GreyCampus Review
RATING: ★★★★★
GreyCampus brings students organized, instructor-led live and on-demand PMP prep courses at a reasonable cost and an entire year of access to online study materials. The PM Toolkit, proven training by course experts, and availability in more than 50 locations around the world make GreyCampus stand out from the competition.
A combination of online and offline options, various pricing levels based on offerings, and a range of delivery methods, makes these courses a decent choice to raise PMP scores without breaking the bank.
PROS
1. Well-Organized Learning Platform
One of GreyCampus’s best features is the well-organized content. Study materials and questions are sorted by knowledge area and practice group, so that you can target those areas that give you the greatest difficulty. The course monitors your progress and provides an overview of your performance, so you can use this information to choose those items you need to work on, rather than practice what you already know. You also get access to a PM Toolkit that includes 15 tools and templates frequently used by Project Managers, and more than 500 flashcards.
2. Includes 35 Contact Hour Certificate
The Online Self-Learning PMP prep course includes the 35 contact hour certificate that you need in order to apply and sit for the PMP exam. The live class options also include these contact hours, so you are free to choose the version of the course that best suits your needs.
3. Customer Support and Instructor Help
GreyCampus provides chat, phone, and email support. You can access the 30-day instructor helpline whenever you have a question, and the small batch size of courses means you’ll get more one-on-one time with an instructor if you choose a live course option.
4. Mobile App
GreyCampus offers a mobile app for Android users with some free content as well as access to 13 knowledge area exams and more than 200 flashcards. This allows busy professionals to study on the go whenever they get the chance. Unfortunately, there is no app for iOS devices.
5. 1 Year of Access
With one year of access to the course, you have plenty of time to study and learn the material. However, you only get 30 days to take advantage of the instructor helpline, so make sure you schedule your course to maximize your use of that feature.
CONS
1. Not All Material Includes Explanations
If you’re using the app, the online lessons, or the on-demand course, you won’t find explanations for the practice questions on the quizzes. You’ll know that you got a problem wrong, but you won’t necessarily know why the answer is wrong or how you should approach that type of problem in the future. In this case, an instructor-led course is helpful because you can ask your instructor, or you can call the instructor helpline.
2. No Demo or Trial
With no trial or demo, you can’t preview the various features, and it will be difficult to know if you’ll like the GreyCampus program before you commit to it. This holds true for both live and online options. We think the course is well-organized and will suit most PMP exam candidates, but it would be nice to get a sneak preview before you pay for a course.
Ideal User
With a variety of online and offline course offerings, different study methods, and the ability to choose the level of study you need, GreyCampus courses will meet the demands of most students. The instructor-led classes are ideal for those who need the individual guidance of an instructor, the motivation of a class to stay on task, or prefer traditional classroom learning. The live online courses are a good choice as well, because they are interactive and allow students to ask questions during class.
The Online Self Learning option is a better fit for self-motivated students who want to study on their own schedule and don’t necessarily have the time or budget to attend a live class. Exam candidates can choose the best course based on their budget and individual needs.
With limited help from instructors and no peer interaction, the on-demand option is a good fit for highly motivated students who want to study on their own, and prefer to learn from books and watch video material. The course is structured around the PMBOK guide (included in the cost), which makes it a good learning supplement if you are concentrating on the guide.
My Suggestion
GreyCampus offers several options for studying for the PMP exam, including live classroom, live online, and an on-demand course. This makes them a good fit for students who are working full-time while trying to study. Having access to the course for 12 months is a nice perk, but with only 30 days of helpline access, you will have to organize your study time accordingly.
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Summary of Course Features
- Traditional Classroom, Live Online, and On Demand Learning Options Available
- 1 Year Subscription to Online Course Materials
- Print copy of PMBOK 5th Edition Guide
- 3 to 4-Day Workshop or 32 Hours of Live Online Instruction
- 35-Contact Hour Certificate with Live, Premium, and Standard options
- 30-Day Instructor Helpline with Premium Online Self Learning course
- 21 Hours of Video Lectures with Standard and Premium Online Self Learning
- 3 Full-Length Mock Tests with 1500+ Practice Questions
- 500+ Flashcards
- 15 Common PM Tools Toolkit
- Mobile App for Android
- 100% Money Back Guarantee
Pricing
PMP Training – Online Self Learning
Price: $400
Includes: 1-year access to 21 hours of video instruction, 3 simulated practice tests, 500+ flashcards, PM Toolkit with 15 common PMP tools, 35-contact hour certificate, and 30-day Instructor Helpline.
Instructor-Led Course
Price: $999
Includes: Live online and classroom courses with 32 hours of live instruction, a certification, and experience and interaction with project management tools. Availability varies.
COMPARE THE BEST LIVE PMP COURSES!
GreyCampus Online PMP Course Review: Summary
| GreyCampus PMP Review |
Best Features |
| 1. | Well-Organized Learning Platform |
| 2. | Includes 35 Contact Hour Certificate |
| 3. | Customer Support and Instructor Help |
| 4. | Mobile App |
| 5. | 1 Year of Access |
Do intructors actually explain the slides or do the just read them and move on like some courses?
Hey Abe,
Grey Campus instructors do a great job of explaining the material on the slides unlike some other courses out there.
I have taken their instructor led training and it was a complete disappointment. The class was small which was a major plus, but training consists of a word for word power point of the PMBOK. There is no additional material that will be gained from taking the instructor led course. You will be subjected to 4 days of videos where a monotone male reads the power points to you. Again, all this information is located in the PMBOK.
We did some exercises that lead to discussions, but when we pressed the instructor for more information as to why the answer was what it was, he literally said, “You are just going to have to guess.” This happened more than once.
There were multiple people in our course that felt the same as I did, that the money and time spent on the course, was not as effective as it could have been.
I have developed training courses for software that are instructor lead, and I have a specific understanding of what makes a class effective and what is a waste of time. You must hear it, apply it and then train another as to how to make it function. If you are able to do that, you can learn. This course did nothing to that extent.
Grey Academy will also ask you for the PMP exam payment and “help” you through the process. The process, if done by yourself should take no more than 1 week. I made the mistake of giving them the money, and it took close to a month, delayed my exam date and created a great amount of frustration.
Where Grey Academy does get it right is on the practice exams. There are 3 that you can take and it does simulate what we are going to expect when taking the exam. I have gained better scores each time I have taken the exam and there does not seem to be redundant questions that show up. The exam is based upon 200 questions and it automatically times you, provides instant feedback and shows you where your weak points are. The only issue is that once you leave that page where information is shown, you cannot get it back. You must take a screen shot and then use that as a reference. You can go into the questions and see what you got wrong, look at the answers and the reasoning behind them. Some of the reasons are no better than it was stated in the PMBOK.
The sales people on the other end try but ultimately fail to deliver. I started with one person, who eventually left the company, and was handed off to another person. To keep things moving forward, I had to constantly engage them and verify that my application was in fact submitted and paid. Had I not, I am not sure that I would be enrolled to take the test at this time.
There are other courses out there and I would recommend finding another company if you value your time, patience and intellect.
On their mock exams do they have repeat questions?
Jonathan,
From what we have heard and seen the questions on the mock exams have all been unique. Grey Campus does a good job of mixing up their questions.