I managed to pass my PMP exam on 27th December with flying colors
I work full time, have a very busy schedule with meetings throughout the day so I took Christmas off to prepare for my exams.
Here are some lessons learned from my study and exam experiences. Hope it helps everyone else trying to pass the exam!
What went well
1. Mock exams are absolutely a must.
Here PM Prepcast simulator helped me a lot.
It is not easy to think about various scenario-based questions during the study but as you give mock exams some concepts get clearer. Questions such as what will PM do first or what is the best course of action are tricky and will need practice and explanations to get correct answers.
2. Exam time management is important.
Manage your exam timing well. There is a potential to get stuck in a few questions due to long sentences or a winding story. Mock exams will give you the practice to timebox the questions properly. I did my time check every 30 questions to be completed in 38 minutes. Don’t panic if you don’t know the answer, take your best guess and mark it for review. You may find the answer you are looking for in subsequent questions and you can always come back to it within a set of 60 questions.
3. Make your own Notes
I strongly recommend making your own notes during your study phase. This will not only reinforce the concepts but will help to revise quickly. You can add points to your notes of the questions that you answer incorrectly in mock. This feedback loop will help you clear out your weakness.
4. Arrange for logistics in advance
Check your PC, Internet, Camera in advance preferably before 1 day of your exam. Clear your table of everything except for PC/laptop and mouse if you are taking it at home.
5. Positive mindset, don’t panic
Believe in yourself during exams. Don’t doubt your answer as what you thought first would be most of the time correct answer.
What did not go well
1. Studying and reading up PMBOK
Although I tried to read through PMBOK 6; it is very long and very dry. I found it not completely necessary for passing the exam. Exam questions are mostly scenario-based so you should get the concepts and their applications rather than memorizing ITTO’s
2. Not resting enough before the exam
Make sure you take full night sleep and take the exam at the time of the day when you are in your full energy. 4-hour exams are draining and you might feel fatigued after 2 hours. Take 10 mins breaks between the 60 questions to stretch out and have light snacks.
I hope this helps out anyone who is attempting on taking the exam. Good Luck and all the best!
