I started my journey to get this certification on 9th September 2013, though i do not work directly with projects - i have somehow found myself always pulled in the direction to manage and excute projects. So, i finally pulled up my socks and said I need to focus and expand my career in projects by getting this certification.

It all started by me signing up for a 3 month course on www.simplilearn.com as i prefer online study and a cheaper alternative to getting the 35 hours of study. They were very helpful to understand, learn and clear the concepts on the PMBOK and to get an overall sense in the direction PMI takes you. Well the first simulation test that i did got me 54% - didnt get disheartened but i knew i had to work harder. To sum it up - by the 5th exam i started to get 75%. While the study was on-going - I managed to get all the documents filled and got it approved with the people i used to work with. The submission process was a breeze and my documentation was not picked for the audit. It was on 30th October that i decided to mark the exams on 3rd Feb 2014. 

Now my strategy for the exams was studying on alternative weeks the PMBOK and Ritas PMP Fastrack. Nothing more nothing less. In the month of January 2014, on the weekdays i used to do the 50 question sets from Christopher Scordo (So, its good to pay for the membership and get a lot of free mateiral) On the weekends, i used to do two full 200 question practice sets. All in all - daily 2 hours and on the weekends it was 4 hours. Never sacrificed the time to have a little fun, a couple of beers and movies .

I have attached my results.

Coming to the exam day - The exam was very straight forward and i was able to go thru all the 200 questions in 1 hr and 25 min. The next 45 mins went to solve all the EVM & Comm questions which were 20 in total. The remaining time was spent reviewing and correcting the answers. I finished the exams with 4 MPs and 1 BP. 

Now these are my thoughts on ones preparation for the PMP exam: - 

1. Do not use any or all mateiral that is available online - Choose wisely and stick with it. What worked for me may not work for you. Reserach is the key here. 

2. Understand the PMBOK - every word in that book has a reason and thats why it is there. I used to get frustrated when i used to not understand, But then again - breathe, relax and i am sure you will understand the terms.  

3. Practise, Practise, Practise & Practise exams - This is where you put your knowledge to the test and zero on the answer with no hestitation.

4. Blogs are meant to help and not compare yourself. There are many types of experiences, LL & time taken to achieve the certification. In my honest opinion - YOU decide and you can make the best judgement. 

well folks thats from me and will be glad to assist fellow friends with any doubts.

Cheers