You may be looking for the best PMP boot camp online class to prepare for the certification exam. You will find review and comparison of the top online training programs (also called as live online, virtual, and instructor-led online classrooms) in this article. Additionally, you will find my rating, ranking, and recommendation for each program.
An online boot camp provides the best learning environment for the certification exam prep. It is led by an instructor and teaches you PMP concepts in a short, intense, and rigorous training course. You can earn 35 contact hours in a short span of time without any distractions. It is akin to a military training camp, with very harsh discipline.
Note: 35 hours of formal project management education is mandatory for the PMI’s credential test. You can either get it from a live training or you can do through an on-demand PMP course. The latter is not conducted by PMI ATPs (Authorized Training Providers).
The Best PMP Boot Camp Live Online Training Classes For The Certification Exam Prep
- Best Overall – PMTraining
- Best Value for Money – Brain Sensei
- Best for Learning – Project Managment Academy
- Exhaustive Study Material – Velociteach
Christopher Scordo vs Brain Sensei vs Project Management Academy vs Velociteach vs Greycampus vs Master of Project Academy
Christopher Scordo | Brain Sensei | Project Management Academy | Velociteach | Greycampus | MOPA PMP Live | |
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Is Provider a PMI Authorized Training Partner (ATP)? |
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Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes | No | |
Does Provider Issue Mandatory 35 Hours Certificate? |
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Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
How Good are the Trainer’s Credentials? |
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Instructor Bio | Click Here | Not Available | Click Here | Click here | Not Available | Not Available |
Native English Language Trainer? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Unknown | Unknown |
Experienced & Knowledgeable Trainer? | Yes | Unknown | Yes | Yes | Unkown | Unknown |
Rating | (5 / 5) | (3 / 5) | (5 / 5) | (5 / 5) | (3 / 5) | (3 / 5) |
What Study Aids are Provided as Part of the Program? |
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Course Workbook | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes | No |
Study Guide | No | No | Yes | Yes. Andy Crowe’s book. | No | No |
eLearning Content Included? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
eLearning Demo | Available | Available | Not Available | Available | Not Available | No |
eLearning Access Period | 3 months | 1 year | 12+ hours downloadable lectures | 6 months | 1 year | No |
Chapter End Quizzes | 300 | Yes | 300 | 1200 through Andy’s book & Insite | No | No |
Final Practice Questions | 1000+ | 1500 | 2000 | 1800 | 600 | 750 |
Formulas Guide | Yes | Yes. EVM Formulas chart. | Yes | No | No | No |
PMBOK Guide Process Chart | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | No |
Flashcards | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
ITTO Memory Jogger / PMP Memory Map | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | No |
Tips & Tricks | Yes. Part of eLearning videos. | Yes. As part of the course. | Yes | Yes. Part of Andy Crowe’s book and Quick Reference Guide. | No | No |
Glossary | No | No | No | Yes. Part of Andy Crowe’s book and Quick Reference Guide. | No | No |
Bonus Material | a) One-on-one access to the instructor. b) EVM & CPM Exercises. |
a) 9 interactive story-based eLearning modules. b) 13 exciting storyline challenges to complete. c) Knowledge assessments. d) Spaced Repetition System. e) Offline video walkthrough (Apple Podcast users only). |
a) Strategy Guide. b) Quick Study Guides c) Project Management Sample Forms. d) Exercise Book. e) Tutoring Webinar. f) One-on-One Instructor Support. |
a) Andy Crowe’s book. b) Quick Reference Guide. c) Audio training. d) Pre Class Webinar. |
a) 1 live mock exam solving session with the instructor. b) Study plan. c) 1 year instructor mentorship & support. d) 6 months of unlimited access to live bootcamps. |
None |
Rating | (4 / 5) | (4.5 / 5) | (4 / 5) | (4.5 / 5) | (4 / 5) | (3 / 5) |
Class Timings |
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Total Instruction Hours | 24-40 hours | 35 hours | 36-38 hours | 36 hours | 30-32 hours | 28 hours |
Schedule Flexibility | Partially flexible – Weekend & Weekday classes. | Partially flexible – Weekend & Weekday classes. | Partially flexible – Weekend & Weekday classes. | No flexibility – 4 full days. | Partially flexible – Weekend & Weekday classes. | No flexibility – 4 full days. |
Class Transfer | Yes. Free transfers available before the class starts. | Yes. Free transfers available before the class starts. | Yes. Free transfers available before 7 days. |
Free – 15 days before the class starts. USD 250 – within 14 days prior to the class. USD 500 – after the class starts. |
Not required. Complimentary access to our other live boot camps. | Yes. Free transfers available 72 hours before the class starts. |
Rating | (4.5 / 5) | (4.5 / 5) | (5 / 5) | (3.5 / 5) | (3.5 / 5) | (3.5 / 5) |
How is Student Support Provided After the Class? |
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Study Assistance | Yes. Through phone & email with the Instructor. | Yes. Through email and Facegroup Group. | Yes. Through phone & email. | Yes. Through Velociteach’s training team. | Yes. Through email with the Instructor. | Yes. Through Master of Project’s training team. |
