The Best PMP Exam Simulators for 2024
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Here’s the TL;DR: the best
I have used it and can vouch for it, and that’s what I’d buy if I were you.
If you want to know why that’s my top choice, and check out some other options, read on for my independent reviews!
It won’t come as a surprise to you that using an exam simulator for your Project Management Professional® exam is a key criteria for successful prep and a massive boost to your chances of success.
So many students I hear from say that taking mock questions and
Let’s look at some simulators that help you do exactly that.
I’ve looked at these popular realistic
- PrepCast
PMP Exam Simulator from PM PrepCast (they now have three different editions) - PM Fast Track from Rita Mulcahy
- Master of Project Academy Simulator
BrainBOK exam simulator- Brain Sensei
PMP Exam Simulator
Summary of products
The table below shows a summary of the exam simulator features from the products I looked at.
Product | # of questions | # of exams | Free option available? | Explanations provided? | Price |
PrepCast | 2,070+ | 4 | Yes | Yes | $149 for 90 days |
PrepCast | 1,450 | 3 | Yes | Yes | $119 for 60 days |
PrepCast | 1,100 | 2 | Yes | Yes | $99 for 30 days |
PM Fast Track | 2,200+ | “Unlimited” 180 question tests | Yes | Yes | $299 for 12 months |
Master of Project Academy | 1,600+ | 9 | Yes | Yes | $197 lifetime or $67 per month |
1,230 | 8 | Yes | Yes | $89.99 for 90 days | |
Brain Sensei | 1,500+ | 3 | Yes | Yes | $119.99 for 6 months |
All simulators had these common features:
- Ability to work through questions within a time limit
- Internet-enabled for online use
- Free questions
- Difficult questions (although of varying quality)
- Answer explanations (although of varying quality).
Now I’ll share my takeaways from my reviews of each of the simulators.
PrepCast PMP Exam Simulator
PrepCast PMP Exam Simulator Deluxe
- Number of questions: 2,070+ total
- Number of exams: 4 plus a separate question bank for timed quizzes with 1,350 questions
- Free sample questions available? Yes
- Explanations provided? Yes, for all answers (even the incorrect ones). References to a variety of sources provided.
- 90-day access with extensions available
- This is the edition that I recommend because you get the longest access and the most features
- Learn more here.
All the PrepCast exam simulator options are also available in Spanish.
PrepCast PMP Exam Simulator Advanced
- Number of questions: 1,450 total
- Number of exams: 3 plus a separate question bank for timed quizzes with 910 questions
- Free trial? Yes.
- Explanations provided? Yes, for all answers (even the incorrect ones). References to a variety of sources provided.
- 60-day access with extensions available
- Learn more here.
PrepCast PMP Exam Simulator Essential
- Number of questions: 1,100 total
- Number of exams: 2 plus a separate question bank for timed quizzes with 740 questions
- Free trial? Yes.
- Explanations provided? Yes, for all answers (even the incorrect ones). References to a variety of sources provided.
- 30-day access with no extensions available
- Learn more here.
The best part about these exam simulators is the confidence you get from using it. I think that comes from the detailed explanations and references and the realistic exam environment. It’s a learning tool, not just a test tool.
Each answer – even the wrong ones – is explained so you know exactly what you got wrong, and more importantly, why.
That’s the secret to great
It also includes hints, so if you think you’re almost there but just need a little prod to get to the right answer, then tap the hint button for a clue.
It also has amazing analytics. The anonymized responses from all users combine to give you a benchmark of where you are. You can see your personal journey, track your progress, drill down into different domains and topics so you make the most of your study time.
Because why waste time studying something you already have a pretty good grip on?
Subscriptions are available on a 1, 2 or 3-month basis depending what edition you purchase. The clock only starts when you choose, so don’t worry about buying it in advance and waiting until you are ready to use it.
The PM Exam Simulator has the largest number of practice questions of the products I looked at and a good range, including EVM questions.
You can extend your subscription if you need to, but the focus is on getting you exam ready in the shortest possible time and maximizing your chances of first-time success. So fingers crossed, you won’t need to extend your access to the test questions.
There are dozens of
They have also recently added Simulador del Examen PMP PrepCast™ so that you can prepare if you are planning on taking the exam in Spanish.
Practicing before you take your PMP Exam is the best way to pass the test. This proven tool is brilliant at improving your confidence and highlighting areas where you need to build your skills -- includes detailed answers and references to what to study next.
PM Fast Track
- Number of questions: 2,200+
- Number of exams: not specified
- Free sample questions available? Yes
- Explanations provided? Yes, for the correct answer. References provided.
Brought to you by the RMC team behind Rita Mulcahy’s brand, this online subscription exam simulator is another solid option and would be my second choice, although it is a hefty price tag in comparison to other available simulators. That’s because you get a year of access.
