PMP Lessons Learned

This is a bit lengthy but I hope it will help those in need.

Hello All,

The following are my lessons learned not only for the exam itself but for my preparation leading up to the exam. This is simply how I prepared and in no way am I saying this is the correct way or that it will work for everyone, it is a reference for you to decide how to formulate your approach. It is also not an endorsement for any one particular resource, there are many available but I discuss the resources that I selected and which happened to work for me.

Preparation:

I started approximately 2.5 months out with a pass of the PMBOK and continued beyond that listening to Rita Mulcahy’s audio version of her PMP Exam Prep 7^th edition. I do a great deal of traveling for work and coupled with my 2 hour round trip commute, I always had this on. I studied lightly, approximately 4-6 hours per week until I was about 6-7 weeks out.

7 weeks out I began a PMP prep class through a local PMI Chapter, I did not need the contact hours and this was simply another tool I chose to utilize to prepare me for the exam. This class was very useful in identifying areas of weakness and the opportunity to have SME’s come in and lecture on the knowledge areas was very beneficial.

Final 2 weeks:

I purchased Rita’s physical text which I personally think prepares you for the exam a bit better than Andy Crowe’s text. That being said it is just my personal opinion and I think if you put the effort into Andy’s book then it will work also. I do believe Rita’s questions are better suited to prepare you for the exam. I read the entire text and completed all chapter quizzes.

Along with Rita’s text I also purchased the PM Fast Track exam software, to me this is one of the key contributors to my success.  She has two exam levels, the PMP and the Super PMP. If you find yourself scoring around 70-75% or above on the Super PMP you are most likely prepared to pass the exam. I can say that the Super PMP was at least as difficult as the actual exam.  BE CAREFUL not to take so many practice exams that you actually begin to memorize the questions along with the correct answers. The idea is that you gain a solid foundational knowledge that you can apply to any question asked of you on the exam. I cannot guarantee that if you score a 70-75% on the Super PMP exam that you will pass the PMP but I can tell you it is a good measure.

Taking practice exams are crucial to success on the PMP exam. I utilized Rita’s Fast Track software, Exam Central’s exam, and also Oliver Lehman’s PMP questions.

So the final 2 weeks of preparation I focused on the Rita text, formulas, critical path, and practice exams. I took 3 full length 200 question exams over the last 2 weeks and as a result of missed questions created a list of notes for areas I was struggling with or found myself guessing at the answers. My list I compiled had about 150 line items which essentially became my study guide.

Also check out www.PMZilla.com – it is a good message board for PMP aspirants as well as those who have passed and are willing to mentor.

The Exam:

The exam, if you have prepared yourself, is very manageable. I would say the only reason to be nervous or hesitant is if you have not fully prepared and only you can know when you are ready to sit for the exam. I would say however that a good baseline would be 75% or better in Rita’s Fast Track exams as well as Exam Central. Rita’s Super PMP is very close in difficulty to the actual exam.

Many people stress ITTO’s, personal opinion is it is a waste of time to try and memorize these. Page 43 of the PMBOK is probably the most valuable resource when it comes to this area as it is most important to know where you are in the processes and “What to do next” or “What would you do first” in response to exam questions.

Know your formulas! I spent a couple of hours writing out the formulas over and over again so that I could instantly transfer them during my “brain dump” prior to starting the exam.

I actually found the exam to be much easier than I had expected, which I would attribute to my preparation. I found online that people were claiming they didn’t read the PMBOK, prepared for 4-6 days and passed the PMP. I am not saying they are not being truthful but I think a very small percentage of people would fall into that category. The exam if you are not prepared will prove to be very difficult, I found resources online stating that the first attempt failure rate for the PMP is as high as 40-50%.

I am available for any questions or insight so feel free to contact me. That being said I of course cannot discuss specifics as it relates to exam content or specific questions asked  but I can expand on how I prepared and the resources I used.

Thank you and good luck!

-Brian