During the last 5 years while I was thinking of taking PMP exam, I often heard that "Rita's book plus PMBOK" is all you need to pass the exam. Well, my own story of passing it on the first take is the combination of my own experience, common sense, Rita's book and NO PMBOK. (More specifically I was using PMBOK as a reference to check a couple of points but no more than that).

So the book is highly recommended as the main study tool for anyone who wants to pass the exam. You will also need the software, though it is not cheap, but I believe it's worth it. WARNING: Read the license agreement very carefully before you buy the software - I was quite frustrated when my license mysteriously "expired" 3 months before the exam.

Minor point. An annoying thing in the book are the constant expressions of self-indulgence like "did not I tell you how great this book was?" or "aren't you happy you've bought this book?", etc. But the proportion of these things in relation to the really good material is quite bearable.

So all in all I would recommend the book to anyone who would like to pass the PMP exam.

This book is telling the philosophy of the project management and the most definite and short ways to the PMP exam.

The books came very well (on time and conditions). I would like suggest for this kind of product that it must be covered with some plastic protection, in this way, the accidents with any kind of liquids dropped over a box can be avoided.

The book covers all the subjecy matter in clear and precise ways. It has been very helpful for the test preparation...
I think it is also critical to obtain its accompanying Test DVD...

The book arrived on time and good conditions. This was a cake walk and I will order from this source again.

If you are interested in taking the PMP exam, this book is for you.
The boot-camp PMP courses are 40 hours, Monday to Friday, or one month. It costs $2500 to $10000. One book to pass the PMP exam, definitely saves you plenty of $$$.

The item arrived on time and as described. I believe this to be one of the better PMP Prep guides and after reading it, I also signed up for the online companion course. The course pretty much covers the same material, but it saves me from having to lug the book around and it comes with online practice tests.

I passed the PMP exam yesterday. It was my first try! I used PMBOK Guide Third Edition CD and only 2 books: Rita's Course "PMP exam Prep" Fifth Edition and a "Sample Questions" book of a different author. I just want to put it out there: if you want to pass this exam on the first try, don't just read Rita's "PMP Exam Prep" book a couple of times. UNDERSTAND every word and every sentence in this book so you can apply the content of this book to answer the exam questions no matter how tricky they are. I read the book 4 times and memorized Rita's Process Chart. IT WAS A GREAT HELP! Yes, the book doesn't cover some of the material such as PTA (for Fixed Price Incentive Contracts) and Design of Experiment (DOE), but it covers enough for you to pass! Good Luck!

Rita's book has jokes, stories and unrelated non-senses. On top of that, the practice questions are hard and complicated. If you just want to pass the exam buy something else (like Crowe's)

The good: it's thorough and covers more material than a number of other prep books out there. There is material covered here in depth that isn't in the PMBOK. The author does have some good explanations for the PMBOK content that, if you can get past the author's patronizing tone, can be helpful.
The bad: it's full of Rita's opinions on what you should do and it reminds you that the reason no one knows the full title of this book is because she's good at relationship marketing. There is material here that isn't in the PMBOK -- material which I found confusing and, at times, contrary to what was in the PMBOK. I hated the attitude of the author, found the "games" to be insulting to my intelligence, and found that I was better off just reading the PMBOK.

I used this as a textbook for the PMP Exam Preparation course at a state university. My students liked the reference to the PMI PMBoK (R) pages and the exam like questions at the end of each chapter.

Hi Guys,

For those of you who intend to take PMP in the near future, I would say this is "NOT" a "must buy" book. Rita helps, but the hype you see in some of the reviews is just irrelevant. I was probably amongst one of the youngest professionals to have successfully cracked PMP which made it even more tough for me to deal with the questions in the exam. All you need is PMBOK, Crosswind plus maybe Rita( you can substitute this book with any other PMP book), with a thorough inside-out knowledge. Bingo!!You can crack PMP!!

Megha Sarathy,PMP.

I used this book and the CD to study for the PMP exam. Together, they provided enough information and practice to pass the exam on the first try while overviewing project management principles. Great combination - recommended for those who are serious about pursuing this career path.

