First of all, congratulations on setting such high certification goals for yourself! I'd like to start off here by explaining that the PMP exam has certain experiential requirements that you must prove prior to taking the exam. If you have a college degree, you need 36 months of leading projects in the last 8 years and 35 hours of project management education. If your highest level of education is high school, you will need 60 months of experience leading projects in the last 8 years and 35 hours of project management education.
PMI states that if you do not have these qualifications to take the PMP exam, the Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) certification would be a better pick. The qualifications for taking the CAPM exam are less stringent: a minimum of a high school diploma and 23 hours of project management education.
CompTIA also offers a project management certification, the Project+ certification. It has no educational or experiential requirements. However, it does RECOMMEND at least 6–12 months of hands-on experience managing projects in an IT environment. Many without the experiential or educational requirements will set the Project+ certification as their first goal.
I often tell those starting their project management certification journey to start with the Project+ certification if they have no experience as a project manager. It exposes students to the project management terminology and gives them certification testing experience. I tell them to then proceed to the CAPM and finally the PMP. Yes, this is a much longer journey, but I believe it is the best path to success for those without the experiential requirements for the PMP certifications. (Besides, who doesn't like obtaining those acronyms that can go after your name?)
None of these tests are "easy". If you have never taken an IT certification exam, Project+ is a much easier starting point than either of the two certifications from PMI.
You said you are enrolled in the PMP course. We have courses here at ACI Learning for the other two certifications as well. Even if you do not plan to pursue either of the other certifications, they offer complimentary material that would further your educational pursuits related to project management.
For me, I also like a book to accompany my courses. For the PMP, I suggest Rita Mulcahy's PMP Exam Prep, 11th Edition and the PMBOK. (These books would also work for the CAPM.) For the Project+, I suggest my own book - Project+ Cert Guide by Robin Abernathy (that's me) and Ann Lang.
I hope this helps to guide you on your journey. Good luck! Remember to set learning goals. Reach out again if you have any other questions.
