Passed PMP today 7/9.

Init..    Moderately proficient

Plan.. Moderately proficient

Exe..   Highly Proficient

M&C.. Highly Proficient

Clos.. Moderately Profient

Read PMBIK once in Feb to get an idea what it is about. Felt this is the most boring book I ever read.

Read HFPMP once back in april once got better understanding what it is about.

Real preparation started 19 days ago... read HF PMP once again.. got a very good idea about the exam(comparatively) and attempted Oliver test - got 58%.

Read HF PMP again and attempted their full test got 80% as it only tests their content it was pretty easy and did some silly mistakes.

I tried attempting PMFastTrack knowledge area based tests 50 questions in each area and scored an average 68% on 7/5. This is based on 2-3 hours/day study during last 19 days.

Was not confident enough and realised that I am seeing questions that were never covered in HF PMP and that I need to read PMBOK because tests were really based on PMBOK terminology and only their way. I was really tensed and started reading PMBOK on 7/7 night and was able to finish it by 7/8 evening.

Reviewed all the chapters once again in HF PMP, took a look at all the formulas and the ITTOs (never tried to memorize them) and that is it.

My work environment highly practices PMBOK methodology and I think I could relate most of the stuff and that really helped me.

Never went through any forums or anything and I came to know about this website on 7/8 while searching for more practice tests.

Suggestings:

If you start your preparation with PMBOK it will take you no where as there is really no explanation of the content. Highly recommend HF PMP maybe better than taking 5 day traning(which I never took) get a good understanding and make sure you are get each and every point and try summarize at every level and read PMBOK. This time every line in the book made sense.

I would have done better if I took PMBOK a bit seriously as I felt my last 2 days of preparation really helped me with just reading it once.

Understand the concepts and do lot of practice questions. Just the right amount of effort should be enough. Remember it is always the PMBOK way..

I just came back from the test... let me know if you need any more info.

-Ram