TOPIC: CAPM Exam - Passed on first attempt Above Target!

Proudly sharing that I passed the CAPM exam today - and Above Target!

Thanks to PMPreCast courses and their Exam Simulator, I couldn't have made it without them! So if you are doubting your choice,
please don't! It's the best investment I made that lead me to reach my goal to pass this exam.

Now.... How did I do it? Let me share!

I made sure I knew:
- CAPM Learning objectives by PMI (you can find it in their website to download for free)
- Key concepts for each KA (a resume of each are found at the end of the PMBOK Guide - Appendix X4)
- Trend & Emerging Practices for each KA
- Agile/adaptive approaches for each KA
- Know formulas and how to apply them
- ITTOs - Personally, I concentrated on knowing (not memorizing) the most important ITTOs, especially to better know most important
Tools & Techniques per processes and when to use them
- Project Documents - Know important project documents, when they are created/useful to the KA
- Data-flows or Process Map: for Change Requests, Deliverables, Quality Management, etc.
- Know the difference between Risk Register vs Risk Report as an example. Another could be the difference between
Formal vs Informal Information; Qualitative Risk Analysis vs Quantitative Risk Analysis, etc.
- The reason why a process & KA is needed and what it does. It's not about memorizing, it's about understanding
each KA and how processes work

There are some great materials out there (videos on Youtube and a application to practice on my phone from time to time) very useful
that reinforced and completed my studies. I also created my own Flashcards that helped me to remember some definitions.

I watched many videos provided by PMPrepCast and took my own notes. Once I went though all the KAs and processes,
that's when I started to make sure I knew what I listed above, looked for additional tools that I mentioned and created my Flashcards.
That's also when I started using the Exam Simulator. At first by theme and then randomly so I could get used to the type
of questions I might get during the exam. Trust me, you'll need that kind of preparation! Whether you take it here, through an application
on your phone or other sources available, take the time to invest time and money on a good and solid simulator.

After so many years without studying I found it difficult to find my own pace and what really worked for me. I adjusted many times
my study plan so I could keep up with my full time job and my studies. I was also struggling with some health issues that prevent
me from starting earlier and stay focus but I finally found my way to make my studies a priority.I found that dedicating
around 2 hours/day during weekdays and 4 hours/ day on weekends worked for me. I managed to keep it up for around 3-4months
(yes, I have a bad memory!). I wanted to find a study partner but failed to find anyone. I think it would have made a difference.
If it's something you think it's for you, I would recommend to reach out through the chat. Piece of advice, don't hesitate to adjust things
as you go and to look for additional useful material. After all, it's about your own journey so most important thing is to find
what fits you best and go for it!

Feel free to drop me a line or ask about the other material I found useful for my studies.

Wishing you all the best of luck.. you got this!

Congratulations Jeanette! It's so good to hear our products were part of your journey to certification. Thanks for coming back and sharing your lessons learned with the community.

Kudos to you Jeanette!!
Your lessons learned were really "spot on".

What were some of the CAPM videos and sample questions that you used?

Again, Congratulations,
Carol

Hi Carol,

Thanks for you kind message. I mostly watched videos from this site and some that I found though Youtube that were useful to complement or provide a different view of a specific topic. Sample questions were from this site by KA, they are super useful!

All the best!