I can't remember reading a book that is so patronizing as this. After reading through the entire book once I dumped it because I could bear the pain no longer. The clichés and the put-downs I found very annoying.

Is that to say there were no golden nuggets from this book? Of course not, but when you are reading it and beginning to enjoy the content, Rita throws in a phrase like "If you are great project manager you will do this....". Project Management is not set in stone, different organizations adopt different project methodologies, so its not a one hat fits all profession.

Many other readers enjoyed reading it as reflected in the reviews, and have used it to pass their exams, but it definitely was not for me, hence 1 star.

Combination of PMP exam prep book and PM fastrack software is a trump card to pass the PMP exam on your first try. Although we practice lot of Project Management activities on projects, but when I went through the book found lot of gaps with my practices. Reading book is quite engaging and interesting. Rita has been successful in keeping you engaged with the book throughout. I felt like she is presenting the PMP course in front of you. What you are thinking during reading the book is also analysed. Lot of psychological study have been went through while producing the book. The book mentions the steps to be followed for passing the exam. It has a study plan. In simple I can say...read PMBOK (twice), Rita's book atleast 3 times and practice PM fastrac test after every chapter. Give the PMP exam on the software till you score more than 85 percent.

I do agree the book is expensive. But it is worth rather than trying lot of other books and then turning to this book. You don't need any separate course to be attended. I took 1 week leave from office and passed the exam.

Apart from helping the student to pass the exam...the book helps a lot to clear your knowledge gaps about project management. It was quite a big trunaround for me.

Go ahead and buy the book and PM fastrac....test practice is important...as 4 hrs test is quite testing...

I hope this review helps you to make a correct choice.

I have managed projects for 15 years or so, and decided to get my PMP. Of course knowing anything about project management really has nothing to do with passing the PMP test, as became obvious as I started taking sample tests.

I bought Rita's book, borrowed a copy of Andy Crow's book, read through the PMBOK, and took every sample test I could find. I passed as being Proficient in every topic on the test- 1st try.

I spent about 5 hours reading Rita's book, every page with no particular effort to memorize anything. I did the same with Andy's book, then took all the sample tests in each of them. I read about 5 pages of the PMBOK- it didn't seem to be of much use in studying for the exam. For each question on any of the sample tests I missed, I read the answer and explanations. I retook each test once- more than that and I remembered the right answer from the previous run-thorough.

Both books seemed equally useful, although Rita's was a little more condescending and patronizing. The sample tests in both were poorly worded, confusing, ambiguous and nitpicking- excellent preparation for the exam.

If I had to do it over again, I think I would do it pretty much the same way, except that I would cram the 20 hours of so of studying that I did into the couple days right before the exam- since I found most of the info to be short-term memory kind of stuff...not something you could really dig in and understand.

If I had to choose one book, it would probably be Andy Crowe's, just because it was a slightly easier read and it filtered out more material that didn't seem to be all that critical for the test.

Under no circumstances would I recommend this book for anyone trying to learn how to do project management. It is purely an aide for passing the test.

I bought this book in 2007 for use with a company sponsored study group leading up to taking the PMP exam. I found the author a bit arrogant, but the material and especially the practice questions were a huge help to my learning the style of questions I would face and how to deduce the correct answers to them.

I am finding difficulties in preparing for PMP for a quite a long time. To Jump start, I think this is the book everyone dreams before PMP. Thanks Rita and thanks Amazon

I passed PMP recently and I needed to put in a month's effort. I read PMBOK cover-to-cover and HeadFirst. Got PMP Exam Prep just 15 days before the exam. Read the book once completely. If you havent figured out the right order of processes after reading PMBOK, here is your good chance.
A great book. Did not even feel that the other products were being advertised too much. The demo CD that comes with the book though has 24 questions, should give you an idea of the test interface. Worth the buy.

But note : There will be stuff that is outside of even this book. But not to a great extent. Also do not ignore the inputs, tools and outputs of processes!

I passed PMP recently and I needed to put in a month's effort. I read PMBOK cover-to-cover and HeadFirst. Got PMP Exam Prep just 15 days before the exam. Read the book once completely. If you havent figured out the right order of processes after reading PMBOK, here is your good chance.
A great book. Did not even feel that the other products were being advertised too much. The demo CD that comes with the book though has 24 questions, should give you an idea of the test interface. Worth the buy.

