Pakistan-Based Learning Startup Launches PrepFastPM to Help Address
the Project Management Skills Gap
As organizations struggle to translate strategy into successful
projects, Seekhna Sikhao-backed platform aims to make professional
project management preparation more accessible
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — September 28, 2026 — Projects can have funding,
technology and executive support and still struggle to deliver. One
recurring challenge is the capability of the professionals responsible
for turning plans into outcomes: planning work, managing uncertainty,
leading teams, engaging stakeholders and making sound decisions when
projects move away from the original plan.
That capability challenge is becoming more important as economies invest
in infrastructure, technology, digital transformation and organizational
change.
Research published by the Project Management Institute (PMI) in 2025
found that only half of projects surveyed met its modern definition of
project success, while 13% failed outright and another 37% delivered
only part of the expected results. In separate research, PMI estimates
that the world could face a shortage of up to 29.8 million project
professionals by 2035.
South Asia is among the regions where the pressure could be most
pronounced. PMI projects demand for project professionals in the region
could increase by between 68% and 91% between 2025 and 2035.
Against this backdrop, Pakistan-based professional learning startup
Seekhna Sikhao has launched PrepFastPM, a digital platform designed to
help working professionals prepare for the globally recognized Project
Management Professional (PMP)® certification.
The initiative is led by Syed Mujeeb ur Rehman, Founder of PrepFastPM,
and seeks to reduce some of the cost, time and accessibility barriers
faced by professionals preparing for the PMP examination.
“Every failed project has a cost, but the cost is not always limited to
money,” said Syed Mujeeb ur Rehman. “Projects consume time,
organizational attention and human effort. When the people responsible
for managing them have not been adequately prepared for complex
decisions, risk, stakeholders and changing circumstances, the
consequences can extend far beyond a missed deadline.
According to Rehman, PrepFastPM was created around a simple question:
how can a working professional develop and demonstrate project
management knowledge without having to choose between a demanding job
and a rigid training schedule?
“There is considerable talent in Pakistan, but professional development
must become easier to access,” Rehman said. “Someone managing a project
in Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar or a smaller city should be able
to prepare against the same professional standards without carrying an
800-page book everywhere or structuring their life around a weekend
classroom. PrepFastPM puts structured preparation, study material and
exam practice into a format that professionals can use around their own
schedules.
PMP certification is one of the established international credentials
available to experienced project professionals. PMI describes the
credential as validating project leadership experience and competence,
while its 2025 global salary survey found that PMP-certified respondents
reported median salaries 17% higher than non-certified respondents
across the 21 countries surveyed.
Engr. Ahad Nazir, PMP, PRINCE2 Practitioner and project management
expert, said the wider issue goes beyond obtaining a credential.
“Pakistan does not simply need more people carrying project management
certificates. It needs professionals who can actually manage projects,”
Nazir said. “That means understa
eholder expectations, use evidence for decisions and respond when
reality does not follow the project plan.”
He said certification can play an important role when it is treated as
part of professional capability development rather than an end in
itself.
“PMP provides a structured body of professional knowledge and requires
candidates to engage with predictive, adaptive and hybrid approaches to
delivery. But certification alone does not create competence,” Nazir
added. “Good preparation should develop the candidate's judgment. The
real test is whether a professional can take that knowledge into a
difficult project environment and make better decisions.”
That distinction has shaped the positioning of PrepFastPM.
Rather than functioning only as a question bank, the platform brings
together self-study material, scenario-based questions, mock
examinations and structured preparation resources within one digital
environment. It has been designed for professionals studying alongside
full-time employment and other commitments.
The platform focuses on:
* Structured preparation around the current PMP examination framework;
* Scenario-based questions that test project-management judgment rather
than simple recall;
* Mock examinations and practice tools to help candidates identify areas
requiring further preparation;
Integrated reading and study resources to reduce dependence on multiple
disconnected preparation sources; and
* Self-paced access for professionals who cannot commit to fixed
classroom schedules. The timing also reflects changes taking place
within the project management profession itself. Project managers are
increasingly expected to combine technical delivery knowledge with
leadership, business understanding and the ability to operate across
predictive, agile and hybrid environments.
“The project manager of today cannot just maintain a schedule and update
a risk register,” Nazir said. “Organizations are asking project
professionals to understand value, strategy, technology, sustainability,
people and uncertainty at the same time. Professional development has to
move in the same direction.”
For Rehman, the longer-term ambition is to make PrepFastPM part of a
broader effort to strengthen Pakistan's pool of internationally
competitive professionals.
“If Pakistan wants to compete in technology, engineering,
infrastructure, consulting and the global services economy, professional
competency cannot remain optional,” he said. “We want PrepFastPM to help
professionals invest in themselves, strengthen their project-management
capability and compete for opportunities both within Pakistan and
internationally.”
PrepFastPM is now available at prepfastpm.com.
For further information, platform demonstrations, partnerships or media
enquiries:
Syed Mujeeb ur Rehman Founder, PrepFastPM Backed by Seekhna Sikhao
Email: [email protected]
Website: prepfastpm.com
About PrepFastPM
PrepFastPM is a digital professional-learning platform focused on
preparation for the Project Management Professional (PMP)® examination.
The platform combines structured learning resources, scenario-based
practice and mock examinations within a self-paced environment designed
for working professionals.
About Seekhna Sikhao
Seekhna Sikhao is a Pakistan-based learning startup focused on widening
access to professional education and skills development through digital
learning solutions.
Media Note
PMP® and PMI® are registered marks of the Project Management Institute,
Inc. References to PMI research and the PMP certification are
informational and should not be interpreted as an endorsement of
PrepFastPM by PMI unless such an affiliation has been formally
established.
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