If you are still preparing and are on the fence about purchasing either the PM PrepCast or the PM Exam Simulator, do it!!! I had started preparing for my exam in September of 2017, but some things came up in my family, and I had to put it on the back burner until after the new year. Cornelius' teachings were so valuable in helping me to master the content, not just memorize terms and process names, but understand how they all fit together. I didn't just pass, but scored above target in each domain. I feel more informed and knowledgeable about how to lead projects and manage my PMO staff.
Here is what I did:
September 2017: Take the SimpliLearn Course & Exams - Worthless...don't waste your money or time.
Oct 2017 - February 2018: Worked (slowly) through Head First PMP. This was a great book and included valuable information not in the PMBOK, but found on the exam.
January 2018: Read the PMBOK after work and on the weekends (leisurely pace). I did appreciate that Head First gave me a foundation for this content to be more applicable to what I do every day.
Feb-March 2018:
- Watched the PM Prepcast completely, took all end of unit quizzes and reviewed errors.
- Scheduled my exam (as I was concerned with no space being available if I waited too long)
- Began taking practice exams with the PM Exam Simulator, reviewed and noted errors, and followed up with quizzes on the domains and konwledge areas I was under 70%
March 2018: The final countdown
- Took one of Dan Ryan's weekend classes to cover everything completely and identify areas of deficiency. He was a great resource and the class was under $150.
- Memorized the table on page 61 of the PMBOK. Writing this down and having it as a point of reference helped me see connections between process groups, KA, and processes during the exam.
- Memorized the EVM formulas. I only needed these for 5-6 questions, so you can decide if it is worth the time to do so.
- Continued with practice exams with at least one per day for 10 days prior to my exam, scoring over 80% on all of them.
- I took other practice exams out there (Edwel, Lehmann), but found they had content going back to the 3rd edition of the PMBOK. I didn't see any of this information on the exam and my scores were on the lower end, which shook my confidence. I would stick with PM PrepCast, Head First, and Dan Ryan's practice exams.
March 23, 2018: Nailed it! I was so nervous, but honestly didn't know how I could have prepared more. I am very thankful I passed on the first attempt.
I LOVED that the exam simulator would note where the information was in the PMBOK or other documents. I also liked that I could focus just on one KA or Domain to review and master the content.
Thank you Cornelius and Team for all the great resources!!!
Angela Wohlleber, PMP (Rockstar)