The way the author speaks to the reader is not quite my style. Like most people buying this book it is not their first exam/ study. Over the years I have developed my own learning style (like everyone does). For some reason the author feels the urge to change/contribute to that. Usualy, after reading a paragraph I do not fully comprehend the first time, I go back and read the paragraph again. subsequently, it is rather annoying to read the next line after that paragraph which says: "STOP, GO BACK, AND READ AGAIN!" also the frequent rather ominously remarks " if you lack this and that particular practical experience as a project manager in the past you will NEVER pass this exam" is rather strange and I am not sure what the author tries to achieve with that remark. The value of this book remains to be seen at the exam...

When I purchased Rita's book I was expecting to sit down, read it, and memorize just as I had tried with the PMBOK. However, you can't fall asleep using this book! It is interactive and includes exercises that require writing in the book, puzzles to work with cutouts from the book, and quiz questions that will really put your mind to work. I had been putting off the exam for years and trying to read everything on project management I could get my hands on. Wrong strategy. Rita's book will teach what you need to know to pass the exam. Enough said.

GOOD:
I found this book to be one of the best out there for:
->Makes you think practically in terms of real world PMs.
->Tells you a whole lot of responsibilities of a PM outside of what is stated in the PMBOK.
->Exercises at the end of chapters are really good

NOT SO GOOD:
I think the book can be better organized. Its hard to tell if she is talking about tools, or inputs etc for the knowledge area / process group. So one has to refer to the PMBOK to know or use your own head of course.

Overall, highly recommended and the book is to keep after the exam as well.

I passed PMP on first try and I used Rita's Book and CD for my preparation and I found that it has everything still it misses few things like point of total assumption in procrument. I would suggest reading Rita book first then go thru PMBOK. Concentrate on information distribution,performance reporting,earned value calculations etc.

I highly recommend this book! I've only study from this book and was able to pass the exam. That materials were straight forward and very easy to comprehend. This will be well worth your money.

I have just used Rita's book for preparing the PMP credential exam and it was a key fact in passing it.

There wasn't an easy matter to prepare this exam, but the comments in the book and the way it shows the subjects help you to schedule the study.

Really a very good book.

Xavier Estopà, PMP. Barcelona.

I passed the PMP exam largely due to this book. Read this book before reading the PMBOK. This book helps greatly in understanding the PMBOK which is extremely dull but nevertheless indispensable for passing the exam. Rita has done a commendable job in providing succinct and interesting explanations. My advice to pass the PMP:
1. Read this Book
2. Read PMBOK. Do not forget to read the glossary at the end
3. Repeat 1 and 2
4. Try the free exam on pmstudy.com

All the best!!!

I tried reading this book after I read Head First PMP. What a contrast!

The structure of this book is convoluted and is different from PMBOK, which generates confusion.

Every other sentence is "aren't you glad you bought this book", which is not the case - the total useful advice can fit on one page.

The test questions are much more complicated and confusing then the ones on the real exam, and the answers are frequently a stretch.

I finally gave up a third way through and reread Head First PMP instead.

I passed the PMP exam on a first try no thanks to Rita Mulcahy book.

This is really great book for PMI Preparation. I got good service and price from Amazon

This book is very detailed but at the same time concise. It is worth purchasing.

This book remains the best choice for a beginner to grasp the basics of the PMP course.

The book is okay. I kind of started losing my confidence by reading this book. Some of the topics were well explained. I recommend people who are preparing for PMP to read couple of more books understand the concepts to answer any type of question.

