1
PMP Lessons Learned – Compiled by Mrinmoy Das
Passed PMP today in First Try, see Below for Lessons
learnt and Resources used and my journey.
Submitted by akshayrelan on Tue, 08/30/2011 - 02:50
PMP Exam Tips, Tricks and Lessons Learnt.
Time taken to Study
2 months, on an average 7 hours each day and minimum 14 hours every-day for last 10 days.
What I Studied
PMBOK 2 times
RITA 2 times
Took notes from Above 2 in the second read and studies only that afterwards
PMBOK Glossary (Very Important) (4 times)
Both Understood and learnt by heart all ITTO’s (>12 times) brainbok.com , This step helped me
a lot.
4 hour Time constraint
I finished the exam in around 3 hours, I think I took a lot of time in end questions because I
never did well in end questions during mock tests as the brain gets too tired at the close session,
But to avoid this I spent around 2-3 minutes for most of last 20 questions. I also took 2 breaks of
5-7mins each in that 3hours.
2
Online Forums/Reference Websites
http://pmzilla.com/
http://www.brainbok.com/
http://www.deepfriedbrainpmp.com/
Simulation Tests
Took 2500+ mock test questions. Attaching a list of online resources (mostly free) at the end.
About Prometric
You won’t be allowed anything inside the center (Pen, Pencil, Hanky, Spex case, Mobile,
Documents) Although you will be given a locker but don’t bring too much along. Also you
won’t be allowed to talk or carry any quick notes to read even at the waiting area, make a note if
you are planning to reach few hours early.
Pan card is sufficient to bring along with you in addition to DL
How did it go
You can expect 1 minute per questions even if it’s a lengthy one, After I finished the exam a
white screen came for about 3 minutes and then suddenly a survey came up, Then a screen with
Prometric logo came up and after 2 minutes when my BP was on the verge, It showed
Congratulations !!! Result: PASS
Grading the Exam
I would say it’s not too difficult as most thinks; you can make out 50% questions very easily
within 20 seconds ea.
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1 PMStudy 1 (20 0 Q)www.pmstudy.com
2 PMStudy 2 (25$) (20 0 Q)
www.pmstudy.com
3 PMStudy 3 (25$) (20 0 Q)
www.pmstudy.com
4 PMStudy 4 (25$) (20 0 Q)
www.pmstudy.com
5 techfaq360 (20 0 Q)
www.techfaq360.com
6 techfaq360 (20 Q)
www.techfaq360.com
8 Certification.about.c om (20 Q)
certification.about.com
9 Head First Labs
(20 0 Q)
www.headfirstlabs.com
10 MeasureUp (7 Q)
www.measureup.com
11 My PMP (10 0 Q)
www.mypmp.ie
12 Oliver F. Lehmann (17 5 Q)
www.oliverlehmann.com
13 Oliver F. Lehmann (75 Q)
www.oliverlehmann.com
14 PMConnection (10 Q)
www.pmconnection.com
15 PMExam.com (8 Q)
www.pmexam.com
16 PMP Question Bank (28 0 Q)
pmpbank.googlepages.com
17 PMTI (15 Q)
www.4pmti.com
18 PreparePM (98 Q)
www.preparepm.com
19 ProXalt (20 Q)
www.proxalt.com
20 Test Prep Review
(15 Q)
http://www.testprepreview.com/modules/pmp.htm
21 PM perfect (10 Q) http://www.pmperfect.com/Public/uiExamDemoOverview.aspx
22 EdWel Programs (10 Q)
www.edwel.com
23 PMzilla's free 25 tough (25 Q)
www.pmzilla.com
24 Threon (13 Q)
www.threon.com
25 OSP International LLC (15 Q)
www.free-pm-exam-questions.com
26 PM Prepare (11 Q) www.pm-prepare.com/sbmple/showQuestion.asp?QSeq=28039&donelist=0&iLang= 0&try=1
27 Go Certify (20 Q) http://www.gocertify.com/quizzes/projectmanagement/PMP_01.shtml
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28 PMP Formula
(10 1
Q) from www.4shared.com (101 Questions for the PMP Formula Study Guide)
29 OSP International LLC (90 Q)
free.pm-exam-simulator.com
30 Ajith Namboothiri (20 0 Q)
www.ajithn.com
31 CertChamp (20 0 Q)
www.certchamp.com
32 Tutorials Point (20 0 Q)
www.tutorialspoint.com
33 Voight Project Solutions (50 0 Q)
www.voightps.com
34 PMRoadtrip (22 0 Q)
35 ExamCentral (20 0 Q) http://www.examcentral.net/pmp/practice-exam
36 Simple Learn (20 0 Q) www.simplilearn.com/simplilearn/?a_aid=PMPChamp
37 Kim Heldman
38
Andy Crowes final
test
39 CertGear trial
40 Effective PMC
www.effectivepmc.com
41 PM Champ
www.pmchamp.com/best-resources-for-pmp-exam-free-paid/
PMP Exam Lesson Learned by Kalpana Garyali
Kalpana passed her PMP exam on Apr 14, 2011 and sent me a note with her
lessons learned and study notes. I'm sure there's something that every PMP
aspirant can learn from this elaborate and well-written piece of information. Here's
what she has to say:
Hi Harwinder,
Kudos to you for the wonderful explanation and details in each and every post of
yours. Thank you so much for your time and effort towards running this blog. I
5
cleared the PMP exam on 14th Apr, 2011 . I scored Moderately proficient in
Professional and Social responsibility and Proficient in all the 5 process groups.
I would like to share my lessons learnt.
Hi everyone,
I was so scared to write this exam and I had the itch to delay the date 48 hrs prior to
the exam. That being said, I think the exam is not something to be scared of if you
are well prepared. So, preparation is the key. Once you are confident that you are
prepared, I think you will overcome any fear you may have. I personally believe the
method, timeframe etc varies from individual to individual.
Here are my lessons learned on my journey towards a PMP and an approach that
worked for me.
The materials that I used for studying are:
1. PMP Exam Prep, Sixth Edition: Rita's Course in a Book for Passing the PMP
Exam.
2. Audio book, PMP Exam Prep, Sixth Edition: Rita's Course in a Book for
Passing the PMP Exam * - This was of a great help to me to keep my
concentration intact. The number of minutes remaining in the playlist would
help you stay motivated that a particular chapter is going to get over soon :)
Rita Mulcahy, in the audiobook is more motivating as opposed to sounding
demotivating in her textbook.
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3. [ofcourse] PMBOK.
4. Lessons Learnt and other posts in Harwinder's blog,
www.deepfriedbrainpmp.com
In the first pass,I went through PMP Exam Prep and gave it a thorough read and
meticulously did the exercises. In the 2nd pass, I read a chapter from PMBOK and
the corresponding chapter from PMP Exam Prep and took the tests in PMFastrack
for the corresponding KA.I analyzed each and every mistake and prepared a
lessons learned. It was during the 2nd pass I realized, only things I have done in the
real world stuck with me in my memory and that I forgot many things I learnt newly in
the first pass. I placed emphasis on such areas and spent time reading those topics.
