TOPIC: Cleared PMP - My Strategy & Tips

Ever since I learned about the possibility of getting certified in project management in 2011, I've been wanting to get the PMP certification. Sadly, I've had to wait till June 2014 before I got the required experience in the bag. In the mean time, I obtained my CAPM.

I began my PMP preparation in March 2014, but kept getting interrupted with job & personal commitments. Finally on August 1, 2014, I decided to clear PMP the very month. I began my preparations anew.

I followed these steps:

This covered 80% of the syllabus for the exam
1. Manually recreated the ITTO tables for every knowledge area using pen & paper (I am a bit of a kinesthetic learner)
2. Tried to identify the reason an item was an input, tool/technique, or an output for the process
3. Whichever items I didn't know, I looked up on the PMBOK & the PM PrepCast.
4. Accompanied this by understanding the definitions of each process and committing them to memory for context purpose

This covered another 10% of the syllabus
5. Read through the PMBOK chapters before Integration Management & used PM PrepCast wherever I couldn't relate with my experience.

The remaining 10%
The remaining 10% consisted of the knowledge, standards, & practices present in the middle of large text portions in the PMBOK that were easy to miss out, so I decided to cover them using practice questions & practice exams.

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT

1. Take as many practice quizzes as possible. They helped identify gaps in my knowledge. Through multiple quizzes from the PM Exam Simulator and question banks I found in the library, I covered the remaining 10%


2. Take as many practice exams as possible. They helped me get used to the test taking conditions.

They don't say it, but your endurance will be tested in the exam too. During the exam You may feel tired, or worried about some question you couldn't answer, or worried about what might happen if you fail, etc. These will fatigue your thinking and increase the chances of you making mistakes.

The PM Exam Simulator is a god send for me :laugh:

My preparation & practice gave me confidence during the exam. I didn't have to take any breaks. The PM Exam Simulator helped me in the following ways:

1. Prioritize my time


2. Built confidence in my own instincts: 90+% of the time, when I was in a dilemma on the answer choice, my instincts were right. The exam simulator helped me to hone these instincts


3. Stay focused on & enjoy the exam: I realized that my performance was better & also improved when I didn't think about anything other than the exam. I didn't bother about what would happen if I failed, or if the system failed, or anything outside my control. Its not the end of my life after all .

I thoroughly enjoyed myself through the exam, and sure enough, I passed

Thank you Cornelius for your PM PrepCast and PM Exam Simulator. They were vital, and the PM Exam Simulator was critical in my success.