PMP Exam Prep with Scott Payne

Most PMP candidates think they're struggling because they're "bad at people questions," "bad at process," or confused by business environment. That's not the real problem. In this episode, Scott breaks down how the PMP actually tests judgment — and why treating People, Process, and Business Environment as study categories is holding you back. You'll learn: Why there are almost no "pure" people or process questions on the PMP How PMI blends people issues, process constraints, and business pressures into the same question The difference between memorizing frameworks and diagnosing situations Why more practice questions won't fix the problem if you're solving the wrong thing A new way to read PMP questions using a force-based decision lens This episode isn't about tactics or memorization. It's about learning how PMI thinks — and how to recognize which force matters most right now. By the end, you'll have a clear "light-bulb" moment and a practical challenge you can apply immediately to your next set of PMP questions. This is the foundation for an upcoming series diving deeper into: People • Process • Business Environment — the right way.

If you keep missing PMP questions that feel easy, the problem probably isn't knowledge — it's how fast you're trying to act. In this episode, Scott breaks down a hidden pattern that hurts a lot of capable PMP candidates: action bias. The instinct to jump straight into fixing, escalating, or documenting feels responsible — but on the PMP exam, it often leads to the wrong answer. You'll learn: Why PMI punishes premature action on PMP questions How aggressiveness shows up subtly in answer choices What the PMP exam actually rewards instead A simple thinking model to slow down and choose better answers This episode is about shifting from reactive thinking to disciplined decision-making — the mindset PMI is really testing. If you want to improve your accuracy without memorizing more content, this episode is for you.

Oksana was a podcast listener just like you!  She was confused and lost before she found the podcast and she reached out to me to join our course.  6 weeks later she was a PMP who aced the exam with 3 Above Targets!   Listen to the approach she followed so that you can achieve your goals too! If you want me to help you - Reach out - 757-759-5282 (this is my personal number - I will answer!)

I Built Something Awesome for you - listen to this podcast - I'll explain. It is my new PMP Exam Prep Quick Reference Guide.  I brings everything that matters into one spot that is super easy to read, learn, and reference at anytime!!! If you want an advanced copy - email me directly (scott@allinpmprep.com) or call/text me 757-759-5282.

There will be tons of vague questions on the PMP exam.  Let me talk you through an approach to solving them.  In this podcast we will use LIVE pmp question solving to build up your skills in solving those questions that leave you scratching your head. If you want more help - Reach out to me - 757-759-5282. I will help you.

In this episode, I'm going to challenge you with a different question: Can you recognize the real problem type before you react? Because on the PMP exam, you're not dealing with random scenarios. You're dealing with a small set of recurring project problems — the same breakdowns PMI tests again and again. In this episode, you'll learn: Why PMP questions aren't random (even when they feel that way) How PMI expects you to diagnose a situation before choosing an answer The 8 core problem types that appear across the exam Why each problem type has predictable "good paths" and "bad paths" How identifying the problem first makes wrong answers collapse fast If you've ever felt like you knew the material but still struggled to pick the right answer, this episode will give you a clearer way to see what's really being tested.

Nacho had a problem. She had to get the PMP in 6-weeks for a job interview. We partnered together to guide her to her PMP success before she stepped into the interview. This interview tells that story.  You will be able to use the lessons learned to refine your PMP skills and get ready faster. If you want me to guide you - I am one call away - 757-759-5282. Call or text me.  I will help you! Scott 

If the PMP exam feels random, frustrating, or harder than it should be — this episode will change how you see it. In this episode, I break down one of the biggest mistakes PMP candidates make: they try to solve every question instead of understanding what PMI is actually testing. Here's the truth most people miss: The PMP exam is not random. It uses the same few problems over and over — just dressed up in different words, industries, and scenarios. You'll learn: Why PMP questions feel chaotic (and why that's intentional) How PMI really evaluates your answers The PMO mental model that makes questions predictable The 3 decision lenses PMI consistently rewards — and why using them changes everything This episode isn't about memorizing more content or grinding harder. It's about learning how to think the way PMI wants you to think — before you ever choose an answer. If you've ever said, "I knew the material, but the questions got me," this episode is for you. 🎧 In the next episode, I'll show you how to identify the one dominant issue every PMP question is testing — and how that makes bad answers fall apart fast.

How long are you planning to study for the PMP? Most people don't have a real answer — they just keep grinding and hope they'll feel "ready" someday. In this episode, Scott Payne breaks down the real reason some PMP candidates pass in weeks while others struggle for a year or more — and it has nothing to do with intelligence, experience, or effort. You'll learn: The four levels of PMP study most people never realize they're stuck in Why working harder can actually slow you down The single biggest indicator of how long the PMP will take you How to move from memorization to judgment — the skill the PMP actually tests This episode will help you: Study smarter, not longer Build real confidence instead of burnout Become a better project manager while preparing for the exam If you've been putting in the hours but not seeing progress, this episode will change how you think about PMP prep.