Excuse my English, but here my take. Both Dr. Paul Sanghera's PMP in Depth and Ms. Rita Mulcahy's PMP Exam Prep are great books and have their pros and cons. That said I largely prepared from Dr. Sanghera's PMP in Depth and PMP Exam Quicklet (for practice exams), and PMBOK Guide....and had no trouble in passing the exam on the first try. My opinion: instead of taking sides and being inflammatory or malicious, I should be thankful that we have great minds like Ms. Mulcahy, Dr. Sanghera, and Mr. Crowe in our field of project management and therefore a great selection of books. Because some other reviewers talk about Dr. Sanghera and Ms. Mulcahy books, I say both books have positive and negative and I have unbiased review of both, of course my experience:

Strengths of Dr. Paul Sanghera's book (PMP in Depth):
1. Book organized according to the exam specifications, which is also close to the way the actual projects are run.
2. The book closely follows the exam specifications...Exam objectives given in the beginning of each chapter that covers them...(Most of the books including Ms. Mulcahy's book don't do that). This way I know where in the exam preparation I am...builds confidence. Some reviewers complains this or that knowledge are not covered...but it's not true...they may be looking according to knowledge areas..but here the coverage is according to official exam spec...the way it should be...For example excellent coverage of cost management in Chapter 7.
3. Self contained. Explains all concepts from scratch in easy to understand way...and then goes into enough depth. Definition introduced in the chapter listed at chapter end. It helps.
4. Not just lists input and output for processes, also explains why these inputs and outputs there...this makes memorizing easier...
5. Perfect logical flow in presentation of the material...it's like telling a story...make connection between different concepts and build the big picture..this way you remember everything without making much effort because everything makes sense...I have used Dr. Sanghera's other books to pass some IT certifications as well...he's a master of making difficult concepts easy to understand without compromising accuracy and building big picture by connecting different concepts...logical flow...etc.
6. Very helpful index, good book quality, and excellent writing style. Writing style and presentation makes it a good project management book, and not only just an exam book.

Weak points of Dr. Sanghera's Book:
1. One or two topics not covered in as much detail as I wish they could...That could be because this book follows exam spec very closely.
2. Some questions at chapter ends are simple...However, they help me to test myself if I understand the material in the chapter...Here, Dr. Sanghera's PMP Exam Quicklet helped me because most of the questions there are very close to the exam questions...

Strong points of Ms. Rita Mulcahy's book (PMP Exam Prep):
1. Quite a few exercises and tips.
2. Some difficult and hard to answer questions...but from exam perspective, it makes the questions artificially difficult..and not realistic....
3. A good course book under the guidance of an instructor.
4. Ms. Mulcahy has a great way of explaining things with authority.
5. Lots of questions.

Weak Points of Ms. Rita Mulcahy's book:
1. Not self contained. Lots of references to PMBOK. That obviously means it does not cover everything...Some topics left out..others not much detail...I guess the assumption is that this book is used by an instructor...may not be very good for independent study...
2. It organized according to the PMBOK Guide, and not according to the exam spec...Does not tell which exam objectives a chapter covers..this approach suitable for the CAPM exam but not for the PMP exam.
3. Exam questions are either simpler than the actual exam questions or artificially difficult.
4. Looks like a thicker book...but lots of empty pages and advertizement pages...
5. Not much flow...hops from topic to topic...
6. Very high priced...

Overall both (Dr. Sanghera's and Ms. Mulcahy's) books are great books. If you can afford to buy both, you don't need another book to pass the PMP exam.
Good luck for yuor exam.

Studying for the PMP was a process unto itself. I thought I'd be hard core and go straight to the source - the PMBOK. I stuck to my plan, read it cover to cover, highlighted key points/terms/concepts, and created 15 pages of notes which I regularly reviewed. I thought I had all the knowledge I needed to take the exam...until I cracked open this book.

She says the PMBOK is not enough to prepare you for the test. After taking the test, I realize that she was absolutely right. This exam prep added context and realism to what is outlined in the book, and explained how the information can be applied to real world situations. Sure, I went in just wanting to pass the exam, but once I started in on this book I realized that I was really learning skills that would make me a better PM. The multitude of quizzes in the book make you stop, think about the processes, apply them to your real world/job, and use the processes the way they were intended to be used.

When I read the PMBOK I thought that I had to just memorize everything; inputs, outputs, every term and every concept whether I agreed with it or not. But Rita explains it in a way that makes it painfully clear that you (and most of PMs) are not ready for taking the exam, don't really understand what a PM should be doing, and are honestly have a lot of room for improvement. It seemed like a harsh message at first, but it was the truth for me and I dug into this book to rectify it.

I went into the exam confident and well prepared, and passed.