Along with the lessons learned, I made notes of things I was seeming to forget.
I took a test on Oliver Lehmann's 175 questions. The outcome of the test doomed
me. When I thought I have read each and every word of Rita's book, I should
comfortably score 80-85%. I scored about 73% and I was disappointed. The
outcome of Oliver Lehmann's test emphasized the importance of reading through
PMBOK instead of skimming it. I also figured there are things such as influence
diagrams (a diagramming technique used to identify risks) missed out in PMP Exam
Prep. After all this,I decided to pay attention to PMBOK. I had only about 15 days to
go for my exam. I had sufficient time for the 3rd pass.
In the 3rd pass, I went through PMBOK and the points I jotted down from the 2nd
pass. I wrote the SuperPMP exam from PMFastrack and scored about 78%. I
analyzed my mistakes and most of the mistakes I made was because of fright.
Figured that I had reached saturation and decided to go ahead with the exam.
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Among all the chapters, I loved the way Integration management, Procurement
management, Risk management and Quality management chapters are covered in
PMP Exam Prep. I have never had a first hand experience in Procurement
management. The book covers these areas in simple terms. Thanks to the book, I
got most of the questions based on Integrated Change Control right in a few
seconds of reading the question and the answer choices.
My lessons learned:
1. Project sponsor protects the project from changes and from loss of resources.
2. Deviations from baselines are often due to incomplete risk identification and
risk management.
3. Wider the range between optimistic and pessimistic estimates in a 3 point
estimate, more the uncertainty the estimator has.
4. GERT chart - a chart showing loops between activities.
5. Resource working on an activity with most float will be considered for
transitions.
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7. Team needs to approve final schedule to ensure activities can be completed
as scheduled.
8. Crashing an activity with float will not shorten the project.
9. 2+ Critical paths in a project makes it more risky for the project.
10. Detailed project schedule should be approved by functional managers.
11. More interdependencies on a project increase the need for communication.
12. Discretionary dependency - important when analyzing how to shorten or
resequence the project to decrease the project duration(fast-track).
13. Schedule compression occurs before finalizing the schedule.
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15. Resource breakdown Structure (RBS) is useful in tracking project costs.
16. Stakeholder list is created at project initiation and reassessed at project
execution.
17. WBS allows communication within the organization as well as outside the
project.
18. A project manager does not have authority to issue change orders, but must
request them from the procurement manager.
19. Project manager cannot accept shipments that do not meet the requirements
of the contract; but may meet the project manager's needs.
20. Seller cannot issue a change order, although can request one.
21. Normal response to force majeure is to give extension of time.
22. When a seller goes abruptly out of business, best thing to do is to hire a new
seller under a time and material contract.
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23. Main purpose of procurement audit is to identify the successes to transfer to
other procurements.
24. Transference of risk is included in the terms and conditions of the contract.
25. A decision to accept a risk must be communicated to stakeholders.
26. Forecasting methods:
o
Time series methods
EVM
Moving average
Extrapolation
Linear prediction
Trend estimation
Growth curve
oCausal/econometric methods
Regression analysis - Linear, non-linear
autoregressive moving average
econometrics
oJudgmental methods
Surveys
Composite forecasts
Delphi method
Scenario building
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Technology forecasting
Forecast by analogy
oOther methods
Simulation
Probabilistic forecasting
Ensemble forecasting
Day of the exam:
I started with a good flow and I marked questions that I was skeptical about,
although I answered them. So, In the first 2 hours, I had completed my first pass of
the 200 questions. I had about 60-80 questions marked for review. Can't recall how
many were marked. I went through them carefully for the next 1 hour. I was thinking
about submitting the exam. But I listened to my instincts and decided to stay back
for the next 1 hour and review 1st 100 questions as quickly as possible. I reviewed
almost 70 questions and the time ran out. I filled the survey and heaved a sigh of
relief when I saw the word Congratulations on the monitor.
All the best to those of you working towards your PMP.
Good luck,
Best regards,
Kalpana
Passed PMP Today - 30-Aug-2011 -
Sharing Lessons Learned
Submitted by ShreeSid on Wed, 08/31/2011 - 01:33
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Hi All
I have been a silent observer for the past 5 weeks. Today I passed the PMP exam and
would like to share my lessons learnt
which might prove to be useful for someone.
Available Study time I had: 5 weeks starting Jul 19
Exam date : 30-Aug
I work as a Project Manager and have a 3 year old child. I could not take many leaves
hence all my studying was done at
work (around 2 hours), and 2 hours after work and 12 hours over weekends.
Study guides used:
PMBOK 4th edition :Studied all chapters 3 times. 1 st pass was very vague however the
second and third passes shed some
light.
Rita Mulcahy: Did not study fully. While taking practice tests noted areas which were
unclear and not mentioned in PMBOK.
The unclear areas were clarified with Rita's book. With just 5 weeks to go I had time
only for PMBOK.
Few Points to note:
1. Signed-up for PM Prepcast 15 questions a day. They gave me the initial confidence
boost I needed.
2. Used HeadFisrt free chapter on critical path and float
3. Took close to 100 test questions per day from different sites. I noted down
questions/areas which I did not know and studied those areas in depth. This helped me
a lot to identify the areas not covered by PMBOK. Ofcourse, if you have the time and
your study plan includes Rita or Andy Crowe then the practise tests will be easy.
4. I used Kim Heldman MP3 to listen while commuting. This gave me a good summary
of the different chapters and helped me test my understanding.
5. 2 weeks back I noticed that I am not doing a good job of remembering the ITTOs
even after 2 passes through PMBOK. I decided I needed help and searched through
PMZilla lessons learned. I found a narrative with the idea to use Mnemonics for some of
the tools and techniques. That helped me a great deal. Some of the TT I used from
PMZilla and some I made up. Also another useful tip from PMZilla is to note down which
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processes do not have EEF & OPA as a (x) and those processes having only OPA as (o)
in the process group grid also helped.
6. I practised writing the 43 processes grid and EV formulas on a daily basis along with
the Mnemonics coined.
Mock Exams taken a week prior to exam:
Headfirst PMP : 82.5%
Oliver Lehmann 175 questions : 75%
4 days before the exam, my manager shared Rajesh Nair's notes from PMZilla. One look
at the notes my heart stopped. I had not prepared to that extent at all and I started
having misgivings on my preparation and whether to postpone the exam :( Wonderful
notes. I used Rajesh Nair's notes last couple of days as a refresher. I was happy to see
that most of the points addressed were familiar and I could bring back details from
memory. That was a good sign. I stopped studying on 29-Aug afternoon. I could not
take any more. I was scheduled for the afternoon batch on 30-Aug.
