PfMP® Exam Prep
Become a certified Portfolio Management Professional - PMI's most senior credential, held by fewer than 2,500 people worldwide. Live online prep led by a practicing portfolio manager who actually holds the PfMP.
Alina Piddubna
PfMP holders worldwide
PDU (PMI ATP)
interactive cohort
Who this course is for
You currently manage or oversee a portfolio of projects or programs
and you want PMI's formal recognition of that expertise
You hold PMP®
and want to add the next level in the PMI certification hierarchy
You lead a PMO
and want to elevate your profile to strategic, portfolio-level leadership
You're a Director, VP, or senior executive
accountable for investment decisions across multiple initiatives
You have 4+ years of portfolio management experience
and want practical, exam-focused preparation
You want to learn from a trainer who is a practicing portfolio manager
not a test-prep instructor.
You're a portfolio leader in the EU/international market
who needs a globally recognized credential
This course is NOT for you if
You're a PMP candidate with no portfolio management experience You have fewer than 4 years of PM experience You want a purely self-study format with no live interaction
Why we created this course
What you'll be able to do
Concrete skills and outcomes you'll walk away with
Pass the PfMP® panel review and exam
Manage organizational portfolios with the discipline and clarity the credential demands
Align portfolio composition to organizational strategy under real-world constraints
Implement benefits-realization frameworks that keep leaders accountable for portfolio outcomes
Hold the rarest credential in the PMI family, verified on Credly
Operate at executive level on portfolio strategy and governance conversations
Multiple sessions. One coherent program.
MODULE 1: INTRODUCTION AND FOUNDATIONS (Session 1)
What is a portfolio, programme, and project - and how they interact
The PfMP certification: requirements, exam structure, ECO walkthrough
The Standard for Portfolio Management: key concepts and terminology
PfMP vs PgMP vs PMP: scope, decision-making level, and strategic role
Study strategy: how to use the 6 weeks, the LMS, and the question bank
Exam application checklist: what PMI needs and how to document your experience
- What is a portfolio, programme, and project - and how they interact
- The PfMP certification: requirements, exam structure, ECO walkthrough
- The Standard for Portfolio Management: key concepts and terminology
- PfMP vs PgMP vs PMP: scope, decision-making level, and strategic role
- Study strategy: how to use the 6 weeks, the LMS, and the question bank
- Exam application checklist: what PMI needs and how to document your experience
Why learn with INSTAR and this trainer
Led by an experienced practitioner
Alina Piddubna currently manages an IT project portfolio. Every concept is illustrated with real governance decisions, real escalations, real trade-offs.
A rare trainer with a dual PfMP+PgMP credential
and PMP, PMI-ACP, PMO-CP, PMI-CPMAI, AWS, PSM, SPC. Understanding how portfolios, programs, and projects interact is central to the PfMP exam.
Application support
the PfMP application is notoriously demanding; it requires describing your portfolio experience across domains. We review and support your application before you submit.
3 months of mentoring after the course
6 group mentoring sessions (every 2 weeks) plus trainer chat access.
200-question PfMP exam simulator on INSTAR's LMS
Practice until the exam feels routine. 200 ECO-aligned, scenario-based questions with full explanation of the reasoning behind every answer, plus full-length timed simulations under real exam conditions. You'll know you're ready before you book the panel review, because you'll have already sat the exam, more than once.
Small group, high engagement
limited seats so everyone gets real attention, not passive listening.
Who leads the course
Alina Piddubna
Principal management consultant · Director
Alina is one of very few practitioners worldwide to hold both PfMP® and PgMP®. She has managed portfolios of advanced-technology programs since 2021, where governance, benefits realization under uncertainty, and organization-level stakeholder management are daily work. She also holds PMP, PMI-CPMAI, PMI-ACP, PMO-CP, PSM, CLSSGB, SAFe Practice Consultant, AWS certification, and a PhD in Economics. Alina is a contributor to the PMBOK Guide 8th edition, a speaker and blogger on management and advanced technology topics.
Graduate results and what they say
"I’m happy to share that I’ve obtained a new certification: Project Management Professional (PMP) from Project Management Institute! I managed to pass on the first try and got 2 out of 3 areas "Above Target"! Many thanks to Alina Piddubna and her InStar PMP preparation course. Alina, thank you for your ability to provide thorough explanations for any given concept!"
"I'm excited to share that I've achieved the "black belt" of project management: the Project Management Professional (PMP)® certification from PMI, recognizing my advanced skills and reflects my 18 years of experience in project management. First, I want to extend my deepest thanks to my family for their incredible support and patience through all those evenings of study. Their encouragement made this accomplishment possible. A special thank you to Alina Piddubna for her creative and professional approach to teaching at InStar school. It was a fantastic experience to be a student once again and to learn from such an inspiring mentor. Looking forward to applying these skills and embracing new challenges! Also, separate respect goes to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, whose efforts have made it possible to continue learning and gaining new knowledge in warring Ukraine. A regular donation is already on the way. Слава Україні!"
"After a four-year journey of: - thinking about the PMP certification - signing up for my first self-paced online PMP prep course on Udemy - relocating from Ukraine to the UK - completing PMP training by Alina Piddubna at InStar - diverting to obtain PRINCE2 Foundation and PRINCE2 Practitioner certifications - having the joy of obtaining SAFe SA and ICP-DAS certifications - diverting again to pass AWS Cloud Practitioner Certification inspired by cloud technology - moving from Oldham to Salford to London - finding myself as a scrum master in Finance Change & Tech (dream, no less!) - realising that my approved application for a PMP exam will expire in 2 months and I need to read through the remaining 430 pages of the famous "Rita" - PMP Exam Prep book by RMC Learning Solutions ... I’m happy to share that I’ve obtained a new certification: Project Management Professional (PMP)® from Project Management Institute!"
"The course is substantial and corresponded to my expectations to the full extent"
Learning approach
Structured content delivery
and exam-style test scenario discussion
Exam Strategy, Technique & Question Mastery
The "portfolio manager" mindset formation
Gamified tests
and typical cognitive traps - how to avoid them
Session recordings
competitive knowledge checks
Homework (optional but recommended)
15-20 ECO practice questions per session from the LMS simulator
Exam Simulator practice
full-length timed simulations under real exam conditions
12 Live Online Training Sessions
(24 PDUs)
Access to INSTAR LMS
with Structured Learning Materials
200-Question PfMP Exam Simulator
3-Month Post-Course Group Mentoring
(6 sessions x 1 hour)
Dedicated Group Chat
PfMP Application Consultation
Real-World Practice Examples
Format and price
Course information
- Dates
- Sept 15th - Oct 22nd 2026
- Time
- 12-2 pm EST
- Duration
- 12 sessions × 2 hrs (Tue & Thu)
- Level
- Advanced
- PDU / training hours
- 24
- Format
- Live online
- Language
- English
- English level required
- B2 or higher
- Cohort size
- up to 5 participants to preserve discussion quality
Includes 24 PDUs, 200-question exam simulator, application support, and 3 months of post-course mentoring.
−10% Early Bird
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