PMP destroyed, who's next?

Submitted by aliweb on Tue, 08/28/2012 - 07:54

haha I know it sounds cheesy but I can't help because I really wanted to use this line even though I got 3P and 2MPs (Initiation and Closing). But I am very very very happy that I passed the exam. PMP destroyed on 27 August 2012.

I got so many congratulatory calls that I didn't even get so much when I got married.

And you know what is the most God fearing place in any country where people pray most?

No it's not Mosque, it's not Temple, it's not Cathedral!!

That's your very own Prometric center folks where every one is praying "Please God let me pass the exam...please please please....." especially during those final moments before results are displayed haha

First Thanks

1. Thanks to AUC my teacher who conducted such a wonderful course.

2. Thanks to this forum as I got a lot of help from here. This forum is very lively and contain lots of information!!

3. Thanks to saket, sspawar and kranti for helping and answering day to day questions. sspawar je you are doing a great job of posting new questions and answers with explanation.

4. Special thanks to kranti for sending me amazing mocks. He used to send me mocks and other important information through email which was very helpful for me and I learned a lot from it.

5. Thanks to all people who prayed for me.

 
About Exam
 
1. The exam was easy. In fact I would say it was very easy as compared to mock exams I gave like Farndale, Lehmann e.t.c.
 
2. I completed the exam in 3 hours 30 minutes.
 
3. Most of the questions (around 70%) I guess were not lengthy at all and only comprised of 3, 4 lines.
 
4. The 3rd question in exam was about calculating EVM. I was confident (I like maths) because the question looked so easy and straight forward. But when I attempted it I failed. I tried a number of times but couldn't find right answer so I started to panic. That's when I realized I have spent almost 8, 9 minutes on this question so now I panicked some more. I was like WTH!!! and MARKED this question for later review.
I had already lost precious time so I did later questions quickly and keeping a watch on time remaining. This was the only question which I marked and in the end when I tried to solve it again, I did it in a few seconds. I was making a silly mistake due to which I was not able to solve it so my advise is do not panic.
 
5. All mathematical questions where either related to EVM or calculating communication channels for stakeholders.
 
6. Initiation was my strength as well as Planning but not Execution and Monitoring & Controlling but I was surprised to see I got P in those areas while in Initiation I got MP. Closing was never my strength infact I didn't even read about it much and only read it thoroughly 4, 5 days before exam.
 
7. There were some Critial Path questions which were very easy.
 
8. Before result was shown on screen, I was 100% sure I have passed the exam.
 
9. I tried to memorize all ITTOs which helped me in getting a few more questions right on the exam. Although now PMI doesn't ask direct questions like giving you 4 options and then asking to which process this Input belong. Now they ask a combination of ITTOs.
 
10. Prometric center staff was very helpful. The environment was perfect as well as AC temperature. There was no noise or anything. Plenty of parking space outside.
 
How did I prepare?
 
1. Well on 4th May 2012 I decided that I need to do PMP. There was a course being started on 6th May 2012 by AUC Technologies conducted by Asad Ullah Chaudhry who is one of the finest here. He has got all PMI certifications (PMP, PgMP, PMI-ACP, PMI-SP, PMI-RMP) except CAPM. So I enrolled in it and 6th May was the first class. It was Sunday based course and took 10, 11 weeks.
 
2. For the first two months I used to study 30 to 45 mins daily except Saturday and Sunday. I tried to get concepts and hang of it.
 
3. After that there came a gap of around 15, 20 days when I didn't study at all.
 
4. After that I started giving some more time. After I scheduled my exam I tried to give at least 1 hour daily.
 
5. Tried to memorize all ITTO. I memorized Initiation and Closing 100% which I know everyone can do.
 
6. I had memorized Planning around 95%.
 
7. For Execution and Monitoring & Controlling I would say I had memorized around 70-80%.
 
8. If you are taking a course before you have studied yourself then I will advise that you prepare first before you go to class. For e.g. if tomorrow is your class where they will teach you about Create WBS process then you must read it before it as it really helps in understanding and you don't keep a blank face in class.
 
9. Try to read PROCESS GROUP wise rather than KNOWLEDGE AREA wise because this is the logical order of how projects are done and it will help you develop understanding.
 
10. Do not read PMBOK completely at once. First read one process from it. Then read same process from another book like Rita, Kim Heldman, Andy Crowe and then read that process again from third book (if you have time). It is explained in next point as to how I studied.
 
