English is not my native language thats why I apologize with my bad english and sorry for the writing errors.
Also i apologize length of my LL. And i would like to thank all of team who helped to create prepcast
simulator and also Lessons Learned writers. It helped me to achieve Above Target all Domains in real exam.
I passed 17th July 2019.
Pearson Vue Experience:
I have a prometric experience twice and i liked the class much more than prometric.
And also in my country Pearson ‘s location and enviroment was much better.
Whiteboard didn’t make me nervous.
Translation and Real Exam Experience :
Because of that I get used to resolve questions in English i first looked English then translation to confirm
of my understanding. It took my time and rereading twice or more. Real Exam questions were tricky
but much easy then simulator. Actually i marked around 70-80 questions in real exam. That was horrific.
I finished 200 questions on 3 hours and taking bath break 5 minutes.
1 hours for review marked questions. I only changed 10-15 answers. Because of my simulation experience i realized that %60 of
my first answers were correct in simulation mainly i trusted my first decisions.
Prepcast Exam Simulator Scores:
Exam 1: %82 / Exam 2: %78 / Exam 3: %79 / Exam 4: %71 / Exam 5: %77 / Exam 6: %75 / Exam 7: %77 / Exam 8 ( ITTO ) : % 72
Background:
I first took my PMP exam in 2017 (5th Edition) after finishing 35PDU mandatory class training.
And i only studied 200 Questions which my Education provider gave me. And i knew my study
was not enough but i wanted to see real exam. It was look like a reconnaissance mission to get familiar.
My first exam score was Below Proficient ( Old Exam Score definition ) All Domains.
My second attempt was in 2018 ( 5th Edition ). I was very busy in my job. I was working hard on
many projects and i couldn’t create free time to focus on study seriously. When I learned exam change
and 5th to 6th edition i feel need to take exam before the change. Then i only had 10 days free to study on my vacation.
I bought RITA ‘s ( 8th Edition ) Exam Prep book. I had PMBOK 5th edition. But i couldn’t read PMBOK and only read RITA once
and studied 400 Questions on book and i found free 300 questions on internet. My average score was %66 for RITA and
%90 for free questions. Free questions were too easy but i didn’t have time.
My second exam score was / Ini: Needs Imp / Pla: T / Exe: BT / M&C: T / Clo: BT and failed.
I realized that i need to study hard and focus seriously.
I recently quit my job in 2019 and plan to create free 4 months only focusing study not applying a new job before passing exam.
Resources:
Books: RITA Exam Prep ( 5th Edition ) / PMBOK ( 6th Edition )
Youtube Videos : Mostly İZenBridge, Ricardo Vargas ( Flow ) , Praizon, Crowd Training ( ITTO ) and many others
Exam Simulators : PmPrepCast , PmTraining
Study Final Performance Report:
Days: 138
Net study hours: 283
Questions Total : 3757
Exams Score Average : PmTra : %75 / Pmprepcast : %76 / RITA : %79
Worked Well:
• First of all i created Study Plan like a real project. Project Charter, Requirements docs, tracebility matrix,
Scope, Schedule, Cost mng plans,Scope baseline, Scope Statement, WBS, WBS dic, issue log,
risk mng plan, response plan, risk register, Quality mng plan, Quality Assurance,
Change mng plan, Change log, LL register etc tailored with my learning style.
And used rolling wave planning and progressive elaboration. And followed my strict plan.
• Read and finished Pmbok and Agile in first month. Second reading in second month and
took summary notes on Pmbok and RITA. I followed my Quality Mng plan, QA, QC process measured and tried
to improve my performance on reading, learning, Schedule management and updating my docs and improving
my plans. Used risk mng plan, response plan, risk register, LL register, issue log, change mng plan, change log etc.
I created ITTO ‘s with symbols and drawings to visually understand and bring in line with help Ricardo Vargas flow.
It helped me much to understand whole picture. Not memorize but try to understand all plans, docs.
• When i finished reading and creating summary notes first i took PmTraining simulator exams. It helped me to see my gaps.
I created performance reports and using root cause analysis, histograms,pareto chart in questions that i answered wrong after exams
and watched specific videos on my gaps because of i am visually learner. In nature of the simulator timed 50 questions per a exam helped
me to get feedback early and using breaks to be adapted time management in exam. I started %70 to %80 and my average
score total was %75. First I failed 6 exams of 21. But in the second attempt on 6 failed exams in PmTraining after
i finished prepcast simulator exams, my scores were %88 to %90.
• After my first simulator, i started Prepcast simulator and realized it was the best environment looks like real exam
and 200 questions in 4 hours helped me to ready for real exam situation. Also questions were much harder, tricky situations
it helped me to really understand my gaps and again read the parts in PMBOK, RITA and watched videos on specifically.
• I send my application 23 days before scheduling the exam. But in my background i knew the way to fill application
form because that was my 3rd attempt, rejection or rewriting application was my low risk because i had my rejection
on my first attempt 2017. I didn’t recommend that way who attempts the first time. Because of the rejection possibility and rewriting
then receiving accept can take time approximately 15-20 days.
• I scheduled exam only before 7 days on real exam date. I scheduled my exam when i feel ready and don’t stressed myself.
But i followed my schedule baseline and beware not to exceed it. I had two available options one of it was tomorrow when
i was scheduling and i didn’t choose that option because in my WBS i had unfinished work packages need to accomplish.
• My Exam simulator strategy was first easy questions to hard questions and learned questions, timed then 200 questions in 4 hours.
First RITA ‘s book then Pmtraining, and Pmprepcast. When i started Pmprepcast simulator i took 50 Questions x 4 learning questions
then i took 6 Exams according to my plan. One day i was taking 200 questions, another following day analysis gaps and watching videos.
When i finished 6th exam i turned back on previous simulator and took failed exams that i first finished them about 20 days ago
and hoping to not remember answers. My score was amazing %88 to %90. But in reality i remembered some questions and answers
thats why i didn’t count on only the high score but realized my improvement and benefit of
prepcast simulator. But i should say that if i didn’t take another simulator before prepcast it could be harder to get %70 above in
prepcast simulator and thanks for the other simulator too. After completing all of it, i took exam7 and exam8 ( ITTO ).
After analysing last exams, I solved wrongly answered question about 600 before the exam on last 5 days. I didn’t take sim exam before
the last day and exam day. I stayed comfortable and only looked ITTO ‘s again before the last day.
• I collected and created a lot of visual materials about formulas, documents templates, management plans,
theories ( Maslow, Herzberg, McGregory etc. ) to learn and improve it visually. It helped me much to understand
and merge with my readings. Especially i study focus on change management, Perform Integrated Change Control Management,
Procurement, Resource, Risk Management, Quality management, Stakeholder engagement areas.
Worked not Well:
• To much reading every day was challenging and thats why i couldn't study total 30 days. I created breaks on my readings.
• Taking too much breaks in readings got me undisciplined on my schedule plan. I realized to use brakes more efficient and
not exceed 3 days day to day readings.
• When i was reading forums before my study planning and collecting requirements all says you should score %80-%90 but
i created my Quality metrics and measurements on that way but it was wrong and it made me nervous when taking exam scores.
Maybe it was for free easy questions on internet but it is not correct when you have such a great tool like prepcast simulator
and questions are tough.
• RITA ‘s (According to Pmbok 5th edition) book i bought for on previous exam preparation actually didn’t fit with 6th Edition.
That's why i didn’t reread entirely on that preparation. Maybe i should buy new edition and it could help me but i didn’t do.
[/left]
