A week to go ! request feedback from @sspawar

 I have 6 days to go before my exam date, and request feedback from @sspawar

here's my latest progress ( in the past 1 week )

Scordo 16 - 86% 

Scordo 17 - 88%

Scordo 18 - 83%

pmstudy (free) - 89%

pmpforsure (free 100) - 74% ( Moderately Prof in Execution, Prof in other 4 areas )

i've studied pmbok Scope, Time, Cost, Quality over last 1 week while giving these exams, and have covered Risk and Procurement from PMBOK earlier

Here's what i have in my plan for next 6 days

  • review wrong answers from pmpforsure, Scordo 16-18 , pmstudy
  • PMBOK HR , Communications, Risk & Procurement
  • Rita Fastrack Questions ( I have about 600-700 questions untouched )
  • Review Rita all chapters once
  • Glossary

I think this will cover up rest of 6 days before the exam, but would like suggestion from this forum on what are additional focus areas or additional tests i should take before my exam?

should i buy pmstudy 2,3 or 4?  or any from pmpforsure?

how is the difficulty of pmpforsure compared to actual exam?

i am not planning to try pmzilla difficult questions specially in the last 6 days before the exam, as i read some LLs talking about it impacting the confidence levels. any good suggestions to help discover gaps?

Your score says you will pass with flying colors. I am sure you might have practiced EV, PV, BAC  tricky questions.  Exam will not ask you simple questions where all information is provided.


You do not need to buy any paid test. You are good to go. I felt like commenting and hence provided my point of view.

@mpavas, thank you very much for the feedback and encouraging words. do you have any suggestions on where to find tricky questions on EV, PV , BAC?  i would definitely want to try those questions based on your advise.

@mpavas, need some more advise from you.

  • though i got 74% on pmpforsure, i wasnt really sure on how much score i am going to make, the exam was tough. how do you compare the actual exam compared to pmpforsure?
  • and regarding pmstudy exam, i found the durations on arrows instead of nodes., although i just applied the same principles for calculating critical path etc. do you think AoA diagrams are required for actual exam?
  • is ethics still on the exam? that's the lowest scoring area in my pmstudy test, and second lowest is on HR. HR seemed easy from Rita, but i guess PMBOk is probably the key to score through it. what would you recommend for picking up on HR., and how much weightage i should give for Ethics.

 

@mpavas, need some more advise from you.

  • though i got 74% on pmpforsure, i wasnt really sure on how much score i am going to make, the exam was tough. how do you compare the actual exam compared to pmpforsure?
  • and regarding pmstudy exam, i found the durations on arrows instead of nodes., although i just applied the same principles for calculating critical path etc. do you think AoA diagrams are required for actual exam?
  • is ethics still on the exam? that's the lowest scoring area in my pmstudy test, and second lowest is on HR. HR seemed easy from Rita, but i guess PMBOk is probably the key to score through it. what would you recommend for picking up on HR., and how much weightage i should give for Ethics.

 

Wish you , New year will bring you all 5 Ps.


As I earlier told PMBOK - important areas.


AoA - has been out of study/ syllabus/pmi/pmp since long back.


What is given in PMSTUDY - is actually not that.


Ethics - no more now direct questions what you have done in practice questions, it will there only blended.


Dont feel ever anything makes nervous or motivate, always think - Let me know all difficulties before going to the real battle.


5-6 days remained, most people suggest that in last days (atleast in last 3-4 days - donot go for mock tests- only study -pmbok , rita, ittos, glossary, NOTES -VERY HELPFUL, formula, any weak areas, it is time to re-collect, restrengthen, and revise all you think important.


Regarding pmp4sure or pmzilla or any tough series, might be some questions, deceiving, or seems that made only purposefully vague or with grammatical errors or may be in few cases technically wrong, but a good reader should bring out all good parts forgetting non-relevant areas.

dear @sspawar

thank you for the wishes & your feedback. i think i will prepare some quick notes next two days for review for last 3 days before the exam.

just curious on your point on the critical path questions from pmstudy. i havent seen such diagrams before and the durations are marked on arrows instaed of on nodes. can you please help me find some reference around it? or help me understand a bit more on what those are ? 

will seek your inputs as i progress the next few days.

thanks again.

dear @sspawar

thank you for the wishes & your feedback. i think i will prepare some quick notes next two days for review for last 3 days before the exam.

just curious on your point on the critical path questions from pmstudy. i havent seen such diagrams before and the durations are marked on arrows instaed of on nodes. can you please help me find some reference around it? or help me understand a bit more on what those are ? 

will seek your inputs as i progress the next few days.

thanks again.

