On October 10, 2026, I passed the PMP exam on my first attempt. My score report showed Above Target in Process, Target in People and Below Target in Business Environment. I studied for 16 days using one structured plan and nothing else.
This is what that plan looked like, what surprised me on exam day, and what I'd change if I were starting again.
My starting point
I’ve spent 28 years in the utility industry, across telecommunications, power and natural gas. My work has been managing the infrastructure and outside plant behind the scenes, so that when you flip a switch, make a call or turn on the stove, the service is there. I’ve also spent 10 years in real estate as a buy-and-hold investor, loan signing agent and transaction coordinator.
So I’d been managing projects for a long time. I just didn’t have the letters after my name yet. I earned my 35 contact hours through an online course I could fit around work and family.
I had already booked my exam date when I started, so I didn't have months to prepare. I needed a plan that put every study session on a real date and told me exactly what to do each day.
The 16-day plan I followed
I studied one session a day. Each session was one focused unit: read the notes, take the quiz, and review every question I missed.
- Days 1–7: Exam blueprint and PMI mindset, principles and value delivery, life cycles and approaches, then the governance, scope, schedule and finance domains.
- Day 8: A 60-question timed mini mock as a checkpoint, then clearing every miss.
- Days 9–12: Stakeholders and communication, resources and team leadership, risk, and tailoring, agile, procurement and AI.
- Day 13: A full-length mock exam in one sitting, with breaks, at exam pace.
- Days 14–15: A weak-area review, then a second mini mock with a formula-meanings drill.
- Day 16: Light review and logistics only.
I didn’t take time off work to do this. I studied 1 to 2 hours in the evenings after work and put in longer sessions on the weekends. If you’re juggling a full-time job and a full life, you can do this too. Consistency matters more than marathon days.
What surprised me on exam day
I expected earned value math. I didn't calculate a single formula. Questions gave me a CPI, an SPI, a float value or an EMV and asked what it meant or what I should do next. Knowing the formulas mattered, but knowing how to read them mattered more. I wrote about this in detail in PMP formulas on the 2026 exam.
The other surprise was a happy one: the exam felt familiar. The way my study guide was structured, from the scenario-style questions to how the topics fit together, lined up closely with the real thing. I sat down knowing what to expect instead of second-guessing myself, and that calm made a real difference.
Where I was strongest, and weakest
Process was my strongest domain. I think that came from drilling the scenario questions until "assess before you act" and "follow change control" became automatic.
Business Environment was my weakest. It now makes up 26% of the exam, up from 8%, and it covers governance, compliance, organizational change and external factors like regulations and AI. If I studied again, I'd give it more time. That's why the PMP Sprint I built afterwards gives it extra weight. Read how to study the Business Environment domain.
What I'd tell anyone starting now
- Book your date first. A fixed date turns "someday" into a plan.
- Use timed mocks early. Your first mock is a baseline, not a verdict.
- Clear your misses every day. Every wrong answer is a lesson you don't have to learn on exam day.
- Learn what the numbers mean. Interpretation beats calculation on this exam.
Try the same system
I turned my study plan into PMP Sprint: 16-, 30- and 60-day plans built around your exam date, 352 original practice questions and timed mocks scored by domain. Start with 10 free practice questions, no signup needed.
One person's result is not a guarantee of yours. PMP and PMI are registered marks of the Project Management Institute, Inc. Above Target Prep is not affiliated with or endorsed by PMI.