Interaction with Instructor? | Yes. During the class and through phone & email. | Yes. Only during the class. | Yes. During the class and through phone & email. | Yes. During the class and through email. | Yes. During the class and through phone & email. | Yes. Only during the class. |
Interaction with Peers? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Application Assistance? | Yes. From the Instructor. | Yes. Through email. | Yes. Through email. | Yes. Through email & phone | Yes. Through email. | Yes. Through email. |
Rating | (4.5 / 5) | (4.5 / 5) | (4.5 / 5) | (4 / 5) | (4 / 5) | (3 / 5) |
Financial Attributes of the Program |
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Pass Guarantee | 100% money back guarantee. | 100% pass guarantee. | 100% money back guarantee. | 100% money back guarantee. | No | No |
Refund Policy | 100% fee refund after 3 unsuccessful tries in 120 calender days after class concluding. | 30 days. Conditions apply. | 100% fee refund after 3 unsuccessful tries in 120 calender days after course completion. |
With charges. Course Fee minus USD 500 – 30 days before the class starts. |
100% fee refund within 24 hours of session start. | 100% refund – 72 hours before the class starts. |
Price | USD |
USD |
USD 1995 | USD 2447 | Varies with country. USD 1299 | USD 1497 |
Rating | (4.5 / 5) | (4.5 / 5) | (4 / 5) | (3 / 5) | (3 / 5) | (4 / 5) |
Overall Rating | (4.5 / 5) | (4.2 / 5) | (4.1 / 5) | (4 / 5) | (3.5 / 5) | (3.3 / 5) |
Buy At Discount |
Review of Top Instructor Led Live Online PMP Training
The PMP Exam preparation is an expensive affair. The training cost is one of the major expenses. You should choose your training course carefully. The quality of complete training package should be good and it should provide a good value for your money.
After doing a thorough research, review and evaluation, here is my final recommendation.
First Choice – PMTraining
Christopher Scordo is the founder of PMTraining. He is a well known personality in the Project Management training industry. His book (PMP Exam Prep: Questions Answers & Explanations by Christopher Scordo) is one of the best selling books for the exam prep.
PMTraining’s course is a traditional virtual classroom course. It provides very good schedule flexibility. It is the most reasonably priced course in our comparison. Its rating is little bit lower than our first choice.
Overall PMtraining program is excellent. You can invest in it without any fear.
Second Choice – Brain Sensei
Brain Sensei offers both eLeraning programs and a live bootcamps. Their eLearning program is one of the best in the industry. It is completely different from any other training that I have seen. It teaches the PMBOK Guide’s topics Process Group wise, which is extremely helpful in understanding the project management concepts.
The topics in the course are covered as part of a long story, which makes the training very engaging. You never feel bored. The lessons are interspersed with small quizzes & exercises that validate your learning as you go along.
The best part of the training is that it comes with 100% pass guarantee.
Third Choice – Project Management Academy
Project Management Academy provides the knowledge, tools, and resources needed to take the exam. It takes complex project management topics that are useful for the PMP exam. This training will boost confidence in your understanding of the concepts. You will experience detailed explanations, real-world examples, and interactive sessions. It is a good choice to make.
Fourth Choice – Velociteach
Velociteach’s program has many benefits. For last many years, Velociteach has been named as PMI’s Education Provider of the year. Velocteach course is not the highest rated course in our comparative review. It does not provide schedule flexibility, which I think is a must for a live online course.
This program should suit you if you are looking for a brand name and are not worried about the extra dollars. But, I would suggest you take a look at other programs since it is exhorbitantly priced.
Fifth Choice – Greycampus
Greycampus is a leading online training provider. It provides many courses on range of topics like Project Management, Big Data, Data Science, Service Management, and Quality Management. All its courses are designed by experts in their respective fields.
Greycampus’ offering include many popular exam prep courses like PMP, Prince2, Six Sigma, and ITIL. It has accreditation with many leading global certification bodies including Project Management Institute (PMI), USA.
Greycamplus gives complimentary access to other live PMP classes that are scheduled in the next 6 months. Furthermore, you get access to recordings of all the training classes and direct support from the Instructor.
The price of this course is very competitive as compared to other courses. This course has little bit lower rating than the first choice but it is almost as good.
I believe, one of my recommendations would suit your needs. You can buy any one of the recommended courses mentioned above. However, if you want to explore more courses, you can use the key parameters (described in the Appendix below) to review, evaluate and compare any other course(s) that is not covered in this article.
Appendix
Review & Rating Parameters
What are the key factors or attributes that makes a PMP live online training good? What are the things that you should look out for before enrolling in such a course?
