TOPIC: Using My Statistics (By Knowledge Area and Domain) to address weak areas?

HI Everyone,

For any of the mock exams taken, I have gone back in an attempt to review and document notes on each question that was missed (or were marked) in order to learn from the mistakes and understand the answers.

In review of My Statistics today, I visited the tabs for the Knowledge Area and Domain which provided a ranking of top and bottom areas. This is very high level, and doesn't provide a further drill down into which processes may be under performing within the Knowledge Areas or Domains.

What recommendation(s) would you provide in trying to close my weak areas as indicated by the simulator that you found helpful toward passing your PMP exam?

As a thought, would it be worthwhile for me to take some time to go back through all of my exams, and note specifically what process group (since the PMBOK page numbers are listed as references in the answers), I kept encountering wrong answers with ( by keeping a tally count)? I know this would take some effort to do, so before I take the time to do it, I wanted to seek some input. Once I have the #s, I can review back on those processes that are the weakest, review the information missed on the exam, and re-read over those sections in books. I am trying to really zero in where I need to focus. Right now, the indication is very high level in those weaker areas , and the hole could be anywhere within a Knowledge Area or Domain. Thoughts or advice on how to approach studying/identifying further the weak areas based on the stats from the Exam Simulator?

Thank you!
Steven

Being curious, I did the exercise of roughly about 3 hours time, and went through all of my Exams taken where I had incorrect questions, any question specifically ITTO missed or marked, and any others that were marked due to uncertainty or from being questionable. Through the review, I documented down key words of topics encountered in those questions from each exam to see a trend of topics or things to review . I was able to isolate down to specific processes where I need to focus my attention which in some cases match back to the ranking of Knowledge Areas. What influences this to not match the Exam statistics is because I count anything marked as a potential problem area (where the system just counts only the wrong questions). I was able to identify a refined Top 10 list of processes:

(Red Areas)
1) Direct & Manage Project Work
2) Perform Integrated Change Control
3) Close Project or Phase
4) Develop Schedule
5) Control Costs
6) Plan Quality Management
7) Perform Quality Assurance
8- Manage Project Team
9) Conduct Procurements
10) Close Procurements

Outside of that was some areas in Organizational Influences & Life Cycle.
Any other suggestions for approaching where to focus, I would like to considerate so I can optimize time remaining.

Thanks...
Steven

Steve, I recommend primarily to all forum participants in questions about advice, that they should study their own way as they had in the past for any college final exam. I don't think I've come across one PMP who studied the same way. As such I think you laid out a good action plan for yourself. In the end, you need to balance between studying too much chafe which distracts you and PMBOK-related type information. Several PMPs have recommended Rita McCauley's books to help study where the PMBOK is a little confusing. If you are interested, others also recommended Cornelius Fichtner's products, which you might be familiar with since you are on this forum.