Are you a project management professional looking to find the best PMP books to help you pass the exam? Are you looking for help to ease your anxiety and confidence in passing the PMP exam? You have come to the right place.
Finding the right project management book is essential to doing well on the exam and providing you will information you may not know. They also provide you with a resource to utilize later on in your professional career.
Imagine attempting to take the PMP exam using only your project management experience. The chances are slim that you will pass the exam. PMP texts often contain an abundance of best practices and business insights that you may not get from your personal experience.
Besides providing information on the best PMP books to review for the exam, we will also give you information to figure out the best learning techniques and how to choose the right book for you. For all of this and more, you only have to do one thing. That one thing is just to keep reading.
If you want to just get back to studying,
Last update: 2024-05-08
Our Favorites for Best PMP Books
A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) – Seventh Edition and The Standard for Project Management (ENGLISH) by The Project Management Institute
The Project Management Institute provides project management professionals with all of the information that they need to pass the PMP exam. It is the holy grail of texts that many project management books are modeled after. It contains an abundance of information and resources for the rising professional.
What Makes It Unique:
- This book is the go-to resource for project management professionals and is consistently reviewed by project managers for accuracy.
- With the growing transition to agile development, more and more information on agile project management has been included within the text.
- The Project Management Institution also includes information on the role of a project manager and even trends in project management practice.
- If you are unable to get your hands on the latest edition, the PMBOK Guide, fifth edition, is an excellent option if you can get your hands on it.
Why Choose this Best PMP Book:
- The PMBOK is one of the most recommended PMP books and familiar texts for project managers. Even if it is not your primary resource, it is something that every PM should read at least once.
- book
- A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide) – Seventh Edition and The Standard for Project Management (ENGLISH)
- Project Management Institute (Author)
Last update: 2024-05-08
PMP Exam Prep: Technical Project Manager by Darron Clark
PMP Exam Prep is another one of the best study guides for the PMP exam. It includes a wealth of PMP knowledge and even includes practice materials to get you prepared. He also uses several examples, exam questions, and even tips for passing the exam.
What Makes It Unique:
- Darron Clark provides readers with an abundance of information. He even gives users specific examples for handling things like software upgrades, installations, and so many more relevant examples.
- Once you have finished your preparation, make sure you test yourself with all of the practice material this book has to offer. This includes two practice exams and more than 200 questions. The book, in total, includes more than 500 exam questions.
- The text is divided into parts. Each part focuses on a different part of the project management profession. The first part focuses on the PMP exam, while the next two sections focus on the review, and the final part focuses on the practice exams.
Why Choose this Best PMP Book:
- IT professionals have weighed in on the quality of the material in this book, and they are extremely fond of it. It presents risks and information which real-world project managers will face regularly.
- Many purchasers say that the book prepares you for not only the exam but also a successful career in project management. It is thorough and detailed. The book aims to provide an avenue for not only retention but understanding.
- The book presents the material in a way that is simple and easy to understand.
- Clark, Darron L (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 502 Pages - 10/12/2018 (Publication Date) - Darron L Clark (Publisher)
Last update: 2024-05-08
Runner Ups for Best PMP Books
PMP Exam Prep Simplified: Based on PMBOK Guide by Andrew Ramdayal
PMP Exam Simplified is based on the PMBOK prep book. It provides students with an abundance of help and useful information. It is straightforward to understand and includes several tricks and tips on how to conquer the exam.
What Makes It Unique:
- Within this text, you will find an abundance of prep materials. This includes more than 500 exam questions similar to that of the official PMP exam. The book opens up with an introduction to what you can expect from not just the exam but the application process and what happens after the exam.
- Andrew’s text goes in-depth into the most critical project management components. This includes needed forms, key PM terms, the role of a project manager, and so much more.
Why Choose this Best PMP Book:
- Several purchasers found this to be a must-have text for the PMP exam. It is direct and gets straight to the point.
- Some other readers also felt that this is the only book you need to pass the exam. Reading this book multiple times will help you retain the information and pass the exam with flying colors.
- Ramdayal, Andrew (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 480 Pages - 02/19/2018 (Publication Date) - CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (Publisher)
Last update: 2024-05-08
PMP Exam Prep, Eighth Edition - Updated: Rita's Course in a Book for Passing the PMP Exam by Rita Mulcahy
Rita Mulcahy's PMP exam prep book is another text that is loved by PMP exam takers. It is consistently being improved with each edition. It contains an abundance of information and tips to help you pass the exam the first time around.
What Makes It Unique:
- Rita’s PMP exam prep review is full of practice material and real-world scenarios. It contains more than 400 practice questions and even tips for how to pass the exam.
- Using this book in conjunction with the PMBOK, Rita even references the guide with page numbers for ease of lookup.
Why Choose this Best PMP Book:
- Purchasers found this to be an excellent option to use after taking the PMP course. It effectively prepares students for the exam’s information and format.
- Potential test takers love how well-edited this text is and find the process map included in the text to be very helpful. Though this book doesn’t offer a final exam, the questions are similar in difficulty as the questions on the actual PMP exam.
