Between the PMP and the RMP, I've been lurking a lot on this forum and thought I should contribute.

I thought the RMP was a bit harder. The PMP (which I took three weeks ago) seemed pretty easy to me perhaps because the broad range of material creates highly differentiated answer choices. It's always easy to throw away at least two on the PMP. This wasn't the case on the RMP. The answers were much closer together requiring greater knowledge of the material.

*If you really want to be safe, I would memorize the risk chapter in the Rita PMP prep book. Memorize that entire chapter (it's only 33 pages). Know the details of everything like the parts of the Risk Management Plan such as methodology, budgeting, etc. Know every single tool in detail and their pros and cons. Memorize the risk ITTOs. I know it isn't cool to say that something should be memorized anymore, but if you know each of those process and their components by heart, you'll thank me. And it’s just one knowledge area.

*Get the Rita RMP book to flesh out your knowledge, but know that it is definitely NOT definitive unlike their PMP material. You should be able to go through it pretty quick and just fill in the gaps if you already thoroughly studied the Rita PMP Prep Book.

*You'll have to find something with distributions in it and understand how they relate to estimating (PERT).

*Decision trees are more complex than what is in the Rita materials. You need to find something to help with that.

*Understand checklists. They're in the answers a ton.The Rita RMP book dismissed them and just tries to sell these post it note things available on their website. You'll see what I mean.

*Residuals/secondary risks/fallback plans/workarounds/contingency plans are on there many, many times which is good because they are easy.

*Know all about reserves, how to create, when to use, how to use, approval, etc.

*I'll say it again - memorize risk ITTOs. There are nitty, gritty questions about what tool or output falls under what process and so forth. They constitute at least half the questions, and all of the other choices will also be risk ITTOs.

*Know EMV and basic EVA.

*As others have said, you need PMP knowledge too such as motivational theories, org structures, communications management, etc, so it does make a lot of sense to do the PMP first and then 'specialize.'

And know lots of other stuff too.

Personally, I think these exams are pretty overrated, but there isn't much out there on the RMP. Thought I'd try to help as lessons learned have given direction to my PMP/RMP studies. Taking SP next week for which there is pretty much nothing specific to study.

Good Luck and have fun saving the planet through PMI sanctioned risk management.