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.