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Head First Series

Head First PMP: A Learner's Companion to Passing the Project Management Professional Exam, Fourth Edition

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What will you learn from this book?

Head First PMP teaches you the latest principles and certification objectives in The PMBOK Guide in a unique and inspiring way. This updated fourth edition takes you beyond specific questions and answers with a unique visual format that helps you grasp the big picture of project management. By putting PMP concepts into context, you’ll be able to understand, remember, and apply them—not just on the exam, but on the job. No wonder so many people have used Head First PMP as their sole source for passing the PMP exam.

This book will help you:

Learn PMP’s underlying concepts to help you understand the PMBOK principles and pass the certification exam with flying colors Get 100% coverage of the latest principles and certification objectives in The PMBOK Guide, Sixth Edition Make use of a thorough and effective preparation guide with hundreds of practice questions and exam strategies Explore the material through puzzles, games, problems, and exercises that make learning easy and entertaining Why does this book look so different?

Based on the latest research in cognitive science and learning theory, Head First PMP uses a visually rich format to engage your mind, rather than a text-heavy approach that puts you to sleep. Why waste your time struggling with new concepts? This multi-sensory learning experience is designed for the way your brain really works.

Paperback

First published March 27, 2007

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About the author

Jennifer Greene

5 books11 followers
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.

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5 stars
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews
Profile Image for BookHunter M  ُH  َM  َD.
1,694 reviews4,649 followers
October 18, 2022


Only for the people who interested to be Project Management Professional Certified PMP


One of most easier books of PMP studying and preparation. its pictures and figures is very nice and clear.
Profile Image for Mohammed Zaitoun.
Author 7 books101 followers
August 3, 2020
Thank God I have passed my pmp this book helped me to understand some topics that I did not understand it from the pmbok

I liked it but you have to study the pmbok also
Profile Image for Khaled Al-Bahnsawy.
382 reviews31 followers
May 26, 2017

أسهل وأظرف وأمتع كتاب ممكن استخدامه للتعرف على منهجيه كتاب البمبوك الإصدار الخامس وإدارة المشروعات بشكل عام
أسلوبه شيق و الرسومات والشارتس و الصور و الأسئلة طريقتها مبتكره الشرح عن طريق ضرب أمثله مشروعات بسيطة
انصح بالبدء بيه فعلا لأنه هيفرق كتير مع أي حد.
Profile Image for Ahmed.
88 reviews5 followers
November 10, 2017
passed the PMP Exam thanks to this book. it is amazing write up of project management in very practical terms. I tried other books, including the PMBOK itself, but I found them too abstract for some one new to PMI.
highly recommended!
Profile Image for Cyrus.
84 reviews
December 22, 2012
Makes studying for the PMP exams interesting. I am a visual person and this book really helped me considering my learning style.
Profile Image for Alvin.
14 reviews7 followers
December 12, 2017
This book is easy to read and it gives me a good grounding on the principles of project management. For beginners, I highly recommend readers to attempt the exercise right after each chapter as well as to do the mock PMP exam at the end of the book to cement your learning and to prepare for your PMP exam.
Profile Image for Kayla.
202 reviews
June 7, 2017
Was terrified to have to read an entire book about PMP, but really found myself enjoying this one quite a bit. I liked the unique approach to learning, and this book helped the material stick with me.
1 review
July 19, 2023
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Profile Image for Boni Aditya.
374 reviews891 followers
April 3, 2018
PMP Exam, there could be only one work that could be used to describe PMP - BORING

Absolutely boring - It is the one of the most uninteresting stuff that I had to learn.

Wait don't get me wrong, it is not difficult, it could have been challenging if it were difficult but it was boring because there is too much to memorize and so little to think about.

Remembering 47 + processes and sorting them into process groups and then into areas and remembering TOOLS, INPUTS and OUTPUTS for each specific process.

That is a task for a very good computer and not a mere mortal but Just as always HEAD FIRST made this extremely annoying task, into an interesting one.

