Since I used this site to fine tune my final exam preparations, I wanted to add to the comments/LL by other recently certified PMPs.  Thanks to everyone who has contributed their experience and tips – I found it incredibly helpful. 

Materials:

Local PMI Chapter PMP Prep Course (ATX) – 40hrs over 5 weeks

Rita Mulcahy’s PMP Prep, 6^th Edition

PMBOK, V 4

PMI’s Code of Ethics

FasTrack Exam Simulation Software

Processes and Key Output chart - InSync Project Consulting

Entire Process Diagram - InSync

Preparation:

Total duration for prep: 4 months (July 25 – November 23^rd)

Total hours spent towards prep: ~80-100hrs, including 40hr prep class

Lessons Learned:

>Writing down the differences between the quality processes, the differences between Verify Scope and Perform QC and charting the life of the deliverable was helpful.  I started this strategy late in my preparation and – if I had it to do again – would have done this for some of the other concepts too.

>Rita’s book said you did not need to memorize ITTOs, but I saw some comments indicating it would be helpful.  Glad I did this.

>Knowing my test strategy and writing it down, was very helpful.  I knew from taking the FasTrack simulated exam that I would mark everything for review in the beginning, settle down and then begin to better assess what I actually wanted to return to was helpful.  Also, I knew I would need a brain break at hours 1 and 3 and that I would likely need to eat around hour 3.  This was good to know and helped me budget my time.  

>The simulated exam helped me better prepare for how I would approach answering the exams.  First pass = best answer, if in doubt mark for review.  If no idea after reading it 3 times, don’t answer and mark for review.  Second pass = review all Incompletes/unmarked and answer.  Unmark.  Third pass = review all those marked until all have been reviewed/unmarked.  This took me 3 hrs 52 mins.  I probably changed about 5 answers in the review of previously marked answers, and believe them to be good decisions.

>There may be questions farther downstream in the test that will help you answer questions you were unsure of earlier.  I was able to correctly answer 2 or 3 this way.

Best,

Erika