TOPIC: Why PMI Won't Say If You Passed Or Failed Your PMP

Cornelius:


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The issue of PMI not giving a pass/fail at the end of the exam is very disturbing to me. I have had several health and family issues which have slowed down my studies, but I am back and ready to dive in. I have the time, but was initially discouraged that I was not getting good scores on your simulator for the first few chapters.

Here is what I have been doing recently:

1. Listening to the PrepCast, taking notes, reviewing (5-6 hours)
2. Reading the PMBOK related chapter (3-4 hours)
3. Reading/skimming Andy Crowe’s book (I find it helpful the way he clearly points out the ITTO’s for each process) (1-2 hours)
4. Reading Rita’s book (which is the best prep book I have found) (5-6 hours)
5. Taking her sample test (1 hour)
6. Taking your simulator test/quiz for the chapter, multiple times (2-3 hours)

This amounts to about 20 hours per chapter. I have 3 down and 8 chapters to go. That leaves me about 160 hours.

I am ready to roll up my sleeves and get busy now that some issues have been resolved. I had resigned myself to not being able to take the test by August 31st. However, I am on partial disability and unemployment; and both run out the first week of October. I had hoped to take the exam by September 15th which is 4-5 hours a day, 7 days a week. Then if I had not passed the exam (with an immediate pass/fail notice), to crunch-study for another 30 days and re-take the exam. I know this may sound like a defeatist attitude, but getting the knowledge to stick on the first few chapters was harder than I expected.

Here are my concerns:

If I take the exam on or about September 15th and pass, I am a PMP and my resume now has a certification that I am confident will get me through to some interviews. (I do not have a degree and am not getting interviews.) But, if I don’t know that I passed, they won’t recognize the completion and I can’t use the title. If I have to re-take it, and give myself 4 weeks of additional study, then I potentially won’t know to re-take it before November 1st(?), then even if I kept up my simulator tests and re-scheduled ASAP after knowing, say November 15th, I would need to wait until January 1st to find out if the second attempt was successful.

I was counting on the ability to use that certification the minute I had a passing score.

Please note: I’m not blaming anyone but myself for the delay in my study process, but it has become a major concern. With unemployment and disability running out in October, I am putting myself in a very hard place financially.

Here are my questions:

• Do you think that my study plan is sound, and if not, what would you change? Would you change the order of what I have listed?
• To schedule a test for August 31st, 26 days from now, with days for 4-hour prep tests; I need to devote like 7 hours a day. Is this realistic? Do you think I should push through with that as a goal?
• How do you think using and depending on the exam simulator for the last two weeks of August will affect my ability to properly study for the existing test?
• What other advice can you give me?

Thank you,

David

David,

It's a tough situation and I don't have answers for all of your questions. I'll try.

Do you think that my study plan is sound, and if not, what would you change? Would you change the order of what I have listed?

Yes. However, you are using 2 prep books. Consider giving one up. (Or use Crowe only for ITTO). That saves some time.

To schedule a test for August 31st, 26 days from now, with days for 4-hour prep tests; I need to devote like 7 hours a day. Is this realistic? Do you think I should push through with that as a goal?

The last day you can take the exam is August 30th. If you take it on the 31st you will already have the new exam!

If you are able to have three study sessions every day of 2.5 hours each you should be able to make it. But only you can decide if that is possible.

How do you think using and depending on the exam simulator for the last two weeks of August will affect my ability to properly study for the existing test?

My recommendation is always that the closer you get to the exam the more questions you should answer. However "relying" solely on the simulator won't work. All simulators are mostly intended to give you an exam experience and give you an opportunity to gain confidence. You don't really "learn" from a simulator. You have to study the books / concepts in order to really learn something.

What other advice can you give me?

Schedule your Exam for August 30th and give it a go! Considering all you have said, you have to just hunker down, not let anything come in your way and get this out of your way.

And just to be absolutely and overly clear: The new exam starts on the 31st! Schedule the exam for the 30th!