List of Best FREE PMP Exam Prep Resources Every Aspirant Should Know in 2023

by Edward Chung, PMP, PMI-ACP, ITIL Foundation ·

Free PMP Exam Prep Resources

Free is bad? Free is GOOD! One would not believe high-quality PMP Exam Prep materials can be found online for FREE. I made use of most of the following free resources during my exam preparation and I passed on the first attempt. I recommend the following free resources wholeheartedly to fellow Aspirants.

Free PMP Exam Prep Resources

Certification Exam Application Guide

These are the resources that help you to know what the PMP Certification is and the application process involved. Since the rules set out by PMI must be strictly observed while applying and sitting for the exam, the following is a list of must-read resources for every Aspirants:

  • PMI PMP Handbook 
    This is the official application guide published by the publisher of PMP Exam. Every PMP aspirant should study this guide thoroughly to understand the ins and outs of the PMP Certification and how to get certified. Ideally speaking, it covers everything every Aspirant would need to know in order to apply and sit for the exam and maintain the credential after getting certified (i.e. PDU). It is available for free on the PMI website.
  • The Step-by-Step PMP Certification and Study Guide
    As the PMP Handbook is written in an official language, newcomers for the certification would find it a hard time to comprehend the official guide, let alone have their own queries answered. This guide is an attempt by me to “decode” the official guide into “plain everyday English”. The whole certification journey is decomposed into 10 easy-to-follow steps. An infographic is included to further explain the certification process. It also provides the top FAQ of the Certification, i.e. certification cost. This guide also includes lots of questions raised by fellow Aspirants collected throughout the lifetime of the guide and you may be able to find answers to your pressing application questions.

Reference Books and Study Guide

After you have applied for the exam, you will need to study for it. To most, the PMP exam is considered quite difficult. The following is a list of FREE exam prep books that are most useful [note: there are also some paid exam study books that are considered to be very useful by many PMP aspirants]:

  • The PMBOK® Guide (7th Edition) 
    The PMBOK® Guide is the de facto textbook for the exam. Literally, the PMBOK® Guide is NOT free. However, every member of the PMI would be able to download the PMBOK® Guide for FREE. According to unofficial figures, over 90% of Aspirants would apply to become a PMI member for at least one year (i.e. the year in which they apply to sit for the exam as the discounted exam fee for members alone justifies the PMI membership fee).
  • ITTO Mind Map
    This ITTO Mind Map was developed by Kim Synder during her exam preparation. Mind maps are effective tools to help learners understand and memorize difficult concepts and associations. it is especially useful to study and remember the ITTO of the PMBOK® Guide using mind maps.
  • PMP Study Notes of Edward Chung, PMP (that’s me :P) 
    Yes, that’s my own notes. I wrote my exam last November and got 4 above target levels and 1 target level on the real exam. The study note is based on the latest edition of the PMBOK® Guide (the 6th Edition). You may use my notes as your last minute revision notes or as a prelude to your exam study. I tried to write down the most important subject matters of the Certification in my study notes.

Free Mock Exams

It is often said that the best way to understand whether you are ready to take and pass the exam is to get over 80% from mock exams. The following is a list of the highest quality FREE practice exam available on the internet.

  • Oliver Lehmann 200 questions – can be downloaded as a PDF file
  • Oliver Lehmann 100 questions – an online practice exam with 75 questions, most aspirants consider this to be very difficult
  • PM Exam Simulator – (fully updated for the new PMP Exam in 2021) from the publisher of the PM PrepCast™, this PM Exam Simulator provides a 7-day trial period that provides you with limited questions
  • Edwel Mock Exam – in addition to the FREE Exam Prep book, Edwel also gives away a 200-question online practice exam for free

… and more are listed in the recommended list of free PMP mock exams.

Discussion Forum and Lessons Learned

“If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants” ~ Isaac Newton

Why fight the PMP Certification war alone when you can make an alliance with other Aspirants as well as those who have been there before? You will be able to learn tremendously from the experiences and advice of successful exam-takers offered through the following discussion forums/lessons learned websites :

More Exam Prep Resources

Wish you PMP success in the new PMP Exam in 2023 and beyond!

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Edward Chung

Edward Chung aspires to become a full-stack web developer and project manager. In the quest to become a more competent professional, Edward studied for and passed the PMP Certification, ITIL v3 Foundation Certification, PMI-ACP Certification and Zend PHP Certification. Edward shares his certification experience and resources here in the hope of helping others who are pursuing these certification exams to achieve exam success.

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43 Responses

  1. Chuck Campbell says:
    September 15, 2021 at 01:24

    Greetings, Edward! I am a PM instructor who recommends your site to all the PMI certification aspirants in my classes. Your wealth of material is incredibly helpful to them as a resource for their exam studies and preparations! While looking at your website again today for an upcoming class, I noticed that one of the resources you recommend does not seem to be available anymore. I could not find the EdWell Exam Prep PMP Boot Camp Textbook for which you provide a link. I searched throughout the EdWell website and clicked on every image of their PMP Boot Camp Textbook I could find but did not find one that opened a downloadable document. The EdWell people may have removed that capability (or I looked in the wrong place!).

