12 Week PMP Study Plan

So now that you’ve decided to take on the PMP exam, you’re wondering how to plan for studying.

You’re in luck because I’m going to share my study plan. I took a full six months to prepare for the exam but three of those months were only for studying. The other three months were used to gather work experience, complete the application, figure out what study material I needed and come to terms with the fact that I was really about to attempt this difficult exam.  Because there is so much material to cover, I knew that having a plan for studying would be just as important as the studying itself. 

My study plan was made to fit my schedule, so if your situation is anything like mine, this plan will work for you.

I’m not married, I work a full-time job, 40 hours per week and I don’t have any children to care for. I submitted my application to take the exam July 7, 2019, my application was approved July 15, 2019 and I scheduled my exam for August 3, 2019. I cut it extremely close. I know. I had a goal of becoming certified summer of 2019 and I was committed to meeting that deadline. You can too.

This plan reflects my exact activities in preparation for the exam, so if the circumstances above are not similar to yours, this plan may not work. You may be able to tweak it, but I only suggest this for a person in a similar situation.

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2023 Update! 

Since taking the PMP certification exam in 2019, the exam material has changed. My study plan was based on the PMBOK 6th Edition. However, the time committment outlined in the study plan above remains. Be sure to reference the exam outline to guide your study efforts so that you’re focusing on the right material for the right amount of time.