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Project Management Office and Organizational Structure: What makes it Tick

By January 13, 2023No Comments

PMO is the heart of project delivery. During the Initiating Process, it is basic, using generalities that are defined in the Planning Process. Throughout Executing, Monitoring and Controlling, it allows the team members to flow with the project and in the Closing phase, it is key to making sure of getting all of the ducks in a row.

The PMO provides the basis for the project, and is part of every process group. That is why defining and studying its implementation is so important.

Project Management Office Structure:

  • There is no set PMO structure throughout organizations.
  • There are several different types of PMO structures
  • There are a wide variety of roles listed on PMO structures
  • PMO Managers, PMO Directors, or Project Management Officers lead the PMO
  • PMOs are often key to deliverables.
  • A PMO is only as strong as the individuals listed.

PMOs rely on the skills and abilities of the project manager, or managers, and the project management team. In order to keep the project on time and on budget, a PMO will assign the most competent individuals to the team for each role within the project.

Project Management Office Structures

According to a conference paper written by J. Brian Hobbs, and Monique A Aubry, “There are many options as to form and function when setting up or reconfiguring a PMO. The variety seems almost infinite.” Their paper, available in Project management Institutes, (PMI) utilized a survey of 500 PMOs, 11 case studies, in four separate organizations.

They found there are many questions that need to be answered before coming up with a project management office structure:

  • Who and which project managers should be included, if any?
  • What projects and programs will be included?and
  • What decisions can the PMO make, if any?

The study also showed that there was a vast amount of functions within PMOs. They narrowed their survey down to 27 all related to:

  • “Monitoring and controlling of project / program performance
  • Project management methods, tools and standards
  • Developing the competency of project personnel
  • Organizational learning
  • Multi-project management
  • Strategic management
  • Executing specialized tasks for project managers
  • Managing the customer interface
  • Recruitment, selection, evaluation and remuneration of project management personnel”

So many factors go into what will be included in a PMO. The type of industry, or organization, the size of the organization, the size of the project or projects, the talent and skills of the individuals, just to name a few.

From reviewing the study, it’s clear that a PMO is individualized. It has to be structured for each project and clear to the individuals who use it to work the project through the five process groups.

Types of PMO Structures:

Since there is such a wide variety of companies and industries that utilize PMO’s, it’s difficult to get them all. For the purposes of this article, the fictional organization is Cogswell Industries. They are a multifaceted corporation that develops and builds commercial and residential properties. They also own several manufacturing companies to produce goods utilized in building certain structures.

Functional structure

Common with a variety of corporations and businesses, the functional structure starts with the company manager and works its way down the list of team members based on their specialties.

At Cogswell, the leader sorts the responsibilities under the different roles:

  • Engineering
  • Tool Trouble
  • Production
  • Quality Assurance
  • Sales

Each team is a different line on the PMO. Some may be interconnected, and share resources, but each team reports to the team leader who brings the information to the manager in order to monitor and control the overall progress.

Line structure

This is utilized, mostly, for small organizations. It’s a clear, simple way to define the PMO structure. Line structure allows all members of the team to report progress and avoid miscommunication.

When Cogswell has subcontracts a job to Whipply Widgets, Engineering and Sales at Whipply may only be a two people who work by themselves, while Production may be have three guys at bridgeport machines one who is also in charge of Quality Assurance and another who can fix the lathe as Tool Trouble.  

In the PMO Line Structure defined above, the Manager would have three members of the project management team to keep them abreast of the progress of the project.

Line and staff structure

This structure type combines the first two, Functional and Line Structure.

Back at Cogswell,  Engineering has several team members, but only one lead engineer. In Production, there are 15 people making widgets. There are 3 individuals working in Quality Assurance and Tool Trouble has 1 team member. Tool trouble reports to Quality Assurance, whose team leader reports to the Production team leader.The Production Lead would then be responsible for taking all of the information and data to the overall manager.