Day of the exam: Reached Prometric at 12:30 PM for exam at 1:30 PM. Had to wait till
2:30 PM as there was some server issue and all batches were delayed. One important
point that helped me was a YouTube video on 'what happens in Prometric'. This video
helped me to understand that during the tutorial the brain dump had to be prepared as
the test starts as soon as the tutorial ends. The questions were moderately difficult and
very tricky.
1. Close to 5-6 questions on team stages
2. Approx 5-6 questions on conflict
3. 2 network diagram questions
4. 4 emV questions
5. approx 4 to 5 ITTO questions. The Mnemonics helped a lot
6. Lots of questions from Close, Quality and M&C process group
7. Lots of situations questions
I finished the exam in 2 hrs and 30 mins and reviewed all questions for 1 hour and then
submitted the test. Was tensed in the last moment but passed :)
Result: 4 Proficient 2 Moderately Proficient
Special thanks to my husband and Mother-in-law for taking care of my son, my Project
Manager for providing me with study materials and my friends for their encouragement
and the trust they had on my abilities.
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Mnemonics used by me:
Collect Requirements : F FIGO GPQ {remember it as Ford FIGO}
Define scope (APEF) {from PMZilla}
Define act (DERT) {from PMZilla}
Seq Act (lAPSD)
Est. Act. Res.(APE BP) {from PMZilla}
Est Act Dur (APE TR) {from PMZilla}
Develop schedule (SCCRe WLoSS) {from PMZilla}
Control Schedule (PVPRe WLoSS)
Estimate cost (APE BP TR CV) {from PMZilla}
Determine budget (CHEF R) {from PMZilla}
Plan quality (CCCB SPADF) {from PMZilla}
Perform QA (QP)
Perform QC (FISH SCRAP C) {from PMZilla}
Develop HR plan (ONO)
Acquire project team (PraNAV)
Develop project team (TRIG TC)
Manage project team (OC PII)
Plan communications (C4)
Distribute information (CId)
Manage stakeholder expectations (CIM)
Report performance (VCR F)
Identify risks (DICE ADS) {from PMZilla}
Perfom qual analysis (R4 PE)
Perform quan analysis (DQE)
Plan risk responses (CSS E)
Monitor and control risks (RRR VeST)
Plan Procurements (MEC)
Conduct Procurements (APE BP II)
Administer Procurements (CRIP PPC)
Close Procurements (PNR)
All the very best!!
Regards,
ShreeSid
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Submitted by RP on Wed, 08/31/2011 - 18:15
PMP Exam Tips, Tricks and Lessons Learnt.
An excerpt from the movie 300 –“ ....they are more beast than man and their arrows will
cover the brightness of the Sun...so we shall fight in the shade and put them to the test.”
I am proud to announce that I have successfully completed my PMP exam! As part of my
payback and responsibility to this forum, I will try to comprehensively provide you with a view
of my preparation leading up to the exam, the exam and post-exam.
About Me
My name is Reshlan Pillai, 26 years old and I am from Johannesburg, South Africa. I have
worked on very large projects nationally and internationally, typically filling Project
Management and Management Consulting roles throughout. I have worked with key industry
players in the fields of Insurance, Mining, Engineering, etc. I have a Bachelors degree in
IT ,Management and Marketing and a Post Graduate in Project Management. Nothing ices it
better than to add a PMP to the list of credentials
Why PMP
The PMP for me signifies and proves deep, invaluable and intrinsic knowledge of your project
management industry knowledge and allows you to play your attraction within and out of your
league. The PMP is a globally renowned certification that tops the list of ‘most wanted’ and
‘highest paying’ credential at many technology house and PM reviews. So for me, it was merely
a case of giving me the edge in the market and at my job, automatically creating a marketable
demand.
Application and kicking off the process
After doing loads of research, I finally decided it was time to put me to the test. I signed up as a
member to PMI and thereafter very accurately completed the application. This by itself took me
a week of analysing and proving that the time allocated was not merely just an assumption but
contained precise facts or as close as possible, where applicable. I had given it to a peer to
proof read it and from my side, all I could do was done. I submitted the application and waited
eagerly for a response. I wasn’t concerned whether or not my application would get selected
for an audit and there was no hurry but just the itch of kicking off the process. All this happened
during January 2011. A few days later, I received a response from PMI saying I was granted
entry and to schedule my exam. I soon after scheduled the exam for the beginning of August
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2011. I did not envisage studying for the whole period of 8 months however, I built in alot of
reserve for unforeseen issues such as business travel, personal commitments, etc. The benefit
of signing up with PMI is that you get a complementary version of the PMBOK so I started
browsing very casually basically to just get acquainted. I took nothing away from this process
but just the side-thought of knowing what’s waiting. I must say to all those aspirants – do loads
of research before you take on this challenge. You need to be your own mentor as I have
learned. As I am the type of person that likes to have all his ducks in a row, I decided to secure
my material early – with no real intention to study anytime soon. This is what I have used as my
bible/s;
-
PMBOK, PMI
-
PMP Exam Prep, 6
thEd, Rita Mulcahy
-
PM Fastrack, V6, Rita Mulcahy
-
Hot Topics Flashcards, Rita Mulcahy
-
PM Study – 4 Tests
So after months of spending time between busyness, laziness, procrastination, denial and the
pub – In June 2011, I started the race – the race to win. I rescheduled once only to the 30
August 2011 due to my earlier debacle.
The Exam Preparation
I planned in detail exactly how I will approach my studies – as in dates, topics, sources, times,
stretch targets, milestones, etc. This will be way too detailed to share on this forum. I suggest
all aspirants spend at least a day planning in such depth and also to buy into your planning. And
off I go....
-
I spent almost the whole of June 2011 with PMP Exam Prep and managed to go through
it twice.
-
I then touched the PMBOK but only cleared a few introductory topics – 1
st, 2
ndWeek of
July 2011
-
Then reverted back to PMP Exam Prep and completed the book for the 3rd time – 3
rd,
4
thWeek of July 2011
-
I then spent time with the PMBOK, making sure I go through it in detail – First 2 weeks
of August 2011
The above is very high level but the following sub-activities worked greatly in my favour;
-
Before even looking at the PMP Exam Prep, I answered the chapter end questions. I did
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-
Initially, after studying each chapter in PMP Exam Prep, I would answer the questions –
All in all, I scored an average of 85%
-
The 2
nd/3
rdtime through PMP Exam Prep, I used the PM Fastrack to gauge any progress
– All in all, between the 2
nd/3
rdtime I scored an average of 86%
-
Hot Topics Flashcards worked well for me as I sit in traffic for 2 hours a day. It is basic
but does prove its worth well.