I also highly recommend her audio flashcards (great listening material while commuting to and from work) and the simulation software. Without all these resources, I don't think I would have passed, and more importantly, would not have gained the in depth knowledge about how to be a better project manager.

I passed the PMP test today achieving my 11th certification, the most of them are IT related but PMP is a great knowledge asset for any professional, IT or not. Now that I have everything fresh in my mind, I want to share my experience with you: As a general rule for certifications, I always get two books, I fully study one, complete all the questions and then I take all the questions on the second book. In that way, I know the first book gave me all the necessary knowledge. For this journey I got "PMP In Depth: Project Management Professional Study Guide for PMP and CAPM Exams - In Depth" (Paul Sanghera) as my 'primary book' and "PMP Exam Prep, Fifth Edition: Rita's Course in a Book for Passing the PMP Exam" (Rita Mulcahy) as my 'questions book'.

If you don't know it yet, the whole PMP certification is organized around 9 knowledge areas (scope, time, cost, hr, procurement, risk, quality, integration and communication management. Each one has multiple related processes that are applied at different stages of the 5 phases of the project lifecycle (initiation, planning, execution, monitoring/controlling and closing). For example, you plan your costs during the planning phase and you control your costs during the monitoring and controlling phase of the project. Both cost processes belong to the cost management area of knowledge. So Rita's book is organized around this 9 knowledge areas while Paul's book is organize around the 5 phases of a project lifecycle.

I started with Paul's book four months ago (4hs every weekday, 11hs each weekend day). This book is fascinating! (please keep reading), because its organization follows the natural life of projects facilitating the learning process, it clearly shows inputs, processes and outputs for each project task, but it doesn't give you always a clear idea of where you are in reference to the knowledge areas. If the other hand, Rita's book is a complex reference to previous and subsequent page numbers, getting you to jump back and forth to understand how a project actually occurs.

I carefully studied Paul's book, I review every single detail on it, memorized every process (inputs, tools/techniques and outputs) and completed every question as well the 175 questions of his final test. I was confident of my knowledge, so I moved on to complete the questions in Rita's book. Misery! Rita destroyed every single hope I had of passing the test successfully! She made me feel that I have been wasting my time with Paul's book: I failed almost all her questions! It was probably the biggest book-related disappointment in my life, although Paul's book is easy to read, and well organized, it doesn't cover significant areas of the certification that are again and again presented in the test! While going thru Rita's questions I discovered that Paul has missed 2 absolutely essential areas required by the test. Let me tell you which ones: Cost management and communication management. The test has multiple questions related to these areas; if you don't know them you will certainly fail! I can't believe that Paul missed them, I consider that very irresponsible and not fair for students trusting his book.

With this fiasco, I went thru Rita's book and learned the remaining knowledge so my advice to you is: Study from Rita's book! Although it is organized around the 9 knowledge areas and they don't really follow the project lifecycle, but it is the way the test is organized and she covers all the topics of the test. To prove it to you (if you are skeptical and confused with so many light or emotional book reviews) I carefully took notes of the areas that Paul missed (I hope he reads this): Problem solving techniques (expectancy theory, motivation theory, McGregor's XY theory, Maslow's hierarchy of needs, Herzberg's theory and motivation agents), communication channels and formulas, PERT and PERT related calculations, cost estimation (can you imagine running a project without cost estimation?), project manager powers (formal, reward, penalty/coercive, expert and referent), outputs of contract administration, administrative close procedure applicability to each project phase. Besides this Paul's questions are extremely easy, the test questions are an extremely hard compared to them, therefore Paul's give you an inaccurate sense of test preparation level. I have also documented multiple important errata in his book and spent significant amounts of time verifying that they are actual errata. For instance: Paul's makes references to the cost baseline countless times in his book, but cost baseline is nowhere to be found (it is not even in the index), work performance is missed as an output of the directing and managing the project execution in the process chart, but is it cited two pages later; the administrative close procedure is an output of the close project process, he points out what the procedure should contain, but it never says when to execute it as he does it with the contract closure procedure.

