hi All, just passes the PMP exam from the first attempt. preparation time - 14 days and around 10 years of working experience, including managing different projects.
Thought i share some lessons learned from my side.
1. i took 14 days with every day studying 4-5 hours. This is probably not an approach for everyone, but it worked for me because i work and study better under pressure. If i start studying months in advance i loose motivation and grip so my approach has always been studying under time pressure.
2. a prep cast simulator is an absolute must. its the only tool that you really need to pass the exam. I must say the real exam was easier than questions in the simulator.
3. read through each chapter and memorize each processes´ inputs and outcomes
4. study the difference between agile and predictive and impact of agile in project management ( methods such as scrum, scrum of the scrum, kanban boards and etc)
5.Make sure to understand what are iteration, sprint, sprint reviews and their purpose.
5.Studied names and usage of main tools and methods : histograms, pareo, tornado, monte-carlo, fishbone, burn down chart, crash vs fast-tracking and in which knowledge areas they are being used
6. I would say that resource management, communication management plan, stakeholder engagement (stakeholder engagement matrix), risk management ( identification, risk register, risk strategies) , performing change control, managing virtual teams, closing the project are the key themes
7. did every day between 30-50 questions on exam simulator. choose to do them in the learning mode at first, this way you will be able to see the correct answer and explanation right away.
8.make note of the questions you got wrong and look them up immediately in the book to complete your gap knowledge
9. keep in mind you have about 1 minute to answer each question
10. the exam is divided into 3 parts: 60 questions - break, 60 questions - break, 60 questions
11. each break is 10 minutes and optional. Basically when you take the break, the time of the exam doesn´t stop and counts against your exam
12. before going on the break you will have a possibility to review your answers for all questions. I allowed myself to spend more than 45 minutes on the review for first two parts, and it put me under unnecessary time pressure towards the last part which still contained 60 questions, so eventually for the last 60 questions i had only 30 seconds per questions. So KEEP IN MIND TIME.
That's just what i had on top of my mind, just being fresh out of the exam room.
Good luck everyone, the exam is doable and you have the skills to succeed it.