-
I also used some other free resources listed below. I didn’t take the scoring to seriously
here, I just used this because I ran out of PMP Exam Prep/PM Fastrack questions. I
scored between 68% - 90% (Oliver Lehmann is probably the worst example of a mock
test. Nothing relates to the exam focus, it’s just plain difficult for no reason. Scored 68%
here)
-
1.
http://www.headfirstlabs.com/PMP/pmp_exam/v2/quiz.html
-
2.
http://www.passionatepm.com/free-pmp-exam-practice-test-questions
-
3.
http://pmstudy.com/enroll.asp#PMP
-
4.
http://www.mypmp.ie/
-
5.
http://www.techfaq360.com/pmpmockexam.jsp
-
6.
http://www.certgear.com/products/info/pmp.htm
-
7.
http://www.tutorialspoint.com/pmp-exams/pmp_mock_exams.htm
-
8.
http://www.preparepm.com/mock1.html
-
9.
http://www.oliverlehmann.com/pmp-self-test/75-free-questions.htm
-
10.
http://www.proxalt.com/sampletest.asp
-
11.
http://www.voightps.com/Default.asp
-
12.
http://www.measureup.com/Site/display_article.aspx?AudienceID=&id=1299
-
13.
http://www.testprepreview.com/modules/pmp.htm
I have researched PM Study questions alot and was happy to hear that the exam can be gauged
according this. By the 20
thAugust 2011, I bought the pack of four tests. I started working on this,
diligently. On average, I scored around 75% but I did not get to the final test as I ran out of time.
By this point in time, I felt ready but I knew where my gaps where so I focused on my gaps by
only using the PMBOK. An important tip to aspirants – Do not redo questions, try your best to
constantly expose yourself to new questions even though they may be different to what you
used to. There is no easy question nor hard ones, just ones that test you. Always try to stick to
reputable sources. In some cases, the answers offered for some questions were so wrong!
On the 29 August 2011 at 10:10pm, I put down my books. Refer to the adage at the very top,
LOL
The Day has dawned...
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Got to Prometric in Johannesburg and immediately made myself feel comfortable. Dressed
quite loosely, tracks and t-shirt – we all know how inadequate dressing affects your decision
making. I presented my passport, I went through the procedures, got into the invigilators room,
signed in, emptied pockets, filled locker and voila, ready to go!
The moment I got to my cubicle, I started jotting down my dump. This included Pg 43 from
PMBOK, Communication, PERT, SD, EMV, Earned Value formulae. I got into the habit of
continuously referring to the processes to gauge exactly where the question in concern is based.
This helped me visualise what was done and what wasn’t. This took 12 minutes. I used the
remaining 3 minutes to breathe and go through the tutorial. Started the exam – Some basic tips
on PMP questions;
-
I felt like I was writing the ‘RMP’. Risk was a big topic. Not difficult, but just a bit tedious.
-
People say that they have received short direct questions – I was so unlucky, I think. I
got the most long winded questions ever! Aspirants - expect nothing!
-
Quality also played a big role.
-
Few simple Prof. And Social questions
-
Calculator was slow
-
About 10 questions on Cost, ALL on EVM
-
Some questions were difficult, seemed as if all four choices were correct.
-
Only took breaks when I felt I was losing focus. Don’t plan your breaks, take it when you
need it.
-
Memory gone blank now – let me know if you need anything else
Did not answer the survey, it is so badly positioned. Went straight to the ‘Submit’.
White screen came up a few minutes later saying CONGRATULATIONS!! It’s such a great feeling,
I tell you! Overall, I felt the exam was very much on the par of PM Study questions, slightly
more intense because I had long winded questions but the concept remained the same. Lastly,
the PMP exam is not difficult – the output depends on the input. It does get challenging but it’s
not all that. Feel free to ask me anything, aspirants.
I want to first thank God for giving me this opportunity, my fiancé for supporting me through
these long hard months and my family for being there ALWAYS. As equally as important, I want
to thank the forum as a whole and certain members like Satish_Multi and NBK.
Signed by,
19
Cleared PMP on 29th Aug...
Submitted by Apache24 on Thu, 09/08/2011 - 02:57
PMP Exam Tips, Tricks and Lessons Learnt.
Cleared PMP on 29
thAugust on first attempt. Thanks to everyone in this forum, especially to
people who contributed their lesson learned as it helped me to develop my preparation
strategy and maintain focus throughout my preparation of around 2 months.
My score card stands as:
Initiating the Project Proficient
Planning the Project Proficient
Executing the Project Proficient
Monitoring and Controlling the Project Moderately Proficient
Closing the Project Proficient
Professional and Social Responsibility Moderately Proficient
Here is my lesson learned from the exam:-
Books referenced
Andy Crowe: I started my preparation with this book as it was recommended by the REP from
where I earned 35 hrs of training. I feel this book is by far the best book to start the PMP
preparation as it’s written in a very simple and systematic manner without jumping topics.
More or less it’s a summary of PMBOK. I read the book twice before starting anything else.
Rita: Started with Rita but initially was struggling to finish the chapters as there is so much of
text per page but started liking it once I got accustomed to motherly way book explains the
topics. I feel Rita develops the way PMI wants us to think thus developing thought process to
answer the PMP situation based questions. After going through first pass of Rita I stared writing
tests but with test results I thought it will be good idea to read Rita again. This time I started
doing topics from Rita and PMBOK simultaneously but as just 12 days were left in the exam so
did Rita alone along with first two chapters of PMBOK.
PMBOK: After reading both Rita and Andy I was not left with much time to read PMBOK but as I
learned from the forums that it’s really important to go through PMBOK so was worried a bit.
Luckily I wrote 2-3 full length exams which gave the explanation with reference to PMBOK so I
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covered as many gaps as possible. Apart from that I read the PMBOK Glossary and then
searched for index for terms which I was not familiar with. I got few terms like Cost-Contacts,
FMEA etc. I now feel I could have done better if I had read PMBOK line by line.
Tests Attempted:
InSite-Velociteach: Used one week free trial subscription which comes with Andy Crow book.
Started doing the tests once I finished reading Andy which was around 30 days before the exam.
Questions are easier than real exam so I used the tests to just practice and not to gauge my
preparation. Use to get around 80% in 50 question tests. Also tried 200 question final paper
based exam at the end of Andy Crowe book and scored 83%.
ExamCentral (
www.examcentral.net
): Good source of free questions but again questions are
easier than the real exam. I attempted around 300 questions in total. Scored around 78% to
85%.
PMStudy Free Test 1 (
www.pmstudy.com
): Good exam, nearly similar to the real PMP exam in
terms of length of questions. Real exam was a bit tougher. Attempted the test 20 days before
the PMP exam and scored 72%
PMFastTrack: Gave just one full length 200 question test and secured around 78% but there
were known questions also as I attempted the exam after reading Rita 6
thedition and doing
exercises at the end of each chapter. I always kept track on the question creep in the mock
exams and calibrated the percentage accordingly. Beware that repeated questions can be a
reason of continuous improvement in the mock exams if you are using same software again and
again to give the exams.
Further attempted questions on random basis.
HeadFirst(
http://www.headfirstlabs.com/PMP/free_exam/
) :Good exam but again a bit easier
than real exam. Scored 86%.
