What is CompTIA Project+ (And How to Get It for Free)

I mean, I spent weeks researching compTIA Project+ because everyone tells you it’s the “lowest bar into project management” bullshit. But what nobody tells you upfront is, it’s not just another cert to throw into your collection. It’s actually useful.

Well… What Is CompTIA Project+, Really?

It is a vendor-neutral certification that demonstrates you can run small to medium projects without messing them up. PMP (which requires years of experience) or certs that are tied to specific tools, Project+ covers the basics that function anywhere – Agile, Waterfall, hybrid approaches you name it.

The current exam is PK0-005. You have 90 minutes to answer a maximum of 90 questions, require a score of 710 to pass and it costs $384. No prerequisites (although they recommend 6-12 months of hands-on experience).

Here’s the distribution: 33% Project Management Concepts, 30% Project Life Cycle, 19% Tools and Documentation, and a lowly 18% IT and Governance foundations. Performance-based questions also have the benefit of making you do more than just memorize you will be doing scenario-based applications of concepts.

The Big 2025 Change You Need to Know

If you receive your Project+ before October 1, 2025, you will have it for life. No renewal. After that date? You qualify for Project+ CE. you’ll need to accrue 30 continuing education units every three years and pay $150 to renew.

So yes, there is some urgency here if you’re after the lifetime version.

How I Discovered Unreal Free Ways to Really Pass This Fucking Thing

After we tested dozens of sources, here’s what really works without spending a dime:

Begin by reviewing the official CompTIA exam objectives. I know, boring. But this roadmap to 24 objectives that are found on their website will tell you exactly what’s going to be on the test. Skip this and you’re guessing.

YouTube became my main classroom. Certification Cynergy is full-length practice exams (3+ hours of questions that mirror the real deal). I also located good summary content from a few different channels just establish first that it is 2024-2025 content and covers PK0-005, not the older version.

You can find CompTIA Project+ classes on Coursera with a free first module and 7-day trial. I did the whole specialization in a week of binging. Sneaky? Maybe. Effective? Absolutely.

CompTIA Project+ PK0-005 Cert Prep is available on LinkedIn Learning. One-month free trial. Same plan laser focus for 30 days, then cancel.

Cybrary’s free membership nets you their full Project+ course on lifecycle, communication, and constraints. Out here, the hands-on part of it is better than any textbook.”

For practice questions, I cycled through Official CompTIA Practice Questions (beta), ExamTopics (435+ community verified questions), and ITExams (latest actual exam questions). The Reddit communities r/CompTIA and r/WGU were gold for study tips and pass stories from actual people.

The Reality Check on Difficulty

Most fit 2-3 months of consistent study. Some speedrunners make it through in 2-3 weeks of a couple hours per day grinding. It is not brutally hard, but it also is no joke.

The tricky parts? Performance-based questions measuring real-world experience, time pressure (54 seconds per question), and deciding when to use Agile vs. Waterfall thought. If you’ve never led a project even informally the soft skills sections on communication and managing stakeholders might seem abstract.

My strategy I tackled the Project Management Concepts (it’s 33% of the exam) hardest, took timed tests to build speed and made sure not only to memorize but to understand why you would use one approach over another.

Does It Really Work?

Yes, if you’re in IT and project management forms some part of your role. If you are switching from a previous career into project management, definitely. Entry-level roles such as Project Coordinator /Manager start at $55K-$75K mid-range IT Project Managers average $75K-$110K.

And, it can be a bridge to larger certifications such as PMP, PMI-ACP, or Scrum Master in the future.

The cert itself will take 2-3 months prep, all free resources. The exam runs $384 (although you can find discounted vouchers). If you die before October 2025, you’re certified for life. That’s a pretty incredible return on investment for something you can learn for totally free.

Just don’t dawdle if you have your sights set on that lifetime certification. October 2025 will come around sooner than you realize.

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