Here are few tips for Future PMPs from a Very fresh PMP

Submitted by rajapavani on Wed, 06/15/2011 - 14:25

 


Dear Future PMPs – Here are few tips I would like to offer you as they helped me a lot.

As far as preparation itself, follow your own way which ever lets you get a good grip on the concepts. I read PMBok one time and Rita one time. But, most of the time I listened Podcast episodes. I mean, wherever I went, if I had some time, I was listening to the Podcast. Here are few tips::

1)      Fundamentally, remember your ultimate aim is to get 106/175 correct answers to pass the exam. The best to thing to do is, target for 131 marks considering the fact that even if you get all 25 potential questions correct, you still will be able to pass the exam.

2)      Can imagine even think of 20 questions on your own for ‘Initiation Process’. The chapter itself very simple and you can get lots of questions correct from this tiny chapter with a little bit preparation.

3)      Same advice goes to ‘Close chapter’. I bet, you can’t think of 20 questions on your own for this chapter. Such a tiny chapter with so many questions. Just focus on these two chapters, you already scored 40 correct answers.

4)      Wow, 2 chapters worth 40 questions. Sure, that helped me. 

5)       How about ‘Ethics and professional Responsibility’, this chapter gets approximately 18 questions. If you have done few tests and already corrected your mistakes and not making the same mistakes over and over, you are already in good shape. Please read Ethics documents provided in official PMI website.

6)      As many already mentioned by other certified PMS, all EV related formulas and concepts can get you 10-12 questions correct.

7)      Between 1st chapter + second chapter + Ethics + EV related concepts, you are ready to score close to 75 questions.

8)     Good Luck and Best wishes,

Raj  

Forums: 
PMP Exam Tips, Tricks and Lessons Learnt.
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rsang

Thu, 06/16/2011 - 04:59

 and thanks for the Tips :)

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manbreddy

Thu, 06/16/2011 - 14:18

hi, I liked your strategic kind of tips that you have provided to aspiring PMP's like me. Thanks a lot.It just provides a boost .

rajapavani

Thu, 06/16/2011 - 14:39

Thank you. Hope they will be helpful to you. I have some more tips which I will share in couple of days. Hang on, good luck to you. I posted the dump sheet in in 'http://www.project-management-prepcast.com/ in 'Lesson Leaned' section. The dump sheet looks kind of complicated, but worth looking at that. Soon I will provide some tips to meomorize that dump sheet. Good Luck. Raj.

hari99

Tue, 06/21/2011 - 10:38

Hi,

I have recently completed my 35 hrs class room course.  I have scheduled my exam for July end. At present I am reading head first.    I was looking for some tips for preparation.  I liked your idea.  I have two books - Head First & soft copy of PMBOK.  In both of these books, the chapters have been designed based on knowledge areas like time mgt, scope mgt, cost mgt etc.  So how can we do preparation for exam by process wise like - Initiating process, closing process (as suggested by you). 

I am very new to this and still have not understood the concepts clearly.  Your advice will be of great help.

hari

 

rajapavani

Tue, 06/21/2011 - 17:57

Hi Hari –


Yo mentioned that you have taken 35 hours of courses.  I have used PM Prep Cast for my preparation as well as to get 35 hours. Hope you are reffering to the same. If not, I highly recommend this product along with  following strategy.


For PMP preparation, besides PMBOK, you can use Head First or Rita or both of them for the preparation. My advice is, until you get very good grasp of concepts do not move on to any other books. Sometimes, the same concept dealt by other authors may confuse you. It is just their style and approach, but nothing wrong with your preparation. Depends on how you take this experience, sometimes it affect your self-confidence. So, I would say, just stick to only one book until you feel like you are ready to read some more books. (Regarless process wise or Knowledge area wise, by the end they are still same and connected as mentioned in Page 43 of PMBOK).  My advise works for you regarless of the book you use. 


Remember, as your exam date comes closer, you may develop the feeling that, may be you have to revisit all those concepts from various books which ever you used throughout the preparation.  If you have been dealing with only book besides PMBOK, this task becomes easier. (In my case I used Rita + PMBOK). Otherwise you may develop some psychological pressure to read all those books that reffered during your preparation.


In your situation stick to the Head First Preparation book and give initial reading without much fighting to learn the concepts. My suggestions will help you once you undestand knowledge areas and processes and how they are connected.If you have difficulty with some, make a note and continue. They might make more sense later on in other chapters. Whenever you see some tips in Forums, make your own notes. So when the time comes, you will have your own tips.

Since you are planning to take exam in July end, I would say you have plenty of time for preparation. As mentioned earlier, my whole preparation and exam didn’t take more than two months. I also created a ‘dump sheet’ which I shared in PM Podcast forums in ‘Lessons Learned’ session. For beginners, that may look complicated, if you have a grasp of it, you would get at least 20-30 right answers just from that sheet.

I will take some time and share some tips about that dump sheet later. Hang on, continue your preparation by process wise or knowledge area wise, doesnt matter.  Whichever approach you take, end result is still the same. They are all connected as shown in Page 43 in PMBOK.

Good Luck, Let me know if you have any further questions.

Regards

Raj

 

 

hari99

Wed, 06/22/2011 - 06:10

Hi,

 

Thanks a lot for your guidance.  Will bother you again if some issues are there.

 

Reards

hari   

engmilad

Wed, 06/22/2011 - 07:02

thank you for ur guidance and lessons, it builds confidence of myself to take the exam,


thanx alot