    Reply
  2. Clarence says:
    August 21, 2021 at 21:27

    Hello Edward, your site was more or less the home page for all my PMP preparation, I wrote the exam in March scoring Above Target in All Domains.

    Thank you for your generosity.

    Reply
  3. Jessica says:
    December 25, 2020 at 13:22

    Hi Edward,

    Your website is so helpful! Thank you for all of your dedication, time and effort in providing helpful resource for us to be successful in passing the pmp!

    I am still a little unclear about the management reserve and contingency reserve. I understand that you need approval to use the management reserve but do you also need approval to use the contingency reserve?

    Also when you are responding to a risk, using a risk response, do you need approval for that? Or can the pm go ahead and make the change since it was a part of the plan? For risk that were not planned, you would need approval correct?

    Thank you so much for your help! Happy Holidays!

    Reply
    • Edward Chung says:
      December 29, 2020 at 09:15

      Hi Jessica,

      Thanks for your queries.

      Yes, you will need approval to use the management reserve while the PM has been pre-approved to use the contingency reserve. That is it is up to the PM to design when to use the contingency reserve.

      When responding to known risks that have risk response in place, there is no need for management approval. Management approval is to be sought should something big and unplanned occur.

      Wish you PMP success!

      Reply
  4. Shan says:
    April 2, 2020 at 08:47

    Hi Edward,
    Well, and wish you the same.
    Thank you for sharing the useful information here.
    I’m preparing for the PMP exam. Do you have any PMP prep 9th edition audio podcast?. Please let me know.
    Thanks and have a great day.
    Cheers,
    Shan

    Reply
  5. Ahmed Ben Hamouda says:
    March 5, 2020 at 23:21

    Hi Ed, could you share with me a PPT (or PDF) PMP Exam Prep presentation? Thanks a lot.

    Reply
  6. Meera says:
    February 14, 2020 at 23:39

    Hi Edward,
    I plan to take PMP exam in Oct 2020. Since there are changes coming soon in July, I believe there will be PMBOK 7th edition.
    I would like to begin studying in the meantime. Could you please let me know which book to start reading?
    Also, will memorizing the 49 processes come in handy as the new changes in processes are people, process and business environment?
    Thank you

    Reply
    • Edward Chung says:
      February 19, 2020 at 14:24

      Hi Meera,

      A good news first. The PMBOK Guide will still be PMBOK 6th edition in the coming July. And PMBOK Guide 7th edition will only be published in a year or two only. So, you can begin right away with current exam study materials first. But you will need to read the updates once published as there are quite a few new skills added and the organization of knowledge is a bit different. But it is safe to say that the changes are not dramatic indeed.

      Wish you PMP success!

      Reply
  7. Priya Chomu says:
    February 7, 2020 at 06:22

    Hi Edward,

    I am Priya, I have scheduled my PMP exam on 19th, however when I attempt mock exams (half and full-length) I am only able to score 65%, as I have less than 2 weeks left do you suggest I read your notes or PMBOK, how can i reach 80% in the mock exams to makes sure I pass PMP.

    Kindly advice.

    Gratefully,
    Priya Chomu

    Reply
    • Edward Chung says:
      February 12, 2020 at 12:06

      I would highly suggest you to attempt more questions and understand why you get the answers wrong. This is the fastest way to clear your blind spots.

      Wish you PMP success!

      Reply
  8. anuradha says:
    January 20, 2020 at 05:02

    Edward,
    An aspiring PMP-er!

    I am in the last stretch of this marathon – my exam scheduled for February 5th.
    On your site, would you please let me know how i can use the resources you have provided as a revision? Areas of special focus.
    Thank you in advance – Need some “mentoring” at this point.

    Gratefully, Anuradha

    Reply
    • Edward Chung says:
      January 22, 2020 at 11:42

      HI Anuradha,

      Great! Have you tried at least several full-length PMP mock exams? If so, you are now well prepared for the exam. For the remaining days, I would advise to focus on your weak areas by doing more practice questions in those domains. Also, you may skim through my study notes to see if you have missed anything.

      Can’t wait to hear your good news! Wish you PMP success!

      Reply
  9. Anna Nallenthiran says:
    August 15, 2019 at 17:14

    Hi Edward, thanks for the notes and explanation. I would like to know what is the passing mark for the PMP exam?

    Reply
    • Edward Chung says:
      August 21, 2019 at 10:44

      Hi Ann,

      There is not a fixed passing mark for the PMP Exam. PMI will calculate whether you pass or not based on the set of questions you have got and the average performances of other PMP aspirants on those questions. Anyway, just try hard to get over 70% in any mock exams you have attempted and you are ready to go. Wish you PMP success!

      Reply
  10. francois says:
    October 17, 2018 at 05:25

    The oliver lehmann 175 free PMP sample questions have been revised.
    They are now 200 Prep Questions and can be found at
    https://www.oliverlehmann.com/contents/free-downloads/200_PMP_Sample_Questions.pdf

    Reply
  11. Arumugam says:
    September 26, 2018 at 04:04

    When I try to request a download link for edwel site (EdWel Exam Prep Boot Camp Textbook) I have received the below email. If anyone has the latest edwel pmp book please share the same

    From:
    Date: Wed 26 Sep, 2018, 1:25 AM
    Subject: EdWel Book Request

    Edwel has the most comprehensive and highest quality training materials available. Please use this free 75 question practice test to gauge your readiness for the PMP exam.

