Udemy PMP Training Programs – 100% Review – Pros & Cons

Udemy is a platform for trainers, students, and businesses. Using Udemy’s course development tools, instructors upload videos, PowerPoint presentations, PDFs, audio files, and live classes. Teachers can also interact with users through online discussion forums. Courses are administered in many categories including entrepreneurship, health, fitness, language, academics, art, music, and technology. Most courses focus on practical topics like Microsoft Excel, Project Management or guitar playing. So if you want to invest your time & money for a PMP course material Udemy PMP options might satisfy your need to some extent. I will explain the pros & cons of Udemy PMP in the next sections. Now let’s get to know Udemy a bit better.

What is Udemy?

Udemy is a world-leading education and learning market that connects students around the world to receive an education. So, their main focus and expertise is not PMP training.

The 2019 Udemy statistics are striking:

  • 30 Million Students
  • 100 Thousand Courses
  • 42 Thousand Instructors
  • 190 Million Course Enrollments
  • 22 Million Minutes of video
  • 50+ Languages

Udemy offers free and paid lessons depending on your instructor. Online content creators generate profits and students take courses for the development of professional skills. Most courses are free and most are less than $100. But they have no academic or professional value because there is no independent validation of the course material. In other words, Udemy does not need expertise or special references to create and sell a course. Course creators are primarily responsible for advertising and marketing their courses. The company actively seeks potential course creators by sharing 35% to 70% of tuition fees raised by students. This strategy is a similar approach to book publishers.

Udemy also created special works to attract in-house trainers to create courses for company employees. This is Udemy for Business, which enables businesses to access more than 2,000-course groups targeted across a range of topics, like design, management, programming and more. The enterprises with Udemy for Business have their own customized learning portals for their employees.

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The Udemy Background

The Udemy founder, Eren Bali, who grew up in a small Turkish village with a one-room school and had limited educational opportunities, including a family computer. Once the life of e-learning has changed, Eren has partnered with its co-founders, Oktay Çağlar and Gagan Biyani, to achieve a common goal: to make quality education more accessible and to improve lives through education.

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Let us send you links for our PM Freebies Pack. Package includes:

- PMP Certification Bible (PDF)
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In May 2010, the co-founders (Eren Bali, Oktay Caglar and Gagan Biyani) began to develop Udemy – “Your Academy”. Within a few months, 1,000 trainers created about 2,000 courses, and Udemy had about 10,000 registered users. On the basis of this positive market response, in August they raised $1 million in venture capital funds and in the following 5 years, they raised almost $200 million.

Thus, Udemy benefits anyone who wants to learn something online. Their perspective is that everyone can teach and share what they know. The stakeholders of the Udemy’s markets include the instructor who created the course, the student who took the course and the business that can use the technology of Udemy for internal uses of their employees.

Udemy Platform Features

Udemy has several distinctive attributes that are beneficial mostly for the students. Some of them are listed here:

Changing Video Quality

To provide you with the best possible experience, Udemy adjusts the quality of your video broadcast to suit your viewing conditions. Therefore, you may notice that the quality of your video changes while watching videos. Here are some factors that determine the quality of the video:

  • The speed of your Internet connection
  • Video Player / Screen Size: High-quality videos are usually best viewed on large screens.
  • The quality of the original downloaded video: If the video was recorded as standard, it cannot be used in high definition.

Setting Video Speed

Students are always happy to use time-saving methods, especially for the content that does not require much attention. A feature that can be really useful to them is the ability to change the playback speed of a video. When users can change the speed of presentation, they can save a lot of time in certain parts of the video (when the sections they’re watching are less interesting than the rest of the content). Video speed control also provides more active content consumption. Therefore, it has been scientifically proven that speed control results in greater student satisfaction and better performance.

Our brain is processing information faster than we do, there is no reason for us to listen at a pretty slow pace. Like we speak more slowly than we read. This important fact allows students to save time. Therefore, many users cannot withstand the slowness of presentation or speech. In addition, because of their impatience and lack of free time, they use what they call “speeding learning”, using their speed control capabilities.

