Duration - 05 Jan 11 To 09 May 11. (Study on an avg. 4-5 Hr on Weekends, 1-2 hrs on week days).

 

Schedule the exam first and study later, plan with fixed end date (begin with  end in mind). Try not to postpone unless you seriously believe you are not prepared.

 

Study and reference Material used :

 

1.      Head First PMP – read once swiftly before 35hr training – simplifies concept.

2.      Andy crowe – read once swiftly – helps to understand to PMBOK.

3.      PMBOK (must read) -- one reading cover to cover and 2^nd time glanced while attempting mock tests.

4.      Rita mulcahy – Read 2 times, 1 round before PMBOK and 2^nd round after PMBOK.

5.      PMZILLA Lesson Learned --- Very useful and keeps U motivated.

6.      PMP Notes - Rajesh Nair and Chowdary (excellent stuff last day revision - Thank! guys)

 

Mock tests:

 

I used the benchmarking to measure progress and build confidence, referenced previous few LL shared on PMZilla for the same. I suggest try to attempt as many number of tests as possible, it helps.

 

My scores in mock tests:

 

1.      Head First --    83%

2.      Oliver Lehmann free Question Set 175         69%

3.      Oliver Lehmann free Question Set 75           70%

4.      EPMC (mock test) --* took 4:50 mins to complete    66%

5.      Andy - test at the end of book - 87% , one more from velocitech - 7 day free subscription with book completed but not got result - internet problem :(

6.      ExamCentral - Test 1 85%

7.      ExamCentral - Test 2 87%

8.      ExamCentral - Test 3 93%

9.      PMSTUDY free simulation exam       76%

 

About ITTO : Just clearly understand concepts , memorization not required at all .

 

 

What I would have done differently:

 

In last week I answered many practice tests in one go so not spent much time to analyze wrong one. I wish I had answered the practice tests before... I planned to answer once I have covered everything.

 

Don’t do this mistake. Answer the practice tests much early on. Once you know the concept, practice applying it and it will help to connect the dots….

 

Exam Day:

I reached almost 1 hour early, and was given the option of taking the exam early which I did.

 

Exam was not tough but tricky and in my case much wordy question towards the end caused much thinking under stress, and good mix of CPM, EVM, EMV, PTA simple mathematical questions .

As read in many LL, experienced and enjoyed the tense part of exam - the waiting period after press End Exam button. After that survey popped up …Finished the survey…again…wait for 20 seconds or so. Then the message appears “Congratulations.......”. And Happy Ending…..with great sense of achievement.

 

THANKS to my parents, wife for their invaluable support and to my 3yr old child with whom I spent very less time in last few months (also for his favorite song “de ghuma ke” – 2011 cricket world cup song, which inspired me many times).

 

All the best to PMP aspirants ……. enjoy the gr8 journey and thanks to “PMZILLA”.

 

Best Regards,

Sachin Nashte, PMP