    Please visit our75 Question Practice Exam to test your knowledge.

    Reply
  12. Sabrina Uppal says:
    March 11, 2018 at 09:26

    Love your website! Just started studying for the PMP Exam. Any ideas of when EdWel will release their new guide for the post Mar 26th PMP Test?

    Reply
  13. Karthikeyan says:
    January 12, 2018 at 14:27

    Hi Edward Chung, your way of explanation and materials are really awesome , It is giving me more confident to clear my exam .. I have one doubt , Three point estimate we have two formula 1.Triangular Distribution ;2.Beta Distribution ; how we can guess which formula we need to apply .. do we have any condition or criteria on this

    Reply
    • Edward Chung says:
      January 12, 2018 at 17:45

      Actually, there is NO need to apply the formulas/calculate the values for the PMP Exam. As in our daily project management, that would depend on OPA or sponsor or just your boss 😛

      Wish you PMP success!

      Reply
  14. Arindrajit Roy says:
    August 7, 2017 at 11:19

    Hi Edward,
    Thank you for the wonderful resources. I am taking CAPM test and haven’t started prepping for it yet, do you happen to have any online free resources for CAPM as well ? If so kindly let me know.

    Best Regards,
    Jeet

    Reply
  15. Abdur Rahim Khan says:
    May 28, 2017 at 01:32

    Hi Mr Edward, I’m from Bangladesh. I’m in the process to attend PMP exam within next 3/4 month. I’m really surprised to see your heartiest effort to help others to be successful in PMP exam. I salute your generosity and open minded attitude. Also, appreciate to write the note using so much easy to read English. You have covered a lot of topics, indeed. Everyone will be definitely benefited to a great extent. Pls, keep it up. Thanks again.

    Reply
    • Edward Chung says:
      May 29, 2017 at 11:44

      Thanks for your compliments. I am glad that you find my website useful. Please help to spread the love by sharing it to your friends who may find it useful.

      Wish you PMP success!

      Reply
  16. Sarthak Agrawal says:
    May 7, 2017 at 05:18

    Hello Edward,

    Sir Thank you so much for all the help. As I am a fresher and want to go for CAPM certification. I know that these all materials are enough for CAPM study also but can you provide any material or free pdf book that is quite specific to CAPM Certification?

    Thanks,

    Regards,

    Reply
    • Edward Chung says:
      May 8, 2017 at 12:39

      Yes, most of the free materials for PMP are also useful for CAPM exam. You can take advantage of those listed above. Wish you CAPM success!

      Reply
  17. Tara says:
    January 19, 2017 at 04:22

    Hi Edward,

    Firstly thank you very much for such detailed writeup ,really helpful while i was confused where to start !
    However , would like to bring to your notice that the link : <> doesnt let us signup , is there a way to signup as new user ? I se there is only login option and forget password option which checks for existing user and throws error .
    I also need this free kindly copy please 🙂

    Best Regards and many thanks,
    Tara(Ms.)

    Reply
  18. Mimi says:
    January 21, 2016 at 21:11

    Thank you Edward for sharing your prep notes. Found them very useful. Will definitely recommend your site to others preparing for the exam. Sat for the PMP exam on the 12th of December and I passed on my first attempt! Thanks again and God bless.

    Reply
  19. Sufian Lau says:
    January 18, 2016 at 03:13

    Super resource.
    Thank you very much Edward.

    Reply
  20. Beverly Cosby Duffel says:
    December 9, 2015 at 14:48

    I am at Day -5 prior to sitting for the PMP Exam and found your site while searching for clarification on Integration Change Control. Thank you for sharing your PMP Prep Notes. Your Mind Map is an exceptional work, as well. I will recommend to others!

    Reply
  21. WASSI says:
    August 15, 2015 at 01:30

    useful, thanks

    Reply
  22. Neelam says:
    June 24, 2015 at 20:16

    Excellent information. Very Very Helpful….. Thanks you so much 🙂

    Reply
  23. Joe says:
    January 18, 2015 at 22:39

    PMP student should read this website !

    Reply
  24. Sandeep Kumar says:
    January 18, 2015 at 04:40

    Thanks. There is great help available.

    Reply

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About Edward

Photo of Edward Chung Hi, my name is Edward Chung, PMP, PMI-ACP®, ITIL® Foundation. Like most of us, I am a working professional pursuing career advancements through Certifications. As I am having a full-time job and a family with 3 kids, I need to pursue professional certifications in the most effective way (i.e. with the least amount of time). I share my exam tips here in the hope of helping fellow Certification aspirants!

If you have any queries, I am more than happy to help. Please review the certification FAQ here OR leave your queries in the comment section. I promise to attend to them asap.

Wish you certification success!

P.S. my PMP / PMI-ACP® Certification status can be verified here (last name: Chung, first name: Chi Wing).