Book Review: Head First PMP Third Edition (for PMBOK Guide 5)

The Head First PMP, 3rd Ed (for PMBOK Guide, 5th Ed) has just been released, barely 5 months after the PMP exam change! Well, better late than never. Sarcasm aside, I’m a great fan of the Head First (HF) series from O’Reilly and have read several titles in the series over the years. For those who are not familiar, the HF series uses a unique method to make even the most boring and dull content, lively and interesting. The HF PMP applies the same method to put the text-oriented project management concepts from the PMBOK Guide into a visually rich and engaging study guide.

Head First PMP, 3rd Ed Review

The book provides complete coverage of the PMBOK^® Guide, 5th Edition as well as the professional responsibility area. Each chapter includes tons of games and exercises to keep you engaged, and concludes with about 20 sample questions. Overall, the book offers about 300 chapter-end questions and another 200-question full-length exam at the end.

NOTE: The 200-question full-length exam is also available online for free. It would have been nice if the exam in the book was different to the one available online.

What’s new in the third edition

The third edition of the book is not a complete rewrite, but an update to the second edition. The updates are mostly in line with the changes to the PMBOK^® Guide, 5th Edition. The sample questions and the full-length exam have also been updated accordingly. Apart from the content update, the third edition include more full colored graphics and crisper print. Overall about 30% of the book has changed.

Comparison with Rita Mulcahy’s guide

HF PMP is often compared with Rita Mulcahy’s PMP Exam Prep, which is regarded as the gold standard for PMP exam prep guides. So which book is better? I would say that it’s a matter of personal preference. If you can afford, I would recommend buying both the books as they complement each other very well. HF PMP is definitely the best book to help break the initial barrier/resistance. RMC’s guide is surely more daunting. But the quality of sample questions is better in RMC’s guide. So my recommendation is to start your preparation with HF PMP and eventually graduate to RMC’s PMP Exam Prep. For a detailed head-to-head comparison, refer to the link below.

Is there a Head First CAPM?

Though there’s no CAPM version of HF, HF PMP is an excellent book for CAPM certification too. So, all those CAPM aspirants out there might want to consider this book too.

Conclusion

Overall, HF PMP is an excellent resource for PMP as well as CAPM exam preparation. Do not let the format of this book fool you into dismissing it as a gimmick or a non-serious attempt at project management education. At about USD 40, HF PMP is about half the price of RMC’s guide, and a great value for money.

Buy Now

You can purchase the book from Amazon by using the links below.

I received a free digital version of this book from the publisher for review. I was ‘not’ paid for the review, nor was I under any obligation to recommend the book. I’m not otherwise affiliated with the author or the publisher of the book.