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Distrust anyone who tells you that the PMP exam is easy or manageable with some study... It is NOT.... This is a tough exam, and if you do not organize yourself and create your own study method, success is unlikely.
The PMP test is particularly difficult as in addition to the regular/common topics, it might also contain unusual questions and concepts that go beyond the theory of project management. Therefore, no single preparation book will cover all topics found in the exam.
I have prepared for six months for the PMP test, used two different books, attended one preparation class at NYU (New York University) with Professor Jeff Furman; watched the PM PrepCast videos and did approximately 1500 sample questions from the "PM Exam Simulator," these last two from Cornelius Fichtner.
Regarding books, I have used Andy Crow’s preparation book alongside with "The Project Management Answer Book," written and organized by Jeff Furman, who did a terrific job listing “out of the box” topics, ideas, and concepts found in the PMP test.
During the first four months of study, I started to create my own "brain dump" or "cheat sheet" in the format of a GRID so that I could visually memorize the processes names and ITTOs. I saw the GRID as "layers," just like in in a layered cake. Since my memory is very photographic, looking at the processes, their definitions and ITTOs shaped around the same grid format, helped me to memorize and visualize them in my head.
Since this was extremely helpful to me, I am attaching my "brain dump" in this message for reference, as I am sure it might help other people. This is an ongoing work and continuously updated. The last page of my "brain dump" is a blank practice sheet. I printed several copies of this blank sheet and just filled it with the process names and ITTOs, as a daily memorization exercise.
Even though you might find advice to not memorize the processes names and ITTOs, keep in mind that several questions in the exam require you to know them by hard. You might eventually be able to guess the right answer, but memorizing the processes names and ITTOs will allow you to respond to the questions more quickly.
Remember that managing your time during the exam is also another factor to be taken into consideration.
The PMP test is made of 200 questions and it should be done in the period of 4 hours. It might sound fine to work on 200 questions in 4 hours, but when you actually seat to do the test, you will notice that time flies. It is very easy to get carried on in some questions and all of sudden... your time is up!!! To make sure I was able to answer 200 questions in 4 hours, the used of the "PM Exam Simulator" by Cornelius Fichtner to reproduce the real scenario of the test. The simulator was a KEY tool for me, and I strongly encourage you to do at least four simulated exams to get a gist of what to expect in the test.
Finally, I also used the "PM PrepCast" by Cornelius Fichtner as a tool for reviewing the study material and also as a way to complement and update my "Brain Dump" with definitions and additional notes.
I was euphoric to follow through my study routine and was able to succeed in the test in my first attempt.
I hope you find my "Brain Dump" useful and feel free to reach in case you have any questions !!!!
Congrats on passing the PMP exam and thank you for taking the time to post your experience and lessons learned. Nice job on the attachment. Very impressive!
Training for Project Management Professional (PMP)®, PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP)®, and Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)®