Oliver Lehmann 175 questions (
http://www.oliverlehmann.com) : Very high standard exam
and it really helped me to find gaps which were due to not reading PMBOK. Attempted the test
7 days before the real exam and scored 77%. I suggest ,taking this exam once you are fully
prepared as low marks may dampen your morale.
Free Effectivepmc Exam (
www.effectivepmc.com
) : This is the toughest exam which I took.
Scored 62%.Questions were wordy and took be exactly 4 hrs to complete the test. Only good
thing was explanation of the answer were referenced to PMBOK so it helped me to further find
the gaps in my knowledge.
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PMzilla tough 200 questions (
http://pmzilla.com/pmzilla-final-pmp-exam-pmp
): Good
collection of questions. Key to success in PMP, I feel, is practicing lot of quality questions but
not just from single source.
Site referenced:
http://www.deepfriedbrainpmp.com: Very simplified explanation of EVM, PTA formulas.
http://www.monkibo.com/pmp-exam-itto-trainer
: Used the tool to memorize IOTT.
http://www.mypmpexamprep.com/article/pmp-exam-input-outputs-tools-and-techniques
: I
used similar PFD to read every day for half an hour before sleeping for last 20 days before the
exams in a hope to memorize IOTT but in vain.
Memorizing IOTT:
I feel PMP exam definitely do not test memorizing skills but do ask the input/output/tool of the
processes indirectly in questions. I did not by-heart or rather was not able to by-heart the IOTT
but was able to answer the questions with given choices.
Exam Day:
I was comfortable in the exam even though just slept 3 hrs on the night before the exam. Took
a break after 100 questions (1.5hrs) and again after finishing 200 questions (3 hrs) .Marked all
the numerical questions to come back to do the re-calculation and few more in which I had
doubt. All together marked around 30 questions and reviewed in next 20 minutes (3.5 hrs).
Changed 2-3 question options. Now with half an hr left was thinking to review all 200 again but
decided to submit the exam as I felt I will not change the options as I had selected the answers
confidently. Did the survey in jiffy and then came Congratulations…..2 months dedicated efforts
paid off.
Special thanks to my wife for supporting me throughout my exam preparation.
Very best of luck for your exam!!!!
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PMP Exam Tips, Tricks and Lessons Learnt.
I cleared my exam on August 24.
For us practising managers, this exam can involve leaving some of our experience at
the door and delving into PMI scripted therory. This may be challenging to many given
it requries you to unlearn. I worked for 3 weeks after completing my Prep course. Went
through PMBOK once. Did the certschool.com in-class tests, end of class tests (132
questions), Oliver lehman 175 test questions. In all I did approx 10 hours of mock tests.
Working with a study buddy helped a lot.
Could not memorize the ITTOs however hard I tried. However, I could answer almost
all the ITTO related questions in mock tests accurately through associattion and
common sense. Most importantly trust your judgement.
Looking back, going thru Oliver Lehman's 175 questions best prepared me for the exam.
Almost three-fourths of the exam questions were verbose and it is important not to lose
your way. Read and reread them carefully. 4 hours is plenty of time to answer 200
questions.
Take breaks as you deem appropriate.
PASSED AT FIRST TRY ON THE 30TH
AT FIRST LOGIC IKEJA LAGOS
NIGERIA. LESSONS LEARNT PLUS
TIPS AND TRICKS
Submitted by adunniola on Thu, 09/01/2011 - 23:43
PMP Exam Tips, Tricks and Lessons Learnt.
Materials Used
Rita Mulcahy sixth edition ( I read it cover to cover about three times did most of the
exercises and tests)
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Crosswind PMP Exam Success Book (I read it a little later and found that it helped
refresh my knowledge did all the tests as well)
Practice Test
Crosswind Exam Simulation (It's a good Simulation of the exam) average score 78-80%
Oliver Lehman's 175 questions ( I did only about 66 ) score 80%
Head First 200 questions score 78%
My Take on the Exam
The Exam was quite tough in my opinion. You really have to be certain of your answer
'cos the options were quite funny. You really have to get a clear understanding of
project management itself. If you do not do this, you will find the exam easy and may
not make it. I formed this opinion because for every question i answered, i had to think
properly until i had no doubt about the answer.
My Exam Experience
I did my PMP training in 2009 and initially wanted to write the exam in january 2010
but my Rita book got stolen and it took a while for me to get a new one. I attended a
refresher course in july 2010 but i couldn't write the exam. By This year 2011 i was
determined to do it. I attended another refresher and joined a study group in Lagos.
The study group lasted for one month. I initially booked the exam for the 23rd but i
knew that by that time i wasn't ready so i rescheduled for the 30th. I practiced
questionson the crosswind exam success simulation. I found out that on every practice
test my score was always between 78 and 80%.
Truth be told i wasn't sure i was ready even on the day of the exam i went between
panicking and encouraging myself. I got the the test Centre at 7.45 a.m. i started my
test at 8.15 a.m. (i guess a lot of people had rescheduled for the 30th) During the 30
minute tutorial, i jotted down my cost formulas, the 42 processes, risk formulas, sigma
percentages, communications formulas and time formulas. it took me about 30 minutes
to do about 60 questions but i marked a lot of them to review 'cos i wanted to be
double sure. I finished the exam in one hour 45 mins ( This was because if i wasn't sure
of the answers to a question or if i saw that i was taking too long on a question i
marked it and moved on) when i finished i went to the loo then came back to review. It
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took about one hour to review and another 15 mins to think through some tough and
funny questions.
i clicked to end the exam and got a blank screen then a survey but i couldn't finish the
survey 'cos my heart was pounding like it was going to come out of my chest. I ended
the survey and got another blank screen and then saw congratulations you have passed
the PMP exam. Thank God i didn't have breakfast before leaving home 'cos i'm sure i
would have thrown up when i saw my results. I Got a result print out of the result , left
the centre, called my friend who is also a mentor to me and started screaming I
passed!!! I passed!!!!! on the street. I must have looked like such a sight.
Lessons Learnt
1. PLEASE PLEASE attend training with a good REP
2. Attend at least one refresher course and join a study group if you can (you will meet
so different people who will give you their own perspectives on the materials, formulas
for remembering different aspects of the material and additional material. e.g Contracts
are CCOLA , Risk is SEE ATM
3. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE Read Rita. You can read any other study material first just to
get an understanding of Project management but make sure you read rita at least twice
to get that in-depth understanding of Project management and the exam itself. I've
heard people say that rita can be a bit wordy which is true but i've realized that its in
reading the words that, that understanding of project management comes.
4. Practice different exams (each practice test come with its own degree of complexity
and approach to simulating the actual test and this goes a long way to preparing you
for the exam.
5. STAY POSITIVE
Passed PMP exam on 08/27/2011
(Pittsburgh PA)
Submitted by JOSH80 on Tue, 08/30/2011 - 01:38
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Hello every one,
I cleared PMP test on saturday 08/27/11.
Exam was not easy and not difficult.
It really tests your core knowledge. All questions are very straight forward.
