Project Management AcademyReviews of projectmanagementacademy.net

I took the 4-day PMP virtual bootcamp class with Crystal Richards in March 2021 and passed the exam on my first attempt six weeks later in May. I came across the class through a google search and was immediately sold by their money back guarantee. Being a total newbie to the PMI/PMP world, I was just very eager to learn and very excited to get it done. There was so much content taught in the class, it was near impossible NOT to feel overwhelmed during it, and I certainly did, however Crystal made the material seem very manageable. She is very knowledgeable, has so much wisdom from her own experience as a PM, and she did a fantastic job covering PMP content at a very high level. Her enthusiasm and Crystal-isms made the class very enjoyable (I laughed out loud several times). I also loved that we were given short breaks throughout the day. Those helped me to refocus (and get my steps in). I appreciated her/PMA's recommendation of taking the exam 4-6 weeks after the class as many people, if not most try to take the PMP 1-2 weeks after doing a bootcamp (whether PMA's or someone else's). Giving that recommendation as well as the recommendation to take three practice exams and not sit for the real exam until you get a 75 set very realistic expectations for what I should get out of the class. I didn't do well on the mock exam at all, but the encouragement Crystal provided right after I emailed her to let her know how I did and where I would start with my studying was the pick-me-up I needed to feel so defeated so early in the game. I attended the mock exam review the following Friday which honestly was not the greatest. I don't remember the instructor's name, but I basically felt disappointed in how the session was handled overall. He spent way too much time on the beginning sections, and rushed through the end without giving thorough explanations. We were 30 minutes over the 2-hr time to get through the entire mock exam. He also seemed to kind of make things up for some of his explanations, and was even just flat out wrong for a couple of them, and that annoyed me pretty bad. The reason why this doesn't affect my rating score for PMA is because he was not my instructor, Crystal was, and she helped me through those questions I had issues with. She is just top-notch. A friend of mine recently said, "The prep classes are not taking the test for you. Only you can put in the work." I cannot stress that enough! The resources available through PMA are what got me through my entire six weeks of studying. And there are a LOT of resources- slides, PDFs, videos, flash cards, practice exams. I studied two hours a day and took a practice exam once every weekend (minus one weekend). I didn't crack open a book almost the entire six weeks until I read the Agile Practice Guide (also recommended by Crystal) two days prior to and on the day before the exam. PMA and Crystal were such an integral part to my success on the exam, and having Crystal encouraging me along the way during the journey definitely kept me going and built up my confidence until I reached a point where I felt like there was absolutely no way I would fail the exam.

Project Management Academy assisted in the development of a streamlined study approach and was very helpful as questions concerns arose. Excellent resource.

Project Management Academy (PMA) is a Verified Premier Authorized Training Partner for the Project Management Institute (PMI). I did their Basic PMP Exam Prep Boot Camp ($1995.00). This included the 35 hours of PMI approved instructor training, thousands of practice questions, supplemental course videos, post class tutoring and this "100% money-back guarantee" which was the most appealing part of the deal. This 100% money-back guarantee comes with conditions to be met prior to taking the test, so it is not as simple as it sounds. The education materials were available online but there was an option for the printed option ($35.00) which I decided to get since it would have costed me more in ink to print it all out myself. Worth it!! I like taking notes and writing all over my books and highlighting things. Prior to the class, it is recommended to take a pre course assessment to get your baseline. No comment on my baseline conditions. It was not great! I did my boot camp from March 1-4 @8:30-6pm PT with Mike Martin II. In retrospect I really should have signed up for a central time course since I am naturally an early bird and I really felt my brain struggling after 4pm everyday. Mike was great! Very engaging. His stories made the material a lot more relatable and easy to remember. 5 stars for Mike!! But PMA is bound to PMI course materials and the order of the slides were not, in my humble opinion, the best order. To overcome this, Mike did have some supplemental materials for the class which was most helpful. The class I was on had great participation so it made the class more active. I can tell Mike was very passionate and was invested in all of the students' success. He provided his personal information if we needed help after the course and encouraged us to apply for the exam, ask him if we have questions with the application and get a date in the books so it happens. The course is only as good as what you make of it. After the boot camp, I did a Mock Test and the Mock Test review session. I made sure to do Timed Practiced Tests once a week, attend the weekly Friday tutoring session (12-2pm PT/3-5pm ET), practice questions and situational questions. The situational questions are most helpful, but limited. When I went to take it the second time, it seemed like all the same questions. I wish they had more situational questions. My favorite tutoring sessions were with Mike Martin II and Stephen Hoogerwerf. They were helpful and organized, and their teaching styles were a good fit for me. If your class dates are flexible, I recommend finding a class that they are teaching. They also have Topic Review Videos. These videos were sooooooooo boring!! Not a fan. I actually ended up going on You-Tube to watch better made videos. Sorry, not sorry. Had to do what I needed to do to ensure my success. For the amount of money this course cost, I expect a bit more. I passed on my first try on April 10th with Above Target in all 3 Domains and on the overall test, but it required me exploring other studying avenues. I don't feel like PMA alone would have been enough. A part of this might be due to the PMP Exam version change at the beginning of 2021. As a large company their practice exam questions might take longer to adapt than a small company. Just an observation. Still very grateful. Cheers!!

PMA's sponsored PMP Exam Prep Boot Camp - 4 Day - training session was key to my being able to pass the Project Management Institute's PMP exam and attain my Project Management Professional certification. At first glance, the amount of material covered in the 4 day Boot Camp seems overwhelming. However the training sessions were well paced. The presentation by Sean Coyle was engaging and knowledgeable. Sean's professionalism was evident. The tools provide by the Project Management Academy in training/reference materials and online practice exams/flash cards/Q&A are on point. The practice exams go a long way in preparing you to sit for the exam. The practice exams cover the material extensively as well as give you an understanding of the PMP exam's question style and logic. I look forward to being able to attend future training sessions to continue to enhance my knowledge and certifications.

Top notch instructors, great customer service, vital information for passing the exam. Very satisfied with my whole experience.

The content for the online CAPM course is poorly presented and difficult to follow. It's taking me quadruple the time it should to complete this course because I have to look at the concepts up on other PM resource blogs. I contacted the company to express my dissatisfaction with the product and they will not refund my enrollment cost. I recommend a different CAPM course.

I wrote and passed my PMP on my first attempt. My instructor John Dokos was incredibly knowledgeable. I highly recommended PMA for anyone looking to obtain their PMP.

A good advocate for learning and prepping for the exam. I appreciated the level of effort the instructor Mike S put forth in presenting a huge body of (sometimes very dry) information.