***I HAVE PASSED PMP EXAM on 12-12-2018 - First Attempt***
Overall I have scored ABOVE TARGET.
Initiating - ABOVE TARGET
Planning - TARGET
Executing - ABOVE TARGET
M&C - ABOVE TARGET
Closing - TARGET
Study materials i have used are:
1. Joseph Phillips PMP videos in UDEMY
2. PMBOK 6
3. RITA Mulcahy 9th Edition
MOCKS:
1. PM PREPCAST for mock tests
2. Testudaan (bought but not used much because of lack of time)
3. Multiple free mocks in online
4. PMP PocketPrep APP
5. PMP Exam Mentor APP
About MY PMP EXAM:
1. I felt the main exam was moderately hard.
2. Few questions were very straight forward but very few.
3. Most of the questions were situational only and confusing options.
4. Very very less EVM Questions (hardly 4-5).
5. Questions were not lengthy. Most of the questions in 2-3 lines. Very few questions are above 3 lines.
6. I have left with only 5 minutes to relook at marked questions. Changed only 2 answers.
Learnings from my experience:
1. It's all about our confidence in choosing the RIGHT option. So be confident.
2. Need to manage time. My strategy was 50 questions in one hour. I have applied same strategy in all my mock exams. This strategy worked for me as I was not just searching for keywords to pick an answer. I will read the question 2-3 times until I am sure about the situation asked in the question.
3. I have been scoring between 75%-80% range in all my mocks. My PM Prepcast scores are 78, 73, 81.5, 74.5, 81.5, 74.5, 78.5, 78.6(ITTO). These are first try scores. Never consider second try scores. Your first try scores are your knowledge gained so far and should be your confidence levels.
4. I have completely trusted and depended on PM PREPCAST Mocks after reading multiple reviews and lessons learned from others. And it's worth using PM PREPCAST mocks. The pattern of questions asked in real exam was close to the way questions asked in Prepcast mocks. But don't expect that you will get similar questions as Prepcast in real exam.
5. I have tried knowledge area tests in testudaan but couldn't use full mock tests in testudaan so I can't comment on testudaan.
6. About ITTOs - I have memorized only outputs from each process and tried to understand the flow between inputs and outputs. I have remembered few unique combinations of inputs and outputs. Memorizing outputs didn't help me much in main exam as I didn't get much of ITTO questions. It may be different for others.
7. I have never changed answers in marked questions in my mock exams also, may be due to my strategy on time management. So my strategy was to pick best answer in first try itself.
8. Keep enough time for writing mock exams, practice as many questions as you can if time permits before your main exam date. You will get used to the questions asked in different ways. I have dedicated more than a month for practicing mock exams. Need to thoroughly analyze and understand both right and wrong answers in mock exams. PM Prepcast really helps in explaining all the options in each question.
9. If you are really serious about PMP then fix a exam date and work backwards with a serious study plan.
10. I have taken more than 5 months to complete my PMP journey. Initially I have started with Joe's videos in UDEMY and simultaneously reading same chapter in PMBOK. Overall I have read PMBOK 2 times, RITA 1 time along with after chapter questions and Joe's videos (Watched each video once and made notes and listened audio countless times while driving to office and going back to home throughout 5 months).
11. After completing one round of Joe's videos, PMBOK and RITA, I have written few free mocks in online. After getting some confidence then I have submitted my application and got audited as well. After clearing the audit I have picked a date for the exam to have it after 2 months and had a strict study plan.
12. Last two days before the exam, i just refreshed my notes and PMBOK. Tried some short quizies in PM PREPCAST with only "answered incorrectly" option to practice again and check my understanding on wrong answers I have selected in earlier mocks (this really helps).
All these are my strategies and it worked for me. It may or may not work for you, please plan as per your strengths.
FINALLY THANK YOU "PM PREPCAST" and TEAM.
I cannot close this without thanking my WIFE who supported a lot throughout my PMP journey and thanks to my kids and other family members.
WISH YOU ALL THE VERY BEST.. IF I CAN DO IT, YOU CAN DO IT TOO (from Joe's lines)
