Materials Used

Rita Mulcahy  sixth edition ( I read it cover to cover about three times did most of  the exercises and tests) 

PMBOK Guide ( I read it only once. it was way too long and difficult to read)

Crosswind PMP Exam Success Book (I read it a little later and found that it helped refresh my knowledge  did all the tests as well)

Practice Test

Crosswind Exam Simulation (It's a good Simulation of the exam) average score 78-80%

Oliver Lehman's 175 questions ( I did only about 66 ) score 80%

Head First 200 questions score 78%

My Take on the Exam 

The Exam was quite tough in my opinion. You really have to be certain of your answer 'cos the options were quite funny.  You really have to get a clear understanding of project management itself. If you do not do this, you will find the exam easy and may not make it. I formed this opinion because for every question i answered, i had to think properly until i had no doubt about the answer. 

My Exam Experience

I did my PMP training in 2009 and initially wanted to write the exam in january 2010 but my Rita book got stolen and it took a while for me to get a new one. I attended a refresher course in july 2010 but i couldn't write the exam. By This year 2011 i was determined to do it. I attended another refresher and joined a study group in Lagos. The study group lasted for one month. I initially booked the exam for the 23rd but i knew that by that time i wasn't ready so i rescheduled for the 30th. I practiced questionson the crosswind exam success simulation.  I found out that on every practice test my score was always between 78 and 80%. 

Truth be told i wasn't sure i was ready even on the day of the exam i went between panicking and encouraging myself. I got the the test Centre at 7.45 a.m. i started my test at 8.15 a.m. (i guess a lot of people had rescheduled for the 30th) During the 30 minute tutorial, i jotted down my cost formulas, the 42 processes, risk formulas, sigma percentages, communications formulas and time formulas.  it took me about 30 minutes to do about 60 questions but i marked a lot of them to review 'cos i wanted to be double sure. I finished the exam in one hour 45 mins ( This was because if i wasn't sure of the answers to a question or if i saw that i was taking too long on a question i marked it and moved on) when i finished i went to the loo then came back to review. It took about one hour to review and another 15 mins to think through some tough and funny questions.

i clicked to end the exam and got a blank screen then a survey but i couldn't finish the survey 'cos my heart was pounding like it was going to come out of my chest. I ended the survey and got another blank screen and then saw congratulations you have passed the PMP exam. Thank God i didn't have breakfast before leaving home 'cos i'm sure i would have thrown up when i saw my results. I Got a result print out of the result , left the centre, called my friend who is also a mentor to me and started screaming I passed!!! I passed!!!!! on the street. I must have looked like such a sight. 

Lessons Learnt 

1. PLEASE PLEASE attend training with a good REP

2. Attend at least one refresher course and join a study group if you can (you will meet so different people who will give you their own perspectives on the materials, formulas for remembering different aspects of the material and additional material. e.g Contracts are CCOLA , Risk is SEE ATM

3. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE Read Rita. You can read any other study material first just to get an understanding of Project management but make sure you read rita at least twice to get that in-depth understanding of Project management and the exam itself. I've heard people say that rita can be a bit wordy which is true but i've realized that its in reading the words that, that  understanding of project management comes. 

4. Practice different exams (each practice test come with its own degree of complexity and approach to simulating the actual test and this goes a long way to preparing you for the exam. 

5. STAY POSITIVE