Hello all,
I am very happy to announce that I passed the PMP Exam on my first attempt with above target scores in all 5 domains. Here is what I learned:
Studying Process:
I read the PMP Exam Prep Simplified book by Andrew Ramdayal in 2 to 3 weeks. This was a concise and easy-to-read book and a great introduction to the contents of the PMBOK. Warning: The book does not have all the information you need to pass the exam.
Then, I enrolled in the PM Prepcast Online Training. I watched all the videos published. This effort took quite a lot of time but it was helpful. What was particularly helpful to me was that I could watch the videos while working out.
After watching all the videos, I read the PMBOK. Having watched the videos and having read PMP Exam Prep Simplified, reading the PMBOK was not as hard as I expected. The PMBOK has good illustrations and details. It is definitely a must-read.
Mock Exams:
I solved all the questions in the back of each Knowledge Area chapter of the PMP Exam Prep Simplified book.
After this, I followed the advice in the back of the PMP Exam Prep Simplified book. I re-read the PMP Exam Prep Simplified book and then read the PMBOK. Once both of these activities were completed, I attempted the 200-question exam in the book. The goal was to get 90% or better score. I was able to score 84% in this exam.
Once this exam was complete, I started solving questions on PMP Exam Simulator. I planned to solve 30 questions everyday (Mon-Fri) and 100 questions on Sat and Sun. With this approach, I was able to solve 1400 questions in 4 weeks. I attempted the last 210 questions (Exam 8 – ITTO) one week before the exam.
Solving the exam simulator questions really helped with the actual exam. I was able to score 80% - 90% in the exam simulator questions and that gave me confidence.
My total study + simulator time totaled 3 months. On average, I spend 2 - 3 hours (after work) on weekdays and 4 - 6 hours on weekends.
During Exam:
I was concerned about the take-home exam experience on Pearson onVUE. Reading the lessons learned on PM PrepCast and getting used to the whiteboard in advance helped me.
home.pearsonvue.com/onvue/whiteboard#practice-whiteboard
There were a couple of glitches (the window froze for a minute at one point) during the exam. However, my overall experience on the take-home exam was positive.
In conclusion, I would like to thank my wife for her support. That was important throughout the journey. I was also fortunate to receive valuable feedback from my work colleague and financial support through work.
Thank you!
