TOPIC: Passing without reading Rita or HF - possible ?

So I'm sitting here one week before the exam and wondering should I have read Rita's PMP exam prep book or the Head First PMP book. Both of which I found out late (2 weeks back), seem to be highly recommended by majority of PMP exam takers.

Although, what I did do till now, is go through all pm prepcast videos, read through PMBOK (reading it again now) and also read Andy Crowe's 'how to pass pmp in first try'.

Also, took did 3 full length mock tests (1 from PM exam simulator) with score ranging from (75 to 80) and a bunch of questions from oliver L, Sean Whitaker and others.

Right now want to focus on taking more on full length exams from PM simulator, rather than start reading more material.

Still mulling postponing the exam.

Will really appreciate, any suggestions from our resident experts, for my homestretch.

Full disclosure: I haven't read either of these books. I can only assume they are good because of the many recommendations, but can't tell you how much better they are than the rest or where they are particularly strong.

That being said, I would definitely not consider failing to read these books as any sort of blocker or deal-breaker when it comes to your test preparation. Sure, they may be great resources, but so are several other options out there. For example, I consider the exam simulator to be a great way to prepare, but there are certainly a lot of people who passed the test without it (just as I passed the test without reading those books).

If you aren't feeling confident about your grasp of the material, that's certainly something to consider with regards to any decision to postpone the exam. But if you were feeling confident before finding out about those books, don't let that throw you off your game.

My recommendation would be to take a couple of tests over the weekend (one per day - more than that is counterproductive) and pay attention to the patterns in your results. If you find that you are consistently missing questions on a certain topic, then you may want to revisit that in your existing resources, or even pick up one of those books you listed for a new perspective. But let that be a targeted approach - you probably don't need to re-read the entire body of knowledge, so don't waste energy reading a new book cover to cover if you know you're only weak in one or two specific areas and have a good understanding of the rest already. Spend your time wisely and focus on areas with the biggest opportunities for improvement. Your scores suggest you've probably got a solid foundation to build on, so you probably don't need to start over at this point.

Hi there, Imran

You really should not be concerned with that at all! I recently passed and did not buy Rita's book, nor did I look at it at. I only used Andy Crowe's book and of course the PM PrepCast and PrepCast Simulators. The PrepCast has mostly everything you'll need (granted you're really understanding it all) and the simulators are absolutely invaluble in my opinion.

Also, definitely spend just as much time going through your mock exams so that you're completely clear concerning, not only the ones you got incorrect (and why), but also all the questions you got correct as well. The exam reviews alone should prove as excellent study material for you. Lastly be sure to pace yourself during the mock exams and develop a realy good strategy for how many questions you can comfortably answer each hour of the four hours.

Hope this helps!

John

Hi Imran,

I wouldn't think it would be wise to pick up the Rita book now since your exam is a week away. You may find yourself getting stressed out. As recommended, I would continue to take more mock exams and take some breaks. Your average scores 75-80 seem to indicate you have a good grasp the material. Best of luck!

Thank you guys for your invaluable feedback.

I'll continue with the exam simulator and checking the correct and incorrect answers.

Getting the ITTOs right is where I know I'm lacking. Trying different techniques, but sometimes I'm just stumped. Like Analytical techniques being used in Close project/phase and not in other control processes. I know PM is not a science and may be I shouldn't be seeing these ITTOs logically.

Thanks again

Hi Imran,

Given your mock test scores, I think you should not postpone the exam. Focus on areas where you're making mistakes and if felt needed, for those specific areas, you could refer other material. But I wouldn't fret too much about it. Just take a deep breath and I'm sure you'll do just fine

Best of luck!