As I have cleared the PMP exam yesterday, I am sharing my experience with you all, so that you can have some idea what all you have to be prepared for. And what all I have studied, referred during this preparation, might help some of you.

You have to report to the exam centre one hour prior to your scheduled appointment time. You have to take two identity cards with your picture on it. (I think one is enough, but over the phone they asked me to bring two). They have intense security check at the centre (like airlines security check, body frisking), they will check your signature and make sure whether you are the same person shown in the photo I card. They do not allow you to take anything inside, they even asked me to remove my wrist watch. They will provide a locker, you can keep everything, they will give you the key, but you are not allowed to open your locker till the exam is over. In between you can take break, can eat or drink, coming out from that special sound-proof room, but all at your own cost of time. ‘4 hours’ (240 minutes) is all you have to prove your credential.

The special room was sound proof and extremely cold (take care if you are too sensitive to cold, I had a lot of problems during the entire exam because of cold virus, they could not increase the temp, I had a terrible sinus attack).

Initially you will have brief intro session (15 minutes), which will teach you how to continue with the exam. If any of you have taken the test from PMSTUDY, structure is almost same, except the calculator part. They will provide you an online calculator (you will need it sometime).  Going through this tutorial will take hardly 2/3 minutes, balance 12/13 minutes you spend on memorizing all formulae and write down on the scratch paper they will provide at the centre. This paper you can use during the exam and return to them after the end of the exam. 

I wrote down all Cost formulae and the table given in Page 43 of PMBOK. Formulae did help me (there were questions on Cost), table did not help directly, but I feel indirectly it helped me to integrate all areas.

Exam started dot after 15 minutes. First a few questions were quite easy, but the moment I started marking under ‘review’ it kept me bugging. Though I have developed the habit of not thinking about the question I have answered, whether right or wrong. Just forget about them.

My sincere advice, if you keep on thinking about the last question whether you were right or not, you might not be able to do justice for next a few questions. I am telling you, that will be a big problem. Not reading the questions properly, will impose a HUGE RISK of not answering it correctly, even if you know the answer. Get the meaning of each and every word, do not miss the exact question. There are a no. of tricky questions, get the question first. If required read it twice.

Knowledge area wise I had approximately following divisions of questions :

Integration : around 8-10 Q

Scope : Approx. 6-7 Q (some are tricky)

Time : Around 15-20 (network diagram, some are tricky)

Cost : around 12-15 (mostly straightforward)

Quality : Lots of questions, I think around 25-30 (have good understanding of Quality Assurance and Quality Control)

Human resource : around 15 at least (conflict management)

Communication : 8-10

Risk Management : 25-30 (mainly Risk Register and Risk Response)

Procurement : Lots, I think around 30

A lot of questions on Closing area specially, specially on closing Procurement. Get a good understanding on Closing Contracts and Closing the Project. Overall you have to have a good understanding about integration of all the areas.

At the end of the exam I had marked around 30/35 questions for review. But frankly I did not change any of my answer. Whatever I have thought in the first place based on my own knowledge and thinking process, I relied on that. Moreover I did not have much time for review. But that is slightly risky, I shall suggest everyone to keep at least forty five minutes for review at the end.

I had classroom training (35 PDUs) in April '12 first week. Then I had follow up class from PMI in July'12 second week.

Books I referred, PMBOK (must), Rita, Headfirst, Andy Crow (weightage preference in this order will help you a lot), but start reading from Andy Crow, then Headfirst, then Rita and PMBOK. Then you understand each and every word of PMBOK. It is a wonderful book, kind of a “Standard” in Project Management.

PMBOK is like text book, entire exam is based on that. But Rita helps you to convert your mind to PMIsm, which is essential to pass the exam. Take as many mock tests as possible, at least do all the questions at the end of chapters in ‘Rita’. And whether you are right or wrong, please check the reasoning given by her. It will help you to think in PMIsm. Try the questions by Scordo at PMI website. And while checking the answer, do not forget to refer PMBOK respective pages mentioned there. Try to take following tests from websites. They all are free tests.

·         Christoper Scordo from PMI website (18 sets)

·         Pmstudy (free tests on website)

·         Olivier 175 qs (free tests on website)

·         Oliver 75 questions (free tests on website)

·         Headfirst (at the end of the book)

·         Rita (at the end of each chapters in book)

My scores in all these tests were between 75-80%, tough questions I used to fumble, sometimes I would score as low as 60%. But somehow kept my nerve strong throughout. Last 6/7 days I just kept on browsing PMBOK and Rita.

Clock will stop exactly after 4 hours. It takes just 1or 2 minutes for declaring the result. But that time seems to be very long, seems to be unending, as you are anxiously waiting for results, with a lot of pressure in your mind. Stake is very high.

At the end I saw “Congratulation” on the screen. I got ‘Proficient’ in Planning, Executing, Control and Monitoring, Closing (4 areas) and ‘Moderately Proficient’ in Initiating phase.

I felt really very happy. Worth all the sacrifices I had to do, to prepare myself last one month seriously, kept postponing even to go to a doctor. Special thanks to all of you. Last but not the least, it would not be complete without mentioning about my husband who has monitored me continuously about my preparation and managed a lot of household chores himself and encouraged me throughout. Without his help I would not have achieved this success.

Hope my experience will help all of you who are preparing for the exam.

Thanks to all PMZilla members who all have suported with their success stories, I read most of them. Thanks to Mr. Saket, your advice helped me a  lot.

Regards.

Banaja, PMP