TOPIC: Passed my PMP exam in my 1st attempt (3P and 2MP) in Hong Kong

My motto, an old and traditional quote, but it’s always true: PMP (Practice Makes Perfect)!

My study materials:

1) PM PrepCast
2) PMP Exam Formulas
3) PMP Exam Simulator
4) PMBOK
5) All other free PMP exam questions available on the Internet and mobile Apps

My study tactics:

1) Found a way of study that best fitted my study time table. As for myself, e-learning was the best option for me as I could study whenever and wherever I could (during travel, evening time and even bed time). Also, I could replay as many times as you need until I really understood the terms and concepts, unlike the traditional classroom training. It was the reason why I chose PM PrepCast.

2) Planned out my study time table and scheduled the exam as soon as possible. By fixing an exam date, I could get my head down and force myself to study hard as the time slipped away. Also, I found it hard to find a perfect date and time for the exam that I wanted (the test center was always fully booked every day, I’m not sure if it is the same case in other countries) , so it is always good to check and schedule it as soon as you can.

3) Watched all the PM PrepCast videos and then read through the PMBOK once (I saved a copy in my iPad Mini, so that I could easily carry around and study whenever and wherever I could). PMBOK is very dry, if you read this book first, you will definitely lose your passion, momentum and interest. However, I would still recommend to read through PMBOK at least once after watching all the PM PrepCast videos as you will gain an in-depth understanding on and memorize all the terms used in PMBOK that you need to know for the exam.

4) Practiced PMP exam questions using PMP Exam Simulator and other free sources online. There are 9 exams (1800 questions in total). To be honest, I did not really do all of them, but I did try a few exams and timed quiz (you can choose the number of questions you want to take, and so that you don’t really do all 200 questions at a time). I found that PMP Exam Simulator is really a good practice tool for PMP exam practice as it gives you the feel and taste of how the real exam is going to look like. Also, it provides comprehensive statistics of your results (which knowledge areas or domains that you did not do well in the exam) after you have done the exam, so that you can understand and focus on your weakest areas. I got around 75% to 80% for those exams I took in Simulator.

My little tips:

1) DO NOT try to memorize ITTOs, but try to understand the concepts behind. I did not really get a question just asking what the inputs / outputs / Tools and Techniques for a specific process are in the real exam.

2) Understand all the contract types and EVM (Earned Value Management). For EVM, don’t just remember the formulas, but also need to understand all the terms (PV, EV, SV, CV, etc…) and under what circumstance you need to apply what formula for calculation.

3) Drink a cup of double espresso from Starbucks before sitting in the exam

P.S. Special thank you to Cornelius Fichtner and PMP PrepCast!

Good luck everyone who wants to start the journey and be PMP certified~

Congratulations.

Your write up and feed back is good and to the point. No unwanted personal stories and hiccups. Just the kind of feedback one requires about how to approach and plan their strategy for the exam. Thank you.