Questions that compare the Project Manager role and the Project Lead role are some of the easiest places to get stuck on the PMP exam — especially when both answers sound reasonable. In this episode, I walk you through a simple 2-step decision framework you can use to solve these questions consistently: • Where does the problem live — inside the team system or outside of it? • Can it be handled at that level, or does it need to be escalated? We'll apply this thinking to practical scenarios and break down how PMI expects you to approach execution issues, authority decisions, and escalation — without memorizing job titles or overanalyzing org charts. This episode is about learning how to think, not what to memorize, so you can walk into exam day calm, confident, and in control.

If you've ever thought… "I can do the job, but I can't learn all this broad PMP stuff." "I read it twice and it still doesn't click." "I'm falling behind… so maybe I'm not cut out for this." "Agile vocabulary feels like another language." …this episode is for you. Chad CashDollar is a shipyard foreman who works long hours, has a chaotic schedule, and openly admits that reading comprehension and test endurance have always been his biggest hurdles. The PMP felt like a monster: 180 questions, 4 hours, and a ton of terminology. And then he passed. Not with perfect scores. Not with Above Target across the board. He passed with a mindset shift and a simple method that struggling students can actually copy: Start with what the question is asking Highlight only what matters Work it down to 50/50 Pick your answer and commit Don't treat "wrong" like a crisis—treat it like reps Keep moving forward (because there's no failure until you stop) This is the episode for the student who's tough at work… but doubting themselves at the desk.

If you want to ace the PMP exam, you have to master emotional intelligence — whether you realize it or not. The PMP exam doesn't just test processes and formulas. It tests how you lead when people, conflict, and pressure are involved. And emotional intelligence is often the hidden factor that decides between two answers that both look right. In this episode, I break emotional intelligence down in plain English — what it actually is, where it shows up on the PMP Exam Content Outline, and how PMI tests it inside real exam scenarios. I'll walk you through exactly how emotional intelligence becomes the tie-breaker in People Domain questions involving conflict, stakeholder resistance, motivation, and team performance. This isn't about being soft or emotional. It's about judgment, leadership, and choosing the best response when the situation isn't clear. If PMP questions sometimes feel unpredictable or frustrating, this episode will give you a powerful new lens to see what the exam is really asking — and start choosing better answers with confidence. Listen in, and learn how PMI tests leadership… not empathy.

Want me to coach you to your PMP? Join my 10-week PMP Cohort starting February 2nd. You'll get a dynamite, focused study schedule, two high-impact 1.5-hour evening Zoom coaching sessions with me each week, and full access to everything you need inside my online portal — videos, simulator, tools, games, and live support until you pass. Call or text me 757-759-5282 or email me at scott@allinpmprep.com  If the PMP exam feels confusing… If the questions feel vague… If you keep getting stuck between two answers that both sound right… This episode is for you. In this podcast, I break down how PMI actually expects you to think — not what most prep courses say the exam is testing, but what it's really grading underneath the questions. I walk you through the seven core thinking rules that drive almost every PMP question, across Agile, Predictive, and Hybrid scenarios. These aren't tricks or hacks. They're the patterns PMI uses when they design questions — and once you start seeing them, the exam slows down. We'll talk about: Why context matters more than tools Why there are no perfect answers — only the best decision right now Why PMI consistently rewards people before process Why fixing the system matters more than reacting to symptoms Why leadership beats authority Why long-term thinking beats fast action And why the PMP rewards judgment, not memorization Think of these rules like lenses. When you use the wrong one, the question feels blurry. When you use the right one, the answer becomes clear. If you've been studying hard but still don't trust your thinking yet, this episode will help you understand why — and how to fix it. And if you want to go deeper, this is exactly how I coach students inside my live cohorts: learning how to think through situations, not just memorize content.

Most PMP candidates don't fail because they lack knowledge. They fail because of something far more subtle—and far more dangerous: negative self-talk and second-guessing under pressure. In this episode, Scott Payne breaks down why even smart, well-prepared PMP candidates sabotage themselves during studying, quizzes, and the exam itself. Drawing from Agile thinking, Scott reframes negative self-talk as a mental anti-pattern—an action that feels helpful in the moment but actually hurts performance. You'll learn: Why fear and imposter syndrome show up specifically during PMP prep How stress hijacks decision-making, even when you know the material The difference between the threat voice and the operator voice in your head Why confidence is built during the study process—not after How to interrupt negative self-talk in real time The four pillars of the All-In PMP Success Mantra System: Control, Confidence, Consistency, and Support This isn't a motivational pep talk. It's a practical mental framework for staying steady, confident, and focused while preparing for—and taking—the PMP exam. If you've ever frozen on a question, changed an answer you originally knew, or walked away from a quiz feeling worse than when you started, this episode is for you. 🎯 Text or Call me and I will give you my All-In PMP Success Mantra System PDF so you can start replacing mental anti-patterns with habits that actually help you pass.