I have used some key parameters that are must for an PMP live online training. I have used these to compare and rate the programs. Here is the list of parameters, their details, and rational for my ratings:
- Authorized Training Provider (ATP) – This is not an essential feature of a live PMP program, as a non-ATP can also also issue a 35 contact hours certificate. However, an ATP status gives more credibility to the provider. Moreover, the certificates issued by a ATP are pre-approved by PMI. I believe you should invest in a training from an ATP only, since you would be spending a huge amount to get training for an extremely difficult exam.
- 35 Hours Certificate – 35 contact hours of project management education is mandatory to appear for the credential exam. In my opinion, there is no point is pending so much money if the provider does not issue a 35 contact hours certificate.
- Trainer’s Credentials – In my opinion, this is the most important aspect of an online boot camp. A trainer is your guide, your mentor and the coach. Most of your learning is going to happen in the virtual classroom. The trainer must have good knowledge and experience. He should enjoy good reputation and credibility in the industry. In addition, it helps to have a trainer whose native language is English. If you feel that the trainer is not good enough, then you should disregard the training provider. I have given a 5 star rating if the provider has prominently displayed their Trainer’s bio on their website and its instructors are experienced & knowledgeable.
- Study Aids – An online boot camp should provide additional study material besides the class instruction. The class instruction is good for understanding the concepts, but actual exam prep happens after the class. The provider should give you things like video & audio content, practice tests, downloadable workbooks, formula guide, glossary etc. I have given the rating based on the quantum and utility of study material given by the providers.
- Class Duration – Traditionally, the boot camps used to run for 5 days. But due to cost and time constraints, they have now shrunk to 4 days. In my experience, as a PMP trainer, 5 days or 35 hours of instruction is ideal for the exam prep. In today’s scenario anything more than 24 hours of instruction is good. I have given 4 star rating if the instruction time is between 24 to 28 hours. I have given a 3 star and 2 star rating if the instruction time is 18 hours and 12 hours respectively.
- eLearning Access – I believe access to eLearning content is extremely important for the exam prep. You can listen to the audios and watch videos while you are doing mundane jobs like jogging, commuting, waiting at Doctor’s, transiting through airport etc. You can potentially save 25% of your preparation time by using eLearning videos.
- Flexibility Rating – This feature may or may not be good for you. If you are need extra motivation and self-discipline then this feature could be a bane. You will be focused & diligent if you have to follow a strict study schedule. On the other hand, you can manage your time better if you have a some flexibility with the schedule e.g. short duration classes classes in evenings or on weekends etc. I have given the rating based on the flexibility of schedule in the class timings.
- Offline Support – Many courses provide study & administrative support through emails, private forum discussions, and webinars; while some others do not provide this feature. This is an important feature and your course should provide this feature. Your training provider should give some sort of offline study assistance. Most of your study will happen after the class. Study assistance is an extremely useful feature for extra motivation & clarification of doubts. You might feel lost in the absence of such a feature. I have given the rating based on the quantum and type of support given by the providers.
- Content Quality – The quality of content is another important aspect of a PMP online training course. You would have to study & understand things on your own. You will face problems, if the content quality is not top-notch. The written content, pictures, graphics and illustrations should be clear & readable (in presentations & videos). The speech quality should be excellent in both video & audio content – the instruction should be clear, well-paced, and without any discernible accent. Overall, the content should be engaging & interesting. I have given the rating based on my review of online study material given by the providers.
- Class Transfer – You may need this feature during some exceptional circumstances. Most providers have some flexibility if you give them a valid reason.
- Refund Policy – Just like the previous point, you may need to get refund of your money in an exceptional circumstance. Most providers have some sort of refund policy.
- Pass Guarantee – Some courses provide a pass guarantee. Generally, under such a guarantee, the training provider either refunds your fees or allows you to continue to access the course till you pass the exam. A pass guarantee is not a bad attribute in itself. If all the other things are equal, then pass guarantee could be an icing on the cake. Otherwise, do not get swayed by it. Do you want to enroll in a course to fail the exam? You neither want your money back nor waste time & money on additional PMP attempts. So, a better approach is to invest your time & money in a good, credible, and popular course.
I have not considered pricing, refund policy, and pass guarantee, while arriving at the ratings. I believe training programs should be compared on the technical factors like quality & content – pricing should not influence the rating. However, since everyone has a different budget, you should consider the price before taking the final decision.
Disclosure: I have not received any compensation (in cash or kind) from the Authors or the Training Companies or anyone else associated with any of the training courses. But this article contains affiliate links – it means that, if you click & buy from these links then, I will receive a small commission. This commission helps me in maintaining this blog for free. However, you don’t pay anything extra. I do not actively use any of these products since I am already certified. But, I recommend only those products that I believe will definitely help the certification aspirants.
Company logos taken from respective company websites.