TOPIC: Passed AT Overall, Breakdown BT, AT, AT, AT, BT

Wuuuu, I passed. On my first attempt. Happily for me the middle three are weighted (by sheer number of questions) more than the outer two.

Overall: Above Target

By Domain:
IN: Below Target
PL: Above Target
EX: Above Target
MC: Above Target
CL: Below Target

Let's see ....

• 14+ years of "accidental PM" experience
• PMI PMBOK Guide - mostly skimmed; and downloaded (and barley skimmed) all the supplemental guides, practices guides, and standards that come free w/ membership
• Rita Mulcahy's book - read once and did end of chapter quizzes; didn't really do any other exercises w/i it, then skimmed again 1/2 the night before and 1/2 the morning of the exam
• Rita's Process Chart Game online a few times the day before and the day of (many thanks to Bernadeth for posting that link!) rmcls.com/process-chart-game-v9
• PM PrepCast CAPM simulation*
• PM PrepCast PMP simulation*
• Linda.com video for PMP prep
• Did my 35 hours PMP ed and 23 hours CAPM ed through Master of Projects (not horribly impressed with their videos but they got me the ed hours; then I found Prep Cast :0))
• Formulas: learned/understood the result interpretations from the paid version of the PMP Exam Formula Study Guide; there were only about 5 math questions on my exam, and only 1 required an actual calculator, the rest were based on interpreting the results
• ITTOs did my best to understand what they were used for and why and applied logic from there. (In other words, I didn't care to formally learn/memorize all the inputs and outputs to each individual process, figuring if I understood what the bulk of the ITTOs do I could determine when they'd be useful or not based on the scenarios)
• Am in a project management B.S. program, but only two classes in (Leadership done; Intro to PM in progress) but did read ahead through the Intro to PM book. Have to sya that was a bit frustrating due to differing viewpoints for some things
• I didn't do any of the full simulated exams. I learn best with immediate feedback and am a "good test-taker" so had no worries about sitting through the entirety of the 200 question exam. So, I did 99% of my studying by using the "learning mode" w/ quizzes and spent time understanding why the right answers were right and the wrong answers were wrong. I think that was the biggest "one thing" for me. I love that Prep Cast gives the explanations and references the PMBOK page numbers.
• Did memorize the domains, knowledge areas, and the order of the 49 processes as laid out in the PMBOK guide page 25 and as described so well by Ricardo Vargas

* I started out thinking I'd go CAPM then PMP, but then decided to go PMP and, only if needed, do the CAPM as backup. CAPM practice was really helpful to me for initially learning the processes and terms. Since my PM experience has been rather informal, it really was like learning a new language.

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Treated myself to a comfort late breakfast of pancakes and bacon at an OPH near the test center before the exam so I'd not be hungry. And hey, any excuse for bacon!

Did "brain dump" the 49 processes but then only referred back to it once, cause, well, it was in my brain by then. I think I did the dump more out of habit at that point than need.

Questions were very similar to the simulations here and the end-of-chapter quizzes in Rita's book.

Did tear-up when I saw my results. Knew I was going to do so, pass or fail. When the test center guy was processing me out after and congratulated me all I could do was whisper "thanks". I think he thinks I'm crazy (whereas I know I am). It was a happy-teary ride home, and a fabulously great stress relief to have this puppy over and done!

Hello Rebecca,
Thank you for taking the time to write down your feedback and recommendation for the learning process!
Much appreciate. I am currently studying for the exam.

Rivka

This morning I got access on PMI.org to my "new dashboard" after completing the exam. Here's something I haven't noticef anyone talking about before (they probably have, and I just haven't noticed!).

PMI gives the same domain NI/BT/T/AT breakdown you see at the end of the exam. Then they also give a "Domain Performance" breakdown by task, correlated to the PMI PMP Exam Content Outline Task areas.

I'm thinking this will be an excellent tool to know what to study first for continuing ed, and if I hadn't passed you can be this would be my very best friend for a while!

I admit I didn't really pay attention to the exam content outline and its tasks. I looked it over, but I suppose I really assumed that by knowing the domains, knowledge areas, and being familiar with the ITTOs would be sufficient to meet the tasks. I was wrong, especially in Initiating and Closing. I'm not really surprised I did the worst in these two areas as they are the two areas in which I have the least amount of practical epxerience due to the way my company worked, but I was surprised I was below target in them both and looking at the task breakdown in Closing I was probably a question away from "Needs Improvement" there. Time to study closing!

Anyhoot, I thought I'd mention it in case anyone's wondering what you see after taking the exam.

Hi Rebecca,

Congratulations on passing the PMP Exam!