I learned a lot from PMZilla LLs as a silent reader. To contribute back to the community, I would like to share my lessons learned after passing the exam today.

Result: 3P and 2MP (initiating and closing)
Time: 2 months (average 15 hours a week)

Study materials:
- PMBOK® – 5th Ed (cover to cover once; partial review if any incorrect answer in mock exam)
- Andy Crowe - PMP Exam how to pass on your first try - 5th edition (cover to cover once)
- Rita Mulcahy - 8th Ed (cover to cover once)

Website:
- PMZilla Forums (mainly lesson learned)
- I want to be PMP® forum on Linkedin (answer questions for fun)

Mock Exam:
Andy Crowe Final Exam (200Q)- 90%
Exam Central (200Q) - 77%
InSite (200Q) - 89%
Rita chapter tests - 84%
Rita (24Q) - 92%
Oliver Lehman (175Q, 75Q) - 79%
Chris Scordo (Set 1-5; 15-18) - 88%

Descriptions
I started with a 4-day boot camp. After the camp, I read through Andy Crowe's book and PMBOK guide. Then my first practical test from Andy Crowe scored 90%. However I didn't think I was ready. Thus I read through Rita's book and practiced chapter tests. Every 1 or 2 week, I practiced mock exams. Most LLs said you must complete at least 3000 questions and read through Rita and PMBOK twice. After 2 months of study (while works and family duties interrupt me all the time), I felt my efficiency was decreasing. I didn't think I have patience to read through PMBOK and Rita for the 2nd time or did another 1500Q. I benchmarked my scores with people who passed and called my instructor from the camp for the assessment. They all indicated I am ready. Then I took the test in the following week.

If I would have done this again, I would read through PMBOK along with Rita's book without Andy's book to shorten my study time for few weeks. (I read Andy's book as it was the camp's study material but then find it too easy). I think 3 to 5 mock exams to practice how to pace on the exam should be sufficient. The Scordo's lite exam helps me a lot as its answers always refer the page no in PMBOK so I can identify my gap in PMBOK. Scordo's medium and difficult-level questions are also close to real PMP exam. PMP exam's answers refer to PMBOK contents mainly so it is very important to familiarize the PMPBOK contents. Rita's process helped too as there are some questions which were exactly in the same sentences. It was a pity that I wasn't very familiar with Rita's process chart.

Exam
Even though I checked out the center 1 week prior to the exam date. I still lost my way and took additional 20 min to get to the center (good that I left home early!)Then the system didn't work so I waited for my PMP test to reboost for 30 min. I was nervous at the beginning so I read questions twice or three times to understand what it says. After 60 questions, I am more relaxed and more confident to answer the question.

My pace is 1 min per question. Thus I spent around 200 min for all 200Q and then left 40 min to review. My questions to review are more than 40 so I didn't review all my questions. Out of these reviewed question, I only changed 2 answers. (If I don't know something, I still don't know when reviewing. Moreover during my mock exam, I find I tend to be right for the first answer and be wrong after review. Thus review doesn't really work for me.)

I hope the above contents help. I shall be relaxing now and enjoy my worldcup games!