Just imagine it is written inside of respective nodes or on the nodes.


It is a way of presentation, and  he is not following AOA method for solving.


AOA - very different , even activity  A, B, C ---- etc also written on arrows and many things different, it has been absolete, because of many limitations. Don't think in that prospect.


Though you are not familiar with that, hence you are confusing with pmstudy questions'  notations .


 


Notes - apart from self,  abrnn and such any notes -compact knoledge base

thank you @sspawar 

thank you @sspawar 

Hi Prakash


You can also have a look at the rajesh nair notes ..they are very handy and useful in last 2-3 days


Take a full night sleep just before the exam and stop studying after 8 pm on 1 day before the exam


Go with confidence and say to yourself that you just need to give your best and success will be yours


All the best

 thanks aarush. will surely add that to my review kit.

dear @sspawar

thank you very much for your support/ advise and all the tips over last two weeks.

your wishes did come true. - with 5 Ps!!

I had a last week scare, with viral attack, and unable to even glance any notes even once, which i had last 3 - 4 days planned for., and have kept print outs with me.

with literally not being able to read or grasp anything most of last week leading to exam day , built up a lot of stress , and i tried postponing the exam a day before the scheduled date. only to realize that i cannot postpone within 2 days, but can only cancel and i would lose my entire exam fee.

looking at the options, i would have to pay the full fee if i cancel the exam and take it later, but i only have to pay 270~ even if i do badly on the exam, and having to retake.

so i chose to give it my best shot - drank litres of hot chocolate on the day of exam - just to keep myself warm and cozy. I just backed myself thinking that my preparation until the week before was good enough, with good scores validating my preparation level. so that kinda kept me a bit of confidence inspite of sapping energy with viral fever. since my exam is at 5 pm, i decided to give atleast 2-3 hours dedicated to refresh - on exam day morning just to check if i remember stuff and be able to use my head . quickly pulled out formulae , page 43 and tried about 50 mathematical quesitons - found myself unable to focus or apply myself completely . But, this exercise , gave me valuable feedback going into the exam - i was extra careful and super watchful for every question - so much so that i took 2 hours for completing the first 80 questions. 

Lucky that i had brain dump written down in first 15 minutes, and everytime i see a new quesiton talking about something that i didnt have in brain dump - i expanded my brain dump even if it took a couple of minutes more - specially on topics that i expected more questions on , like quality , risk, conflict resolution,  etc. 

it helped that questions in second half of exam are simpler than first half ,and i have full braindump created within first 2 hours - so i kept referring to braindump again and again .

i was nervous and finished the exam just 4 minutes before the scheduled end., i started reviewing the marked questions - and to my surprise, i changed 3 answers out of  first10 questions i quickly reviewed. i think i just got into the zone during second half of the exam and picked up speed.

saw a notification saying that i timed out , and screen blanked out - for a few minutes, skipped survey. and screen said "congratulations" . what a relief., while i was expecting 5 Ps just a week back, i got too excited that i finally cleared the exam when i saw the screen.

since i came out - i eagerly waited for the process group wise breakdown - and you can imagine - the way my eyes lit up seeing 5 Ps.

i want to thank @sspawar for support, extremely responsive and providing some superb pointers.

, @diba_perfect ,bonnettja@msn.com gave some really valuable & encouraging inputs., one statement from Amy - that really kept the courage in me going into the exam "i think you are ready to pass the exam right now". it made a hell lot of difference in taking the final plunge.

So, now a PMP and more importantly 5Ps , and I didnt identify the risk of losing time and composure last week. :)  

In Rita's language

" you will be fired if you didnt identify all major risks before hand, " 

" Did you know, a project manager is supposed to be proactive, instead of reactive? its both unethical and inhuman" . ah yes, In some countries it's even considered criminal. 

 well.

thank you very much, you're right Rita - you really are! 

How you had been attacked by viral, and with many ifs and buts, you came out with 5PS.


Its shows your real skill and strength.


 

Great achievement .5P's is like securing  more than 95% in CBSE board exams :) 


Only very few people manage that score


Welcome to the PMP club and enjoy your time with family ..