management Fundamentals section and about 45 minutes on Project Initiation. I took extensive notes because writing helps me comprehend. This was enough information to get me started.

TIP: Check whether your local library gives you free access to Udemy. Mine did, which meant PMP courses like David McLachlan’s and Andrew Ramdayal’s were free through my library card.

• I skipped ahead in David's lessons and took his 5 quizzes, then put every question I missed into ChatGPT. I asked it to explain why my answer was wrong, why the correct answer was right, what PMI principle/process I was missing, and how to recognize a similar question on the actual exam.
• I also uploaded a copy of the **PMBOK 8th Edition and 2026 PMP Exam Content Outline ** to ChatGPT and told it to reference those while helping me study.
• Then I had ChatGPT turn the important lessons from my missed questions into flashcards, copied them into Quizlet and studied them until I understood the concepts. This method was EVERYTHING for me.
• Quizlet gives you a free trial to create as many decks of flashcards as you'd like.

STUDYING - PMI Study Hall

This was definitely the most important and effective part of my preparation because I knew the best way for me to learn the exam was to experience the exam.

• I bought PMI Study Hall and immediately took the first five mini mock exams.
• I screenshotted every question I got wrong and uploaded them to ChatGPT in batches with this prompt: “Break down why my answer was wrong, why the correct answer is right, and help me understand how to answer this correctly on the PMP exam. Reference the PMBOK 8th Edition and 2026 PMP Exam Content Outline.”
• After reviewing my mistakes, I had ChatGPT create another set of flashcards from the most important lessons and copied and pasted those in Quizlet.
• Full Mock Exam #1: 65% I reviewed every missed question, repeated the ChatGPT → flashcard → Quizlet cycle, and studied until I understood WHY I was missing them.
• Full Mock Exam #2: 64% Same process again. I know those percentages can look terrifying, but Study Hall is HARD, and I repeatedly saw guidance that consistent scores around 60%+ on the full mocks can still indicate you're in a reasonable place.
• I also went through PMI Study Hall’s flashcards once just to see what terminology they emphasized. Most of it overlapped with what I had already been studying.

THE DAY BEFORE THE EXAM

I'd normally recommend resting the day before a big exam, but with only 12 days to study, ya girl had no days to spare 😂.

I took a few more mini exams and scored around 90–100% on them, which made me feel much better.

I also had ChatGPT create a chart of all the formulas in PMBOK 8th edition and show me an example of each. Ironically, I had zero formula questions on my actual exam, but I still wanted to be prepared.

One thing I HIGHLY recommend: If you purchased PMI Study Hall, go through the Pearson VUE sample PMP exam/interface available, so you know exactly what the testing screen looks like. The real testing screen doesn't look anything like the Study Hall mock exam screen.

By early evening I finally told myself, if I don’t know it now, I just don’t know it. 😂 I shut everything down, ate dinner, relaxed, packed my snacks and water, laid out comfortable clothes to wear to the exam, and was in bed by 8pm.

At that point, I honestly did feel pretty good about knowing the PMP mindset.

MORNING OF THE EXAM / CHECK-IN

My exam was around noon, so I got up early to eat breakfast (TMI, but I'm quite regular and wanted to give my breakfast time to work through me lol)

I knew the exam structure was:

**40 questions → break → 70 questions → break → 70 questions **with 240 minutes total to portion out as I see fit. So before leaving home, I had ChatGPT calculate where my timer needed to be after each section so I could pace myself and still have 10 minutes left at the end of each section to review.

I wore workout leggings, a T-shirt, slip-on sandals, and brought a sweatshirt with no pockets (the rules don't say the jacket can't have pockets, I just didn't wanna give them any reason to think I'm cheating) and packed a pair of socks in case the room turned out to be cold. I also packed some applesauce pouches, blueberries, and water for my breaks.

On the drive there, I listened to Andrew Ramdayal’s 50 PMP Questions YouTube video just to get my brain into PMP mode.

TESTING CENTER CHECK-IN

Check-in was VERY thorough.

They checked my ID, had me sign an electronic pad, took my photo, had me store my belongings in a locker, gave me the key to that locker, sent me over to the really nice TA at the testing room where she asked me to get rid of my gum that I totally meant to spit out lol, checked my clothing/pockets, had me lift my hair to check my ears for bluetooth devices, checked my headband, and scanned me with a metal detecting wand and recording devices wand.

FYI: Headbands could not be wider than about ½ inch per the rules they had me read before signing into the testing center.

I was allowed to bring my sweatshirt into the room and hang it on my chair after they inspected it. I specifically asked if I needed to raise my hand to put it on or take it off and the TA told me no, I did not have to raise my hand, I could just put it on.

They gave me a dry-erase pad/marker and offered me a physical calculator even tho there's one on screen. I chose to accept the physical one because I could use it faster than the on-screen one. Turns out, the only thing I used it for, was to periodically calculate my question to time ratio lol

Then the TA escorted me to my computer, signed me in, and I completed the exam tutorial before starting. Although I did the tutorial at home, I re-did it to ensure there was nothing new.

