Tips to Manage Your Time During PMP® Certification Exam

One important recommendation I have for those taking the Project Management Professional (PMP)^® Exam is that to manage the time allotted to answer each question on the exam. Call it budgeting, call it time management, call it whatever you want; but do it! You need to walk into the examination room with a clear plan on how many questions you will answer per hour, when you plan on taking a break, and what you will do if time seems to be running out.

Remember that the exam is composed of 180 questions that you must answer within 230 minutes. That's 1.28 minutes per question. Once you begin, the clock starts. The computer-based test for the PMP exam has two built-in 10-minute breaks. The first break is given after 60 questions; the second break is given after 120 questions. It is up to the aspirant whether to take the 1st break, the 2nd break, or both breaks, and whether or not to take the entire break(s) or part of it. Remember that you cannot revisit the questions that you saw before a break. So assuming you answered 60 questions then had the first break. After the first break, you will not be able to go back to question 1 to 60.

So plan your approach to best manage your time. Answer all easy questions first and mark those difficult ones for later. Be sure to read all the questions carefully and understand them before you answer. Then before the 10-minute break, go back to the more challenging questions for the rest of the allotted time. By doing this, you will be able to answer all the questions.

But that's just one of many possible approaches, and you should define your own. And by having a plan and implementing it, you will relieve a lot of the exam pressure. So plan well, and budget your time wisely to succeed.