I passed the exam, it went pretty well. My biggest learning were:
1. Have a positive attitude towards studying, we may sometimes see studying as a burden and loose focus into knowing that is for our personal and professional growth.
2. Assign yourself a realistic timeline, I learned that 4 to 5 months is the sweet spot because we all have lives outside of work and the PMP prep so you want to keep it balanced, family and health should not be sacrificed at the expense of the PMP.
3.Create a study routine were you want to practice your brain dump daily, Study consistently 1 process a day from the PMBOK and a study prep book, also use PM PrepCast is a huge asset to help you understand concepts; listen to it on your way to work, exercising and while commuting. (I would normally do Prepcast, PMBOK, then study prep book)
4. Do at least 100 sample questions of the process group you studied throughout the week at the end of the week
5. Once you are getting close to finishing your PMBOK start doing full practice exams; do at least 5 full exams so you can boost up your confidence and practice taking the exams under pressure.
6. Don't do a cram sprint the final week (I did that and it exhausted me mentally), instead the last couple of weeks do a focused review and many practice questions during the week and at least 3 of the minimum 5 exams I mentioned; it helps you refresh your concepts. 6. Try finding a course were you can meet people who are also preparing to form weekly study groups, a support system is a huge help as well.
7. The day before, wake up early do 1 full exam do a VERY light review of small gaps, exercise and relax.
8. On exam day, do light exercise, relax, eat a balanced breakfast, prepare mentally, don't rush- avoid any type of stress. Once at the testing site, get familiarized with the location, bathrooms, etc. During the exam drink enough water and a hydrating drink, snack healthy fruits and nuts (nuts are great brain food). Manage your time wisely, every 50 questions take short breaks (very short just to catch some breath- you will need the time in the end).
And overall, have confidence in yourself, the PMP it tough but doable if you do your homework. During your prep process, exercise, rest well, take a day off and keep things in perspective, balance is the key to a sustainable process and say to yourself that you will do this, you'll own the PMP exam, trust in your conscious effort, and by the way, if when you finish the exam you feel like a typhoon just hit you and you don't know how it went, its normal. Best of luck and enjoy the process.