My preparation time was only 35 days, 4 , 5 hours during week days, 5 to 7 hours during
weekends.
I followed Rita/HF PMP& PMBOK
I took 18 tests from Christopher Scordo (PMP Exam Prep Questions, Answers, &
Explanations: 1000+ PMP Practice Questions with Detailed Solutions)
From beginning till end i maintained min 70% scores in all tests (got 80%+ in few tests).
Last 2 days i looked at
examcentral.net
tests based on knowledge area‟s
Last day i took HF PMP test, i got 80% (That gave me good confidence)
My recommendation, if you are in rush, don't spend too much time on memorizing ITTO.
Concentrate more on basics, if you know basics very well you can clear exam.
I came to know about this PMZILLA in my last weeks, this is really good place to find resources.
I recommend memory aids & Chowdary‟s notes.
Last but not least, don't expect too many wordy questions (hardly 5,6 questions), Rest all very
straight fwd (just 1 line questions). I felt first 100 questions easy compare to last 100 (may be i
was tired after 100). I marked only 10 questions for review,4 hrs time is sufficient for exam.
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Posted: Fri Mar 13, 2009 11:35 am Post subject: PMP instructor
Hi all
Kindly take note that the PMP exam is going to change starting from July 2009. The new exam will be based on the PMBOK 4th edition.
This may not impact you in a big way but there will certainly be differences. With each new edition that PMI releases, the content is updated to reflect the latest in project management. If you have been studying based on the 3rd edition, my recommendation is to take the exam within July 2009.
The new edition has a different naming of the processes. They have used the verb - noun (example: estimate-costs) for all the processes. Considering there are over 40 processes, participants may get confused if they have studies the 3rd edition and take the exam after July.
For those studying for the exam and dont have much time to go through everything, here are a few tips:
1. Get your Earned Value concepts right. The exam will have aound 21% of the questions coming from the monitoring & controlling process group.
2. Use process of elimination as much as possible. Read the question, eliminate the obvious wrong answers, choose between the remaining ones.
3. Get your concepts on the different tools used for Schedule Development right (CPM, Critical Chain, Resource leveling etc.,)
4. PMI is big on terminology. When you see a term, try to remember if you have come across the term in the PMBOK.
5. A few of the situational questions can be very lengthy and daunting. However, read through carefully and you may find the answer to be easier that it looks.
6. Get very familiar with Page 70 on the PMBOK guide third edition. My
recommendation is that you DONT memorize it. Rather, try to fit each process into respective process group and knowledge area by UNDERSTANDING the process.
(Example: Process Activity Definition. What does this process mean?, which knowledge area is it likely to be in?, Which process group is it likely to fall?) The process is about defining a set of activities, hence it is a planning process group. activities are definied so that duration can be estimated, hence time management knowledge area.
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edited to remove obvious solicitation - moderator Cheers,
ikompass
Posted: Wed May 06, 2009 9:27 pm Post subject: PASSED PMP today 6th May 2009
Providing below a break up of my observations and inputs which helped me and I guess will help future aspirants too. This was my first attempt at PMP, was nervous all along with time hitting my nerves all through my rolling wave planned journey for PMP preparation.
Time Distribution :
Total Time : Approx 3 months ( 2hrs weekdays/ 3- 4 hrs weekends mainly took exams).
PMP training course : PMP prepcast cost me USD50 dollars to sign up and take the test after 2 weeks of preparation to get my 35 contact hrs. Thumbs Up from my side, excellent and cheap way to Grasp the PMIism with easy to learn concepts from Cornelius Fischner
Read thru PMBOK : 20 days ( 2 readings) - Alternately with 2 readings through of Rita MUlcahy PMP book. Listened to PrepCast on the move, while jogging, travelling to work on those topics I completed readings for the day.
Only took tests and studied from Short notes : Last 20 days ( tests at every lesson ending of Rita Mulcahy from Rita , in case of PMBOK did
tests from various freely available test materia, Only tests from various materials during last 20 days )
Last 3 days : Only scratching thru all notes , PMBOK glossary , JIMBOK, Rajesh, Sridhar Peddisetty notes, Benoit Aumars study notes, GUNA's ITTO software
Study material and usage / purpose :
1. PMBOK : for very basic level understanding and getting along with PMI glossary and understanding the PMI approach.
2. PMP Exam Prepare Prep by Rita Mulcahy : For getting grasp on PMIsm and building application understanding of what is
there in PMBOK
3. Head first PMP book : For casual read on selective topic incase I observed any weakness during tests.
4 . PMP book by ANDY Crowe - Velociteach : For casual read on selective topic if I observed some thing was missing
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5. Pradeep Rani material from this website : Getting on with smart capsules in last three days .
6 . Guna's software for processes : By far the best to revise ITTO ...dont miss on it it pulled me thru 30 %
7. Sridhar Peddisetty's notes on Blog spot : Real final reviews of PMI terms along with PMBOK glossary ..mind you juss get it just fantastic to be done on last day for better grasp and formatting of your brain for the final asault. Glad I found him..
8 JIMBOK notes from PMIHUB : excellent notes for final formatting of your brain one day before taking up the tests
9 Oliver Lehmann : 75 tests and 175 questions in last week to judge your prepared ness. Hmmm....some tough q's make you pull and scratch your hair he he...
10. PMstudy free tests : 4 days before test to judge your preparedness. Good material just get it.
11. 200 questions test from headfirst : 5 days before test to judge preparedness. Glad I went through them
12. 200 QnA's from PMI website reading reference section. simply fantastic a couple of days before your final assault. Damn close in difficulty to real test. Dont miss
this...worked like charm for me.
13. Delegation by Verma from PMI website reading/references..read it in last week ..and glad i did read it to get the extras found nowhere else on this planet. My review on tests and their closeness to overall exam :
1. PM study : Damn close in terms of difficulty level - I scored 85%
2. Oliver lehmann : Gets overboard with difficulty sometimes ..nice for a stress test to remind you of height of pain : I scored 74 %
3. PMP prep by Rita Mulcahy : A inch lower than actual test but yes it builds a good base to learn how to apply what you
learned - I scored in my 80 ish here
4. headfirst test : Two Inch below than actual test level - 88% I scored here 5 PMI 200 QnA Damn close to actual test - I scored 90 % here
6 . Andy crowe book : Much easier ..a good only for warm up and feel good feeling for extra confidence and motivation to get going - 90+% is what i scored
7. Kim Hieldman questions : My goodness made me squeak and squirm and go into hiding. Some nice googlies here a twist and tale there ...- hits you on your toe and makes you wonder whether you are still alive. but yess makes you better prepared for details while reading questions and interpreting them : Tough one take it atleast 20 days before your final exam or if done later will hit your confidence .
Believe me it was always fun to do read through of books and take tests make sure you mark your percentage everytime and record it some where .for analysing what are your hot sweet spots and weak spots .gives you confidence and tells you which corners are still rusty (bheja fry).