In this episode, I'm taking you inside a real All In PM Prep Accountability Call — a full 56-minute live coaching session where Waterfall finally clicked for a group of new PMP students. We break down Agile vs Predictive in plain English, simplify the entire Waterfall process, teach students how to read questions the right way, and walk through several PMP exam scenarios step-by-step. If you've ever felt confused about charters, business cases, stakeholders, matching questions, or baselines — this session will clear the fog fast. Here's what you'll hear: 🔷 Agile vs Waterfall — Explained the Way It Should Be I walk students through simple, real-world examples (apps vs bridges) to help them finally understand when to use Agile and when a predictive approach is the only smart choice. 🔷 Waterfall, Simplified We break down the entire predictive lifecycle: Why charters matter How stakeholder analysis actually works What the triple constraints really represent Why detailed planning gives you control How executing & monitoring go hand-in-hand This is the version of Waterfall every new PMP student wishes they had first. 🔷 Matching Questions — The Strategy PMI Never Taught You I teach students a faster, cleaner method for matching questions using a "long-to-short" approach that eliminates 80% of the reading. We solve a real matching set live so you can see the method in action. 🔷 Real PMP Situational Coaching We work through multiple PMP-style questions together: Handling concerns raised mid-execution Managing a new team member with "rumor-based" performance issues Responding to new compliance requirements after the charter is signed Understanding business case vs charter Applying servant leadership and escalation correctly You'll hear new students reason through their answers — and how I coach them toward exam-ready thinking. 🔷 How to Use My System I close the session by showing students how to use: The glossary The video library The course structure And how to stay confident as you hit the natural learning curve dips If you want to understand PMP foundations in a deeper, more intuitive way — this coaching call will accelerate your learning.

If you've failed the PMP exam, feel "blocked" by test anxiety, or keep getting passed over for roles because you don't have those three letters, this episode is for you. Reach out to me personally - I will help you - Scott@allinpmprep.com or 757-759-5282 In this powerful PMP success interview, Scott talks with Kader (Dr. G), a seasoned federal government program director with 20+ years of project and program management experience—who still couldn't get past the PMP exam. Despite leading 8 programs and multiple IT projects in the Washington, D.C. government contracting world, Kader: Failed the PMP exam twice Struggled through high-pressure bootcamps while juggling toddlers and a parent in heart surgery Had a boss who was blowing up her phone during class because work was falling apart Watched colleagues walk around like they were in an "exclusive PMP club" she didn't belong to Carried deep exam trauma, anxiety, and the shame of people using her failures against her Oh… and English is her fifth language. This was supposed to be her "last attempt". She told Scott, "If I don't pass this time, I'm done. I'm walking away from the PMP." Instead, Kader completely changed her relationship with the exam. Using the All In PM Prep 10-week, incremental, community-based approach, she stopped cramming and started building endurance, confidence, and self-trust: She realized her problem wasn't knowledge—it was four-hour exam stamina. She used 20-question, 45-question, and 60-question practice blocks to train like a marathon. She integrated self-care: nature walks with audio lessons, better mental space, and intentional rest. She leaned on coaching calls and classmates so she didn't feel alone in the anxiety. She applied her doctoral research in post-traumatic growth to exam trauma—recognizing fight/flight/freeze/fawn/flop patterns and working through them. When she finally walked out of the test center, holding that sheet of paper, she couldn't even find the result at first. Then she saw it, in tiny print: "Passed." She broke down in tears. Years of fear, shame, and feeling "less than" in her career lifted in a moment. In This Episode, You'll Hear: How someone with two decades of PM leadership still struggled to pass the PMP Why bootcamps failed her twice—and why cramming is the worst fit if life is already chaotic How exam trauma shows up (fight, flight, freeze, fawn, flop) and what it feels like in real life The difference between knowing PM and having the endurance and mindset to survive a 4-hour exam How incremental learning, repetition, and community helped her break through anxiety Why failing the PMP is not the end—and how to reframe your "failures" as stepping stones The emotional release of finally joining that "exclusive club" and how it changed her confidence If you work in government contracting, IT, or program management and feel stuck because you keep hearing "PMP required," this conversation will hit home. If you've failed before or feel like this exam is your last shot, you'll see yourself in Kader's story. Who This Episode Is For This episode is especially for you if: You've failed the PMP exam once or more and are scared to try again You feel paralyzed by exam anxiety or past test failures You're in government contracting where PMP is a "basic requirement" for leadership roles You're exhausted by bootcamps that cram everything into 4–5 days You're tired of feeling like everyone else can do it but you You're not broken. You're not alone. You just need a different plan—and a different kind of support.

