Often with extreme confidence comes extreme disappointment, and this past weekend, when expecting a pass (due to my "gut" feeling after answering all 200 questions), being told I failed was especially bitter!

Two days later, and after considerable contemplation, these are the lessons learned I will take with me when (or if) I retake the exam:

1) Forget about percentages that you get in practice exams. The ONLY thing that matters in the PMP exam is being Proficient, Moderately Proficient or Below Proficient. More than anything else, this mindset set me up for failure, and was a costly and painful lesson. For the record, I was MP in Initiating, Executing and Closing, and BP in Planning and Monitoring and Control.

2) Further to point #1, being BP in any of the major areas of knowledge (Planning, Executing or Monitoring and Control) means almost certainly a FAIL. Even being BP in one of the minor areas of knowledge (Initiating or Closing) and only being MP in the others, means FAIL.

3) The only way I see a pass in my future is to be MP or Proficient in ALL the knowledge areas!

This said, I find the PMI's approach to this exam asinine, from the insanely expensive cost to retake ($275 USD), to the fact that other than indicating the areas you were BP, you cannot see what types of questions you answered wrong. This means that they can "decide" pretty much anything, and decide if you pass or fail at their whim. I wonder if they did this because too many people were passing with the previous, more open and honest, exam system (prior to 2006)?

Now it is time to do a cost-benefit analysis to retake the exam, and then if it is positive, prepare an action plan that will better prepare me for the next time.  However, right now, a few weeks of R&R are in order...