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ears totally plugged, when you know you cannot read for long or someone will disturb you intermittently or simply PMBOK sounds a sleeping pill take tests or listen to ERIC NEILson free lunchtime lessson available on PMHUB ..simply refreshes you and builds your interest in those wordy lessons .
You might ask me why I read so much a variety of material and tests ..not everything on test is there in one single book and not every perspective with which you can look at those 44 pieces of puzzle are all avialable in one book . Other than Rita and PMBOK book just browse others to catch up with any new term or word .
And the biggest to do or not to do question : Should I mug up ITTO ...or not ...I guess better you do I had 30% on it . 15% on Tool and technique and 15% on input output . But ITTO helps you in applying yourself during answering the questions. Giving below my shortcuts to remember Tools and tech , for Input output better understand logical flow from one process to another .I guess some I got from LLs here on PMhub and Some from PMzilla website. Overall to improve in this field constantly listen to Prepcast, Lunchtime Lessons to leave an imprint of must know concepts on my grey matter. Also get the PM Zilla brain dump material excellent tricks to Memorise the ITTOs the easy and fun way.
1.Scope Planning - E T ( Stevens movie remember that Cycle shadow on the Moon ..that one )
2.Scope Definition : A P E S ( hmm thats begining of Human definition) 3. Create WBS : T D ( technical definition ...)
4. Activity Definition : PERT-D
5. Activity Sequenccing : SAPAD ( If your are from Chennai you know this ) 6.Activity resource estimate : BEAPP ( it sounds as a horn )
7 Activity Duration estimate : TAPER
8. Cost Budgeting : CRPF ( Indian federal reserve force ) 9. Quality Planning : ABCD ..juss add one more C too
10. Quality Control : Crow FLies Higher Peacock Runs Scattering Charm ..add Inspection to it
11. HR planning : NOO
12. HR Aquire team : PAVN ( Somthing like PAWN)
13 HR manage team : COPI ( fav Singaporean drink KOPI) 14 risk identification : CADDI ( A caddi identifies risk in GOLF ) 15 risk qualification : CUPID ( hmm ..)
16 Risk Quantification : ID ( yess your ID )
Use GUNA's software extensively here ..and I am sure you will get comfortable with it . About Exam :
1. Stay fresh ..take rest one day before exam ..juss a read thru with JIMBOK and Sridhar peddisettys / ERic neilsons lunch time lessons / PM zilla brain dump tricks material will keep you warm for exam .
2. Take your 2 Ids (PHoto id + singnature Id)..and exam appointment note
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relaxed. Drink water or a REDBULL anything that can keep you fresh and full of energy. 4. Into the exam ..take the 15 minutes tutorial..I dumped PMBOK page 70 and EV formulae and Sigma values ..do it , this helps you to stay focus in test as you dont need to fly faar off from your flow during tests.
5. Go ahead take the test BEST OF LUCK ..the real fun starts here . I observed it was bit warm till 50th question got tougher from 50 to 150 then tapered off ..a generic trend I felt ..not necessary everyone will feel it the same way, but there are some tricks to do a forward and backward pass through the questions.
6. not many lengthy ones for me ..lots on Quality and the practice tests told me I was weak there so now i was much prepare and hit them strong ..practice seriously and find your gaps ..it helps it did it for me.
7. The ethics and professional responsibility were chalanging and SADLY i did only study on notes and tests ...I didnt read the actually PMI doc in detail ..this caught up with me in test as some questions were directly on clauses ..
8. Finished answering all in 3 hours 40 minutes wth 5 minutes break at 80 / 170 questions ..then reviewed some questions ..and waited for exam to time out .. 9. The feedback for test center appeared ..it was all fine for me at Prometric center except for the constantly flickering CRT monitor/ non adjustable seat and drumming sound from a nearby test taker (put on the ear plugh). I wish I could have taken my antiglare lenses.
10 . the results came : I cleared with Planning , Exec and COntrol /Monitor
as ..Proefficient and rest as Moderately proefficient ..Initiation , close and Ethics . Anything I can do differently in next birth for this test : Nah I really had nothing to quote on Cause and effect Diagram if I had missed it on first attempt ..yeah plz read the ethics claause for sure .
That sums up all my journey here ..
Good luck Guys enjoy the journey its a Fun and lots of learning too ..I am there to give a peek anytime you need from my experience . BTW join PMHUB website for all the freebies available over there.
Thanks
_________________
Life is a Journey. If you cannot fly then run, if you cannot run then walk, and if cannot walk then crawl. So, whatever you do keep moving.
Passed PMP exam on
29-Aug...Delighted
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PMP Exam Tips, Tricks and Lessons Learnt.
Hello friends,
At last I made it to get through the PMP exam on my first attempt. And it such a gift to
the hardwork.
Thanks for such a live wonderful community who threw lots of ideas and suggestions
and I was greatly inspired and motivated from their lessons learnt.
Brief lessons learnt:
My journey started around January 2009 where I bought Headfirst, but could not able
to understand the PMBOK concepts in a broader way. Then found Rita's guide which
was really good and make me understand all the concepts in a nicer way. Read once
and scored above 80% on all chapter exams of Rita's book. Read PMBOK also
simultaneously and completed once. Then, there was a huge break where I have to
concentrate on my official project work and did not find sufficient time for PMP
preparation. Two months back came to know the news of PMP exam pattern change
which put me in driver seat to go for it.
My rigirous preparation started from mid June. Completed Rita and PMBOK once again.
Then started attending chapter wise exams from examcentral.net. Just one month
back, I found PMzilla which gives me the direction on lots of improvements in my study
areas. Again Read PMBOK, understood each and every word compared to my projects
which I am doing/not doing.
Attended following mock exams before two weeks of my exam,
PMStudy 1 - 79%
Examcentral - 80%
Oliver Lehman 75 questions - 68%
Oliver Lehman 175 questions - 60%
PMStudy 2 - 69%
The real exam was good in quality compared to all the mock exams and it was easy too
compared to these exams.
Rajesh Nair Notes:
This notes was really excellent and the way it helped other PMP aspirants, it helped me
too. I recommend people to read this notes atleast twice to understand the concepts. I
read this notes before 2 days of my exam to crack my mind to understand the whole
32
PMBOK in a nicer elegant way.
I would like to thank my wife for giving me such a tremendous support and
encouragement. I hope I should be able to spend more time with my wife and daughter
hence forth.
Best of luck for all who are going to write PMP exam in future.
Warm Regards,
Javeed
29th August – I passed my exam
Submitted by AU on Wed, 08/31/2011 - 07:47
PMP Exam Tips, Tricks and Lessons Learnt.
Hello All,
First of all, many thanks to this forum. It was great to read everyone‟s experiences and journey towards achieving PMP. It provided a lot of pointers and boosted my moral many times.
Here are some highlights of my journey.