- 8th Edition
- Rita Mulcahy (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
Last update: 2024-05-09
Value Picks for Best PMP Books
The PMP Exam: How to Pass on Your First Try (Test Prep series) by Andy Crowe
Andy Crowe brings readers this review guide with several digital tools, online training, and so much. This text is often compared to several books on this list. It is written by a seasoned project management professional and is also the founder of Velociteach.
What Makes It Unique:
- Andy gives users over 400 questions that they can utilize to prepare for the PMP exam. He also includes margins within the text which are dedicated to notes.
- The PMP Exam aims to help you pass the PMP exam on the first try. The author wants so much for you to pass that you also get access to 60 videos, where Andy explains concepts in Project Management.
- With this text’s purchase, you will also get a week’s free access to Velociteach’s portal. This gives you access to an abundance of different content.
- Velociteach PMP reviews are another option if you are fond of Andy Crowe’s text. Through the Velociteach PMP Program, professionals are offered some of the best training for the PMP certification they can find.
Why Choose this Best PMP Book:
- Several test takers have said that they used this text in conjunction with Rita Mulcahy’s PMP exam prep book. Those two books together are excellent for ensuring that you pass the exam, even without the PMPBOK.
- Several test takers consider this to be one of the best study guides for the PMP exam.
- Several first-time users of the text found it to be of excellent quality and an overall great resource.
- Crowe PMP PgMP, Andy (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 840 Pages - 12/15/2020 (Publication Date) - Velociteach (Publisher)
Last update: 2024-05-08
PMP Exam Prep Book by Master of Project Academy: Get PMP in Your 1st Attempt by Mustafa Resit Gulec PMP
Last but not least, the PMP Prep book by Master of Project Academy is a good option if you have exhausted all of your other resources. It comes with numerous amounts of resources and even some online aid. The text also opens up by providing readers with information about the exam and the certification.
What Makes It Unique:
- The text is split into sections. Each section covers a different area of project management. This includes processes, the creation of projects, and even integration management.
- Each section has a quiz at the end to ensure that you have retained the needed information. The answer key is also included in the text.
- With the text, you will find over 100 flashcards to help you retain information, over 500 practice questions, and even answers and rationale to help you grasp why you may have gotten an item wrong.
Why Choose this Best PMP Book:
- This PMP review book is available in various formats and is written with the Project Management Professional in mind.
- The book contains an abundance of information but should not be used alone. It is excellent for use with other project management resources to ensure you have a full picture.
- Gulec PMP®, Mustafa Resit (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 585 Pages - 08/28/2019 (Publication Date) - Master of Project Academy, Inc. (Publisher)
Last update: 2024-05-08
How to Choose the Best PMP Books for You
At first glance, it may be hard to understand if a text is right for you, but there are several questions that you can use to assess if a book is a match for you. These questions include but are not limited to, the following.
What’s Your Learning Technique?
Your learning technique is fundamental in determining if a book is for you. There are several different types of learning styles. These learning styles include auditory, visual, and tactile. These learning styles will significantly affect how you utilize a textbook.
Visual learners often look for books with pictures and are excellent when using resources like flashcards. Tactile learners will do best with books that provide activities. This includes things like drawing, building, or doing something. Finally, auditory learners will learn better by listening. This means books that offer an audio companion are your best option.
Your learning style is a great way to eliminate resources that you aren’t sure about.
What PMP Topics Do You Struggle With?
Knowing your strengths and weaknesses will aid you in understanding what items you need to practice and what areas it would be helpful that your texts focused on. If you are unsure about how to figure this out, think about the areas that you struggle in as a project management professional. That is a great starting point to find topics you struggle with.
Taking a PMP practice exam is another excellent option for figuring out where you are struggling.
How Much Time Do You Have Until Your PMP Exam?
When taking certification exams, you must give yourself ample time to prepare. After all, these exams are not free, and no one wants to prepare for it twice. Many people prepare well in advance before they sit for the PMP exam. Some even start more than six months out, while others may only need a month of study. It all depends on how you retain information.
Wrapping Things Up: The Best PMP Books
Here’s a table of the best PMP books we evaluated:
Last update: 2024-05-08
It may be overwhelming to pick a project management resource without seeing what is first out there. However, this list should take some of the guessing out of selecting an adequate resource. This list contains some of the best PMP books that are offered.
The will always be a reliable and trusted resource for all project managers. It contains the most up to date and accurate information needed to prepare for the PMP exam. The project management Institute provides professionals with a blueprint for passing the PMP exam.
Another excellent option for project management professionals is Andy Crowe’s The PMP Exam: How to Pass on Your First Try. This is another one of the best study materials for the PMP exam. It is thorough and also provides you with free access to its e-learning software.
Regardless of what you are looking for, there is something for everyone on this list. However, if you find that none of the books on this list suit you, we have even provided you tips for how to choose a perfect book for you. Knowing your learning style is one excellent tool to ensure that you pick the best PMP books for you.
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