Even with HEAD FIRST's VISUAL LEARNING methods it took me more than a month to will myself to complete the 800 page odd book. Because it is so BOOOORINNNNGGG.

Moving ten pages in one GO meant moving so many mental blocks and barriers and ten ton stones uphill in my mind. My mind constantly refused to engage because it was BORING. With each page the resistance grew stronger and stronger.

But I do thank HEAD FIRST for compiling such a great book.
Profile Image for Layne.
365 reviews2 followers
February 1, 2016
I grabbed this book as another reference for my PMP exam study. This book is well laid out and very comprehensive. The unique thing about this book is that they use multiple learning techniques to help you remember the material. It is an excellent study guide.
Profile Image for Karen.
5 reviews1 follower
January 30, 2018
This book was very helpful for studying for the PMP exam. If you are new to Project Management I suggest reading this first and then moving on to the Rita books for in depth clarification. I passed the exam in June 2017.
Profile Image for Arwa.
64 reviews25 followers
July 6, 2015
Head First my favorite since college and remains so :)
22 reviews
April 4, 2021
Great book. This version is heavily focused on the waterfall approach. Agile is taking over but waterfall will always remain relevant for projects with a clearly defined scope.

Head First’s teaching methods really stick. More books need to be written this way, especially the ones we read in our formative years. When I set out to study for my PMP, I worried that the information would never stick because I’m good with fundamentals but I’m awful at cramming. Thankfully, I didn’t have to commit too much information to memory as the concepts were well explained.

With the help of this book and a few other materials, I was above target in all areas on my PMP exam. I’m sure a refreshed version of this book(which includes the agile concepts) will generate immense value for prospective PMPs all around the world.

I give this book my highest recommendation!
Profile Image for Sandy.
387 reviews12 followers
November 12, 2017
I'm a fan of the Head First series. They are grounded in reality and explain things clearly and in a fun way. Well, as fun as a book about project management can be. And I was thrilled to find out there was one for the PMP exam. It's a really good primer for the exam and a good first study book. It's not nearly as boring as the PMBOK (but you should read that too, albeit in small increments). I don't know how they managed to make the PMBOK so boring and repetitive but it's just awful. This book makes the concepts and terminology understandable and it's very readable. There are a lot of exercises and practice questions and I felt fairly prepared for the exam by it. I did follow-on with Rita's PMP Exam Prep and that was a good order to read them in.
Profile Image for Anna S..
131 reviews28 followers
August 22, 2017
The core of the test is 75% ITTO, which is "Input, Tools/Technique, Output", and weirdly some of it are different between this book (HF) and PMBOK. However dull PMBOK is, because of the simple diagram at page 61 and ITTO diagram at the beginning of each chapter, it made it easier to create brain map, much more compact than this book. This book is so protracted
The rest of the test is PMBOK taken word by word.

However if you feel like I am, that PMBOK is so hard to digest, at first reading this book give a great insight. Skip the silly tests and only do the multiple choice. But PMBOK is a must.
18 reviews
July 6, 2023
"Head First PMP" is a pretty handy guide if you're prepping for your PMP exam. It's got a fun, engaging style - not your usual dry textbook. They use a bunch of visual aids and exercises that help you remember stuff, which is cool. The book breaks down complex concepts into simple, digestible bits. But it's not perfect. One downside is it can feel a bit too 'fun' if you're after a more serious, traditional study guide. Also, some of the graphics can feel a bit childish and the humor might not be everyone's cup of tea. Lastly, it's huge, so it's not something you can quickly skim through. But overall, I found it really helpful for my PMP prep.
Profile Image for Eduard Mekler.
4 reviews
February 23, 2018
I thought I'd really enjoy the alternative visual approach to learning the PMP framework. I didn't. This book does some topics very well and other very poorly. I advise you learn the change control process in particular from a different source. Additionally, if I didn't take a PMP prep class prior to reading this book I'm not sure I would have known what to focus on from the content presented. With that said, this book is a source of practice assignments and any such activities are invaluable. I recommend Rita Mulcahy's book as a better alternative that covers a better breadth of topics.
25 reviews3 followers
January 15, 2020
I read this amazing book as a preparation for passing the PMP exam. And it successfully helped me achieve that goal. It takes you through examples that simplify PMBOK (which is the guide for PMP from PMI) content. It also contains a lot of visual explanations that make the information stick in your mind. At the end of each chapter there are review questions. And there are comprehensive questions at the end of the book that approximately mimic the PMP exam questions. I strongly recommend any one who wants to get a PMP certificate to prepare him self using this guide.
Profile Image for Robert.
91 reviews1 follower
February 27, 2017
Quite comprehensive, it does the job of going through all the relevant subjects of PMP. The one problem I found, personally is that the authors seem to assume at times you are kind of stupid by using some childish graphics that use a lot of space. Anyway, that's their way of thinking that can "impact" your brain. A bit shorter and less condescending book would have been better for me. But that's me anyway.
71 reviews6 followers
December 30, 2017
Great book for any management consultant, business analyst, researcher or otherwise, anyone who works in projects. Walks you through the frameworks needed for successful planning, executing and closing of projects. Recommended even if you don't plan on giving the PMP exam.

