I thought about PMP certification last year. But my prep actually started in April this year.
My prep took around 3 months with an average of 2 hours study every day.
Materials used:
1. Rita PMP Prep book
2. PMP Simulation Tests
3. Online Prep
I did not study the PMBOK Guide. It was too dry for me.
Preparation:
I read Rita thoroughly for about 2 months. I made detailed notes on each chapter and that notes was my review for each knowledge area.
In the third month, I started taking the simulation tests. This is when everything started to fall in place. In total I did 7 complete tests. These are my test results.
PM Prep Cast Simulator 1 76%
PM Prep Cast Simulator 2 83.5%
Passionate PM 86%
PM Prep Cast Simulator 3 84%
Oliver Lehmann 75 62.6%
Oliver Lehmann 175 75%
I did tests from a variety of sources to try different types of questions. I recommend PM Simulator tests as the questions were more similar to actual exam questions in content and difficulty.
Exam Day:
I scheduled my exam on Sunday afternoon. I did a couple of hours of review on Saturday, but nothing too intense. I got a call from the center 3 hours before my appointment to come in early as there was some availability. I reached the center an hour early and started the exam 30 min before my scheduled time. I took a break of 5 – 6 min after around 140 minutes into the exam. I completed my questions with around 30 min left for my review.
Takeaways:
1. Complete practice tests are compulsory. Even after two months of reading and doing practice questions, I was not confident enough. All that changed after my practice tests. I started to think in terms of exam questions.
2. Review each test. Every question will increase your understanding on the material.
3. Read online. There is a lot of content on PMP exam online.
4. Timing Strategy. You should device your own timing strategy for the exam. You can do this by doing enough practice tests.
5. Schedule the exam as early as you can. I had to wait almost 30 days to get an appointment.
Final Words:
I felt that the exam was easy. This may be due to my long preparation or my recent successful GMAT attempt. I would say 2 month prep is enough to pass the exam. It all depends on how much time it takes for the material to sink into you.
