Dear all,

yesterday I passed the PMP exam on the 1st try with 4 proficient and 1 moderately proficient in closing.

Sure, I knew closing was always my weak spot - when it came to closing it was almost closing time in my brain:)

This is what I experienced:
- a lot of earned value questions
- a lot of situational questions regarding risk and change
- 7 basic Q tools - rule of seven
- communication channels
- tuckmann ladder question
- ITTO's
- detailed analytical techniques questions
- ...some questions that I can't remember

What I noticed is that some questions were familiar. I've seen them in mock tests and even in here.

Well, you all know, wording is very important on the test.
Here's an example:

A team member informs you that he possibly leaves the project. What is the best thing to do.
a) Assign him to a non-critical task
b) add a risk in the risk register
c) try to convince him to stay
d) do nothing

Well, in the mock test, I know that the right answer in that question was a).

The difference in the test was that in that case, it was a KEY member.

A key team member informs you that he possibly leaves the project. What is the best thing to do.
a) Assign him to a non-critical task
b) add a risk in the risk register
c) try to convince him to stay
d) do nothing

So, in the test, the only right answer was b).

How did I learn:

Rita's
PMBOK

1) Go through Rita and do all exercises and try to understand the concepts
2) Do it again but with a deeper insight into it all;
Take notes and try to condensate what is written
3) Take your notes and go through PMBOK and add what is missing
4) Mock Tests
Do the mock tests, Oliver Lehmann 75's, exam central was an excellent source. Get used to the questions and how they work. Are they asking ITTOs or is it a best guess. Are you in initiating, planing... And seriously try to find out why you answered the question correctly or not.
5) The last 4 days before the exam I went through PMBOK and read all ITTOs precisely.
This was the key to my success! The wordings or even precisely the words in the PMBOK are so important. Sometimes the answer to questions in the exam is deep in the text.
6) I did not do a single thing the day before the exam.
7) Be focused on the exam. Have a strategy on how you will manage it. How do I find out what the question wants? How will I manage frustration?
Most important, read the whole question and all answers!!!

So, this worked for me!
Best luck to all of you!