Matrix structure

In the matrix PMO structure two managers are used:

  • A project manager and
  • A functional manager.

Again, using the example above, there would be a functional manager for each of the following

  • Engineering
  • Tool Trouble
  • Production
  • Quality Assurance
  • Sales.

The functional managers work with the nuts and bolts of several projects.

The project managers are generally focused on one project. They may draw from the separate departments but their goal is to create project planning that effectively utilizes the resources seen over by the functional managers.

In this case, Cogswell already has a widget designed. This widget is currently in production to fill orders elsewhere. The project manager requires 500 of these widgets each week of their particular project. They would work with the functional manager in order to get those widgets for their project, when they needed them. The functional manager is in charge of making sure the people are available to produce those widgets while still keeping up production with the widgets from other orders.

Divisional structure

This type of PMO structure utilizes methods from the functional structure, applying it to several divisions.

Not only does Cogswell have a widget factory in Seattle, they have so many widgets they need to produce that they have just completed two additional factories in Houston and Charlotte.

Each of these locations produce different types of widgets. All of the engineering is done in Seattle, so Houston and Charlotte would require a similar, yet different PMO. Charlotte does all of the quality assurance for Houston, so they would again have a similar, yet different PMO.

Organic structure

For industries and companies whose market is constantly changing, an organic structure may work. Cogswell, nor Whipply is such an organization. For our fictional companies, using an organic structure with no real leader, possibly a project manager who reminds people of the goal, won’t get the widgets produced in time to get the sales team their orders.

An organic structure is an undefined, decentralized system where no one really has any authority.

Virtual structure

In the modern world, more companies utilize remote resources to achieve certain goals. While the structure is clear, a Virtual structure is used to define roles for individuals with know-how throughout the world.

Cogswell doesn’t use a virtual structure, but they subcontract with a marketing firm that has a variety of blog writers, graphic artists, and virtual assistants. There is one project manager for the Cogswell account who keeps the monthly information flowing and the budget in check.

Project structure

This final structure type is used for projects that are one offs.

Cogswell is using a project organizational structure to produce a special widget that will only be used once. Its specifications can’t be reused for additional projects, the product itself is proprietary. In order to complete this project the engineers will design the widget, production will make the widget, and quality assurance will check the widget over. All departments will report to the manager of the project throughout all process groups all the way through to closure.

 PMO Lifespan

Everything is Temporary

PMOs are temporary. Best case scenario is generally 3 – 5 years that one PMO can fit with all of the projects. Changes in:

  • Personnel
  • Governmental Restrictions
  • Economy
  • Competition and
  • Technology

just to name a few can cause a PMO to be restructured or even taken apart completely. For this reason, coming up with an industry standard has been a difficult task, for organizations, and PMI.

Best Practices

The above referenced survey stated:

“the survey data did identify the following characteristics as being associated with better performance:

PMO structural characteristics associated with PMO performance

  • Percentage of projects within the mandate of the PMO
  • Percentage of project managers located in the PMO
  • Decision-making authority of the PMO

Characteristics of the organizational context associated with PMO performance

  • Supportive organizational culture
  • Project management maturity of the organization

Using the best practices above can assist an organization with making a PMO structure that works. Be aware, though.

  • Statistics don’t necessarily forecast delivery.
  • Performance in a more established organization is generally more valued, and
  • The ability of project management to adapt with the culture of the organization isn’t always an easy change.

Roles and Functions

Each individual in the project management office has their own role in the project. They are essential to the success of the project, so defining those roles and the functions of those roles is key to creating the structure.

The team can only work effectively if they are able to execute the assignments they are given and know how to monitor and control their progress. This gives them the ability to report to the manager, so risks can be minimized.

