Is it possible to pass six certifications in six months? One person did exactly that, and shared every tip and resource that got him there.
The certifications, completed in order, were the PMP, ACP, PBA (Professional in Business Analysis), RMP (Risk Management Professional), PgMP (Program Management Professional) and PfMP (Portfolio Management Professional). His motivation was a career pivot from the military into the corporate world, achieved without an MBA and without prior corporate experience. On every exam he scored above target overall.
Two Tips That Applied to Every Certification
The first was to read, reread and keep reading the Exam Content Outline (ECO) for each certification. These are available free from PMI’s website. The language in the ECO appears throughout the exams and also guides your study in the right direction. If your reference material matches the ECO, you are on the right track.
The second was documenting project management experience clearly and deliberately. He maintained a master resume with detailed notes from his ten years of leadership roles, writing results-oriented summaries tied directly to each ECO. Strong action verbs, quantifiable outcomes and a focus on strategic impact and decision making. Each application was tailored to the specific certification he was pursuing.
Month by Month
Month 1: PMP. He completed the required 35 contact hours using PMI’s authorized on-demand prep before moving to more cost-effective Udemy courses. He studied both the PMBOK Guide Sixth and Seventh Editions and used PMI Study Hall for practice exams.
Month 2: ACP. The education requirement at the time was 21 hours (now 28). He again used PMI’s authorized prep for education hours and named PMI Study Hall as the single most valuable prep tool for this exam. The Agile Practice Guide was his primary reference.
Month 3: PBA. He found a Udemy course by Muhammad Elhoot for the education requirement and used the PMI PBA Certification Study Guide (Second Edition) by Elizabeth Larsen as his primary study resource. Five days of access to an online practice question bank was enough to get through everything with focused effort. He also skimmed several PMI guides including the Guide to Business Analysis and the Benefits Realization Management Practice Guide.
Month 4: RMP. He needed 30 PDUs of risk management education and used a Udemy course to satisfy that requirement. His core prep came from the Risk Management in Portfolios, Programs and Projects Practice Guide from PMI and PMI Study Hall practice exams.
Month 5: PgMP. The Standard for Program Management Fifth Edition was his primary reference and the foundation the exam is built on. He used two Udemy practice exam courses by Allah Sultan, both closely aligned with the real exam and citing rationale directly from the fifth edition with page numbers.
Month 6: PfMP. He used the Standard for Portfolio Management Third Edition as his foundation. PMI lists the fourth edition on their site but he notes the third is still the most relevant resource for the exam as of mid-2025. He read the fourth edition for additional context but did not rely on it. Practice exams again came from Allah Sultan’s Udemy course.
Six certifications, six months, above target on every exam. The formula was consistent: know the ECO, match your experience to it, use the right primary reference for each exam and practice until you are confident. If one person can do it, the path is there for others to follow.
– David McLachlan
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