Hello,
I passed the PMP exam on July 20. Below is the timeline of my success.
1. Started reading the 6th edition PMBOK guide on June 1.
2 Finished reading the book and prepared notes for revision from June 15.
3. Signed up for the PMP Prepcast mock exams in the first week of July and started taking the mock exams
4. Submitted my application as well in the first week of July and received confirmation to book my exam in a few days
5. I setup the exam date for July 21 and was able to clear the exam in the first attempt.
Below are my scores from the 6 mock exams
PMP Exam1 - 66.5%
PMP Exam2 - 73.5%
PMP Exam3 - 73.5%
PMP Exam4 - 65.5%
PMP Exam5 - 73%
PMP Exam6 - 68.5%
I reviewed the questions after taking the exam to build a strategy on how to think. I did not score beyond 73.5% on any of my exams but was confident about my preparation. After every review, I felt that you will not concentrate on the mock exams the same way you would on the real test and so a +10 questions buffer can be added because of this.
I scored 2 AT's and 3 T's on the real exam with an overall at Target towards Above Target. The questions on the real exam I felt were a little easier compared to the mock exams but that is just my opinion. I took a break after 3 hrs. 15 mins. after I had answered all the questions and took care of the marked questions after my short break. Below are the some of the tips that worked for me.
1. Read the question slowly. We don't realize but trying to read the question fast, we tend to miss out on key information and may need to reread the question again. The PMP exam gives you enough time. 240 minutes for only 200 questions. Look at it this way.
2. Try and place every question in the Knowledge Area & Process Group box found on Page 25 in the guide. Doing so will give you a very good idea about where the scenario is currently and will help you get to the answer.
3. I remember that there were many questions of the type "What should be done next/first/immediately?". Pay attention to every word in the question. That is possible only if you slow down to read the question.
4. Definitely take a few 4 hour tests to get used to the real setting. We are all busy with our work and personal lives and usually don't spend 4 hours at once place fully focused on
an activity. So the mocks surely help.
5. Try to read the book 2-3 times to grasp all the concepts clearly.
I used only the PMP Prepcast mock exams based on reviews and did not check any other website. I believe PMP Prepcast covers everything you need to prepare for the exam
I hope these tips will help any PMP aspirants out there.
Thanks!