Today, you're getting an exclusive early look at a brand-new series I'm building called PMP MythBusters — the definitive breakdown of the biggest misconceptions that hold people back from earning their PMP. In this sneak-peek episode, I walk through several of the most common myths I hear from students every day, including: "You must score 80%+ on every mock exam to be ready." "If your application isn't perfect, PMI will reject you." "Every PMP question has a trick in it." …and more. You'll get clarity, direction, and a taste of what's coming in the full MythBusters series. But more importantly — I want your help building this. What myths, fears, or confusing PMP questions do you want busted? 👉 Send your biggest myths or questions to me at scott@allinpmprep.com or 757-759-5282. Your submissions may appear in future episodes of the series.

If you need help passing the PMP — or you're stuck on Agile concepts like MVP, velocity, story points, or team-focused questions — I can help you. 📱 Call or text me directly: 757-759-5282 🎓 Or start our trial course: allnpmprep.com/trial Episode Description Welcome to a completely different kind of PMP learning experience. In this episode, you get a fly-on-the-wall look inside one of our live All In PM Prep coaching calls, where real students bring their toughest Agile questions — and try to stump the coach. You'll hear raw, unscripted coaching as we break down core Agile PMP exam topics, including: Velocity vs. Capacity Story Points (and why most students misuse them) MVP vs. MMF Agile roles and team behaviors How to handle people-focused PMP scenarios How to actually think through Agile questions instead of memorizing terms This session highlights our transformational Vanishing Data Dump method — the system where students write down everything they're unsure about (concepts, tools, processes, terms) and then attack each item using our: Agile glossary Video library AI deep-dive tools And live coaching with our team — including me You'll see exactly how high-performing PMP students build clarity, confidence, and exam mastery through real-time dialogue, honest questions, and deep reasoning. This isn't a lecture. This is the process of learning — live, authentic, and powerful. If you're struggling with Agile concepts, confused about velocity or story points, or overwhelmed by people-focused PMP questions… This episode will show you a simpler, smarter, clearer way.

Go behind the scenes with Jacob Henschel, a Program Manager at Collins Aerospace, as he reveals what it really takes to lead high-stakes programs in one of the world's most demanding industries. This interview explores how program managers operate at the intersection of engineering, risk, timelines, and multimillion-dollar customer expectations. Jacob shares the real story of program leadership — not the textbook version — including: How aerospace programs move from early concept to production-ready reality The balancing act between engineering rigor, schedule pressure, and budget discipline Managing cross-functional teams spread across manufacturing, engineering, supply chain, and customer support How program managers build trust, handle failures, and make tough calls under pressure The communication, negotiation, and relationship-building skills required when the stakes involve safety, reliability, and global customers You'll hear candid insights on what separates average program managers from exceptional ones, how to drive alignment when everyone has competing priorities, and why program managers are the connective tissue in complex organizations. Whether you're studying for the PMP, leading projects, or simply curious about how aerospace programs actually work, this conversation gives you a front-row seat to one of the toughest and most rewarding roles in the industry.

If you failed the PMP exam — or you're terrified you might — I can help you. I'll get on the phone with you myself, listen to your situation, and build a plan that actually works for you. 📩 Email me: Scott@allinprep.com 🎟️ Or just join our trial: allinpmprep.com/trial Episode Description In this episode, you'll hear the magical story of Mikhaia — whose PMP journey started with heartbreak. She enrolled in a highly reputable college program, expecting clarity, structure, and guidance. Instead, she got vague lectures, scattered information, and zero direction. Her confidence collapsed, and when she took the PMP exam… she failed. And not just a small miss — a hard fail. It crushed her. She cried. She felt lost, overwhelmed, and ashamed. She truly didn't know what to do next. But then something changed. She listened to the podcast. She reached out. And I got on the phone with her — for twenty minutes — and laid out a new path. A real plan. A plan that fit her, her life, her learning style, and her pace. Five weeks later… 🔥 Above Target across the board. 🔥 Every domain crushed. 🔥 Confidence rebuilt. 🔥 Career unlocked. This is more than a success story — it's proof that failing the exam doesn't mean you are a failure. It means you need a better path, better guidance, and someone who actually cares enough to walk with you. This is Mikhaia's comeback. And if you're in the same place she was… your comeback can start today.