Hello everyone,
I passed the PMP exam with Above Target rating in all domains back in mid-August. The exam was proctored online and it was my first attempt, after about a couple months of preparation (around two hours a day on average and longer during weekends when possible, given my full time job and other commitments like most other PMP aspirants). My journey for PMP prep was somewhat different since I decided to go for PMP certification on a whim, more as a learning / skill-building opportunity (especially given the convenience of appearing for the exam from home via online proctoring), after having obtained my PMI-ACP certification around the end of June 2020 (thanks to PM PrepCast for the helpful PMI-ACP Exam Simulator!). Back to my preparation journey and lessons for PMP prep.
Here are the main resources that I used:
I started with a PMP prep course from Udemy back in May 2020 to test the waters since I was initially just curious about PMP and hadn't yet decided on appearing for the exam, primarily since this course did not require much investment. The course provided a good overview.
Once I decided to appear for the exam (around mid July), I filled out the PMP application and booked a date (setting a date helped me push and plan to be ready by the mid August deadline!). The application was approved promptly (no audits etc) and I moved on the next steps. I lurked around the reddit PMP subreddit for exam tips / experiences and resources. There are some great resources that I learned about from there, including the following videos and of course the PM-Prepcast exam simulator. People generally seem quite positive and helpful in sharing what worked for them so the subreddit is worth checking out.
I watched these YouTube videos several times over the course of my preparation, and found them to be quite helpful.
Ricardo Vargas Youtube video: PMBOK® Guide 6th Ed Processes Explained.
Praizon video PMBOK Guide 6th Edition Mainline
I also watched videos by Aileen Ellis and found them to be useful. There are other helpful videos on You Tube, but I'd keep it brief here and focus on the ones that I found to be most helpful.
Now to the PM-Prepcast PMP exam simulator -- this was the most useful resource (that everyone raves about on Reddit as well, and for good reason). Edward, the helpful blogger who blogs about his experience and tips on PMP and PMI-ACP prep, also had a positive review on his PMP blog (which is how I first learned about it and bought it). I did all 7 mock exams and carefully reviewed all incorrect answer explanations which were incredibly helpful. My scores ranged from around 84% to 90% so that gave me confidence about my preparation. I also felt that the four hour mock exams helped with my time management (I felt short on time for most exams and had to devise strategies to finish on time!) and build mental stamina that's so important. The exams felt very real, and helped me practice incorrect answer elimination strategies which were very helpful for me (when needed, first visually eliminate the two answers that seem really off, and then think about the remaining two and pick the "better" choice).
I also referred to PMI's official PMBOK reference for clarity and Andy Crowe's PMP exam prep book that my friend gave me. That was it.
Exam day: nothing special. Some of the questions seemed similar to the PM PrepCast exam simulator whereas some were more confusing. I was prepared to see some questions that felt confusing and had decided to not spend too much time on any particular question. My exam strategies of explicitly ruling out some answer choices and trying to be efficient with my time were helpful. I did not have issues with the online proctoring, except for having to wait almost 30 minutes for the exam to start. I took full advantage of the 10 minute break since I felt I definitely needed to take a break midway to refuel both in terms of food as well as some stretching and deep breathing to relax .
I would like to thank PM PrepCast for having created such a high quality exam preparation resource. I was really impressed and grateful for the exam simulators (the quality of the questions, simulator UI, the thorough and careful answer explanations, everything) all through my preparation experience for PMI-ACP first and then PMP. Please keep up the good work!
All the best to everyone preparing for the PMP exam! Hope you find my experience helpful.
