Top 7 Books and Udemy Online Courses to Crack the PMP Certification Exam in 2025 - Best of Lot

If you are in the Project management and People management area, then you might have heard about PMP certifications, one of the most reputed and sought-after IT certifications for project managers and people aspiring to start their career in project management. PMP is a short form of Project Management Professional and is offered by the Project Management Institute (PMI). As I said, it's one of the most reputed certifications for project management professionals. There is an immense global demand for project managers. Several leading and best companies hire certified project managers to manage their projects. According to a PMI report, over 2 million project management roles need to be filled every year.

If you want to become a project manager, this certification can not only boost your credentials but also can help you to get promoted and find a better and high paying job as a project manager.

The Project Management Professional (PMP®) certification is recognized worldwide as one of the most valuable certifications for professionals in IT and many other industries. It is also considered a gold standard certification in the project management space.

You might be thinking about why PMP certification is so highly regarded? Well, it is because not everyone gets qualified for the PMP certification exam. You need to have some project management experience before you can even apply for this certification, forget about passing the exam, and obtaining a certificate.

In this article, I am going to share some of the best courses to crack PMP certifications, which aligned with the PMBOK Guide 7th Edition and the newest PMI standards. They also cover the latest best practices in the project management space.

7 Best Books and Udemy Courses for PMP Certification in 2025

Here are some of the best courses to pass the highly regarded PMP certification exam. These courses cover all the theories you need, as well as some practice questions. I have also made sure that most of the courses qualify for 35 Contact Hours toward the PMP® certification from PMI.

1. PMP Exam Prep Seminar - Complete Exam Coverage with 35 PDUs

This is one of the best courses to crack your PMP certification on your first attempt. The instructor, Joseph Philips, is very qualified and has written many books on project management as well on PMP certifications like CAPM/PMP Project Management Certification All-In-One Exam Guide.

The course is very comprehensive provides all the details you need to prepare for your PMP PMI certification. Not only that, but you will also earn 35 exam contact hours from a PMI Registered Education Provider, which is a mandatory requirement for PMP certification.

Joseph Phillips himself is a PMP, ITIL, PMI-ACP, and Project+ CTT+ certified. In short, he knows his stuff very well, and that reflects on this course. The quality, of course, is also very awesome with super engaging content, clear audio, and awesome delivery.

Talking about social proof, more than 330,033 students have already enrolled in this course, and it has, on average, 4.6 ratings from 102,000 participants, which is simply amazing and says a lot about its quality.

It's also one of the Udemy best sellers on PMP certification, and I strongly suggest you join this course if you want to pass your PMP certification on the first attempt.

2. Introduction to Project Management and the PMP Exam By Casey Ayers

This is another course that I recommend to PMP certification aspirants. In this course, you'll learn if going for PMP certification is the right choice for your career development or not, what prerequisites must be met to take the certification exam, what to expect from the test itself, and how to compile and submit your application.

After that, you'll learn about foundational project management principles that can help you better understand what sets project management apart from the day-to-day managerial needs of organizations, and be introduced to the content that will be covered throughout this learning path.

The best thing is that this course, and all others in this learning path, are fully aligned with the newest version of the PMP exam's objectives and the 7th Edition of the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide 7th Edition), the holy grail of PMP certification.

Another essential thing to note is that completing this course and others in the series will help you fulfill the mandatory training requirement for the PMP® exam. And it can also be used to earn continuing education credit for those who have already earned their certification.

It's from Pluralsight, so most likely, you already have a membership, but if not, get one, it's completely worthy of it as learning is essential for programmers and IT professionals.

3. (PMBOK® Guide) – Seventh Edition

. "A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) – Seventh Edition and The Standard for Project Management (ENGLISH) Seventh edition" by the Project Management Institute stands as the ultimate reference for project management practitioners, garnering a stellar rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars from 3,799 ratings and holding the coveted position of #1 Best Seller in Business & Finance. 

Recognizing the dynamic changes in project management driven by technology, novel approaches, and rapid market shifts, this edition introduces 12 fundamental principles of project management. Structured around eight project performance domains, the PMBOK® Guide – Seventh Edition aims to meet the current and future needs of practitioners, fostering a proactive, innovative, and nimble approach to achieving desired project outcomes. 

Noteworthy features include a comprehensive coverage of development approaches (predictive, adaptive, hybrid), a dedicated section on tailoring development approaches and processes, an expanded list of models, methods, and artifacts, and a focus on delivering not just project outputs but also enabling outcomes. 

Furthermore, integration with PMIstandards+™ enhances the guide's applicability, providing tailored content based on project type, development approach, and industry sector. This edition is an essential tool for project managers navigating the complexities of modern project environments.

