TOPIC: My first attempt percentage is 68 - 72%

Hello All
I wanted to get some guidance on the way forward:
I have completed first 6 exams (1st attempts) and my scores are in the range of 68% to 73%. I have already reviewed PMBOK and RITA guides 3 times.

1) What is a good score in these exams ?
2) How can i improve so i can score in 80% tiles
3) When do i stop to take the final PMP exam ?
4) How do i know i am ready

thanks
Amer

Amer,

You are on track in terms of the materials you are using. Getting through both sources 3 times is great. How long have you been studying / preparing to this point? As noted in the exam simulator, you should be shooting for scores in the 85% range in order to be more confident that you can pass the actual exam, but even those scores provide no guarantee. I had a similar situation to yours in that I was about 1 week out from my exam date (had already studied for 2.5 months) and realized I just wasn't ready to take the exam. I rescheduled for 1 month later and continued to focus my studies and use the exam simulator and was successful in my first attempt.

Here are some suggestions:
1) Make sure you are reviewing all of the questions (both correct and incorrect) in the exams you have taken and try to identify your weak areas and concentrate your study on those.
2) Continue to take the exams in the simulator but only after you have had some time to do some additional study.
3) If you have not scheduled your actual exam, you probably should pick a date and then study to that date. It is a huge motivator.
4) Make sure you assess how you are managing your time in the simulated exams. That is critical when taking the actual exam. When I was taking the simulated exams, I generally had 15-20 minutes remaining for review. For the actual exam, I only had about 5 minutes to review. Of course, it is different for everyone.

How do you know when you are ready? Great question but tough to answer. I don't know that you ever feel completely ready but I know I reached a point where I knew it was time to take a shot. Another key aspect of this is your "brain dump" (processes and forumlas). Can you get it down on paper in less than 15 minutes? If not, then you still have work to do.

Keep working at it. You can pass the exam! Good luck and let us know if you have any questions. The lessons learned forums are chock full of great advice on how to prepare.

Mark
"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take." - Wayne Gretzky

Hi Mark, This question is posed directly to you since I have read many of your responses and they seem spot on. My current results are: (from the Exam Tab): Answering 79% correct on 1st time? I took exam 1 early per recommendation from Prepcast - We both expected a low score: Anyway here goes:
1. 71% (Actual score 65%) - on "Details" tab. I believe 71% to be amt of questions answered correctly the first time.(?)
2. 79%
3. 80%
4. 77%
5. 84%
6. 80%
7. 80%
The problem with the 80% scores is that they were 79.5%, rounded up on Exam Tab, i.e are a Pass. With regard to Exam 7, I signed in and Simulator was down. Given that message, I started a Rita Exam, got 80% on that for 100 question exam. Then when I checked back to Prepcast, you guys were back up. So after 2 hours of testing, (a little tired already) I started a 4 hour exam and stupidly changed 3 correct answers (to the wrong one) at the end. I also am reviewing and noticed very stupid mistakes, i.e. I knew the correct answer but was not thinking clearly. Sorry for the ramble, but I am down to the wire and this is my 3rd time sitting for the exam. I am unsure if re-scheduling is an option, since I am about to start a new job, then study time will truly lapse. I discussed items w/ Dan Ryan and Procurement was low. That has been brought up to 78% since. After re-reading PMBOK and Rita Procurement chapters and doing all 50, of Aileen Ellis, get every contract Calculation correct (there are multiple choice in the book too). Now cost is low man on the totem pole. I am about to do Aileen Ellis: get every EVM question correct and then hope to take last simulator tomorrow? Do you think I should postpone exam? Sorry for such a long email, but I believe controlling test anxiety and reading questions thoroughly, but in a timely manner are paramount. While there may be gaps in my knowledge, it is the actual thought process during the exam which, I believe, has been my nemesis. Please advise, if you have additional insights. I think I could take last Simulator tomorrow with still time to postpone. Will have to double check PMI requirements. Thank you Mark, in advance, for any additional insights.
Kindest wishes,
Debby
Ps. Brain dump; processes and formulas in 10 mins or less. Also, my actual PMP exam review time at end (2nd time) mimics your comment below; 1st time sitting for exam I didn't even finish, i.e. left several blank, poor timing skills!

Debby,

Sorry for the delayed response. Your simulator scores look good. You are consistently scoring near 80% or higher. I wouldn't worry about the rounding from 79.5 to 80. You are also spending your time wisely by focusing on your weak areas and studying to bring your scores up in those areas. I can certainly understand your anxiety given that this will be your 3rd time to sit for the exam. Unfortunately, I can't tell you whether you should postpone the exam or not. Only you can decide if you believe you are ready. When is your actual exam date?

Based on your simulator scores and what you have shared about your study methods, I believe you know the material well enough to pass the exam. I agree that controlling your anxiety before and during the test is paramount. You have probably already done this, but you might want to reflect on your previous exams and whether there were any particular factors that increased your anxiety (e.g. time of day, etc..) and adjust your strategy accordingly. You should be sure to give yourself a break and relax the day before your exam and get plenty of rest.

I wish I could give you more concrete advice. Please keep us informed of your progress and let us know if you have other questions. Keeping working at it. You can pass the exam!

Best of luck to you.

Mark

Thanks Mark. Everyone at PrepCast has been extremely responsive. I look forward to giving rave reviews!