Streaming Videos Offline

The video consumption on the mobile phone has increased and continues to remain in the long run and that feed companies are starting to adapt their Mobile First strategies. The latest mobility report from Ericsson seems to agree that 70% of mobile data traffic in 2021 will be video.

Currently, the vast majority of data used for video by mobile devices is offered over Wi-Fi. While this is primarily due to the cost of mobile data, a recent Ericsson study found that two-thirds of users watching a video over a mobile connection are not satisfied with the quality. Network coverage, mobile data rates, and costs are all considered as limiting factors of video quality transmitted by these streaming services. These unified factors created the need for users to download videos in a Wi-Fi network and watch them on the go, almost without consuming mobile data in “offline” mode.

  • Users can watch videos multiple times at the same bandwidth cost without consuming additional data or worrying about the high cost of data.
  • If you do not want to use data during underground or during flights, you can watch videos (mobile data or Wi-Fi) without an internet connection.
  • Offline viewing can be particularly useful when driving in places where there is insufficient network connectivity, such as an airplane or if the Internet connection is weak.
  • In addition, in some countries where you can not find a Wi-Fi Internet connection everywhere, offline viewing serves as a bonus: video content can be downloaded at a place with a Wi-Fi so it can be made available for later consumption.

Downloaded videos cannot be shared with other mobile phones because they are encrypted and decrypted in real time in the Udemy application. There is no way to save or transfer videos saved offline.

Question and Answer Section

In the era of remote consumption, marketers had to rethink their strategies to please their customers. One of these strategies is the renewed focus on a question and answer platform. A question-and-answer platform is made up of questions from customers, frequently asked questions or a combination of both. The aim is to help consumers explain their queries and get an answer to their questions. So Udemy provides this feature but it is up to trainer give prompt answers or not giving answers at all.

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Udemy PMP Courses

When you look for PMP courses on Udemy, you will see that:

  • Some are Microsoft Project, some are Management skills training.
  • Sometimes they are in English, sometimes in Arabic (and more).
  • You might see captions (text/subtitles) or not.
  • 2 hours long courses and also 20+ hours courses

But be very careful! Most of the listed result will not meet 35 contact hours training as a PMP prerequisite!

Let’s see how many trainings are listed when we search for “pmp certification“.

7126 results are listed. Yes, over 7 thousand results! So when You open Udemy to get a PMP Exam Course you see over 7 thousand results are listed. Painful, right?

I searched for “pmp” and this time I had 1627 results.

It is all disturbing and annoying. But no worries. In this article, I will also review the bestseller Udemy PMP training by Joseph Phillips. However, before reviewing Joseph Phillips’ Udemy PMP Training I will list the pros and cons of Udemy PMP Trainings.

Advantages of Udemy PMP Courses

Udemy PMP students will have the following benefits:

Discounts and low-cost courses:

Udemy estimates most courses are free, but most are between 29 and 99 US dollars. The company aims to expand its customer base through widely distributed discount coupons and promotional periods where students can study courses free of charge or in 50% or more of the listed price. Hence, this saves you a lot of money. Although there is a general idea that cheap is not good. But here is the opposite. Sometimes you can start these programs for $10.

Lifetime access: 

One of the best things about Udemy is that you can log in to your account and access your classes from anywhere, anytime! Because they believe that students can benefit from the unlimited educational opportunities offered by this feature.

Once enrolled in a course, you will have lifetime access if your account is in good condition and if Udemy is authorized on this course. You will continue to access the course once it is complete. Therefore, you can review or retrieve some course content even if you’ve finished it.

All in all, you can access all the courses for life, but there is more. You will also receive updates for life.

External services/resources of instructors: 

Many trainers promote proprietary products, such as books or consulting services. In most cases, course registration may be eligible for special promotions and price reductions. Sometimes Udemy makes bundles with special offers.

Money back guarantees:

If you do not like the training for any reason, you can always ask for a refund. 30-day money back guarantee is applied on Udemy.

