TOPIC: Hitting a Wall Midway Through PMP Prep

Hey everyone,

Two weeks in, and my motivation’s hit a dip. Working full-time while studying has been rough, and I’m starting to doubt if I can retain enough for the exam. Any tips for overcoming study fatigue?

Andrew,

You are not yet experiencing "study fatigue." I believe you're questioning the worth of the endeavor; determining if the "juice is worth the squeeze" using the popular phrase. At two weeks into to a six-or-so month process, it sounds to me as though you're re-thinking the value of the PMP. Unfortunately only you can determine the value.


My motivation for achievement has always come from within.

Studying for the PMP exam is difficult and can be a psychological downer. For me it required a lot of mental toughness. It was like learning to be fluent in a foreign language in 5-6 months ,or worse, the words are English but they don't mean what you think they mean.

You may find that having a written plan and executing on that plan will help. Preparing for the exam will take time away from the things you believe you'd rather be doing or time away from family. It's a commitment. You will not be able to half-bake this cake and expect to be successful.

Good luck.

Hi Andrew, I agree with Harry. If your motivation is dipping after only 2 weeks in, you need to look at whether you are fully invested in this.
Review your line of work and whether the PMP will add value to it.
Once you have a clearly defined the "Why" for what you're doing, the "How" becomes much less challenging.

Yes, the PMP takes up time, effort, money, and mental bandwidth.
Was it worth it for me? Absolutely.
Was it a big commitment - something that I had to plan and budget for, set aside time each day to learn, practice and then complete? Yes.

You need to assess why you are doing this. If you are convinced this makes sense, then you need to mentally commit and make a plan and be consistent. Half an hour each day is worth more than 4 hours on one day of the week.

Andrew,

I feel you completely. I was working full time, with business trips, two marriages, three kids, divorce, work toxicity, and all the rest while I was getting my bachelor's. Right after my bachelor's, I immediately jumped into PMP.

What you must realize is that consistent study is worth more than cram sessions. Spending just 30 minutes a day will help you retain much more than long study hours. Right now, I am studying for my A&P, and all I do is study 50 questions a day. That should be enough to pass the test in 6 months from now.

I will say one advantage that I have is that I have never taken a break from education since I started back in college about 5 years ago. I haven't allowed myself to get into a comfortable mode, so it is easier for me to jump right into my next goal.

Some great advice already in the comments, what is actually making your motivation decrease? How many weeks did you think you needed to be ready for the exam. Its not unusual for people in full time demanding jobs to plan for 6 months for the PMP. Use project management to help you plan for your PMP Remember agile 8th principle maintain a constant pace indefinitely or 3.7 TAILOR BASED ON CONTEXT in PMBOK 7 and there are many others. But you design a study plan that is sustainable for say up to 6 months, and if you start ace-ing your mocks sooner and get 80%s then readjust the schedule. But it needs to be long term sustainable, with PMP we should not use analogous estimating, from say courses such as CSM etc. Many people quit within the first month for this reason, they think its like other exams, in their mind they think they can get this in the bag within a few weeks , and after a few weeks of studies and some example questions they suddenly realise its not possible. But if you give yourself a 6 months target and more importantly find a sustainable pace that fits in with your life, there is no reason you cannot do it, but milestones need to be measure in months not weeks.

Harry,

This is fantastic advice. I’ve been on this journey since last November when I was bored out of my mind and searching for a hobby, specifically a learning hobby. I thought at some point that my job of almost 16 years was in jeopardy, so getting a PMP certification seemed like the most logical move.

However, around February or March, I stopped studying because I was burnt out and overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information to digest. The sheer number of videos, books, resources, and so on was daunting.

In short, I failed my first attempt with below-target scores in process, target in people, and above-target scores in the business domain. I think I was close to passing. As someone with ADHD, I was determined to finish and leave that room, regardless of the result. I didn’t flag any questions and managed to complete the exam within an hour.

My next attempt is on September 18. I paid for a PMP coach, and we have one-on-one meetings, but I was expecting a roadmap or guide. Instead, we just review SH questions. Not so happy about it. I was told I am ready for the retake, but I don't feel I am ready. I think I need to trust the process and that's what I am doing.

For this second attempt, I’m reading more than watching videos on YouTube. I believe it’s the best way to gain clarity. I scored 76% on practice questions and 77% on practice exams. I’ll do one or two mock exams and then call it a day and work on my weak areas .

To everyone on the PMP journey, I wish all the best. You got this!