TOPIC: Passed it early this week - 02/10/2020

Hi,

Have been preparing for couple of months, took few breaks in between, I would say, I spent about 400+ hrs to prepare, primary reason being I took way too many breaks.
Anyone planning to go for PMP, don't repeat my mistake of taking way too many breaks. Just plan to spend 200-300 hrs in continuous x. no. of months

Here's what I referenced

iZenBridge Video: Saw it at least 3-4 times. This was main source of study. I saw it in fast speed mode like speed of 2 instead of usual normal 1.0 speed.
This is because I have trained my brain over last few years to watch videos at a much higher speed.
Rita : Read it 3 times
PMBOK - Read it once. Very dry book, so relied on iZenbridge Videos to understand everything

Knowledge Area Mock Test: Rita online as well as after questions after each & every chapter, Scordo, izenbridge. On an average I scored between 78 to 85% on questions after each Knowledge Areas

Full Blown Mock Test: PM-prepcast Simulator. Since I came to know about Simulator only a week before the actual exam, I could do 2 full blown 200 questions test only ...scored 74% & 73%

Scored following in Actual Exam
Initiating: Above Target
Planning: Below Target
Executing: Above Target
M&C: Target
Closing: Above Target

Mistakes that I did:

* Overstretched the exam preparation
* Did not submit the Application until last month
* Did only 2 mock test that too just during last 2 days before exam, so literally did not took any rest between Mock Test & Actual exam.
* Should have attempted on doing mock test after 1st round of preparation
* Had a sleep of just 2.5 hours night before the exam.
* Took exam center which was 1.5 hours away from my city and my exam was scheduled for 8 am, so i had to getup at 4:30 am. While choosing a diff. date was not an option for me, but given a choice, I would refrain from selecting a morning schedule for actual exam.
* First 90 question, I was just too anxious and did not do well, took a deep breath after 90th questions, and answered calmly remaining 110 questions.

What worked in my case
* Solid preparation by watching IzenBridge Videos
* Was confident on my prep., so even though i scored 74 & 72% in pm-simulator, I was fairly confident (85%) that I would pass. The pm-simulator mock test definitely boosted my confidence. This is one of the best mock test that I saw.
* After 90th question in PMP exam, i calmed myself & did much better.
* Utilized laminated sheet given by center to categorize questions in 2 categories.. 1st category i was like NOT 100% sure and the second category was where i was confident about my choice like 80%. So during the review, I focused on first where I was not all confident about my choices/answer options, this helped a lot. Imagine if you are using pearsonvue "flag question" option, how would you know, which one falls under which category.

I finished the exam in 3.5 hours and kept 30 minutes for review which was less compared to the amount of questions that I had marked, having said that the above strategy of marking questions helped me a lot.
Got 3-5 numerical questions. Overall most of the questions i.e. about 70-75% were very short questions like 2-3 lines, there were few which were like 5 lines questions.
I did not take even a 1 minute break during the exam even though I slept 2.5 hrs previous night. Somehow, I have a very strong capacity to sit at one place for hours and hours.

Hope this helps future aspirants.

-Neeraj

Congrats Neeraj. Thanks for the lessons learnt. Having slept only 2.5 hrs before the day of exam and driving 1.5 hrs to venue should have been very tiring and exhausting. Good that you were able to sit 4 hrs continuously without breaks.

Hoping to do the same strategy for marking questions and noting it down in the sheet for the exam.

How close was the real exam when compared to PM simulator exam? Was it tougher than Simulator or easy or same.

Fingers crossed. Have scheduled mine this Thursday noon.

Anantha,

While driving, I too was concerned, that if i would be able to have headaches (took advil in advance) or pay enough attention into after an hour into the exam, but luckily didn't encounter any of those.

I would say the real exam was a lot based on situational questions rather than pure definition based.
I ended up marking nearly 30-45% of the questions where I was like not 100% sure. I was confused between the two options.

Also, the marker that they give is a permanent marker, so you don't have to worry on accidentally erasing when you write on laminated sheet.

Do make use of headset. In pin drop silent room, i could easily hear my next door test taker mouse clicks, but with headset on, it was not at all an issue.

Let me know, if you have any additional questions.

-Neeraj