Hello all, I am a PM with 9 years of IT industry experience. I would like to share my lessons learned and would also like to bust a few myths here and there. Please note that I do not mean to disrespect the views of anyone that were shared earlier. Instead, I would like to say what my experiences were.

First things first, I shall confess a few facts below:

·         My total preparation time is 6 weeks period (includes a couple of weeks during which I have done NOTHING, absolutely NOTHING).

·         My only 3 sources of preparation are

o   PMBOK 5

o   Rita 8^th Edition and Fastrack

o   Examcentral (www.examcentral.net)

Myths:

·         MYTH 1: PMP test is very tough. Wrong. PMP is very easy if you *truly* understand what you read. Concepts are the only things that matter in PMP exam.  The questions are tricky, but they are NOT hard. If someone has failed the test, note that it is ONLY because they did not understand the underlying concept behind the processes\terms\tools explained. 

·         MYTH 2: Do as many mock tests as possible. Wrong. Do mock tests, only if you are not accustomed to timed tests. For the record, I have NOT done a single mock test. However, please refer to sample questions (use them as study material) to understand the way questions are formulated. Also, questions from examcentral will help you in revising the topics you have learnt earlier.

·         MYTH 3: Refer to as many materials as possible. Wrong. Choose only 1 MORE book along with PMBOK. IMHO there is no better book than Rita. Use both of the books simultaneously for your preparation. For instance, once you complete a knowledge area in PMBOK, go back to Rita and read what she has to say.

·         MYTH 4: You need to remember the ITTOs for the test. Have you ever wondered why Rita never explains the knowledge area in terms of ITTOs? Infact she just mentions the inputs and outputs in a few sentences. IMHO a ideal PM does not need to remember the ITTOs for the process that he is working on. He needs to logically understand the relation between each of inflow and the outflow items. Do NOT even attempt to remember\cram the ITTOs for the test. You simply DON’T need them. (I got just one question asking for the tools used in a process)

·         MYTH 5: Practice difficult questions. I would sincerely advice against it. There is no need to cram yourself with unrelated questions and topics from so called “Tough” exams. Instead spend your valuable time in understanding the concepts that are ONLY told in PMBOK and Rita. I have NOT encountered a single question that has the twisted wording such as EXCEPT, NOT etc. Most of the tough exams end up asking these sort of questions. Also, you never encounter any tough math questions for sure. Atleast I have not seen anything more difficult than calculating EV (with a variety of information), interpreting the cpi\spi in a variety of scenarios etc.   

Do’s and Dont’s:

·         Prepare your OWN notes\material and cheat sheet.

·         Sample questions are a must. Rita fastrack and Examcentral(free) are the two sources that I would recommend. Treat them like a study material and do not let them hurt your ego J if you get a few questions wrong. Note down the explanations in your notes so that you could refer back to it later.

·         If you are a person who has a poor memory like me, I cannot stress the importance of revision. Revise what you have studied as many times as possible, especially during the last 2 days.

·         Do not ‘assume’ that you have understood everything. AFAIK, this is the sole reason why some PMP test takers fail miserably. PMP asks the same topic in a number of ways (for instance if you assume that you understood Tuckman ladder, PMP has ~ 5 questions, yes 5 questions, on Tuckman ladder alone, that are posed in a variety of ways which will challenge your understanding of the topic. By the time you end up marking the answer for 5^th question you will start questioning yourself if your answers were even right for the first 4 questions). You need to be absolutely sure of the topic that you have learnt as the clock does NOT stop ticking for you to keep changing your answers.

·         Keep a check on time. Everything seems to be fine UNTIL you reach the last 30 minutes or so. That is when you cannot help but keep staring at the clock and your brain ceases to function. My advice is plan your time so that you complete answering all 200 questions within 3hrs 30 minutes. You can use the last 30-40 minutes to review the marked ones. Reviewing the marked questions is VERY important. At times you realize the right answer when you relook the same question with a fresh perspective.

·          Avoid taking a break. I understand when you need to take a break to answer nature calls. But, do NOT have plan breaks to consume food or snacks. Instead you could take your eyes off the monitor for a couple of minutes and stretch yourself in the chair. A break consumes a lot of time for unnecessary activities that you do not control (physical check etc).

·         Ask for a physical calculator for your test. The test center will provide you one. This is far better than using the one that appears on your screen.

·         You are never ready until you schedule a test. I, for instance, have postponed my exam and kept delaying it for 9 months. Make a plan for yourself and stick to it.

Topics to focus:

o   Change management

o   Risk responses

o   PERT (S-Curves – I am sure you have not seen any questions of this type in mock exams. But they are quite easy. Google for S-Curves and you will find some images which gives you an idea)   

o   Contract Types

o   HR Mgmnt

All the very best for the future test takers. Post your queries, if any, in the comments section so that I could answer them for you. Remember, PMP is NOT the end of life J