It is just a very unreliable book for the test. So my advice to you, PMP student is, start with Rita's book and complete every single one of their questions, they look "too demanding, I can't believe the test is that hard" but the test is hard! Then if you have time and can buy Paul's book go directly to his questions and final test. But please, don't do it the other way around.

I bought this book as a study aid to help me pass the test. Good news.... I passed on the first go around. Bad - IMHO, this book alone is not enough. I had a prep course which was invaluable in giving hints on the "need to know" and "not worth the study time" topics. I also found that there were a number of topics covered as "must knows" in the prep course that were not covered in the Rita's book or the Kerzner textbook.

In general - as an aid, the book is fantastic; however, I do have one beef with the book... I found it really patronizing. The author quite frequently makes statements in the book that say (paraphrased, of course) that if you don't know XYZ topic, then you're not a good project manager. Honestly, this got annoying after the first time reading it. I didn't buy the book for a lecture... only to pass the test.

Rita's PMP Exam Prep book may not perfectly package the PMP Exam for you to digest in one effortless meal. But having recently passed the exam, I can say that if I had to do it again, I'd again use this book as the core of my preparation routine.

We all purchase PMP Exam Prep materials for one reason: to pass the PMP exam. The exam itself is rather ambiguous, and test preparation is really an exercise in trying to find materials that really dial you into what you need to know to pass. This book reviews the key knowledge areas you need to have mastered to pass. It correctly identifies most of the core values the exam questions will test you on, and it's expertly written not just to present them, but to teach you to interpret the questions, reason through the answers, and to help you learn to select the correct answers more often than not. All the other pros or cons are superfluous after that.

The book is organized into chapters that mirror the PMBOK chapters, and there's a sample test at the end of each chapter. The sample tests contain about 30 to 40 questions. Please note that these questions are designed to reinforce material in each chapter, and not necessarily to mimic the style and content of exam questions. RMC sells an add-on test simulator with gazillions of sample questions; I didn't use that product, but a colleague used it successfully. The chapters themselves are a very focused distillation of the materials most likely to be required to pass a typical exam session (the exact questions you will take are randomized, so it's impossible to predict what specific topics will be hit, and how hard, in any one sitting). The book is impressive just for this topical coverage, which has some practical value beyond exam preparation purposes alone. The book won't take you any deeper into a topic than you need to go to pass the test, and this economy of material is a big part of what makes the book so valuable: really, part of what you're buying is Rita's judgment about what you need to know and what you don't. I found that her advice wasn't perfect, but it was pretty darn close. I took about 2-3 hours to cover each chapter, including the chapter test.

In addition to the main chapters, the book reviews some important exam advice. Specifically, Rita catalogues several dozen key points that usually trip people up (some people call these PMI-isms). These are listed in a separate section near the front of the book, but also woven into chapter text and chapter tests. That focus on material that helps the reader pass the exam is a big differentiator for this product.

In the course of preparing, I was warned that this book's sample questions would be slightly easier than those in the exam. Another PMP recommended using Kim Heldman's PMP Study Guide (which came with a CD of sample exams) in addition to Rita's book, noting that the Heldman questions were harder than the PMP exam. My last round of pre-exam prep confirmed that, at least for me. I scored very high on Rita's book questions, and about 15% lower on the Heldman questions. My exam score was right in the middle of the two.

If you're like me, you are probably willing to do any reasonable preparation for the exam, but are not sure what the best source is to be sure you pass. The good news for prospective PMPs is that the exam can be adequately prepared for in a reasonable amount of time. The Mulcahy book is probably the most cost and time effective way for most candidates to prepare to pass the test. Supplementing this book with the test simulator or with another source, such as Heldman, will improve your preparation noticeably. Do not rely on the PMBOK alone, as it will not prepare you to answer very many exam questions. Using the Rita book is definitely the most important single, but not the only, source to use in preparation. The book was well worth the money and the time spent reading it. Good luck to you!

My review is going to be disappointing to all Rita 'fans'. I read this book just once, with great difficulty and found it very shallow and boring. This book does cover some topics that are not very well covered in the PMBOK but I could not see the need in buying this book when I could get them all off by an Internet search. Even here, I found atleast a few questions in the HR area that were neither covered in PMBOK or in this Book. That in my opinion defeated the purpose of having this book to begin with.
To be fair, the questions at the end of the book are pretty good and some of excersises are ok. The CD at the end of the book can go straight to the shredder and has no information in it.
I did clear the PMP in my first attempt but I attribute it to the PMBOK and some googling more than this book.