Regular and timely updates:

Serious authors keep their programs updated with the latest trends and research. You can access the latest study materials.

In-depth learning material:

Most of the programs include videos, quizzes, pdf documents, and exercises. This is useful for learning the subject thoroughly.

Q & A and support:

You can communicate directly with the authors for learning purposes and interact with the authors. You can ask questions and share your concerns without interfering with them.

Thousands of courses:

There are thousands of PMP courses have been published on the Udemy platform. Having so many options is good or bad? I think both 🙂

Completion Certificate:

After completing a training program, you will receive a certificate of completion showing your knowledge of the subject.

Flexibility in time & location:

You can learn in practice anywhere and anytime. You can listen to audio and watch videos while performing ordinary tasks such as running, going to work, waiting at the doctor, transit at the airport.

Learn on any device:

You can use any device (PC, tablet, smartphone) you want. You can access program content using a web browser or mobile application.

Simple Enrollment:

The enrollment process is simple and easy. It is not any different or not harder than buying a pair of boots on Etsy.com. They have a secure payment method as well.

Learning Management System:

Udemy has one of the best LMS (Learning Management System) in the world. It keeps track of your learning progress. It enables you to add bookmarks, watch offline videos, change speed and etc. In the above section “Udemy Platform Features”, these characteristics are listed in detail.

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Disadvantages of Udemy PMP Courses

Lack of Accreditation:

Unlike the approved courses offered by universities and institutes, the majority of Udemy courses do not include a qualification certificate recognized by an employer or other educational institution. Udemy courses are for transferring practical knowledge from a faculty member to a student. Students need to know that a subject is their own. For the PMP perspective, PMI may not accept the training content as a valid 35 contact hour training. You have the risk of getting PMP training that is not compatible with the content of the PMP. Why take a risk to spend your time on unvalidated courses?

Lack of Expertise Validation: 

Expertise is usually in the eye of the viewer. Udemy’s business plan assumes that each person can be an expert in a particular area or area and that others want to take advantage of this information. Udemy relies on the free market to identify winners and losers, rather than censoring or evaluating the trainees’ credentials or the value of their instructions. This open and non-discriminatory strategy offers a dynamic course offer and with that, Udemy became the game changer in the video training area.

The ambiguity of course content: 

Students, looking for specific information or instruction, may find it difficult to find out the right course for their needs. Yes, the courses have preview videos and most of them have a table of contents but again a student can be deceived easily. In such cases, the student can ask for a refund (if 30 days are not passed yet) but all in all, he or she cannot ask for a refund of wasted time.

Support Quality:

Udemy is a great platform but all the responsibility is on the trainers. Udemy does not provide course support, it only provides the support features like the Q&A section or Direct Message. Support is provided by the course creators or trainers. So the students need to check whether the Q&A section is active or not.

Course Removal Risk:

When you pay for the training, you do not pay only for the videos but for your future questions as well. Udemy does not own the copyright to the content of the courses. The respective instructors own these rights. Instructors may remove their courses from the Udemy marketplace. What happens if the instructor will not be in Udemy the next time you come? Definitely, your questions will be unanswered. Will you trust a company to buy a service (or a product) or will trust a person?

Thousands of courses:

There are thousands of PMP courses, and it is difficult to compare lessons. Assume a Udemy student, heard about PMP from someone (or read about PMP somewhere) and wants to get PMP certificate. How he or she can find the proper course among thousands? This is why I listed this in both advantages and disadvantages sections. I think it is now clear 🙂

Quality of Courses:

Udemy definitely controls the video, audio quality and controls if there is something to prohibit. It is good, but Udemy does not control the quality of the course content and cannot do it. Always be careful about the reviews of the content creators, or teachers. It is the responsibility of the student to select the best course that fits his or her needs.

Not 35 contact hours:

Many of the listed training results are not qualified for 35 PDU / 35 contact hours for a PMP examination request. So students who take this training for this purpose, need to be careful during training selection.

