TOPIC: Time management in PMP real exam

dear all.
Thank you for posting very helpful tips and personal stories in this forum, as I have learned a lot from them. I wanted to ask you about one thing I am struggling with- I am not able to manage time very well in simulator, and afraid my score will be impacted due to last minute rush. could you please share some your experiences and helpful tricks that helped you knock down this Test (esp. from time management point of view). My test is in next few days so every word of advise will be appreciated.
thanks in advance.

Nan,

Time management is a difficult thing during the PMP because it is indeed a grueling exam. When I studied for and sat for my exam, I kept in mind that I had a maximum of approximately one minute per question if I was to finish right on time with no review. My goal was to answer each question in 30 seconds or less, thus giving me back valuable time for that review at the end. However, this method might make you focus on the clock too much, which isn’t ideal either. I simply looked at the minutes on the clock which gave me a rough estimate of the earliest question I should be answering and still meeting the time limit, a worst case scenario if you will.

My other technique was to know very well which point in the exam would give me the hardest time. For me, it was questions 100-150. I knew this from all the full-length practice exams I’d taken. When I saw question 100 in the actual exam, I had to steel myself a bit and re-cage my focus, because I knew that I was already tired and still had many questions to answer.

Biggest recommendation I can give you is just take one question at a time. Don’t focus on the fact that this is question 2 out of 180, for example. Take the exam in bite-sized pieces and you’ll do fine. Best of luck to you!

Nan - definitely felt the same pressure as you. Speaking to other PMP candidates, not a single one said they did not struggle with time allotment initially.

At this point (exam in a few days) there really isn't much you can do other than rest your mind. I would try a self imposed 70min time-boxed approach for each 60 question increment. If you find yourself re-reading a question numerous times and it still doesn't click after 2 minutes, either mark it or make your best guess. Take the provided 10minute breaks to just relax your mind and re-center.

Remember, you have 3 attempts to pass the PMP exam. Obviously passing on the first attempt has some benefits. However, accept potential failure as an option and an opportunity to improve. That alone should take some stress off your mind heading into the exam.

For anyone reading this who has more time:
1) While working through the quizzes opt for 'Timed' not 'Learning', even for 10 question quizzes
2) Work your way up to timed 60 question quizzes. This replicates increments of the PMP exam without having to do an entire mock up exam.
3) Take the mock exams (all 4) - Use what you paid for. Yes, they are harder (who cares), but they are the closest thing to replicating the real exam experience.

- Preparation breeds confidence -

Thank you Brad. I really appreciate you taking the time to share your experience. I would agree and most likely going to follow the idea of taking much less than 1minute or ideally 30sec. But I had not thought about that strategy of being cautious when people reach 100th question, am sure its different for everyone, but still a very helpful tip.

hi Brian- thank you for the idea of taking 60 minute timed quiz. fantastic !
appreciate your time to respond.

Hi Nan,

Brian and Brad's recommendations are great; please consider them. I will also add that you need to focus on conditioning yourself for the PMP exam, just like an athlete will prepare for a marathon or tournament, so they can finish it successfully. When preparing for the PMP exam, I focused on the 60 mins quizzes and then weeks before passing my PMP exam. Furthermore, I concentrated on repeatedly completing all Prep Cast Exam simulators to get used to sitting for that long while taking the PMP exam and learning to manage my time effectively during the actual exam. For example, no more than 1 min spent per question and only focusing on one question at a time to help manage stress and anxiety. I noticed a significant improvement during this and felt more prepared and confident during the real exam because I was conditioned for it. I hope sharing my experience is helpful, and I wish you the best of luck; you can do it!