As I said this is the holy grail of PMP certification preparation and even if you join online courses I recommend you to at least go through this book once for better preparation

4. PMP EXAM PREP-Project Management Professional FULL TRAINING

This is another awesome course I recommend to people preparing for PMP certification. This is one of the most complete yet concise courses. It covers all the topics as required by PMI's syllabus, but most of the content is covered by short crips lessons, which makes it easy to understand.

Concepts are explained using simple languages with easy-to-understand examples, and there is no irrelevant information, which means absolutely no time wastage at all.

I would highly recommend this course for people who cannot invest time full-fledged for PMP and would like to do it with their busy schedules. Concepts are very well explained and in the most simplistic way.

Talking about social proof, this is another Udemy best seller for PMP certification and trusted by more than 23,000 students. The course has got, on average, 4.4 ratings from 3500 participants, which is remarkable.

A big thanks to instructor Umer Waqar, who is also a PMP certified professional for creating this fantastic course. I highly recommend this course, and if you are lucky, you may bet in just $15 in several Udemy sales, which happen every month.

5. PMP Certification: 35+ PDU Formal PMP Exam Prep_New PMP 2025

This is another awesome course for PMP certification preparation in 2025. This course offers an extensive package including 41.5 hours of on-demand video content, two practice tests, 36 articles, and three downloadable resources. 

With a focus on PMBOK Guide 7th Edition, PMBOK Guide 6th Edition, and Agile Practice Guide, the course provides 42 Contact Hours (or PDUs) to fulfill PMP exam eligibility requirements. 

Learners can expect full instructor support, prompt answers to queries, and active participation in discussions, making it an all-encompassing resource for those aiming to pass the PMP exam in 2025. 

The inclusion of over 1600+ PMP exam questions and two full PMP exams at the conclusion of the course ensures a comprehensive and rigorous preparation experience. Upon completion, participants receive a certificate of completion and gain full lifetime access to course materials.

In short, an up-to-date and comprehensive course designed to comprehensively prepare participants for the Project Management Professional (PMP) certification exam 

6. PMP Certification Exam Prep Course 35 PDU Contact Hours/PDU by Andrew RamDayal

This is another course on Udemy which qualifies for 35 Contact Hours toward the PMP® certification from PMI. By joining this course, you will gain a comprehensive understanding of the Project Management best practices, very important both from real-world experience and certification perspective.

The course also comes with printable and saveable flashcards, games, slideshows, and other supplemental materials for each lecture in our course, which makes it very engaging. 

This also helps you to retain the knowledge you have learned. I don't need to say, but this course also covers all the topics specified by PMI and required for PMP certification.

Talking about social proof, this course is also trusted by more than 239,795 students . It also has, on average, 4.7 ratings from close to 71,000 participants which is simply amazing. I highly recommend this course to anyone who want to crack PMP certification in 2025. 

7. Google Project Management: Professional Certificate on Coursera (Udemy Alternative)

The Google Project Management Professional Certificate offers a comprehensive and accelerated path to kickstart a career in project management, requiring no prior degree or experience. This is another awesome resource to learn Project Management skills with a remarkable rating of 4.8 out of 5 from 94,237 reviews, provides an in-depth curriculum. 

Enrolled by an impressive 1,389,364 individuals, this six-course series covers a range of essential skills, including project management, change management, strategic thinking, career development, organizational culture, risk management, quality management, project execution, agile management, and problem-solving. 

The program ensures flexibility with a recommended commitment of 10 hours per week for six months, allowing learners to study at their own pace. Upon completion, participants receive a shareable certificate and industry certification, making it a valuable addition to their LinkedIn profiles. 

With a focus on real-world scenarios, the program also includes an applied learning project, offering over 140 hours of instruction and practice-based assessments to simulate actual project management scenarios. 

As an initiative by Google, this professional certificate opens doors to potential job titles such as Project Manager, Project Coordinator, and Project Assistant, with a median U.S. salary for project management roles exceeding $77,000.

By the way, If you are planning to join multiple Coursera courses or specializations, then consider taking a Coursera Plus subscription which provides you unlimited access to their most popular courses, specialization, professional certificate, and guided projects. It costs around $59/ per month but is worth it because you get access to more than 7000+ courses and projects, and you can also get unlimited certificates.

That's all about some of the best courses to crack the PMP certification exam in 2025. All of these courses are very comprehensive and also qualify for 35 contact hour requirements by PMI. Project management is an in-demand skill, and many leading and best companies in the world prefer to hire certified project managers for managing their projects. Having a PMP certification places you ahead of your competition.

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Thanks a lot for reading so far. If you find these best online courses useful for preparing for PMP certification, then please share them with your friends and colleagues. If you have any questions or feedback, then please drop a note.

P. S. - If you are a complete beginner for PMP certification and not sure whether you are eligible for the PMP exam and looking for a free training course then I suggest you join this How to Prepare for your PMP Exam [FREE] course on Udemy. It's completely free and more than 16,000 students have joined this course.