Udemy PMP Best Seller Course Review

The Bestseller PMP Course on Udemy is “PMP Exam Prep Seminar – Earn 35 PDUs by completing the entire PMP course” which is created by Joseph Phillips. It is rated 4.6 stars over 5 by 24,176 students among 76,158 enrolled students. This course is designed on the PMBOK Guide, 6th edition for the PMP exam. It explains project management processes, discusses areas of knowledge in project management, explains how to calculate a floating point for project network diagrams, value management formulas, project management formulas, charts, and theories.

The training occurs in 24.5 hours of video. The 35-hour project management training is completed by all classes, assignments, exercises, and quizzes. The Learning Management System monitors your achievement of the course if you complete all videos, assignments, and interactive sessions, you can demand these hours for your PMP exam application.

Course content290 lectures24:17:40
Preparing to Pass the PMP8 lectures00:47:48
Get the Most from this course9 lectures00:39:06
Review the PMP Exam Domains7 lectures00:29:54
PMBOK Guide, Sixth Edition16 lectures00:51:55
Define Project Management Foundations10 lectures00:32:51
Related Areas of Project Management9 lectures00:43:48
Project Management Components11 lectures00:45:01
Project Environments12 lectures01:16:27
Role of the Project Manager12 lectures01:05:29
Implementing Project Integration Management19 lectures02:10:41
Managing the Project Scope13 lectures01:13:24
Introducing Project Schedule Management27 lectures02:29:18
Project Cost Management14 lectures01:07:26
Project Quality Management23 lectures01:23:26
Introducing Project Resource Management20 lectures01:43:21
Introducing Project Communications Management14 lectures01:05:45
Introducing Project Risk Management24 lectures01:50:38
Leading Project Procurement Management17 lectures01:21:06
Engaging Project Stakeholders8 lectures00:41:52
The PMI Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct3 lectures00:16:58
PMP Blitz Review12 lectures00:57:35
Wrapping Up the Course2 lectures00:04:10

The Goods about this training?

  • 35 PDU / 35 contact hours for a PMP examination request
    • 20 hours of technical skills
    • 9 hours of business skills
    • 6 hours for leadership
  • This is the best selling PMP course on Udemy and it also has a very good rating.
  • It is based on the PMBOK Guide 6th edition.
  • Updated exam preparation material for the 6th edition of the PMBOK Guide.
  • Quiz formulas for mathematical and conceptual worksheet
  • 20 questions module exams covering every part of the PMBOK guide
  • 2 full-length (200 questions) final practice exam

The Bads about this training?

  • The exam pass rate is unknown. I have seen another PMP course with a 99.6% success rate.
  • Support is directly provided by the instructor. So, sometimes it may not be immediate. There are other courses with 24 hours of assistance. 
  • 24.5 hours of video exist, not 35 hours.
  • There is no good experience or anecdotes shared.
  • Practice exams are not sufficient. You will definitely need to study on more PMP Simulation exams or try a PMP course bundle for a better offer for your money.
  • You must complete all the tasks and exercises to get the 35 contact hours.
  • Although it is rated 4.6 stars, there are several low rated reviews. High ratings are very general but low ratings have something more solid.

The Negative Reviews

Below you will find some of the negative reviews made on Udemy for this training: “PMP Exam Prep Seminar – Earn 35 PDUs by completing the entire PMP course” by Joseph Phillips.

  • Too much overlap, not much useful information.
  • After listening to the content for a while off and on, I was confused anyway. The way agile is addressed is odd.
  • The videos are also broken up in very small sections so you end up listening to the intro music to each video A LOT. Aggravating.
  • There was not enough visual support for me to stay engaged
  • This is not an interactive course at all. They never answer any message and if they do they give trivial answers in the Q&A section.
  • Even though the course cost me only $10, I’ll ask for a refund just to give feedback.
  • I do not have the resources available in assignment 2.
  • Not an exam prep, more a review of the PMBOK. Misleading title.
  • The first few sections were very draggy, similar things like PDU, processes of getting PMI were repeated numerously.
  • In the initiation section, the instructor didn’t go through the processes or the tasks deeply
  • The lecturer is just paraphrasing PMBOK material, not emphasizing the exam or what is the most important.
  • There are some errors, so check the actual PMBOK 6th edition to make sure you have the ITTOs correct (ITTO: Input, Tools & Techniques, Outputs)
  • The videos and quizzes lack revision! There are lots of complaints about wrong answers in the quizzes, exam preps, videos in the wrong order. Many were noticed weeks ago, and still, no action is taken.

