I'll try to keep it short... I'll try.
THE FAIL
I was originally scheduled to take the 5th Edition exam on Thursday, March 22, 2018 [a few days before the March 26th 6th edition deadline]. I studied from Mid-January to March 21st. There was a huge snowstorm on the eastern coast (NJ/NYC) on March 21st.
On March 22nd, I wake up, fully prepared to pass the 5th Edition exam. The sun was shining, the snow was cleared off of the street, and there were cars and people outside conducting "business as usual". I check my email and I see an email from the exam center stating the center was closed due to the snowstorm. Keep in mind, outside looked like a regular sunny day with melted snow; it actually looked like it snowed four days ago, not last night. So, I immediately hop into panic mode, and start calling PMI to see what my options are, since the 6th Edition begins on March 26th.
I'll skip to the part where there was nothing that could be done, because ALL of the surrounding centers were booked with people scheduled to take the 5th Edition exam before the 6th Edition migration happened on March 26th. So, I basically had to reschedule my exam, and re-study... now for the 6th Edition test. (((Deep Sigh)))
So, I finally schedule the test for June 22nd. I had already taken a few of the 5th Edition simulator tests (months ago) and did pretty well, so I figured I would be fine just taking the exam without signing up for the 6th edition simulator... WRONG!
On June 22nd, I took the test and failed! I did not fail because the test was hard... I failed because I DID NOT FINISH THE TEST! I made it to question 150 and then looked at the clock and realized I only had 10 minutes left on the exam!?!? Is the clock broken?!? Where did the time go??!! I didn't pace myself correctly... I re-read questions too many times... I took too much time trying to perfect each answer. YOU CANNOT DO THAT IF YOU WANT TO PASS THIS EXAM! 200 questions in 4 hours means: you must answer 50 questions per hour... which also means you can only spend 1.2 or 1.5 minutes on each question. You cannot sit on a question for too long or else it will be your doom, as it was mine on June 22nd. I was so mad at myself because the test really didn't seem that hard at all; I know I would have passed if I had finished the damn test! (((SIGH)))
RESCHEDULE
I was partying all summer, so I definitely had no plan of staying home and studying for July/August. #Sarcasm
Fast forward to my new test date of Friday, September 28th. The September weeks were flying by and I kept telling myself that I need to sit and study. Nope, didn't happen... I was too busy with "life" so I couldn't make the time to study.
Monday September 24th comes and I take the 6th Edition simulator just to get the pace of the exam correct for my brain. I DID NOT FINISH IT!!! So here I am again, not pacing myself correctly with the timing of the exam. I'm obviously not ready, so I say, "I'll just reschedule the test to mid-October." On Tuesday I read the Risk, Quality, and Cost chapters in the Rita book. Wednesday, September 26th comes and I login to cancel/reschedule, and it says I have to pay a $70 cancellation fee!?!? WTF!?!? I was so upset that there was a $70 cancellation fee that I immediately opened the book and started cramming for the test like back in my days of procrastination back in college! (((SMILE)))
STUDY MODE
I then basically went into "study/review mode" because I seriously felt like I knew the material... all I had to do was FINISH THE TEST! So, Wednesday and Thursday, this is what I did...
1) I studied RISK, QUALITY, COST, and PROCUREMENTS in the Rita book, not PMBOK. I made sure I reviewed those chapters because I recall they seemed to be the most complicated to me back when I originally studied for the 5th Edition.
2) I made sure I put my mind into the state of a project manager that oversees large projects.
3) I prepped my brain to constantly ask myself these two questions during the test: "What process group are you in?" and "What do I do NEXT?" <-- This helps ALOT!!!
THE PASS
On Friday September 28th, I woke up, listened to some motivational videos on Youtube, got mentally in the zone, and headed out to take my exam at 12:30pm. I brought my Rita process chart with me along with my PMBOK process chart. I looked at both of those charts in the parking lot before I went inside to take the exam.
Once the exam started, I made sure I was VERY conscious of the time. I read questions and did NOT immediately look at the answer choices; I made sure I knew the answer before looking at the choices. I constantly asked myself the two questions mentioned above. Everything seemed pretty easy. From time to time, I stood up to quietly stretch / keep the blood flowing, so I wouldn't fall asleep or start drifting. I took the exam without getting up to go to the restroom or going to get a snack.
Then FINALLY... I finished the exam with 18 minutes to spare. I then got up and went to get a drink of water. I came back and sat down, and then clicked the review button so I may review the questions that I marked for later review. I changed a few answers that I was unsure of in the beginning of the exam. I was VERY confident that I passed the exam because I FINISHED IT! ... and yep, once I clicked the 'End' button, the screen flashed and a message read: "CONGRATULATIONS! You have passed your PMP exam."
LESSONS LEARNED
The PMBOK + Prepcast videos + Rita Handbook + Simulator = PMP SUCCESS
Pace yourself correctly. If you get stuck on a question, just answer it the best you can, but mark it for later review... DO NOT stay on a question past 2 minutes.
Read the exam questions carefully; they are tricky.
GOOD LUCK!