The PMO is directly below senior management in an organization. The PMO as a whole is used to

  • Create Project Structure
  • Provide data
  • Produce and deliver reports
  • Plan and manage resources
  • Create Processes and Workflows
  • Facilitate communication and collaboration to share knowledge

Project Manager

At the head of the PMO, one usually finds the Project Manager. They are the captain of the ship. If the project goes down, they stick with it to the bottom. Their responsibilities are to:

  • Understand the business cases.
  • Understand the organizational strategy.
  • Possess the knowledge and skills for the project.
  • Possess Leadership skills.
  • Have command of interpersonal communication skills.
  • Have excellent project planning skills.
  • Be able to  monitor and control the project.
  • Know the art of negotiation and
  • Monitor and control the project schedule and budget.

Communication is key for the project manager. They need to have the ability to adapt between talking to CEO’s and day laborers, often in the same setting. They need to have focus on the end product at all times, while making sure the individual assignments are completed on time and on budget.

While a project manager for a construction company may not know a thing about carpentry, they should know what a house looks like. They don’t have to produce the plan for the home, but they need to understand the steps to make it livable.

They are the go to for the teams and the resources. They are the go to for the board members, sponsors, and clients.

PMO Team Leaders or Project Specialists

The first mate and the officers. There may be one, there may be many, but each team leader needs to know how to:

  • Plan and execute the terms for projects;
  • Define and implement the framework for projects;
  • Work with clients, resources, and team leaders to plan, monitor and deliver:
  • Support the project management team when closing projects;
  • Keep track of resources to ensure no overlap;
  • Identify dependencies between tasks;
  • Create baselines and milestones to monitor the project;
  • Manage risk

The team leaders are part of the project management team in the PMO structure. They work with the project manager to make sure all of the data and information is available and reported. If there is an issue, they are there to suggest change, recommend preventive or corrective action. They assist with refreshing or rehashing the plan if or as necessary.

Generally team leaders are picked for their expertise and experience. They may be in charge of a variety of project management duties within their individual tasks, such as budgeting, resource management, and risk assessment.

Also known as a PMO head, they bring benefit and value to the project through their ability to control quality and communicate with the project manager.

Their expertise should cover

  • “Project initiation;
  • Risk analysis;
  • Issue and change control analysis;
  • Configuration management;
  • Planning techniques;
  • Producing methods and tools;
  • Quality assurance;
  • The ability to brief project board and project assurance members on their roles and responsibilities;
  • Providing a fast-track project support service;
  • Design and support project reporting;
  • Build and maintain a repository of good project documentation.”

PMO Project Officers/Coordinators/Administrators

These individuals are part of the team. They help to keep everything organized by:

  • Implementing the  guidelines, procedures and templates to collect and maintain consistent data;
  • Keeping the project plans updated;
  • Reporting and monitoring project progress;
  • Maintaining an information management system;
  • Managing the quality review process;
  • Providing service coordination

As well as officers, coordinators, and administrators there are also functional roles within the project teams.  Each individual in the Project Management Office may perform these functions. They are assigned based on the expertise of the individual, not necessarily their role in the project.

  • Benefits and value ensure the consistent approach within the project;
  • Commercial  ensures that contracts are procured in an informed manner;
  • Communications and stakeholder engagement makes sure there is effective use of stakeholder;
  • Information management manages the master copies of project information;
  • Finance establishes financial controls within projects;
  • Change control ensures processes are in place to deal with changes within the project;
  • Planning and estimating maintains the project plans and dependencies;
  • Quality assurance;
  • Resource management to adequately procure resources and utilize them efficiently;
  • Risk management makes sure processes to deal with risk are in place;
  • Reporting to collect data and;
  • Secretariat/administrative support.

Benefits of a PMO structure

1. The first key is setting the standards for projects within the organization. Just as PMO structures change and adapt, so do standards and processes within them. Each project will almost always have a different set of standards no matter how similar it may be to other projects that you gathered historical data from.

That being said, the goals of standards and processes are the same, to finish the project, at the very least, on time and on schedule.

Project standards are clearly defined by the PMO. They provide all of the objectives of the project and identify the resources needed to get the job done.

