Hi all. I wanted to share with everyone that I was successful in passing my PMP exam! I wanted to take a few moments to explain some of the strategies I used to prepare for it and hope in some way it will be of some help to others who plan to take it:
1) Do not just read the PMBOK guide...make sure you understand it: Yes, you do need the read the guide over and over again in order to get a good grasp of the concepts, but memorizing the definitions and concepts is not enough. Whenever you read through the guide, think back to how it applies to your job and possibly even to your everyday life. A lot of the questions are going to be scenario-based by asking you to select the best answer, so it's a good idea to think about real life situations in your job and elsewhere so your mind gets used to the idea of making the best choice when you are given several options to chose from.
2) Utilize a study partner even if he/she is not a PMP himself/herself: Many times I studied the terms on my own as that is part of my study habit, but also many times I would ask my wife for her help (side note: this is a study habit encouraged by PM PrepCast that is indeed very helpful). She would ask me questions from the guide to help me get into that mentality of understanding what I read and trying to explain what it meant. Sometimes she would even ask me what I would learn from the guide over say a casual dinner conversation and I would explain what I learned to her. When you have someone available to help you remember the terms and explain the concepts, it makes it a great deal easier to handle the complex questions you will come across in the exam simulators and eventually the real exam itself.
3) Tailor your study habits to your needs: Many of the study habits promoted by the PM PrepCast like the one I mentioned above are very useful, but at the end of the day you have to utilize the study habits in a way that works best for you. In my case, I did try to study everything without trying to memorize the ITTOs at first as popular PMP wisdom deems so I could focus mostly on understanding the process. However, for the first 3 practice exams, I ended up failing them and found myself struggling to answer ITTO related questions in particular. So with the help of my wife, I worked on memorizing the ITTOs and also gained an understanding of why they were applied in the processes the way they were and ended up with passing scores on an average of 76-77% for five practice straight exams. Like the PMBOK guide talks about tailoring project methods, the same does apply to study habits as well. Definitely look into the ones promoted by PrepCast and any other PMP preparation organization as they are useful tools, but mold them around and change the practices to fit your needs if you find that is what will help you best to prepare for the exam.
4)Do watch the videos very closely...they cover a lot!: The videos not only cover the PMBOK guide in very clear detail, but will also cover topics not covered in the PMBOK guide such Theories X, Y, and Z. The more you know and understand in and out of the guide, the better your chances are of passing the exam. In addition, the videos give a lot more detail on formula practices that are not covered as in much detail in the guide. The videos also provide very useful practice sample questions. Bottom line is that the videos are very well produced and well detailed for your benefit, so it only helps you in the long run to not only watch them but understand what it is they are teaching you to know.
5)Do absolutely utilize the exam simulators!: Out of all the tools provided by Cornelius and the PrepCast team, the simulators are by far the best time and money investment for you! What they predicted in terms of what I would achieve in passing exam was very accurate in terms of what I earned on the real one. And it helped me to take it once and only once, which is the goal you want to achieve. They really help you prepare for what you should expect to see on the real thing and will build that confidence and understanding you need to pass the real exam.
My thanks goes out to Cornelius and his team for all the work they have done to create such a wonderful program to help prospective PMP holders like me achieve this incredible milestone. My thanks also goes out to my wife who gave me a lot of support and help to prepare for the exam.
I wish you all the best in your future endeavors as you make your way to earn the right to include PMP right after your name. Best wishes to all!!
Gianandrea Maoli