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Udemy Alternatives for PMP Training

After considering all pros and cons of Udemy PMP training programs, you might think that it is not a good fit for you. We have explored the other PMP training program which can be a Udemy alternative for you.


You can read our Best PMP Training post to see all PMP training options and ratings.


#1 Udemy Alternative for PMP Training

Founded in 2012, Master of Project Academy helped more than 100,000 professionals in more than 180 countries. The biggest advantage of Master of Project Academy is providing as many flexible plans as possible for the PMP certification candidates. Self-paced PMP training, in-person PMP Training, instructor-led PMP live sessions. Starting from $67/month, you can find comprehensive PMP training materials to get ready for the PMP exam. All you have to do is opting for the best option you would like to enroll.
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You can see our complete review and details about Master of Project Academy PMP programs.

#2 Udemy Alternative for PMP Training

If you are a fan of in-person PMP training programs, Project Management Academy PMP programs might be a good option for you. They have self-paced PMP programs as well however their reputation comes from in-person PMP classes. Four-day PMP classroom training starts around $2,500. Considering you can enroll in a comprehensive self-paced PMP training for $67/month, this is quite excessive. However, you can evaluate this option as well.

#3 Udemy Alternative for PMP Training

Another Udemy alternative can be Project Management Prepcast PMP programs. Cornelius Fichtner, who is an experienced project management expert, is the founder of Project Management Prepcast platform. They have self-paced PMP options however they do not offer in-person or instructor-led PMP classes which is a big negative for this Udemy alternative.

#4 Udemy Alternative for PMP Training

Another Udemy alternative for PMP training can be Simplilearn PMP programs. Simplilearn offers self-paced and instructor-led PMP training programs. However, they have a very unfair pricing strategy. If you are visiting their page from india, you can enroll in a training costs as low as $100 (they show pricing in INR, which is local currency for India) while visitors from Europe or United States can see more than $600 for the same self-paced content material. You can read all pros and cons of Simplilearn PMP Programs.

#5 Udemy Alternative for PMP Training

If you have lots of money that you do not consider how much you will pay for the PMP training, you can consider Velociteach PMP option. While there are no significant difference of their virtual or in-person PMP training programs, they ask for around $2,500 to attend in their program. This option is well-known by the founder of the organization who is Andy Crowe. He has a PMP book as well and may be that is why Andy Crowe PMP platform is significantly more expensive than the other options in the market.

End of The Review

Change is constant. Even to maintain your current role, it is essential for you to learn new things. At the same time, the development and implementation of new and improved workplace skills provide benefits to both the employee and the employer. However, conventional courses are often too expensive and they are full of unnecessary theoretical information.

With the spread of online education, it is getting cheaper and more flexible. Udemy is one of the top marketplaces in the field of online video training. Udemy transforms the educational process with a focus on knowledge transfer. It transforms the educational process with a focus on knowledge transfer.

There are thousands of PMP courses on Udemy. So you must be extremely selective when choosing a course. Also, you should buy the courses that have a high number of enrollments and with a good rating. Of course, you can get your money back, it is not an issue of $10. But you will be spending your time with these courses instead of a better one! Your 35 hours worth more than $10 or a $100, time is priceless.

I am good with online education, the benefits are countless. But instead of Udemy PMP courses, I strongly suggest you enroll an online PMP Training that you will pass on the first try. I have seen courses which prove their success by sharing their exam pass rates. Select the best one and stay safe on your PMP journey.

Best,

Jennifer