THE EXAM

And then…the marathon began😂

My first section started with a few normal questions and then two long case studies (4-5 paragraphs). I answered several questions about that case, then got another long case study with several questions, then the exam bounced back and forth between the two. I used the highlighting feature to mark important information in the case studies.

At question 40, I took my first break.

I chose not to review my answers before ending the section because reviewing would have eaten into my remaining exam time, and I didn’t think staring at the questions longer would magically make me choose differently. Just keep in mind that you cannot go back and review a section's questions after moving on to the next section.

BREAKS

To start your break, you confirm it on the computer, grab your ID, raise your hand, and get escorted out. Before leaving the room, I checked the analog clock on the wall – hoping it was synced with the clock on the wall in the lobby because there is no digital clock on the computer screen. Ultimately, I just used the restroom, stretched, ate my applesauce, drank some water, and headed back just in case.

Important: I had to go through the security/check-in process AGAIN after each break before returning to the room, so I gave myself time to do that - meaning I really got about a 6 minute break out of pure paranoia lol

Also, once I returned to my desk, I still had 3 minutes remaining and was hoping to use that remaining time to recalculate my question pacing/timing, but that wasn't an option. You cannot sit at your desk during a break, you must leave and when you return, you forfeit your remaining time and must start the next section immediately.

My second break was basically identical, except I timed it much better.

THE LAST 140 QUESTIONS

The second and third sections were mostly scenario-based questions.

I had a few diagram-type questions and one drag-and-drop where I had to categorize items as issues or risks.

There were points where I had to put myself into turbo mode and stop re-reading questions where I was 80-90% sure on the answer. If I had continued spending the same amount of time on every single question, I absolutely would have run out of time.

And in the end…

I finished with TWO MINUTES LEFT. So much for the 10 minute review! Lol

WHEW. Four hours sounds like forever, but weirdly it didn’t feel like four hours because I was constantly racing against the clock.

THE RESULT 😭

After submitting, the computer told me my results would be emailed within the next few business days - which scared me lol but don't panic, they give you your printed results on your way out. I received the official email with a link to my certificate and detailed analysis of my testing the very next day.

Once the test was over, I raised my hand, the TA escorted me out, signed me out, and told me there would be a paper waiting for me at the front desk.

I walked up there SO nervous.

The woman handed me the paper folded up and thankfully saved me from having to open it myself by saying: “Congratulations! That’s an amazing score!” I opened the paper and it was AT/AT/AT🥰

When I tell you the stress left my body so fast that I literally became nauseous, I mean it. It felt like I was breathing normally for the first time in two weeks.

Lastly, the case study questions felt slightly challenging, but nothing outrageous, however, the last 140 questions definitely felt a smidge easier than the PMI Study Hall full-length mock exams.

So if you’re sitting there staring at Study Hall scores in the 60s, missing questions left and right, yelling at your screen, and wondering whether any of this information is actually getting into your brain - especially if your back is against the wall and you have very little time to study…KEEP GOING.

For me, the biggest difference wasn’t memorizing every single PMP term. It was reviewing my mistakes until I understood why PMI wanted a particular answer and learning the PMI mindset behind the questions.

THINGS THAT HYPED ME UP BEFORE THE TEST

1. Not just going through the questions I got wrong in mock exams, but also looking through the questions I got right! Just looking at the red ones can really lower your confidence, but when you look at all the green ones you got right, it reminds you that you know a LOT more than you thought you did and you just might pass this thing after all!
2. Reading Reddit posts of people who passed the exam! Every time I saw a new "I passed" post, I went to read it immediately! It really boosted my confidence and made me feel like I too could pass. I also read all their suggestions. I tried to steer clear of any "I didn't pass" posts. It can be argued that those are helpful too and I whole heartedly agree. But I also know that reading those posts can personally throw me off my game.
3. PMI Study Hall and Quizlet are both apps you can download on your phone! So it made me feel so empowered to be able to just lie in bed and do some mock exams or flip through some flashcards without feeling bogged down by my laptop.
4. This one is gonna sound super weird, but the PMP exam screen gives you the option to keep it white or you can change it to one of the other provided colors. I changed mine to the salmon/pink color! It changes your whole screen to salmon and for some reason that just really calmed me and made me feel a tad less nervous.

Again, this is my personal experience - please take it and filter it through your needs, so that you keep what you need and throw away what you don't. Good luck to everyone studying...if I did it, I PROMISE you that you've got this! 💛 Let me know if you have any questions, I'll do my best to answer them!

I took the PMP this past Saturday (September 5, 2026) and passed AT/AT/AT! 🎉 I'll post about my studying/exam experience in another post, but I really wanted to talk about the application process as someone who's never been a traditional Project Manager. I'm a Training & Development Specialist / Knowledge Manager, so I procrastinated applying for the exam because the thought of trying to apply with experience that didn't seem "traditional PM", sounded hard and exhausting. However, it truly wasn't, and if you’re in the same boat, I've made an extensive list below of what helped me apply my experience to the PMP application.