The PMO structure

  1. Determines quality assurance necessities,
  2. Produces a risk management plan.
  3. Puts security measures in place,
  4. Implements testing
  5. Sets documentation and portfolio requirements
  6. Provides a resource management plan.

2. The PMO is also responsible for creating reports throughout the scope of the project. In order to make sure that the plan is on track or adjust the plan as necessary, the PMO structure allows the project manager to know who to go to to get the necessary data.

3. Resource management is one of the most important parts of a project, and who better to do that than the PMO. The individuals named in the PMO are the experts when it comes to the resources they have and those that they require for the project. External or internal, human or tools and equipment, the expert knows which widget needs to be acquired and when.

Resource management isn’t just about what resources are available, but when they are available. There may be one person that is in charge of all of the blue widgets. So, ensuring that the blue widgets are ready in phase 2 and 5 means they need to be accessible.

Competency

In order to have a functioning PMO, the individuals involved must have:

  • Experience
  • Skills
  • Attitude, and
  • Knowledge.

Certifications in project management professions, whether it’s an PMP, CAPM, or a specialized certificate, show that individuals within the PMO provide the project all of the above. The requirements necessary to receive certificates through the Project Management Institute (PMI) are set in order to do this.

PMI not only requires specific standards to be met for education and experience before sitting for the initial certification exam, they also require maintenance of that certificate through a variety of areas to ensure that those representing PMI are utilizing best practices throughout their careers.  

Certifications provide team members with the skills and knowledge, as well as giving them the opportunities to learn the tools and techniques necessary to make a project successful. Interpersonal communication within the PMO is one of those techniques that can’t be ignored.

A successful project starts and ends with the project manager. By hiring a certified Project Management Professional to do the job, a company ensures that success.

The project manager’s ability to know which tools are necessary, and who best within the project management office team can provide the skill necessary to use them. They make sure that lines of communication are open and available within the PMO at all times throughout the project. This allows them to address a crisis in order to keep the project on track.  

That being said, without the team, the project can’t go on. One of the duties of the PMO is to ensure that all team members know what their roles are. Not just know their roles, but have skills and abilities to perform the tasks assigned to them in the most effective and efficient way possible. Team members who possess knowledge of project management processes and standards are more likely to have a positive impact on the project. They aren’t there to make a name for themselves by gold-plating, or cutting corners. They understand that the experience they receive by being part of the team is best for the project as well as their future in the field.

To quote a cliche that has been used a Lot, “There is no I in TEAM”.Ensuring that the team, not just the PMO, are competent, forward thinking, and willing to work through any issues that may arise for the good of the project will make any project a success.

Project Planning

During project planning, a PMO will assist with structuring the:

  • Time
  • Tools and
  • Goals of the project.

Time

The initial planning phase when working within a PMO, allows the project manager to map out the schedule of the project. No matter what management style the PMO utilizes, from Kanban boards to Gantt charts, all work to project the time necessary for each task involved in the project.

Tools

Knowing the who, what, when, where, why, and how of the tools necessary for the project is a large part of the PMO. Each individual within the PMO has unique input to who needs what, when and where they require it, why they need it, and how they are going to utilize it. This allows the PMO to manage resources, whether it’s software, people, or equipment, keeping those resources available for each task respectively.

Goals

Some of the goals that a PMO can help define are to:

  • Create quality by controlling, coordinating,  and reporting change, cost, and risk throughout the scope of the project

  • Make sure all teams within the project, and resources that may be utilized in various projects are coordinated

  • Provide training and lines of communication for teams to coordinate and collaborate

  • Ensure that resources are available to decrease production time without reducing quality

  • Be aware of costs and eliminate tasks that are redundant

  • Reduce risk in order to provide timely, profitable projects, with customer satisfaction within corporate standards.

