Target
- Of course, get the PMP cert may get a better career
- Apply PM knowledge to help on my tasks and others
Material
- PMBOK 6th Edition
- Rita Macaulay's PMP Exam Prep 9th Edition
- PM PrepCast
- PM Exam Simulator
- Youtube
Preparation
I took about 3 months to study the PMP exam.
Approach:
1. Read PMBOK 6th Edition Chapter 1-3 and Code of Ethics & Professional Conduct
2. Youtube: Study the 49 processes
Elaboration of the Processes Flow of the PMBOK® Guide 6th Edition by Ricardo Vargas
3. Youtube: Study several PMP main flow
4. Draw the mainflow
5. Start to enrich MY mainflow by studying the 49 process data flow diagram in PMBOK
6. PMBOK: Understand all the teams in the glossary (PMBOK 6th Edition Page 695)
7. Youtube: Study all formulas.
8. Listen to fast-forwarded PM PrepCast during travel (1hrs/day)
9. Read PMP Exam Prep once
Looping
10. PM Exam Simulator: Around 50 questions in 1 hours. (Difficult for me to allocate 4hr slot for exam.)
11. Gap analysis and review the related topic using PMBOK / PMP Exam Prep
12. A week before exam, I found Part 3 in PMBOK is useful for review. I read it once.
Again: My PMP result - AT/AT/AT/T/T and PM Exam Simulator comparison
My estimation is 75% in PM Exam Simulator to get AT
Total questions in Simulator 1,610 = 100%
Answered by you 827 = 52%
Unanswered by you 783 = 48%
You have spent a total of 20 hours and 33 minutes 20 seconds answering questions in the simulator.
By Domain Exam Feedback
Your First Attempt All Attempts
Domain Correct % Correct Rank Correct % Correct Rank
Initiating 73% 83 4 76% 119 3
Planning 73% 153 3 77% 225 1
Executing 74% 186 1 77% 252 2
Monitoring & Controlling 73% 136 5 73% 188 4
Closing 73% 47 2 72% 63 5:
- I took my exam in Mongkok, Hong Kong. HKID is enough for registration, no passport / credit card with signature is required.
- I arrived the exam center 45 min before the exam. The registration could take 30 min before the exam and I started the exam once registered.
- They requested to turn off my mobile phone and investigated every pockets, put all personal belongings into a box.
- They provided a key to unlock the box, earplug, one oil pen and one white board.
- I have entered into a cold exam room which has 8 seats. Candidates took different exams in the room.
- They signed in the computer and leaved me with the 1st page of the PMP exam screen.
- I followed the tutorial and started the exam.
- Candidates went ins and outs of the room and I could hear they given a short instruction to other candidates.
- I spent 3min to go to toilet around 2hrs after the exam.
- No function to strike out a answer but able to mark the question for review.
Press "Alt + N" for next question or "Alt + P" for previous question.
- After 3hrs of exam, I had 54 questions unanswered. I know that I will not have a chance to review the questions.
Finally, I got 5min to review 3 questions.
- The system prompts the exam is timed out and the exam result shown immediately.
"Congratulations! ..." no passed or failed wording. I suspected it is about the completion for the exam instead of passing the exam.
So, I have to read the sentence carefully...yes, it congratulates about the exam is passed.
- Invite you to complete a optional simple survey about the exam
- Ask them to print the PMP result if you want a copy
Hints:
- Do remember the mainflow, the benefits and main outputs for each processes.
- A pattern in PMP exam is "What to do next".
It means "What is the input is not considered" / "What is the next process" / "What is the next missing steps/output".
- Aware of the type of answers should be "process", "tools/techniques", "input/output"
Exam questions:
- Many questions on PICC. When to use change log / change request? When to escalate?
- 2 questions require calculation but simple. 2 questions for interpretation.
- Around 10 indirect ITTO questions.
- I think the exam is a bit easier than PM Exam Simulator. I scored around 75-85% in PM Exam Simulator.
