Skip to content
Baseline BinderGet the app

Pocket binder

PMP practice questions on iPhone and Android.

Get the appPractice free on this site
5.7

Prep options compared

How should you choose PMP® exam prep?

Pick PMP prep by the job each piece has to do: a course that covers the 35 training hours PMI® requires, a question bank that trains scenario judgment, and a reference for terms. One product can do more than one job, but check each job separately.

Exam
PMP
Updated
Oct 13, 2026

01Prep by the job it does

What each format can count for, per PMI's content outline, as of October 2026

JobFormats that do itWhat to check
35 training hoursCourses: self-paced from any provider, or live classesAligned with the 2026 outline; self-paced needs an end-of-course assessment; from December 1, 2026, live classes count only from a PMI Authorized Training Partner (ATP), a China Registered Education Provider (REP) or an accredited academic program
Scenario judgmentQuestion banks, simulators, timed mocksExplanations for the wrong options; questions written to the 2026 outline
ReferencePMBOK® Guide, Agile Practice GuideCurrent editions; books don't count as training on their own
RecallFlashcards, formula sheetsTerms and formulas you would otherwise keep looking up

02PMI's own prep, as listed in its store

PMI store, U.S. prices, checked October 2026

PointPMP Exam Prep Course, EL326Free Introduction: PMP, EL337PMP Practice Exam, EL329
Price$699 member, $799 non-member$0Not shown when checked
Length35 hours1 hourFull-length simulation
PDUs3514
Covers the 35 training hoursYes, per PMINo, it runs 1 hourNo; practice exams don't count

PMI also sells PMI Study Hall subscriptions (Essentials and Plus). The store page didn't load when checked, so no price is given here.

03Third-party courses and simulators

Names you'll run into include Rita Mulcahy's prep materials, Andrew Ramdayal's TIA courses, Joseph Phillips's courses on Udemy, PM PrepCast and Pocket Prep. Their prices, hours and claims weren't verified as of October 2026, so they're listed by name only.

Two checks sort most options. First, is it written to the 2026 outline, with People 33%, Process 41% and Business Environment 26%? Material still showing the earlier split predates the July 9, 2026 change. Second, if a live class is supposed to cover your hours after December 1, 2026, is the provider an ATP, a China REP or an accredited academic program? PMP 35 contact hours has the detail.

The PMBOK Guide's role is narrower than its reputation; the PMBOK Guide and the PMP exam explains where it fits.

04Before you pay for anything

  • Does it name the 2026 outline and its 33/41/26 weights?
  • Do the explanations say why each wrong option is wrong?
  • Is there a full-length, timed run: 180 questions in 240 minutes?
  • For training hours: an end-of-course assessment if self-paced, the right provider status if live after December 1, 2026?
  • Does it promise a pass? PMI's outline says even its own reference list shouldn't be read as a guaranteed means of passing. Weigh anyone else's guarantee accordingly.

05Sources

  1. PMI, PMP Examination Content Outline (rev. August 11, 2026) checked Oct 13, 202635-hour rule, December 1, 2026 provider rule, books and practice exams, reference list
  2. PMI store, PMP Exam Prep Course (EL326) checked Oct 13, 2026price, 35 hours, 35 PDUs
  3. PMI store, Free Introduction: PMP (EL337) checked Oct 13, 2026free, 1 hour, 1 PDU
  4. PMI store, PMP Practice Exam (EL329) checked Oct 13, 2026full-length simulation, 4 PDUs; price did not load
  5. PMI, PMP exam preparation page checked Oct 13, 2026PMBOK Guide and Agile Practice Guide on the reference list
  6. PMI, PMBOK Guide page checked Oct 13, 2026Eighth Edition