Book Review: PMP Exam Complete Guide

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Henrique Moura’s PMP® study guide is simply called PMP Exam Complete Guide. It’s a complete guide to preparing for the exam.

It starts with a framework and overview of the whole thing to set the context, then dives into the process groups followed by the knowledge areas – in other words, it covers the content of A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide®) – Seventh Edition and the PMP Exam Content Outline as you’d expect from a quality exam prep guide.

Henrique Moura is a project management trainer with international experience and an expert volunteer for the Fifth Edition and Sixth Edition, so he knows the material well and presents it with clarity.

The book itself is nice. The layout is user-friendly, the diagrams are helpful and clear. There are review exercises alongside memorization exercises (because memorizing info, although dull, is part of what’s going to get you through the exam – there’s no pretending in this book). I also liked that each chapter ends with relevant exam questions and answers plus practical examples.

Beyond the exam content, it also covers the application process so it will take you through the whole journey from deciding to take the exam to walking out of the exam room.

There’s a handy appendix of acronyms – something you don’t think will be really that necessary until you start diving into the text and you realize how many are used in the jargon of project management.

I also felt the processes by process group table was really helpful. Somehow it makes a difference to see everything laid out on a single page.

Earned Value is also explained clearly and in a lot of detail, which I know will be helpful for people who are not using these techniques at work but still need to know them for the exam.

Overall, this is a solid book, recommended for those who are working towards getting their PMP® exam before the new guidelines are introduced.