My Top 10 Recommended Web Sites for Free PMP Exam Sample Questions

My Top 10 Recommended Web Sites for Free PMP Exam Sample Questions

By Cornelius Fichtner, PMP



After eight years as a project management trainer, I have helped more than 20,000 students prepare for their Project Management Professional (PMP)® Exam. In my experience along the way, I’ve found one thing that unites them all: They all want to practice with free PMP Exam sample questions.

In an effort to help, I have identified 10 web sites that offer free PMP Exam sample questions. I recommend each of them for the quality of their questions.

1. www.oliverlehmann.com. Hands down, this web site has the toughest questions around. If you are able to answer more than 50% correctly, then hats off to you. Lehmann provides sample questions in a variety of formats. From the site, you can take a free 75-question simulated, timed (90 minute) exam. He also includes a link to over 3,000 free sample questions (4,000 for PMI members) as well as a download option (PDF) for an additional 175 sample questions, which is also available in German. What’s more, smartphone owners can access another 30 free questions for their iPhone/iPad and/or Android in the iTunes Store and Android Market, respectively.

2. http://www.preparepm.com/mock1.html This site offers two different free “mock exams”—the first has 70 questions; the second has 28 questions, and the answers to the questions are included at the end of each exam. What I like most about this site, however, is that you can filter the sample questions by the various knowledge areas covered in the exam (i.e., questions on Risk Management, or Quality Management, or Ethics, etc.), so you can focus your studies on the areas where you think you need the most help. The site also includes a link to a free, timed 200-question PMP practice exam (although you do have to register on the site).

3. http://www.examcentral.net/pmp/pmp-exam-questions. This PMP Exam study site includes a huge,sample-question test bank—over 1,000 free practice exam questions. Once you register on the site, you’ll be able to access the vast test bank, as well as an unlimited number of full-length mock exams, customizable PMP flashcards, and a PMP dictionary. Two nice features of note on this site: first, once you take a practice exam, you can re-open it for review; second, the practice exam provides you with visual, analytical progress reporting, so you know exactly where you stand during your mock exam.

4. http://certification.about.com/od/projectmanagement/a/pmp_test_whiz.htm. If you’re looking for something short and sweet, this excerpt from Whizlabs’ PMP Exam Simulator gives you 20 free PMP sample questions to test your readiness. There are five questions per page, and the answers--as well as explanations for each question--are available at the bottom of each page. In addition, the site provides suggested reading, related articles and resources for each question, giving you additional support in areas where you may need more help.

5. http://www.tutorialspoint.com/pmp-exams/pmp_mock_exams.htm. Offering 200 objective sample questions (and their answers) on each of two mock exams, this site will give you a good idea of what you’ll see on the actual exam. Unique to this site, you’ll be able to see a pattern or progression of exam questions based on the PMBOK areas of knowledge.

6. http://pmhub.net/pmsuccess/Menu.htm. Why not turn your PMP exam studying into a game? PMPHub publishes a new (free) Question of the Day every day, as well as the Answer and Explanation to yesterday’s Question of the Day. Return to the site tomorrow to see the answer to today’s question. A distinguishing feature of the site is the “Source of Answer” section after each question, which shows you exactly where to look in the PMBOK for help or more direction. Also unique, PMHub offers a bilingual (English/Chinese) test bank!

7. http://www.ajithn.com/login.php. The free, sample exam on the PMP Question World site is rather like the old Choose Your Own Adventure books; you decide how many questions you’d like to answer in your mock exam. Possible questions come from all nine PMBOK knowledge areas, and you can take the mock exam as many times as you like. The sample exam does not display correct answers; however, practice questions -- with their answers--are also available on the site. You can also “share” questions with your fellow PMP exam-takers.

8. http://www.passionatepm.com/free-pmp-exam-practice-test-questions. Hoping to provide training that will “rock your face off,” the Passionate Project Management site offers you three free, timed practice exams -- a 15-question/18-minute option, a 50-question/60-minute option, and a 100-question/120-minute option. Once you take the practice exam, you’ll see your score (%) as it relates to the passing score for that mock exam. You can then Review the Quiz, going back over both your correct and incorrect answers.

9. http://www.free-pm-exam-questions.com/. How would you like to have free PMP sample questions delivered right to your Inbox? A simple registration gets you just that -- a series of free sample questions, as well as a Weekly PMP Exam Tips newsletterdelivered right to you. You’ll continue to receive fresh content, as new questions are always being created and added. Sit back and let the sample questions come to you.

10. Free PM Exam Simulator. The PM Exam Simulator gives you the opportunity to practice taking the PMP Exam in a way that mimics the actual exam. The Simulator feeds you questions of the same style and difficulty that you’ll see on the exam and proportionately as far as the correct process group (i.e., Initiation=11%, Planning =23%, etc.). You’ll experience various types of questions, from formula-based questions to interpretational questions. Another plus for this site is that you can take the practice exam in three modes: Real Exam Mode (just like the real PMP exam experience); Timed Mode (receive hints and answers, but still adhere to a limited time); or Learning Mode (receive hints and answers with no time limit). Try the Exam Simulator for three days -- free! (Disclaimer: This is my own simulator.)

Obviously, exam simulators and sample questions are often a very good indicator of your readiness to take the exam. Generally speaking, if you are able to correctly answer at least 85% or more of the sample or practice questions on your first try, you’re probably ready to take your PMP certification exam. Note that answering a question correctly on your second try doesn’t count, since you will only have one chance in the real exam. So, for example, a simulator with 1,800 questions gives you 1,800 “first tries.” This is plenty to build your confidence and gauge when you are ready to take the exam. Of course, the 85% rule is just a rule of thumb, but if you want to know how you are doing it is a useful benchmark against which to assess your abilities.
Sample questions are extremely helpful in preparing for the exam; however, remember that free questions aren't everything. I recommend you also subscribe to a commercial exam simulator so that you can practice in a "real" environment using realistic exam questions. After all...free questions are free and may only take you so far.

About the author: Cornelius Fichtner, PMP is a noted PMP expert. He has helped over 16,000 students prepare for the PMP Exam with The Project Management PrepCast and offers one of the Best PMP Exam Simulators on the market.