PMO Risk Management Responsibilities

Back to planning, a PMO is essential to creating and enforcing a risk management plan. What can go wrong will go wrong is the motto of risk management. The unimaginable, and unforeseen are taken into account before the schedule is set within the scope of work.

The PMO takes an active role in anticipating, identifying, verifying, and mitigating risks. Each member brings their own set of skills, and experiences with input that is invaluable to the process. This ensures that the organization as well as the project maintain quality standards.

The PMO sets the guidelines that must be followed to ensure completion. They follow strict criteria in order to support the teams, and the team members.

When necessary, the PMO will provide additional training, mentoring, or instruction for teams and team members. This training allows the project to follow the guidelines set to be followed throughout the teams, in a consistent and coordinated manner.

The Bottom Line

  1. A PMO is utilized to create standard procedures throughout the organization. These standards are set and followed within all projects to provide consistent results.

  2. The PMO manages data, trains personnel, develops tools, and establishes methods to improve efficiency of processes.

  3. A PMO prioritizes projects to keep with the goals of the organization. It manages resources, maintains, updates and reports project data to stakeholders, manages documentation for all projects, oversees progress and provides support to team members and team leaders.

  4. The  PMO is directly involved with upper management and often acts as a go-between to ensure collaboration and communication through all layers of the organizational ladder.

A PMO is not always part of an organization, however, it can be extremely helpful when organizing a variety and/or number of projects at once. It provides the projects with consistent management and strategies to ensure profitability and maintain the reputation and sustainability of the organization.

Having the ability to be proactive as well as reactive is something a PMO can assist with. Seeing the widgets can’t be painted black, but knowing that there is enough blue paint left over from another project, may not only save money, but time. As well as satisfying the customer. Turning a negative into a positive is one of the many ways a PMO is beneficial to an organization.

A PMO provides:

  • Standardization
  • Accurate results
  • Consistency
  • Cost Control
  • Knowledge
  • Centralization
  • Training, mentoring and coaching
  • Quality, and
  • The ability to make decisions.

All of these promote the completion of quality projects that are aligned with the mission statements and goals of the organization.

Understanding the information in this article is an essential part of project management and a vital part of the PMP exam. Improve your project management skills or prepare for the PMP Certification exam by taking a quality online PMP exam prep course.

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- Yennyfer

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The Brain Sensei PMP program is a wonderful program that condenses the PMBOK into digestible and retainable bites leveraging the power of story telling. If you're looking for a program that will get you your credit hours but also help establish a foundation of PMI knowledge this is the program for you!

- Kenny Dalen

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Passed first attempt

- Lee

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Truly the best course in town if you wish to pass the PMP exam on the first try. I love the idea of playing the role of the samurai and practice your project management skill in her shoes. And not to forget, the generous amount of practice exam gave me just the right dose of confidence before taking the real one. Highly recommended

- Minh Vo

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The course was great, though I found a lot of parts hard to comprehend. I feel a lot more prepared and better skilled to manage projects in my career. Thanks, Brain Sensei.

- Jill Finkelstein

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The BrainSensei PMP preparation course provided me with all the material required to be ready for the exam. It is well structured, explains the concepts clearly, and most importantly, provides ample training questions through the four mock exams and assessment questions at the end of each module. I passed the exam with Above Target in all sections on the first attempt.

- Gael Riethmuller

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Overall I really liked this learning course. It was very helpful and allowed me to be well prepared for the exam. The 2nd and 3rd practice exam are great to give you real example questions and help prepare you for what to expect. BrainSensei's customer service was the best. I had to delay taking my test due to COVID and they extended my membership for free. They went above and beyond my expectation which was great. Only changes I would recommend is to add 1 or 2 more practice exams like the 2nd and 3rd exam and get rid of the agile practice exam. This is not a real focus of the test and therefore is not really applicable in my opinion.

- Ronnie

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BrainSensei developed a great learning method to prepare for the PMP certification exam. Their customer service is always very professional, fast, spot on and dedicated to your success. I recommend them.

