Project Management Academy

What Project Management Academy is

Project Management Academy (PMA) is a training company built around live, instructor-led PMP exam prep, with a second business in PDU courses for certified project managers who need to keep their credential. It is a product for the LEARNER preparing for a project management certification, and, through group training, for the employer paying for a team. The home page headline sums up the offer: "Pass the PMP Exam or Your Money Back", with "Live, instructor-led training with coaching, accountability, and support designed to help you pass on your first try."

The site describes PMA as a Premier partner in PMI's Authorized Training Partner (ATP) program; the footer gives its PMI ATP Provider ID as #3348. The home page says that "for over 15 years" PMA has trained over 100K students for the PMP exam, and it shows 6,122 five-star reviews from verified students. The footer lists PMA as one of several brands under Educate 360, alongside New Horizons, Six Sigma Online, TCM Security, TRACOM, Velopi and Watermark Learning, with an address in West Lafayette, Indiana.

How the PMP course works

PMA's selling point is that its PMP training is "live, instructor-led training not self-paced videos". You choose between learning in a classroom or joining live online. The home page lists 75+ live locations, described as in-person classrooms throughout North America, and 8+ online training options, which include live virtual classes and self-paced video-on-demand courses. A fast-track format lets you complete the training "in as little as 4 days".

The teaching method is branded "The PMA Way": complex topics tested on the exam are broken down by an instructor. All PMP courses fulfill the 35 contact hours of project management training that PMI requires, and every course includes 6 months of access to an online training portal. The portal holds:

• a PMP Exam Prep Strategy Guide;
• supplemental deep-dive video lectures;
• extra exam prep exercises, games and training aids;
• practice exams and questions;
• a mock exam with an instructor-led review;
• post-course tutoring and help with the PMP application.

The home page also promises "ongoing support until you pass the exam". According to the study plan article on the site, PMA teaches PMI's Authorized Exam Prep course materials with its own exclusive lessons.

Instructors are a large part of the pitch. The home page says the roster of 65+ instructors each has 20+ years of experience in the field and undergoes "rigorous vetting". A student quoted on the home page, P.K. Gumbs, calls the PMP Exam Strategy Guide "a gold mine" and says they passed on the first attempt.

Packages, payment and the guarantee

The home page names three in-person bootcamp levels. The Essential Live In-Person PMP Bootcamp is "for confident learners seeking focused, instructor-led exam preparation". The Advanced Live In-Person PMP Bootcamp, marked most popular, is "for professionals seeking extra structure and hands-on practice". The Premium Live In-Person PMP Bootcamp is "for professionals seeking full support to pass and maintain the PMP certification". The home page links to a packages view rather than printing prices. You can pay in monthly installments with what the page calls a "real-time decision" on the financing.

The guarantee is stated plainly: "100% Money Back Guarantee. If you don't pass, you don't pay."

Other certifications and courses

The course menu goes well beyond the PMP. Project management courses include CAPM certification, PgMP certification training, PMI Construction Professional (PMI-CP), PMI-CPMAI certification training, PMI-RMP training, a PMP Exam Transition Essentials course, Program Management Essentials and Strategic Risk Management. Agile training covers PMI-ACP exam prep, CSM and CSPO, the advanced A-CSM and A-CSPO, Agile Fundamentals, Agile in Action, Agile in Sales and Jira Essentials. Business analysis courses prepare for the CBAP, CCBA and PMI-PBA. Quality courses run through Lean Six Sigma White, Yellow, Green and Black Belt training and a Lean Foundations Workshop. A newer AI line offers AI for Project Managers, AI for Product Owners and AI for ScrumMasters.

PDUs for certified project managers

For PMP holders the PDU section explains the options: live instructor-led classes and video-on-demand courses, an online and a live PDU course library, a PMI Talent Triangle bundle, and Club PDU, an annual subscription for on-demand trainings. The home page says all courses are pre-approved by PMI for PDU credit and come with predetermined alignments to the PMI Talent Triangle. PMAccelerate is a separate membership that the site says helps you maintain your certification, get discounts on courses, try PM tools and software, and reach job postings and recruiters.

Group training

For organizations, PMA builds custom programs from a catalog the home page puts at 35+ courses in project management, agile, business analysis, business management and leadership. Private sessions are priced on the type of training, the number of students and the length of the program. Organizational coaching and consulting and a project management maturity assessment are listed alongside. The home page also describes community programs: an annual Veterans Appreciation PMP course, a partnership with the PMI Educational Foundation (PMIEF), youth training seminars and career transition support with discounts.

Study guidance on the site

The study plan article is a practical companion to the course. It sets out PMI's eligibility rules (36 months of project leadership with a four-year degree or 60 months with a high school diploma, plus 35 hours of education or the CAPM), says most ATPs recommend 2 to 6 weeks of preparation, and advises taking more than one timed practice exam in the 180-question format, with a 10-minute break after 60 questions. It also covers exam day logistics for both a test center and an online proctored exam.

Who it suits

Project Management Academy suits a PMP candidate who wants a teacher in the room, or on a live call, and a short, intensive run at the exam backed by a refund if it fails. The 4-day fast track and the in-person classrooms across North America fit people who can block a few days off work. Teams can use group training, and certified PMs can stay on for PDUs through Club PDU. Learners who only want cheap self-study videos will find the live-first model more than they need, although on-demand options exist.

Support is reachable by phone and email on weekdays.