TOPIC: PMP Passed on August 9, 2016

Passed PMP on August 9 - 2P, 2MP, 1NP. I started out trying to read the PMBOK guide but quickly decided I needed something else. Came across PM PrepCast and signed up for the videos and simulation exam. At same time, I order Rita's PM Prep book. I will be the first to admit about being a classic procrastinator on the studying for this (as I was in college many years ago) and by the time I got down to trying to use the videos, which were very through, I quickly realized that simple logistics was going to have me run out of time to simply watch all of the videos. So I rebooted and went strictly with the Rita PMP Prep and crammed with that for 6-7 days straight and periodically referred to the PMBOK guide if needed to clarify something. I had the thought I would go back and pick up some of the PM Prepcast videos and the simulation at the end. As it turns out, I ran out of time for doing that and went straight to the PMP exam with 90% of the studying with Rita PMP Prep (her process chart and process game and answering the questions at the end of the chapters was the single best study guide i used), 5% Prep Cast and 5% PMBOK. So, not exactly the way you should do it but wanted to post back here and say the PM Prep cast videos were in fact very helpful for the ones I got through albeit they are a bit monotonous and boring (though to be fair, the subject matter lends itself to this). It is worth looking at the whole volume of videos you have to watch and absorb and deciding how many you can watch per day or week, add 10% buffer for missing days and back up from there and then add a buffer at the end so you are done a couple of weeks prior to the exam, and take the simulation using the remaining time to study on areas you are weak in. I didn't do that and wish I had - the test was much harder for me than it should have been had I taken my own advice. For PM Prepcast, I took notes as the video played and stopped it when I wanted to note more details and used my notes that I had gotten through for review at the end. The test itself was definitely not a memory test - you have to know what PMBOK thinks you should do next or best in a large amount of cases so studying the process charts and understanding what is done in each process area was definitely important. I still have an issue with PMI requiring you memorize formulas in today's day and age but it is needed for some of the more basic formulas - Cornelius pocket guide was helpful in focusing on which ones to know the most. Hope that helps and think of this as more of a how NOT to do it -

Michael,

Congratulations on passing the PMP exam and thank you for posting your lessons learned.

Mark