TOPIC: Passed 3/31/2021 AT/AT/AT

THANK YOU PM Prep Cast!!! You have the BEST exam simulator. The exams in your simulator were the key to passing the exam.

Key notes in Preparing
1. Take the exam on site. There are no computer issues, no one interrupting you during the exam.
2. Take all 4 Prepcast Simulator 2021 exams; timed. Do the whole 250 minutes (in Prepcast) so that you are used to sitting for 4 hours in a timed test.
3. Go through each question and understand what is right and what is wrong. This may take you 3-4 days.
4. Repeat exams if possible. If you plan to repeat an exam, don't look at the answers after you take it the first time.
5. Don't try to memorize anything. Understand the concept.
6. Study EVERY day, including weekends
7. Understand the roles and responsibilities of each agile member
8. If you are running short on time in the real exam, pick the most agile-friendly and the most team-friendly answer.
9. Time management in the real exam. First 60 know to stop with a min of 155 minutes left, 60-120 stop at 75 minutes left, then the last 60 will be the remaining 75 min.
10. As a repeat, take the exams in PM Prepcast Simulator 2021. in my last month of studying before the exam, all I did was take timed exams in the simulator and reviewed every question and answer. I did it every day from Mar 2-Mar30.
If you wait to schedule the exam when "you're ready" you'll never schedule it. Schedule the exam. Come exam day, you will be ready.

Take the test sooner than later. Based on what some people are reporting on other sites, the exam is getting harder. (I think PMI is going to make it harder since people are passing too fast).


Exam Day on Site:
1. Arrive early to go through check in process. Remember you only have 15 minutes after your start time allowed to be late. If you're behind 10 other people checking in, you might be later than 15 minutes by the time you start your exam and you might get failed for being late.
2. Time management (see prep notes above)
3. Don't get hung up on all the extra words that are in the question. Zero in on what is the issue.
4. When you look through the choices, pick the most agile-friendly, team - friendly answer and it will probably be right.
5. As you look at the choices, keep in mind everything is about the team and you're the servant leader.
6. If you absolutely run out of time and you have only 5 minutes left, just read the answers and again, pick the most agile answer.
7. Some questions are based on experience and it's not in the book. So think of what you do at work and give that answer. I'm not a PM so I answered those questions with what we do at work.

Never give up. After my first 60 questions I thought I was going to fail. After my second 60 questions I still thought I was going to fail. Then I figured I've got nothing to lose.
Then I took the last 60 questions and I think I felt confident in 4 answers. Just know, you know more than you think.

Know the concepts. Don't memorize anything.

Sharon,

Congratulations on passing your exam!

Thank you for sharing your success and lessons learned. I remember the inputs that you submitted through our simulator’s Live Feedback™ support feature. We are glad to hear that our products helped you prepare for and pass your exam.

Good luck in all your future endeavors.

Sharon,
Congratulations on passing the PMP exam. Can you please respond to the following questions?

1) Can you please share your 1st & 2nd time scores of the 4 mock exams of simulator?
2) What were your results across the 3 domains in the actual exam? If you don't want to share, I totally respect your decision.
3) Did you encounter any formula related questions where you had to calculate the values such as CPI, SPI, EMV, EVM etc.?
4) Did you see any decision tree analysis, 5 way techniques related questions?
5) How many questions approximately did you encounter that were related to Hybrid (Predictive & Adaptive) methodology?

Once again congratulations on your achievement!

Sharon,
Amazing job and congratulations!
Welcome to the PMP club and excited to join you soon.

1) Can you please share your 1st & 2nd time scores of the 4 mock exams of simulator? 60, 75, 71, 68
2) What were your results across the 3 domains in the actual exam? If you don't want to share, I totally respect your decision. AT/AT/AT I don't see any other scoring
3) Did you encounter any formula related questions where you had to calculate the values such as CPI, SPI, EMV, EVM etc.? 1 velocity question
4) Did you see any decision tree analysis, 5 way techniques related questions? no
5) How many questions approximately did you encounter that were related to Hybrid (Predictive & Adaptive) methodology? 90%

