TOPIC: Passed, 1st Attempt, Multiple resources

I passed the PMP exam this morning on the first attempt. I'm not going to repeat the PearsonVue experiences, everyone has captured those experiences quite well.

Not extremely familiar with the PMI way of doing things, I utilized many resources to get to the material and a method that I used teaching advanced algebra to high-schoolers called circular review.

Resources used:
PM-Prepcast
Head-First PMP ( www.amazon.com/gp/product/1492029645/ref...06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 )
Reed Integration PMP Success Sheet ( www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0039ZGSKY/ref...03_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1 )
Home-made flash cards ("Fridge Magnets" with the 49 Processes and main outputs of the processes)

Circular Review technique: I would do the entire Knowledge Area in the PM-Prepcast, then review it in Head First PMP workbook. The Head First workbook did a great job in making the material in the PM-Prepcast "real" for me in the sense it used a more realistic application of the fundamental principles taught in the Prepcast. Here's how the Circular Review worked in practice:

PM-Prepcast: Integration Management and 1/2 of Scope Management
Head First-Integration Management Chapter
PM-Prepcast: Finish Scope Management, start Schedule Management
Head First-Scope management chapter
and so forth

I would augment 10-50 questions per day (or so) in each Knowledge Area. I think I completed about 90% of the actual questions in the test bank. I completed three full exams (Exams 1-3) and when I was scoring in excess of 80% or so, I figured that was close enough and went back to Knowledge Area or Process Group questions only. I started studying in earnest on 16 July; took and passed the exam on 1 Oct - about 10 weeks of intensive study learning material that I was unfamiliar with at the outset.

The result was a 5x Above Target score on the exam, so I figure I did something right there.

I found the exam to be somewhat easier in most respects that exam simulator questions, but not overly so. You have to be very careful to read the question and make sure that you're answering the actual question. The plausible detractors are, generally speaking, were always an answer to some other process, though there were some "made up phrases" scattered throughout. The style of the exam simulator questions is spot on compared to the style on the actual exam though. I would say that the exam simulator alone is worth the price of admission into the PM-Prepcast.

Harry

Hello Harry,

Sorry i have one more question did you send alot of time learning the formulas for the PMI exam?

Thank you,
jody

Jody, based on my experience having taken the exam twice. There are maybe 1 or 2 max questions that require you to recall one of the formulas. It's usually a cost EVA question

Ok great thank you!

Jody,

I missed this question in my in box. No. I was already familiar with many of the formulas before I started the process. There were only a couple of very basic questions with respect to formula use on the exam; maybe 3 or so out of the entire 200 questions. If you have the basic EVA formulas and variance formulas down, you should be fine.

Harry

Ok great thank you that helps alot

Thank you,
jody

Hi Harry,

Your paper exam success sheets excellent, how much you sell?

@Helen - the PMP Exam Success Sheet is not Harry's product (he might come along to this message later), but you can get it on Amazon.

Helen,

I don't sell anything. Here's the link:
Reed Integration PMP Success Sheet ( www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0039ZGSKY/ref...03_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1 )

I do not know how applicable they are to the new exam though.

Harry

Harry - thanks so much, Head first PMP book is a gem for a visual thinker like me

I greatly appreciate you sharing what worked for you

sadly that Reed PMP worksheet is not available out of print maybe

thanks again