What I Did to Pass the PMP Exam

Hello, I’m Nihei, a project manager at VFA.

I recently passed the PMP exam, so I would like to share what kind of exam it is and how I approached my studies.

What Is the PMP?

PMP, or Project Management Professional, is an internationally recognized project management certification awarded by the U.S.-based Project Management Institute, or PMI.

It covers established project management knowledge and practices, including those presented in the Project Management Body of Knowledge, or PMBOK Guide.

The certification is widely recognized and trusted across countries and industries, including IT, construction, manufacturing, and finance. It is also a popular qualification for professionals looking to advance their careers.

https://www.pmi.org/certifications/project-management-pmp

The PMP exam was updated on July 9, 2026. The updated version reflects changes in modern project management practices and the latest PMP Examination Content Outline.

I took the previous version of the exam on July 6, 2026, three days before the update.

Eligibility and Application Process

At the time I applied, the main requirements and application process were as follows:

• At least 36 months of project management experience for applicants with a bachelor’s degree or higher, or at least 60 months for applicants with a high school diploma
• Completion of 35 hours of project management education; I completed this requirement through a Udemy course
• Submission in English of information about educational background and previous project management experience; I prepared the text with help from AI
• Applications could be selected for an audit before approval; my application was not audited
• The costs I paid were $139 for PMI membership and annual dues, plus a $405 examination fee

The eligibility requirements changed with the July 9, 2026 exam update, so applicants should check PMI’s official website for the latest requirements.

Exam Format

The version of the exam I took consisted of 180 questions to be completed in 230 minutes, with two 10-minute breaks.

The updated exam introduced on July 9, 2026 still has 180 questions, but the examination time has been extended to 240 minutes.

About Me

This is my fifth year at VFA. During that time, I have worked as a PM and PMO on AI-related projects.

Many people at the company had been taking on the PMP challenge. I also wanted to gain a systematic understanding of project management as a whole, so I began studying at my own pace around 2025.

My studies were somewhat intermittent. However, because the exam was scheduled to change on July 9, 2026, I wanted to make use of everything I had already learned. I therefore rushed to take the exam a few days earlier, on July 6.

How I Studied

Study Materials

Because 35 hours of project management education were required, I purchased a Udemy course. (URL)

While temporarily back in Japan, I also bought a PMP preparation book written by someone who had served as a supervising translator for the Japanese edition of the PMBOK Guide. (URL)

I also purchased PMI Study Hall Essentials, which includes official practice questions and mock exams. This was the resource I used most extensively. (URL)

My Study Process

First, I worked through the 35-hour Udemy course with translated subtitles to understand the overall structure of project management and the PMP exam.

Next, I read the PMP preparation book to fill in areas that I had not fully understood through the Udemy course. I also completed practice questions and mock exams.

I repeatedly worked through the questions in PMI Study Hall. For every question I answered incorrectly, I reviewed why my answer was wrong. For every question I answered correctly, I also confirmed why that answer was appropriate.

I installed the Gemini extension for Chrome and asked it to explain every question. This made my studying much more effective.

Exam Day

The PMP exam can be taken from Vietnam either online or at a testing center.

For the online exam, candidates need a quiet and controlled environment where cheating is not possible throughout the test. I had also read posts on English-language forums such as Reddit about technical problems occurring on MacBooks.

For those reasons, I decided to take the exam at a testing center.

Because I applied shortly before the July 9 exam update, all available seats at the testing centers were already booked. I still strongly preferred to take the exam at a testing center, so I decided to travel to Bangkok, Thailand.

A few days before the exam, I stayed at an inexpensive hotel with a coworking space in central Bangkok. I studied for the exam while also doing a little sightseeing, and then took the test at 9:00 a.m.

Even at an overseas testing center, I was able to select the Japanese-language version of the exam. As a result, I did not experience any particular language-related difficulties.

I completed the 230-minute exam and received a paper showing my preliminary result immediately before leaving the testing center.

The official result arrived at around 3:00 a.m. the following morning.

PMP Certification at VFA

As of July 2026, six members of VFA hold the PMP certification.

Employees who pass the exam while working at the company receive support covering the examination fee plus an additional allowance. They also receive a monthly base salary increase for three years.

It is a very welcome support program.

When someone passes, the entire company also celebrates the achievement in the company-wide chat. (laughs)

Several people had passed the exam only a few days before I took it, which gave me additional motivation.

Conclusion

Holding this certification does not automatically mean that someone can suddenly accomplish extraordinary things.

However, through the study process, I was able to systematically learn concepts and methods that I had not previously known.

I hope to apply what I learned to future projects.