I completed the 35 contact hrs in Dec 2010 and booked 14th Feb as my exam date. In February 2011, I changed my job and the whole PMP thing was on and off my agenda for quite some months after that. I rescheduled the exam a couple of times as I was not able to study AT ALL due to my new job and other responsibilities. Finally, in July I decided I have to appear for the exam in August so booked the date 29th August.
33
Even though I decided to appear for the exam in July, I was not able to start the study until 8th August. The good thing was I took a break from work in the last week from 22nd till 29th. Went thru PMBOK and Rita once and then PMBOK again. It was already 24th of August by the time I finished my reading. (I was down with viral fever for 2-3 days so couldn‟t study much in that period. )
On 25th I took my first exam from PMStudy (free test) and got 74%. Went through the wrong answers and tried understanding why I wasn‟t able to figure out the right choices.
26th, I had to go to office due to client visit and couldn‟t study much on that day but I glanced thru PDF version of PMBOK while I was at work and continued exploring my weak areas in the evening after work. 27th morning I attempted HeadFirst free exam and got 84%. Immediately took Oliver Lehmans‟ 75 questions and got almost 70%. Next few hours I spent in going thru wrong answers and understanding the knowledge gaps.
On 28th morning attempted SimpliLearn exam and got around 70%.
29th was „D‟ day. I don‟t have a prometric centre in my city so had to travel for 4.30/5 hrs to reach there. Left home at 5.00 am. Took PMBOK with me for any last minute reading.
During the exam –
Surprisingly I was quite okay before the exam. I was able to write down page 43 and all formulae on the scratch paper before starting the exam. Went thru the exam questions, marked at least 70-75 for review. I was able to complete all 200 questions in 3 hrs. Spent the remaining hour in reviewing all the marked questions, corrected a few. There were a few simple and direct questions, a LOT of situation based (and tricky) questions, at least 10 on ITTOs, one on network diagram and 2-3 EVMs. I needed all 4 hours to complete the exam including reviewing questions. Never took (or needed) any break. To be honest, I wasn‟t sure about my result. Felt EXTREMELY RELIEVED to see the “congratulations” screen as I couldn‟t believe. PHEW…
Result – Passed with 1 proficient and remaining moderately proficient.
Few pointers
1. RITA‟s book is good only if you are able to get past her dry, negative tone. I literally skipped such paragraphs at times.
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2. I never had time to memorize the ITTOs. I tried understanding the flow of the processes and tried remembering it logically instead of memorizing everything.
3. I studied things by process groups (vertically) and not by knowledge areas (horizontally). (4.1, 10.1, 4.2, 5.1, 5.2 etc…) I read PMBOK and RITA in that sequence. This flow made more sense to me. (I think this helped me understand the ITTOs as well.)
4. I was not able to start with the mock tests until 25th. Don‟t do this. Start the mock tests much earlier and finish your study at least two –three days before the exam day.
5. I took only free tests mentioned above. All of them were good.
6. I would suggest going thru PMBOK at least twice along with the other book of your choice.
Total effective study period was not more that 18 days for me. This is certainly not recommended. I had no other choice but would have loved to get more study time, confidence, surety of passing at the end of exam and more proficients. My advice – spend at least a month studying and understanding PMBOK and other resources.
Once again many many thanks to this forum. I got a lot of information, advice, and encouragement by reading everyone‟s experiences. It would have been hard without all this.
Regards, AU
I am PmP (30-Aug-2011) - First Attempt (thanks to Rita)
Submitted by Aditya Mishra on Wed, 08/31/2011 - 04:36
PMP Exam Tips, Tricks and Lessons Learnt.
Well Guys, I passed. Yayyyyyy!!!!
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I had applied for certification in Late June 11 and Earlier decided to take the test in July 11. But had to go to some place due to Business trip and came back only in August. I work as a PM and till date have managed only small projects.
I started my preparation from 5 Aug, but still never managed to spend more than 1 hr a day until last week due to work commitments. My real preparation started on 21 Aug when I knew that it's high time and I need to make time for studies. I studied from following;
1. Rita Book - I used to read a chap and highlight imp points. Then again read those points 2 more times the same day and the next day. In essence I was memorising things. I could remember whats written on which page. A 'bad' technique that I picked up from my engineering days :(
2. Very few times I would solve PMFasttrack knowledge area qns (i never had time to do full tests here). I was scoring in 85-88% range in these KA tests.
3. Skimmed through PmBok in last 2 days only.
4. Never memorised ITTO except last 2 hrs I had not written any full length test till 27th Aug.
On 27th, I just checked this forum to see if there are any tricks and saw everyone talking about PmStudy Tests. So, I bought one test for 25$ and took it without any revision. Got 76% and was slightly nervous and was thing hard to reschedule my test.
Thanks to satish_multi, sr.ind.comm and my fiancee who pursuaded me to take the test rather than rescheduling (http://www.pmzilla.com/postponed-until-september-26th).
For the last 3 days (28, 29, 30), all I did was;
1. Revised Rita (Quick Revision). Marked Imp points and then revised again. Created few handwritten techniques for answering situational qns for key areas. I can share them if someone needs
2. Skimmed through PmBok once and skimmed through Rajesh Nair's notes (which are actually a lot to cover in 2 days, I wish I had used them earlier)
3. Exam Day - I revised as much as I could and memorised as many ITTOs as I could before the exam. I know around 31 ITTOs now.
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4. Unlike popular belief; I slept 4 hrs last night and did not relax at all. Tried to study as much as possible, because I wanted to pass. I don't suggest this to anyone though. It is a bit stressful.
In the exam hall;
1. Was so tired. Could not write a word on the scrap paper. No Brain Dump for me.
2. However, once I completed first 5 qns, I was like, "WOw this is so easy". Took 4 breaks as I had a very bad headache and I did not carry any pills :(.
3. I completed the first pass in 2.5 hrs. and then reviewed marked qns twice. Everything seemed so very easy, that I was like this is all too good to be true. May be I am missing something and I will fail. But this did not happen in the end and I passed.
Few tips for those who plan to take the test;
1. Please do not study like I did, keep studies for the last minute. Not a foolproof way. I did this because I had no choice.
2. In the exam, if you are tired of staring at the screen and sometime question is not making sense to you, then read it and write it on the scrap paper. This will help a lot to focus on the qn.
3. You might be aware, but i will still tell. You need to use mouse for the calculator. You cannot use Keyboard. This will slow you down, but then there is plenty of time.
4. I had around 8 qns on Conflict Resolution Techniques, 3 on Contract types. 9-12 on ITTO, around 15 on Prof Resp and many on tools and techniques (where they tell you a technique description and ask you to identify it - pay attention to TT of Time, Scope, Quality and Risk)
5. Rajesh Nair's notes are very good. If you are starting to prepare, use them.
6. At the end, I would say believe in yourself, sometimes you need to slog. So, slog. You won't die if you dont eat/sleep properly for a day. Again, you should never reach this stage, but if you do, then remember it :-). If I can pass with so much less prep even you can pass.