And true to the Head First series, the book is like your favorite 3rd Grade text book, except on steroids... And with a girlfriend.
Profile Image for Patrick Tucker.
132 reviews4 followers
March 16, 2019
This is probably the best introduction to the PMP in print. I have been trying to gear up for taking the exam for years and finally got around to it this year. One of the most daunting parts of the process has been accessible and reliable information. Most other books make the difficulty of the exam a feature. Head first makes you understand that it is a hard but beatable test. I am still using more resources to study but this was the one that really made things click for me.
Profile Image for Owen O'Brien.
12 reviews
June 22, 2023
It can be a short and simplified version of the PMBOK guide and is really easy for beginners to understand. I recommend taking the exercise right after reading the book, as it cements your learning and helps in making the PMP exam easier for you. Some topics in this book are well explained and interesting, but others can turn out to be very poorly written. There is a lack of focus on the main content of every topic, and the sources for the text are invaluable.
Profile Image for Ayat Saleh.
118 reviews10 followers
January 5, 2018
I read the book as an extra step when I prepared for my PMP certificate. The book is very attractive and gives you the feeling of reading an interesting magazine with lots of examples and preparation questions.
The visualization in the book is a great way to help you to grasp the different concepts even if you are not targeting the PMP certificate.

Profile Image for Valerie.
228 reviews2 followers
November 28, 2020
Very easy presentation of PMP topics with many great quizzes to help reinforce the learnings. I'd recommend reading it all continuously - I took long bits of time in between chapters (I changed jobs shortly after starting). Fortunately, the book has a great index, so I could quickly find the topics I was rusty on. Taking my test next week!
6 reviews10 followers
April 2, 2019
One can start with this for the PP certification. May seem too kiddish but then the concepts are well explained for people who like to read with a little bit of fun. Not too heavy on the brain or too dry. Would suggest reading this first and then moving on to the other recommended books.
1 review
February 12, 2020
As someone who is a PMP, reading the PMBOK will put you to sleep. The Head First PMP book is great at helping you understand all aspects covered in the PMBOK in a more brain friendly way that will not put you to sleep. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in becoming a PMP!
3 reviews
March 31, 2020
I passed the PMP exam on my first attempt, and I credit this book with helping understand some of the concepts where I was weak. But, do the exercises. They reinforced the concepts explained throughout the book.
Profile Image for Melissa.
6 reviews
December 18, 2020
Instead of reading the PMBOK guide, I read this book cover to cover and passed the PMP exam on my first try. This book is full of practice tests, illustrations and it’s written in a way that’s conversation. I definitely recommend it!
Profile Image for Tracey.
8 reviews4 followers
April 14, 2022
This is an easy-to-read companion for the PMBOK and is a useful aid for learning project management principles. However, the new PMI exams contain several questions pertaining to Agile principles so I would advise studying the PMI/Scrum Alliance Agile Practice Guide as well.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews

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