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.