We sat down with Terry, who recently passed his PMP exam. It’s always interesting to speak with students right after they achieve such a big milestone.
Terry Cantu,
PMP holder, former Peak student
“The exam is challenging and tests for both knowledge and real-world project management judgment. I truly believe my results would have been different without Peak’s training”.
I started my career in facility planning focused on building maintenance and then moved into strategic footprint planning, reviewing company strategy and which production sites align with future business decisions.
As I became more involved with infrastructure projects, I realized it would benefit me to have formal project management education. That’s when PMI came up as the leading organization, and the PMP certification became a goal of mine to obtain. My company, Brose North America, sponsored my PMP training, which was a great benefit. After going through the coursework and gaining more experience, I felt that formal training would strengthen my skills and help me lead projects more effectively.
This goal has been on my mind for about two years. I originally started with LinkedIn Learning’s project management pathway and completed two of their programs to satisfy part of the required training hours.
My company also has an internal project management career path, so I completed several internal e-learning modules. That got me through early 2025. Then I had the opportunity to join the Peak training program through my employer. I took the course twice, once while I was actively managing a big project, and then again later when I had more time to fully commit. I restarted the full training and completed it in October without interruption. Afterward, I spent a couple of weeks going through all the micro-exams, simulations, and practice tests right up until the day before the exam. So, in total, the goal spanned about two years, but the focused, intensive prep started around March 2025.
Peak was offered directly through my company, and honestly, I didn’t know much about the organization beforehand. But after going through the training, I would absolutely recommend it to anyone preparing for the PMP exam. The exam is challenging and tests for both knowledge and real-world project management judgment. I truly believe my results would have been different without Peak’s training. The facilitator was excellent, and the tools and resources were extremely valuable. I plan to keep using those materials for future projects as well.
First, if you’re going to take a live training course – be fully engaged. Don’t try to multitask. It’s a significant time commitment over two weeks, but the more present you are, the more you’ll get out of it. Second, once you finish the training, don’t wait too long to schedule the exam. Keep the content fresh and spend a little time on micro-exams and practice tests, then go for it. Momentum matters.
Surprisingly, I didn’t feel the exam was too difficult overall, though I certainly didn’t expect to get every question right. The business environment section was the toughest for me. What really caught me off guard was the timing. Near the end, I had about 10 minutes left for 20 questions, that’s when I had to start moving quickly. The exam requires maintaining focus for a long stretch, and mentally that can be tough. After 120 questions, your brain gets tired. But overall, the practice exams and Peak’s preparation helped me feel ready.
I was very happy with the entire process: live sessions, recorded classes, tools, practice exams, and everything. I appreciated having access to all the materials even after the training was finished. I’m also looking forward to taking more courses with Peak in the future.
