A practical PMI-PBA® study plan: 30-day intensive, 60-day balanced, and 90-day part-time schedules with weekly focus by domain and tips for using the Mastery Cloud app.
This page answers the question most candidates actually have: “How do I structure my PMI-PBA® prep?”
Pick a timeline, then follow the loop: Syllabus → drills → review misses → mixed sets.
Choose a plan based on hours per week:
| Time you can commit | Recommended plan | What it feels like |
|---|---|---|
| 10–14 hrs/week | 30‑day intensive | fast coverage + heavy practice |
| 6–9 hrs/week | 60‑day balanced | steady progress + room for review |
| 3–5 hrs/week | 90‑day part‑time | slower pace + repetition |
If you want one rule: start with ~55% learning + 45% practice, then flip to ~30% learning + 70% practice in the final 2 weeks.
PMI-PBA domain weights (PMI-PBA Handbook revised 24 May 2022):
| Domain | Weight | What to be good at |
|---|---|---|
| Needs Assessment | 18% | problem framing, current state, stakeholders, options, business case/value |
| Planning | 22% | BA approach, stakeholder comms, elicitation planning, governance, traceability planning |
| Analysis | 35% | elicitation, modeling, requirement quality, prioritization, acceptance criteria, impact analysis |
| Traceability and Monitoring | 15% | trace links, change control, requirements health, alignment to objectives |
| Evaluation | 10% | outcomes/KPIs, acceptance evidence, benefits realization, transition/adoption |
Use the weights as your default time split, then adjust based on weak areas discovered in practice sets.
Target pace: ~10–14 hours/week.
Goal: cover the syllabus quickly, then harden technique selection and scenario instincts through drills and mixed sets.
| Week | Focus | What to do | Links |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Needs + planning foundations | Problem framing, stakeholder analysis, BA approach, comms plan, change control basics. Drill daily; keep a miss log. | Syllabus • Cheatsheet • Practice |
| 2 | Analysis (elicitation + models) | Elicitation techniques, process/data/decision models, requirement types. Drill after each task set. | Syllabus • Cheatsheet |
| 3 | Analysis (quality + prioritization) | Requirement quality, NFRs, prioritization, acceptance criteria, impact analysis. Add mixed sets every other day. | Practice • Cheatsheet |
| 4 | Traceability + evaluation + mixed review | Traceability and change control, monitoring alignment, KPIs/benefits, transition/adoption. Mixed sets + miss-log cleanup. | Practice • FAQ |
Target pace: ~6–9 hours/week.
Goal: cover each domain with reinforcement and spaced repetition.
| Weeks | Focus | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 1–2 | Needs assessment | Current state + gaps, stakeholder needs, business case/value framing. |
| 3–4 | Planning | BA approach, comms, elicitation planning, governance, change control, traceability plan. |
| 5–6 | Analysis (core) | Elicitation + decomposition + models + requirement quality and NFRs. |
| 7 | Traceability + monitoring | Trace links, impact analysis, requirements health, alignment checks. |
| 8 | Evaluation + mixed review | KPIs/benefits, acceptance evidence, transition/adoption; mixed sets + miss-log cleanup. |
Target pace: ~3–5 hours/week.
Goal: slow-and-solid coverage with repetition and steady practice.
| Month | Focus | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Frame + plan | Needs assessment + planning; light drills 3×/week. |
| 2 | Analyze | Elicitation, models, quality, prioritization, acceptance criteria; drill after each task set. |
| 3 | Control + prove value | Traceability/monitoring + evaluation; mixed sets and miss-log cleanup. |