PMBOK provides valuable information for the inputs/outputs of each stage but the PMP Exam Prep Guide fills in the blanks, provides helpful exercises and has valuable quizzes at the end of each chapter. This is a critical tool to pass the exam.

First of all, I passed my exam today! That's the most important part.

I received this book from my PMP Prep class that was given by the Miami Valley PMI organization.

Here is how I prepared for the exam:

1) Attended the bi-weekly PMP Prep class (class lasted six weeks). Each class was divided up into a framework (Initiation, Scope, Time, HR, etc).

2) I read the chapter in Rita's book prior to going to the class.

3) After the class, I would read the corresponding chapter in the PMBOK.

4) I began using the practice test questions from Perfect Score Software - http://www.amazon.com/Project-Management-Simulated-Test-Bank/dp/0972665633/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1198182188&sr=8-12 . These questions were okay...nothing spectacular.

5) Once the class was over, I ordered the FastTrack questions from Rita. I took about nine different PMP and SuperPMP exam questions...scoring in the low-mid 80% range for all exams.

6) About three weeks before the exam, I reread Rita's book one chapter a day. I then took the FastTrack questions for that piece of Framework.

So, that lead up to exam day. The exam was about 10x harder than any Rita FastTrack exam. I passed the exam, but it was a struggle.

I would suggest rereading the PMBOK a second time if you have the time. There were numerous questions on the exam that were never discussed in the book nor her FastTrack exam. I had a ton of ITTO questions (maybe 20-30 questions) as well...something I probably should have spent some more time on. You might also want to try another popular PMP author as well to get a different insight on things...don't rely entirely on Rita.

The exam is grueling...so make sure you get plenty of sleep the night before.

It is simple. Read this book 2-3 times, you pass. I used this book for my study, and took the author's advice to read her book 3 times. First time was stright through. Second time was a careful study of the material, third time was a skim of areas I didn't remember well, and a quick refresh read of exercises. Passed the exam.

I just passed my PMP. In my experience, this book can be used as the primary source for preparation. I read this book twice and found this book explains the processes and knowledge areas easier to grasp and relate. It is good that the author tries to motivate readers with the PMI-ism whenever possible. The diagrams, various formula/calculations would really help.
On the flip side: It is not `self-contained' - it refers back to the PMBOK for more information a number of times and could have avoided the frustrating marketing tactics to promote her practice tests/website. I found some concepts/questions in the real exam which are never mentioned in the book. I guess the author might soon come with the next version of this book with the additional topics dealt in the real exam. Other than these this book is a good buy.

To make the project management material sound so exciting is no small feat. Rita writes her book in the perfect balance of conversation, discipline for the reader, no-nonsense tips and expectations from PMP, and draws on brilliant learning techniques to help you understand the concepts, rather than memorize them - even though there are some specific areas you do need to memorize as she points out. I am almost 30% through the book and intend to finish before taking the exam. Highly recommend it!

I passed the PMP certification exam yesterday. I used the following three items for preparation.

1. Rita's course in a book for passing the PMP Exam, fifth edition
2. PMBOK guide
3. FastTrack CD for sample tests

These three worked out well for my preparation. The book is for new project managers due to some of the wordings by Rita. The tricks of trade and PMI'isms are good in the book. The SuperPMP was close to the actual exam. Work experience in managing projects and Rita's book would be my recommendation for passing the exam.

This book has a very condescending attitude and overly complicates all the topics. I read the first four chapters and then gave up on it. I am reading the PMBOK, Andy Crowe's The PMP Exam and this gawdawful book. I was hoping to read the PMBOK and get the dry official material and then use the other two books for clarifications, exercises and tips.

One thing anybody trying to study for PMP knows that you need to know that PMI is not real life and you need to give your answers in PMI's world. Every time Rita approaches a topic, just before I'd expect her to tell me PMI's perspective I instead get insulted. She would let me know that if I didn't already know this then I am not a project manager and I shouldn't be writing this test. The 'If you don't know then I'm not going to tell you' attitude makes me feel like I am arguing with my wife rather than reading training material.