11. I would first read process from PMBOK. After reading I would develop aroud 20-25% of understading. Then I would read the same process from Rita (this is a must have book very nice and good explanation and it covers certain areas which are not present in PMBOK). After I am done with Rita my understanding would increase to around 50%-60%. Then I would read HeadFirst (another great book) and then I would finally read that process again from PMBOK and that's when I would developed 90% understanding of the process.
 
12. So I will recommend this is how you do i.e. go by process by process. But before that read first 2 chapters of both PMBOK, Rita and HeadFirst to developed your understanding as to what exaclty is PM and the concepts behind it.
 
13. There are 42 processes so let's say if you do 2 processes daily then it would take you 21 days give or take 2, 3 days depending on how fast/slow you go because some processes are lenghty while others are small.
 
14. I will recommend you do not memorize ITTO until you have gone through all this once.
 
15. Once you are done with this process, repeat again and then you will start to recognize/memorize ITTO.
 
16. Do not try to memorize sentences from PMBOK in English instead think about them in your local language.
 
17. You know how learn PMP the best way? There are two ways; either you teach it or you practice it. That's why you will see all teachers who teach PMP have very strong concepts. So you do the same i.e. I will suggest you stand in front of mirror and suppose there is a large audience in front of you and you have to teach them what you have learned.
I used to do the same during my 40 mins brisk walk daily i.e. during walk I would talk to myself like I am explaining to someone what I have read.
 
18. Give the following tests.
 
Lehmann 75 questions
Lehmann 175 questions
Farndale 262 questions
HeadFirst 200 questions
PMStudy 200 questions
Some other tests I may be forgetting.
 
Some of these tests will tear you apart like making you totally naked in front of thousands of people which is a good thing because it is better to be torn apart before PMP exam rather than during it.
 
19. Make sure you practice a lot of maths questions. Because maths questions on exams are like GOLD mine. If you understand it and you know the formula then you can sure shot do it. There is no subjective/objective thinking, no multiple answers because a maths questions can only have one answer so if you have mastered it, you sure will increase your chances of winning.
 
20. After I got my result I understood why some people who got 4MP and 1BP passed while others who got same grading failed. That's because PMI scores on overall percentage as to how many questions you got right. Doesn't matter what you get in Process Group. So let's say if passing percentage is 61% which most people say then it means you have to get 106 questions right out of 175. Although it is understandable the more better you perform in any process group then obviously your chances will increase but again PMI judges you on overall questions you get right in exam. Thisis written on the result sheet you get when you pass/fail the exam.
 
So PMP destroyed, who's next? Well.....I am looking at you EPM....looks like its your turn now!
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venkatmvsr

Tue, 08/28/2012 - 09:15

Congrats!


Regards,


Venkat


 

krantikumar50

Tue, 08/28/2012 - 13:27

 


Dear Ali Paaji,


 


First thing first, please accept OUR heart felt wishes. We kind of knew that the writing is clear on the wall for you :) Badhaiyan, dil se :)


 


Second, I try contibuting to everyone as I know how demoralising it it to flunk. This is the precise reason of me sending questions and since it was objected by few Zillians so I stopped and now I send the questions via emails to few really dear patrons aka my buddies...


 


And you putting me in the same bracket as SS and respected Pawarji Sir is a tantamount to the fact that I am not doing bad:) Thanks again.


 


Kindly enjoy as you rightly deserve it Ali Paaji. Afterall, such moments are rare and far in between. And BTW, you write pretty well.


 


Warmly, KK...

sspawar

Tue, 08/28/2012 - 15:50

WELL- DONE ALI  !!!!!!!!

Its a magnificent success. A big achievement.

You have made it possible.

Lakh Lakh Badhaiyan!

Enjoy, celebrate and share.

 

 

 

PMPChic

Tue, 08/28/2012 - 21:38

Very funny! Congrats again!!

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admin

Wed, 08/29/2012 - 04:41

Congratulations Ali , and thanks for acknowledging the forum member's support. I agree the ones you mentioned are very helpful.


One point I would like to highlight from your LL - Maths questions are like GOLD. Yes many people try to avoid it but if you do PMP maths well, then you straight away score 10 to 15 questions right.


Thanks for being a active member on PMZilla, only thing I would say is keep visiting the forum and spread the love and help the other PMZilla Aspirants, As we know knowledge sharing benefits all and one of the best ways to get is to give. :)


Thanks and Regads


 

aliweb

Fri, 09/21/2012 - 01:26

Finally after 24 days I have got certificate from PMI along with their publications/newsletters.