I love that it is available in Spanish and Portuguese too.
It has a clean user interface and works perfectly on a touch screen. You’ll want to spend as much time as possible using realistic
The team at RMC are constantly working to update the questions and the student reviews are good. If you need a product that you can use continuously for a longer period, this is the one to get as it’s representative of the real exam.
It’s also available as part of a
I hear that many
Master of Project Academy Simulator
- Number of questions: 1,600
- Number of exams: 9
- Free sample questions available? Yes
- Explanations provided? Only if you get the answer wrong, and only for the correct answers. No references provided.
The thing that bothers me about the Master of Project Academy product is that they advertise it as something that provides “28
PDUs aren’t relevant here. You don’t get PDUs until after you are certified. Before you earn your
PMI states in the PMP Handbook that contact hours are hours of “classroom instruction” that “addressed learning objectives in project management”. In other words, formal learning that is structured around different PM topics and has communicated learning outcomes.
Not just doing practice questions. In fact, the website says that after you’ve done your training and earned your 35 contact hours, THEN you can use a simulator. It’s unnecessarily confusing for new entrants.
The product has a good selection of customer reviews, but the website has many examples of poor English grammar. I contacted the website owner with some examples, and they have since corrected the things I pointed out.
However, the sample questions provided in the free trial are well-written, updated to the latest exam content outline, and from what I can see, without grammar mistakes.
Explanations are only provided for the correct answer if you got the answer wrong. You might guess and get the answer right, and there’s nothing to tell you why.
There are also no references to the
The questions provided in the demo do not reflect the latest style of
I asked the site owner whether the full simulator provides all the new styles of questions and their response was: “The demo is just to provide a sense to our prospective students. Our comprehensive simulator is even better and including all types of questions as you can clearly see from the happy students’ reviews on TrustPilot.”
At the time of writing, I read a bunch of recent TrustPilot reviews and agree that students do rate this simulator highly. However, I did not see one review mentioning styles of questions.
It’s not expensive, and if you want a bank of questions to work through then this will do the job, but in my view it will only assess the knowledge you already have. It won’t help you get any better at your
BrainBOK Exam Simulator
- Number of questions: 1,230
- Number of exams: 8
- Free sample questions available? Yes
- Explanations provided? Yes, and references
It’s a complete bundle. The unlimited access option to all the tools is a cost-effective way of meeting your study needs for passing on your first attempt, if you think you’ll only need 90 days access to the tools. Having said that, it’s not very much more expensive to extend your access for 180 days.
If you only want the exams, you can buy a 5 exam bundle at a reduced rate.
I like the interface, the reviews are good (although there aren’t that many recent reviews).
However, the product is advertised as compliant with
There are no recent blog posts as the blog hasn’t been updated for some time but the product itself looks like it is good quality and I enjoyed using it.
Brain Sensei PMP Exam Simulator
- Number of questions: 1,500+
- Number of exams: 3 and 1 unlimited practice exam
- Free sample questions available? Yes
- Explanations provided? Yes
Brain Sensei has been around for a long time as an exam prep course provider and now they also offer an exam simulator. It offers unlimited practice exams from its question bank of over 1,500 questions. It is completely updated to the current
Simulator buying tips
Here are a few tips for buying a
- Check around for discounts. Many vendors offer discounts if you sign up to their mailing list or use a coupon code which they share on social media.
- Remember that you’ll probably need a
PMP exam prep course as well: sample questions are good, but an online course will give you a faster headstart and shorten your exam prep time. - Make sure your simulator of choice is fully updated. PMI changes the specs regularly, so get one that reflects the latest question formats and exam content outline, and uses up-to-date reference materials. Project performance domains is where it’s at. ITTO questions are handy if you want the confidence boost but no longer feature on the exam.
- The best way to check out a
PMP simulator is to use the free trials. Get a feel for what each product is like before clicking to buy. - PMI does not publish the passing score. Simulators may indicate if you have ‘passed’ or not, but this will be due to the company setting an internal benchmark for a passing score. It is not representative of any pass mark that PMI applies, so be wary of that.
- Look at what other study materials are offered by the company. Many vendors bundle together their products and that makes them cheaper.
- Review the refund and guarantee policies before you buy. It’s often not possible for companies to genuinely guarantee you’ll pass – how do they know you simply aren’t lazy or didn’t study for the test? If you are in any doubt, don’t purchase, because you might not be able to get your money back.
Conclusion
If I were you, I’d be buying the PrepCast PMP Exam Simulator Deluxe from the PM PrepCast. It’s a good
It’s a good price, with an excellent support team and responsive help desk. The data inside will definitely help you prepare effectively and cut your study time.
Practicing before you take your PMP Exam is the best way to pass the test. This proven tool is brilliant at improving your confidence and highlighting areas where you need to build your skills -- includes detailed answers and references to what to study next.