- G. Buchs

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I've sent several emails to BrainSensei (one of them not so nice, but the rest were okay) and the team has always been so polite in answering the questions. I'm a very straight-forward person and don't like the PMI-ism type questions because they seem like 'gotchas' or traps, and this is not how I manage my team. I took the Master of Project course (which was garbage) then failed the PMP exam. Throughout the PMP exam I felt so out of touch. Even with the first practice exam on BrainSensei I felt out of place, but I am not getting the hang of things. I hope to pass the exam on the second attempt! The brain sensei experience has been *miles* ahead of the Master of Project garbage. Brain Sensei should be proud of both their product and of their team! I love getting replies to my concerns so quickly. Nice work :) !!!

- Joseph Mather

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This course was great. it laid a great foundation for the PMP exam.

- Marc Vazquez

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very useful

- Dan

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I was very pleased with the preparation provided for the PMP certification. I went through the materials twice and passed the exam on the first try. A couple of the questions need to be polished up, but very good training overall.

- Glen

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Very easy to work with and quality product.

- Joan

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The storyline provides excellent examples that provide context for understanding the core concepts and processes

- Ann

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Good self paced learning tool

- Muneer

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Outstanding job

- Jerome

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This is by far the best way to prepare yourself for the PMP exam. The material is presented in a unique and engaging way that makes learning it easy and also fun! The company behind this course is also very professional and responsive. Keep up the great work!

- Amir Afifi

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I have studied with other programs and I didn’t feel prepared. After a short time with Brain Sensei, I had the confidence to succeed on exam day, which I did on the first try after studying with Brain Sensei. It was worth every penny.

- Andrew Grady

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Great program

- Ashley

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Course is made for people who are already grounded in the material, not for someone that needs all the basics. Was budget friendly and OK content.

- Andrew

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Brain Sensei is great tool to have in the study arsenal while preparing for the PMP exam.

- Derek

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I really enjoyed the modules and content offered by Brain Sensei! I passed the PMP Exam on the first try and would recommend this course to anyone who is looking for a great PMP Exam Prep.

- Delfin Gallegos

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Overall layout is good, but there are some quality issues. Progress isn't always saved across all devices and progress gets lost. Some small spelling mistakes. I loved the practical storyline...

- Riaan

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Passed my PMP on first attempt using Brain Sensei Prep course.

- Mohammad Ali

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Quick and helpful response. Thanks!!

- Laura

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Absolutely Fantastic learning software. Highly recommend it! Very well thought out and creative. Really enjoyed my study time. Excellent mock tests and mock exams. So so helpful. Thank you Brain Sensei Team for being part of my PMP journey!

- Tracy

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Need improvement in presenting more relevant real exam type questions. The practice exams are too simple and easy and do not prepare you for the real exam. Otherwise, good concept presenting material

- Amir

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The prep materials provided plenty of content which prepared me well for the PMP exam. The questions were packed with information.

- Cameron

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Teaches the PMP in a solid manner, some things you need to know as a potential consumer: -The Samurai backstory is extremely short, and didn’t really assist me with recall in any in-depth way. It only gave broad brush-strokes as to what each phase entailed. -MOST of what was on the test was covered in the lessons, however if I had zero real prior PM knowledge prior to the test, I would have failed. -The first practice test forces you, as the student to actually read into the PMBOK, which was a benefit in the long run as it assisted me with quickly referencing what I needed to find. -The course will likely cover wave tops and subjects, forcing me to self-study for a week before my test... not a bad deal all things considered. -Brain Sensei’s course has incorporated Agile into one of their practice tests, and this test IS mandatory. This may seem strange, and I didn’t get a satisfactory reason why I needed to take a purely Agile test when I only wanted to take the PMP, for anyone else in this scenario, this is the reason: In June, PMI is revamping the PMP test to include Agile as a significant portion of the PMP. Brain Sensei is just ahead of the curve trying to get students prepared... fret not. Their customer service is extremely responsive and does take care of their members. My program had a couple bugs, and the customer service fixed my problems within 24 hours. All in all... it was absolutely worth the money for me.