I also feel it is a huge money grab. She gives me a CD with over 1400 questions in it, but if I wish to see any more than 25 of them I have to shell out $300! Also, I get the feeling she is terrified that I might share this book with someone, she finds reasons for me to cut up pages and says it is only 'smart' to answer questions directly on the book and not a separate piece of paper. Don't worry Rita, the contents of the book itself is reason enough for me not to share this book with anyone.

I am quite upset at the time and money I wasted on this book.

Though I do not agree 100% with the RMC process, one should beware of seemingly biased and opinionated reviews.

I took an old version of the PMP exam and relied heavily on Rita's material. I passed the exam and though I was bewildered at how different the questions seemed to be from her material, in retrospect I am glad at the endurance her material built up for me and how it enriched my PMP exam thought process. I purchased this edition and have read and used it to teach others. Having read several books by this author while I was a PMP trainer for one of the largest Global PMP Education Providers in the world, I daresay the author has a style and a pattern which has worked for several of my students (practicing project managers for twenty years up in IT, Aerospace, supply chain and many other fields). Very learned and intelligent men and women who passed the exam on their first try as a result of using Rita's material and other training.

Granted some snide remarks may be annoying to some but overall RMC's material may be very useful to the working project manager and those looking to make the PMP a "process" and "learning experience" for life rather than just reading for a certificate. Velociteach and other materials may work for some but a question to ask is how much of an experience does each student take away? Do Rita's students take away more or less? How much is retained in their though process as working project managers post the PMP exam? Lastly what is Rita's success rate vs. the other options?

Before swallowing information dished out by book bashers it is advisable to research thoroughly because one may be loosing out in the long run. I would highly recommend RMC material to students AND I would strongly recommend re-reading the PMBOK Guide and trying out other material as well. It's all about life post the exam. Real world application of what one learned while studying for the PMP Exam the best way possible.

Passed PMP with this book as primary resource.

Good Points:
Questions (374) at back of the chapters are (on average) same difficulty
as the exam. I was scoring about 75% on those and scored 76.5% on the
real exam.

Materials covered very well.


Bad Points:
Too wordy sometimes.
Too many ads of her other products.
Font too small.
You probably need another book (I used CAPM book by Andy Crowe) to
cover the PMBOK material in non-dry fashion.

Mamun Rashid, PMP

The PMP exam preparation training, this book and the RMC`s PM FASTrack exam simulation software gave me ability to pass the PMP exam on my first try.
The book and FASTrack were even more useful than exam preparation training. Really!
There are simple language and really wise ideas about logic beyond the PMBoK in this book. And some useful recomendations about strategy for answering the exam questions.
I was using this material and exam simulation software during two months before my exam and it was enough.
I read the book twice during this time. And reread the PMBoK chapters accordingly.
FASTrack gave me rhythm of real exam. And understanding of wording of the questions. It really does matter.
I guess there were about 5 questions on my exam, wchich has no links to this materials. And some wordings were different. However, I was really ready for this. SuperPMP test from FASTrack was very close to real exam.

Good luck!

I read this book 3 times in preparation for taking the exam...I highly recommend this book as it has information that is not in the PMBOK. Follow all the exercises. I also created my own flashcards based on the information that I needed to review more often. Even though this book does not have 100% of the information that I saw on my exam, if you use this book in addition to other sources, online exams and experiences you should be able to pass...

Good Luck!!

Hi,
I recently passed the PMP exam. This book was the main source of my information/study material before the exam. I first started reading PMBOK but found the material to be very cold, and you really don't know what the exam expects after reading the PMBOK. Rita's book is very exam oriented. Challenges you to think on situational questions right from the start. If you are a PMP aspirant, knowing the scope of the exam is very important. According to me; this book defines the scope of the exam.Some other study material that helped me were:
1. Exam Simulation software - Crosswind
2. PMBOK after reading Rita's book.(Only referred)
2. Online tests which you can find on the internet.
Hope this helps. All the best to the PMP aspirants out there!

Vikrant Thakare, PMP