Hi Dustin, that’s a very realistic situation, and you’re asking the right questions. With a toddler and an unpredictable schedule, self-paced, on-demand courses are absolutely the right approach. You don’t need multiple full courses, you need one solid foundation plus targeted practice. Here’s a practical, time-efficient way to think about it: First, for your core 35 contact hours Courses like Andrew Ramdayal (Udemy) or Joseph Phillips (Udemy) are popular for a reason. They’re:
- Fully self-paced
- Structured clearly
- Sufficient for meeting PMI’s education requirement
Brain Sensei and PMI’s own course are also fine, but they tend to be more expensive or more rigid without necessarily improving exam outcomes for most people. Second, understand what courses don’t do well Most prep courses focus on content coverage. Where candidates usually struggle, especially busy professionals, is:
- Applying the material in situational questions
- Choosing the “best” PMI answer when several look correct
- Managing time and confidence during the exam
This is why taking multiple full courses often doesn’t add much value. It increases time spent, not readiness. Third, add scenario-based practice (this is where scores improve) After finishing one course, shift quickly to:
- Practice questions
- Mock exams
- Deep review of why answers are right or wrong
This is where exam readiness really develops. One thing that helped me personally (and many others I’ve mentored) was focusing on PMI decision logic - learning how PMI expects you to think under pressure rather than memorizing frameworks again. That’s also why PM Mindset Builder / PM Mindset Pro was built as a lightweight, self-paced complement to courses like Ramdayal or Phillips. It’s designed specifically for people with limited time - short, scenario-driven practice that trains PMI-style thinking without requiring long study blocks. Bottom line recommendation for your situation:
- Pick one solid self-paced course (Udemy is usually sufficient)
- Don’t stack multiple full courses
- Spend your limited time on scenario practice and mindset calibration
With your background as a project engineer, that approach tends to be both the most efficient and the most effective.
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