TOPIC: Completed PMP Certification: Proficient in 4 Domains and Moderately Proficient in 1 Domain.

I completed my PMP certification with the result: Proficient in 4 Domains and Moderately Proficient in 1 Domain.

Preparation: I started my preparation in April this year. I joined an online preparation class with SimpliLearn towards the end of May. I studied the PMBOK and the Rita Mulcahy guide once. In addition to my work as a PM, the online classes helped understand the concepts better. I created notes of the important points from each chapter going through the materials as well as from the classes. Subsequent to finishing the preparation classes, I attempted the sample quizzes from the material provided by SimpliLearn. Once done, I got the PM Prepcast PMP Exam Simulator. I made sure that I attempted all the questions in the simulator though not all were done using the exam mode. While going through this I scheduled my exam. On completing the simulator, I browsed through the PMBOK guide once again.

Day of the Exam:

• I referred to my notes on the day of the exam before proceeding to the test center.
• I did not write down the formulas or any of the process details before I started the exam.
• Once I started I did not take a break in between.
• I marked some of the questions for later review. I finished my exam in about 3 hours and was left with adequate time to review those marked questions.

Suggestions based on my preparation and experience:

• I would definitely recommend joining a pmp preparation class/session as it provides you with a wider perspective than yours from just reading the materials.
• Take notes while you prepare. Writing down helps you store it in your memory better and is always a reference point
• Memorizing all the ITTO’s could be very challenging and may not be needed. Try to understand what and why something would be needed for a particular process
• Exam Simulations / Sample Quizzes: I made sure to review all the incorrect answers and mark the ones that I was not exactly sure of. This is an important step in exam preparation: Not enough knowing the correct answer, you need to know why it is the correct answer.
• Attempt at least 25-50 questions a day while you prepare for the exams
• Make sure that you attempt at least one full length exam in an actual exam mode. This will help you prepare to sit longer and also time the questions
• During the actual exams, make sure that you answer a question even though you are not sure and would like to review it later. In case you are running short of time an answered question is always better than an unanswered one
• Read all questions carefully. Iam guilty of not reading the questions thoroughly and assuming the answer based on the first few words of the question.
• Mark any question you would like to review later. There is no bottom-line on the number of questions to be marked. Refer to suggestions available online on when to use the mark button for the actual exam.

Thank you PM Prepcast Team.

Feedback to PM Prepcast:
• Like the fact that you are unable to pause the PMP Exam. This helps you prepare for the exam timing wise.
• Timed / Learning mode should have the ability to select 200 questions instead of the 100 available right now.
• The selection ‘Include only unanswered questions’ does not seem to be working as intended. Quite a few numbers of questions were repeated even though I chose this option.
• My Recent Results only show the results of the last 10 exams. There is no way to refer to the same exam take earlier. Example: ITTO Exam 1st and 2nd attempts: If I wanted to know whether I got a specific answer right (or wrong) during the first try and the second try, there is no way to find out the details for the 1st attempt. Recording the results of all exams will help isolate areas that need more focus.

Congratulations.
Wonderful suggestion to PM Prepcast.

Cheers!!!

Hi Ramaswamy ,

Congratulations!

I have a question: how close the real exam to the PM Prepcast PMP Exam Simulator that you mentioned you use for your preparations?

BTW, I see people say that most of the questions are situational. And then they ask what should you do first/next/etc? Do the questions really ask "What YOU should do?" or are they worded in 3rd person, like "What should the PROJECT MANAGER do?" Also, I see many questions in the PM Prepcast simulator have names, like "Mary is a project manager of the construction project. Blah-blah-blah. ... What should SHE do next?" I'm just trying to see how to better prepare myself mentally to the questions. Shall I impersonalize myself with the main character of the question and answer it as if I was the project manager or shall I treat the questions as an "outsider" who looks at the situation from above like a PMI and recommends the best course of action based on the PMBOK?

Thanks Alex.

From my experience, the Exam Simulator helps you prepare for the kind of questions that will appear in the exam and will also test your knowledge of the different process and domains. From that perspective, memorizing the answers to the questions will not help (I'm not suggesting that you do). The same kind of question could be represented in multiple ways. So I would recommend that you go through all the questions in the simulator to be prepared to handle all types of questions.

Yes there are many situational questions that you will encounter. Imagining yourself as the character in the question definitely helps a lot. The key though is to know the best thing to do based on the situation as a PM or the role mentioned in the question irrespective of whether it is you or 'Mary' as in your example. For instance, would the professional ethics of a PM be different whether it is you, me or Mary in the same situation?

Hope this helps.

Thank you Ramaswamy.