Hello,
since I earned a few days ago PMI-ACP certificate in a first try, same like with PMP, I'd like to share with you my way- hopefully for your benefits.
PREPARATION
I bought on Udemy from Joseph Phillips the preparation course to have the required PDUs. I watched it and make some notes in MS Note.
I applied for the PMP exam. Since my candidacy has been accepted I start the preparation. I bought the book The PMP Exam. How To Pass on Your First Try written by Crowe I read it through and purchased test simulator from Cornelious Fichtner. After a first trial, I realized that I have some knowledge deficits, thus purchased the next book: PMP Exam Prep written by Rita Mulcahy. For PMI-ACP I bought at the beginning PMI-ACP Exam Prep written by Mike Griffiths.
I read one chapter, marked important sentences, that I wanted to repeat afterwards and tested my knowledge in the test simulator (approx. 20 questions). If the score was below 70% i read once again the marked by me important sentences in this chapter + deepen the knowledge on the wrongly answered questions. If the score was above 70% I started with the next chapter.
In the end, I made every second-third day test in exam simulator taking 50 questions from all knowledge areas not looking on the time at all. After a week I took the full exam. Since it was positive I paid and scheduled the real exam. I've got an exam date in 3 weeks. I planned to start the exam between 8 AM and 9 AM since there is a positive correlation between the time of a day and brain performance.
Since this time I focused on the chapters with the lowest score by first reading once again the marked areas in the book and testing just this chapter knowledge. One week before the exam I tested all the knowledge areas in batches of 50 questions aiming to complete it 10 min. before the allowed time (I did not use the test option with a time limitation, but simply looked on my watch).
EXAM
I planned to make after every 50 questions a 5 min. break. During the break, I left the computer to drink/eat something. In the first break, I eat sweet fruit bar (for glucose --> dopamine) and drank water. Second break: protein bar + water --> it was lunchtime. Third break: only Red Bull.
I tried to answer correctly all the question in a first try since it is the most effective way. If you simply mark an answer without deep consideration you will waste time to read it next time. I marked only these questions that I was REALLY not sure (despite the use of induction and deduction). In the end, I reviewed the marked questions and change it only then when I was at least 90% sure the initial answer was NOK. The studies have shown that there is a higher probability of changing a decision from a good one to a bad one than vice versa.
CONCLUSIONS
- When you select your test centre, check if there is a noise-cancelling headset. It makes a big difference. On PMP I have got it, on ACP I had just some earplugs (crap).
- When you select your test centre, check if there is a working air condition if you take the exam in summer. It was not the case on my ACP and it was a nightmare.
- Exam at home is not a good option - see other's experience on this forum.
- Udemy training just wasting time. I do not recommend to listen to it at all. The author just goes through the books I mentioned. In PMP maybe a bite more but in ACP he repeats 100% of the Mike Griffiths book. The time can be better used by reading the Ritas' or Mike's book a second time.
- Reading the book from Crowe is also wasting time. The time can be better spoiled to read the Ritas' or Mike's book a second time.
- I bought and partially read Agile Project Management written by Highsmith and Agile Estimating and Planning written by Cohn. I do not recommend to do it for the exam. In some details, the books differ from Mike's book what confused. Moreover, the books are very extensive and you cannot read it through once and memorizes more than a couple of percent of the information that was not written in Mike's book --> also benefits vs lost time does not pay off.
- In the exam simulators are some questions that are not covered in Mark's book but if do all the questions you can learn the right answers with the argumentation studying the explanation of the answers.
- The question on the real exam are somehow different in the style from the exam simulator but if you are well prepared you'll pass.
- I recommend taking all the questions from the simulator for PMI-ACP exam (only 400) and approx. 600-800 questions for PMP. The reason is to get familiar with this style of questions, language and traps.
- In my opinion for success, you need four things:
- Best in class exam simulator (highly recommend this from Cornelius Fichtner because questions are reliable, well-thought, have high-quality and detailed explanations).
- Best in class SINGLE source of knowledge (Rita's book for PMP and Mike's book for PMI-ACP).
- Solid and well-thought strategy for the exam (step by step like an algorithm so that you do not have to waste energy for any consideration, just simply execute the algorithm).
- good mental and physical condition (if you start considering if you are good enough prepared you loose concentration and thus some points; if you start considering if the answer is for sure the right one you loose concentration and thus some points; if you come to the exam tired or sleepy you loose concentration and thus some points; if you will not be able to laser-focus on the question and answers your whole effort made for the preparation will be for nothing; if you come in with the conviction that you won't pass, that's probably how it's gonna be).
- Here are my statistics from exam simulator for PMP (I do not have print screens like for PMI-ACP):
details
- Here are my statistics from exam simulator for PMI-ACP:
overview
,
details
,
by domain
Good luck!
Dawid Jasinski
PS.
In case of any questions, feel free to reach me on
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or via my webpage
dawidjasinski.com
