TOPIC: Passed at first attempt: AT/AT/AT/AT/AT

Hi everyone,

I want to just extend my appreciation to Cornelius and his team for providing this valuable service. I have passed the PMP at my first attempt at AT/AT/AT/AT/AT to my surprise. There were certain points at the exam where I just felt I may just scrap by with just T's across the board, or worse.

What I was coming into today:
PMI Mock exam (12/1): 73
My PrepCast scores (12/2-12/ : 87, 87.5, 87, 81.5 (50 Qs), 89 (100 Qs)

I guess when PrepCast says you have a 98% chance of passing the PMP with that track record, then the biggest factor really comes down to confidence and controlling nerves.

Some Lessons Learned:

1. Some folks say the wording structure and the phrasing of the exam is on point with PrepCast, and some say it's not and that it's a lot more like the mock PMP exam from PMI. I came to the conclusion that the reality is that it's a mixed bag. PrepCast does mirror really well the phrasing of lots of questions, so the PrepCast premium questions are immensely great to practice in, because you'll understand how to read the question, understand what is the noise and the red herrings and what you're really looking for, and then find the best answer. It teaches you to get into the rhythm, manage your time, and deconstruct the questions appropriately. And of course, if you're doing well on PrepCasts like I was, then you are really being set up for success for the real thing. PrepCast is not a fluke or a false sense of security. This was a $130 investment well worth it.

2. Nerves will make you work slower, yet at times feel rushed. I finished all my 200-Q PrepCasts with 35 minutes left on average. On the PMP, I finished part one (90 questions) with 130 minutes left, and got really nervous because I was working way slower than I thought. I ultimately finished the PMP exam with 5 minutes left. If you're nervous, it will slow you down, or worse, make you rush through reading a question, and then second-guess or get in a daze of confusion and then re-read the question again, which obviously takes some time away. With that said, if you prepared well, do not freak out or get nerves get to you during the exam. You'll really find the experience as you establish the rhythm on the exam is similar to practicing on PrepCast, just as long as you don't freak out internally inside.

3. I made a huge mistake working on an ultrawide monitor. I thought it would help especially if I needed the whiteboard. But why was it a mistake? A question that would be 3 lines long on a typical sized 16:9 or 4:3 resolution now appears on one line, making you shift your head left and right reading questions and then trying to highlight certain words. And then you wouldn't want to shift your head too off to the sides to prompt a message from your proctor. If you have an ultrawide monitor, set your resolution to a 16:9 or 4:3 ratio, so you won't encounter this issue.

4. Whiteboard drove me insane on any questions in which I needed to use it. I mainly used the textbox on it to decompose my thinking, and the more I typed, the more the screen zoomed in and cropped what I typed. Absolutely annoying and stressful.

Some of my studying techniques:

1. I distilled the PMBOK and Rita's starting with 60 pages of notes and refined it down to 23 pages of notes, taking away the most obvious bits of information. And all I had left was 23 pages of my notes of the things I should really watch out for. When you understand the basics, focus on the nuances that you could overlook.

2. Also coming from a biological sciences background, in homage of my days studying biochemistry and organic chemistry, recreating process flows showing critical interconnectivity of certain processes, reinforced how certain processes weave into one another. Think Vargas' chart, but taken to the next level.

Do your PrepCast. Understand why you got certain questions wrong. Develop a lessons learned register of those, and incorporate that into your study materials.

And be confident! After all, you're not aiming for the highest score possible, you're just aiming to pass. For all intents and purposes, a T/T/T/T/T and a AT/AT/AT/AT/AT will still render the same certification.

Congratulations, that’s great news. Thanks for sharing your success story with us.

Please share your 23 Page notes that may help to refine ours