Gaining your Project Management Professional (PMP)® certification can drastically improve your career opportunities by giving you the ability to demonstrating your skills as a project manager and commitment to the profession.

With so many changes being demanded of business in 2020, there’s never been a better time to upskill. Project managers are likely to be in higher demand in the coming years than ever before.

Training for your PMP® exam in 2020 has been made far more challenging by the absence of traditional classroom courses, with most training providers opting for safer online learning alternatives.

So, how do you prepare for your PMP® exam from home?

Training courses online

Although classroom training courses may not be an option for the time being, you can still complete a formal training course in a self-study virtual environment or online self-study alternative.

Read the PMBoK Guide

The latest edition of the PMBOK® Guide will give you access to the most up-to-date information for the exam.

The current version of the PMBOK® guide used is the sixth edition. Included is everything you need to know to about the PMP® curriculum, exam topics and more.

Research the exam

Learning and understanding the PMP® exam format is just as important as the course content itself.

Knowing in advance how questions are structured, and what information you will be expected to know can prevent some nasty surprises, help you structure your studies and make the exam much, much easier.

Have a study plan

Not everyone learns the same way. Figure out what works for you. Seek a method that helps you learn and retain information. Read up on the different types of learning style.

Set goals. Reading the PMBOK® Guide back to front in one sitting is an unrealistic task. Break your studies into bite-sized chunks to not get overwhelmed.

Set achievable deadlines, you’re more likely to remain focused and motivated when you meet your deadlines and start seeing real progress in your studies.

Take breaks

It’s important to allow yourself some breaks, you should work a little down-time into your routines. There’s no point trying to study when your too overworked to remember anything. It’s more productive to take a break and come back to it with a fresh mind.

Practice exams

Completing practice exams are a great way to check which areas your knowledge are lacking to help you prioritise what you should spend your time studying before the exam.

Communicate

Social media and online forums are great studying tools. You can connect to a whole network of people who either have passed the PMP® exam and are able to offer some helpful tips, or those who like you are studying for their qualifications and can share their advice.

LinkedIn has many project management groups where you can ask questions. Just because you can’t share a classroom with fellow learners doesn’t mean you have to do it alone.