Many questions I had to relate to real life experience. I don't think the answers come from a book. All the questions required me to make assumptions in order to determine the answer. The difficult part was when you choice one path, there was a possible right answer or if you assumed another path, there also was a possible corresponding answer. You have to then determine what was the best path. You really need to understand concept. This was not a memorization test. You had to understand the concept and how it relates to different scenarios. There were questions I would have answered because i=I think it would have been the correct book answer but when I read it and considered real life, I picked another answer. I don't know what I got right or wrong but that's how I answered questions. So I'd say there was a real life answer and a possible book answer but w=one was better than the other. After the first 60 I thought I failed. Then the next 60 I still thought I failed. So I got it out of my mind and said I have nothing to lose and answered the last 60. I was shocked when I saw I passed. I think going in don't think about pass or fail. Think of what you would do if faced with that scenario. I think people know more than they give themselves credit for. You have to read the questions carefully. They will have one word, just one word in the scenario that will make the answer clear. Look for what the problem is and ignore the minutiae. Then read carefully what they are asking. That sounds obvious but when you're in the exam you read too fast and miss what they are asking for. Like they'll give you numbers. You think you need to calculate. But they're not looking for a calculation even though some answers may look like the correct answer for someone who read the question too fast. I only had 2 minutes to spare. I made it a point to read the question the first time knowing I may not have time to go back.

Take it soon before they make the test harder

Since there some people in this forum may not be following the other forum. Here are some more detailed notes on how I prepared for the exam that I posted in the other forum.
I'd like to share with you how I prepared for the exam.
Most people don't want to set a date until they feel read. I read that you will never be ready if you don't set a date. I'm a good example of that. I took a week boot camp in Apr last year. I put off setting a date until I was ready. I never set a date and I never really studied until the day before Thanksgiving when my boss said I need to pass before the end of the performance period. At that point I set the exam date on 28 Dec 2020. I studied only about 3 weeks and failed the exam.
In Dec I learned of PM Prepcast but it was too late to do anything in Dec so I started a study group here in PM Prepcast.
Step 1. Get Prepcast
Step 2 Join a study group
I put together a study plan to keep us on schedule to test in April. We collaborated on the schedule and came out with a final study plan. We started the study group and met twice a week.
Step 3 Put together study plan
I was with the group until my co worker told me that I have to pass before the end of the rating period which is Mar 31. So I had to hurry up and set a test date. It was a compressed schedule compared to what the group prepared. I had to leave the group.
I developed a new schedule with the target of taking 100 question quiz in a specific process every three days after listening to the PM Prepcast lecture and the matching Udemy PMP prep class section. I did that for maybe 5 processes. Then a fellow study group member passed the exam in late Feb/early Mar. She said she focused on the 4 practice exams. I was doing well on the quizzes that I took so I decided to take my first practice exam. I failed 60%. I then studied the exam for 3 days or something like that and took another practice exam. I passed 75%. The questions are not the same but the style and content are. I then studied exam 2 and a few days later took exam 3 and barely passed 71%. By then I was probably 3 weeks from exam day.
Step 4 Take practice exams in PM Prepcast simulator
Step 5 Study and understand what was right and what was wrong. Don't memorize. That won't do you any good. You have to understand the concept. This exam tests your understanding. Not whether or not you're book smart.
I was studying late into the night every night and found myself staring blankly at the practice exams. I thought this is not getting me anywhere. I started taking short breaks say 15-30 minutes just to break up the time. Stay focus. Don't have anything going on like a tv or radio. Listen to those during the breaks. I started feeling better.
Step 6 Get rest
Then after taking the 4th exam I failed 68% but this time I didn't study the answers right away. Instead I restudied exams 1 and 2 and then re-took exam 4 without knowing what the answers were. Still failed 69%. I reminded myself its not what you get in the practice exams. Its whether or not I pass the real exam that matters. So I stayed focus and not let my scores get me down.
Step 7 Don't worry about your practice exam scores.
Then for the last two weeks I went over the exams and covered the answers to see if I could give generally the right answer without looking at the choices. I began knowing the concept better as I was explaining it outloud to myself. I started to explain to myself why an answer was right and why the others were wrong. I did that for the exams (this was after I had gone over the 4 exams the first time).
Step 8 Go over the exams again and explain to yourself what the right and wrong answers were.
Before I forget, be watchful of the time when you take the practice exam. Take it as if it were the exam. It's good practice to go 4 hours in a test.
Step 9 Practice mock exams, timed as if they were the real exam.
Now that I had a decent understanding of the content, I started paying closer attention to how different words that say the same thing give different answers such as what would you do first as opposed to what would you do immediately. Words made a difference in the mock exams and the real exam.
Step 10 Study question styles/wording
I think after you study the 4 exams and really just the 4 exams for a solid month including weekends you start seeing how small nuances make a difference in the outcome.

When you get to the point where you feel ready and just want to get it over with, you are ready for the exam.

I went to the test center for the exam. The questions were all short; not a lot of detail. As mentioned I thought I was going to fail. Stay positive and read the questions slowly. You're smarter than you think.

Step 11 Stay positive