- Kevin

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I am very impressed with this learning system. The content is laid out in a way that will make any learner understand all the process groups and ITTOs in order to understand Project management and be equipped to excel in the test. The learning system is engaging and fun at the same time. It's very different than other learning material which is composed mostly of videos. Some improvements are needed, but in my opinion Brain Sensei is great value for money

- said durra

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At first, I was attracted to Brain Sensei training for their original learning program using a Samurai's story. And indeed it made the whole learning experience funnier - so easier. I felt like the Samurai. Then, I was amazed by The Brain Sensei Team's reactivity and help when I reached out through contact@brainsensei.com Their support was constantly reliable and efficient. I appreciated their professionalism and didn't feel on my own. At last, the course and the practice exams proved to be efficient since I passed the PMP exam - with 'Above Targe't in all Domains. So thank you so much Brain Sensei Team !! Charlene

- Charlene LU

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Overall very good. Got stuck a few times trying to find resources which I should have downloaded the before starting the program. Customer service has been great.

- Jonathan Williams

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SO far I am thoroughly enjoying the Brain Sensei PMP prep course. I have taken a Project management class as a part of my degree which I recently completed and project management has always interested me. I find the course to be educational and easy to follow. I am grateful that this course has been designed in such a way that is simple to understand all of the complexities in project management and that allows me to study at my own pace.

- Eric Browne

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The content is good and easy to understand

- Glenn

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This review is based on completing all course work through module 102. The story and interactive nature of the course are helpful for learning and relating the material. It would be nice to have the page numbers to the PMBOK guide where references are made to it. Other information that will be helpful, are the explanations to the practice questions at the end of each module. These are provided only after immediately answering the questions. Having these available in the score summary from the 'history' tab will be helpful to refresh why the answer is correct and other options are not.

- Rohan Punit

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Overall I would rate this course an 8/10. I liked how there were exams towards the end of every module and I felt that it was very useful having it laid out in different scenarios. I rate it only an 8/10 as I had some glitch/software issues and lost my progress resulting in me having to re-do modules/exams multiple times. All in all, that was maybe useful in the end as it was a way for me study or 're-learn' the course material. Thank you!

- Nikki Cordy

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Clear and precise explanations of how things work. I was never lost navigating the course.

- Gary Nicol

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A smart approach to present the information which makes it fun and engaging while at the same time preparing for the PMP exam. Brain Sensei differentiates itself from other PMP exam preps in that it delivers the knowledge through the use of storytelling technique. I recommend this course because it will help you pass your PMP exam on the first try.

- Jamal

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Loved the story telling and the practice exams. I felt very prepared when the actual exam came around.

- Josh

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One of a kind training that was truly engaging!

- Claire

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Excellent course for preparing for the PMP exam in a fun and engaging way! The practice questions resemble the actual questions on the exam making it a completely worthwhile experience.

- Rossetta

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I passed the PMP exam after taking Brain Sensei's Online PMP Certification Exam Prep. The practice exam questions were so similar to the questions that appeared on the exam. On exam day, when I sat down to take the test and started running through the questions I felt so relieved! The practice exams are also timed so you get more comfortable with the exam experience and feel better prepared when you sit down to take the test. The other differentiator was the video content throughout the modules. The concepts are taught through a story of a young samurai defending her kingdom. This will probably be the only PMP prep course where you can learn all the knowledge areas and feudal Japan at the same time. I'd recommend this course not just because of the videos but because it helped me pass my exam on the first try.

- Jackie

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Good course, but a few grammatical errors with how some questions were worded.

- Sonia

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It was good!

- Sergei

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Loved the unique approach and it still had all the info I'd expect from a full PMP exam prep course. Very responsive on questions too.

- Chris