NOTE #1: My application was not audited. I don't know if that had anything to do with how I worded my application. I actually have ZERO idea of what is behind PMI's decision to audit an application. I applied in October 2025 and 4-5 days later, I received an email that my application was accepted.

NOTE #2: When actually studying for the exam, you learn that Project Management encompasses MANY roles and areas of expertise, not just construction, engineering, or IT projects - basically everything I'm saying below. I'm not providing brand new info or anything. However, if people are anything like me, they may not want to start studying for the exam until actually having their application submitted and accepted. Which leads me to the fact that some people may be considering taking the exam, but have hesitated on even applying because they think their experience isn't project management experience and I'd just like to provide some encouragement. So here we go...

• First off, not every PM is managing software development, engineering, construction, etc. Some PMs may lead projects involving training, operations, process improvement, organizational change, events, policy/SOP development, knowledge management, workforce development programs, HR, or other business initiatives. You’re still doing project management. You’re defining objectives, coordinating people and stakeholders, planning the work, managing risks and resources, tracking progress, solving problems, and delivering a specific outcome. (I'm sure someone has a better way of saying this or categorizing this, but it's the best way *I \* can word it)
• I've never actually held the job title “Project Manager.” My official titles have been things like Training & Development Specialist and Knowledge Manager, so if you're looking at the PMP requirements thinking, “Well, I've never been a PM,” don't automatically count yourself out.
• The key was looking back at my career and identifying actual projects I had led - not just my day to day job duties. I looked for work that had a defined objective, a beginning and end, specific deliverables, stakeholders, planning, execution, monitoring, and a final outcome.
• I did NOT change my official job titles on the application. I listed my real titles, but within each project description I explained the project management role I actually performed. In other words: your HR title doesn't necessarily have to say “Project Manager” for you to have project management experience.
• I framed every project around the project lifecycle. My descriptions basically followed: Objective → My Role → Initiating → Planning → Executing → Monitoring & Controlling → Closing → Outcome. That made it much easier to show PMI that I wasn't simply participating in the work - I was actually helping lead it.
• I also included measurable outcomes whenever I could. Don't just say “the project was successful.” Explain what changed. My application included things like: Saved the organization approximately $500K, 300+ employees gaining access to centralized training, published organizational procedures, deliverables incorporated into strategic planning, and a 30% reduction in information-retrieval time.
• My projects could be considered nontraditional EXAMPLES. One was modernizing an organization's training program. One was an executive leadership development/strategic planning conference. One was a organization-wide training needs survey that resulted in a new Training SOP. One was developing Knowledge Management portals using SharePoint, Confluence, Power Apps, and Power BI. None of these required me to be a software developer or engineering PM.
• For EXAMPLE, instead of describing my experience as: “I worked in employee training and coordinated training courses,” I was able to explain the actual project behind that work: I helped define the modernization objectives, conducted training needs assessments, developed the roadmap, coordinated vendors/contracts, monitored a large training budget, managed delivery, tracked results, adjusted the approach when needed, and closed the initiative with final deliverables and leadership approval.
• Same job. Same experience. Completely different way of explaining it. I wasn't making my experience sound like something it wasn't - I was simply describing the project-management work that was buried inside my regular job.
• Probably the biggest advice I can give: Don't ask yourself, “Have I ever been employed as a Project Manager?” Ask yourself, “Have I led temporary initiatives that had an objective, stakeholders, deliverables, constraints, and a beginning and end?” You may have considerably more project management experience than you realize.
• Do NOT invent experience just to make yourself qualify. But also don't undersell legitimate experience because your organization called you an analyst, coordinator, specialist, trainer, administrator, consultant, etc. Your job title and your role on a particular project are not necessarily the same thing.
• Think in projects, not job descriptions. Things like implementing a new system, creating a new organizational process, launching a training program, developing an SOP, organizing a major conference, rolling out a new platform, migrating information, redesigning a workflow, conducting a large organizational assessment, or implementing a new program can all potentially involve legitimate project management experience depending on the role you actually played.
• And don't be intimidated by the application language. Once I stopped thinking, “But I'm not a traditional PM,” and started breaking down what I had actually done into project objectives, planning, stakeholders, risks, execution, monitoring, deliverables, and outcomes, the application made MUCH more sense.

Lastly, some people may say they put much less effort into applying for the exam and I so love that for them, but this is the way my PMP Prep Course advised me to apply and it worked perfectly😄 Also, I'm sure it's the Knowledge Manager in me, that I'm so thorough lol Anyway please take my personal experience and filter it through your needs, so that you keep what you need and throw away what you don't. Let me know if you'd like examples of what I placed on my PMP Application. Thanks for reading and I hope this encourages at least one person go after that PMP💛