I succesfully passed the PMP exam two days ago. I started studying for it in Feb and by June I was ready to take the exam. I then registered with PMI on the 6th of July. Unfortunately i had to relocate first week in August and could not find an available seat within that period so i planned to take the test as soon as i got to my new destination.

It took me two months to really settle in my new enviroment so i just read a chapter a day and browsed through different forums to re-enforce what i already read.Then by first week in Oct i set a target date for the 29th of November. To get me focused i tricked my brain by believeing that there was a job waiting for me first week in Dec, so I wanted to understand the materials thorougly without having any brain dump on exam day. To make it fun i had all three books on PDF, I will start with a process in Kim's book since it as organized by (Process group) mind map it with Rita's book organized by(Knowledge area) and use the PMBOK as refrence/dictionary. This process  gave me great insight into the PMIsm process flow. During my down time i will pick an output from a process write it down an trail its origin to every possible destination.After so many iterations my notebooks looked like as if i was trying to break a computer code using calculus(laughs)it kept me lock in and it was fun.

Then two weeks to the planned date I payed and got a seat on the Dec. 7th.This added an extra week of studying Yippee!!! So I stopped reading and just took practice tests. I have to admit i wasn't really bothered about what i was scoring but the questions i got wrong and why did i get them wrong?... Did i understand the question? Did i miss a phrase in the question? Have i read or come across this issue while studying? When i did a root cause i found out the to every situational question the answer lies in the phrases!!! Once you recognize the phrase, the question just open up in meaning and it becomes easy to solve. Trust me when i say even on a straight forward question if you miss the word except! is not! the question means something else. So watch out for these!!!

I use to get questions regarding Quality assurance wrong on most test!!! Until i was revising an answer on one mock test and it explained as the process of auditing quality requirement from plan quality and quality control measurements from quality control to ensure it meets quality standards and operational definition. Ironicly the PMBOK explains it that way too but even after the second read it still did not reckon with me until i got this flash back of my mind mapping diagrams and realize the answers is just a process flow. Ureka!!!! So i transposed that idea as a template to every questions and i all i see is mind maps of proceess flow, confirmation that my target of not needing a braindump was realized after all. In most forum PMP aspirants will say they read that book 1 time, two times or even three times. As for me i went back as many times till decoded something that made it stick.

Summary of my test scores are

PMSTUDY -Test 1: 78% Test 2: 96% Test 3: 92%  Test 4: 88% Extra test: 92%

Headfirst: First try 84% Second try :90%

Oliver Lehmann: 77%

Chapter Test Rita: 92%

Chapter Test Kim Heldman: 87%

Roadtrip: 92%

Three days to the exam all i did was go over my notes of all my mind mapping of processes, crtical path analysis, EVM calculations, PTA caculation. I read the PMBOK Glossary also listen to Kim Heldmen Audio pod cast in my down time.A day before the exam slept about 7pm. Woke about 11pm. re-read the code of conduct. Slept around 3am. Woke up around 9am. Prepared and went to the exam hall.

Once i was at the hall i felt ready! Did all the rituals and boom I started. The practice test help me strategize on how to answer the questions. A) Answered all straight forward questions first B) Answered all situational questions that i could decode on my first read, while i marked the rest for the second read.C) All calculations was answered on second read so as to keep the flow going. During the practice test i was running through the exam on an average of 2hours 30mins. So i was relaxed that i will have time to come back to the difficult ones. I was done by the 2hrs 10mins into the exam. Honestly at this point i knew i was going to pass. Took a break for 10mins freshened up and came back with 1 hr 40mins to go.

To validate my assumption, I started over from first question in more relaxed and in ANALYTICAL MODE this was very important. I'll read the question  then quickly verified my answer then if there was doubt i will eliminate the wrong answers but this happen on few, most Q. were just more simpler at this point. The caculatons and situational question i  marked for the second read kept up my concentration. After the second read with 20 mins to go i had a few unanswered and answered but marked question left. Went through them some i did't know the answered cause i could not decode the question properly so i picked what i felt was the right one. Hit the end bottom with five minutes to go. Did the survey/questionaire.

!!!!!! CONGRATS YOU PASSED

INITIATING: PROFICIENT

PLANNING:PROFICIENT

EXECUTING: PROFICIENT

M/C : PROFICIENT

CLOSING: MODERATELY PROFICIENT

PROFF& SOCIAL RESPO: BELOW PROFICIENT

So, to all my fellow PMP aspirants THE JOB!!! i was tricking my brain i will get at the end of the exam is what i'm doing now writing my LL to you all. Have a plan and stick to it. Only use books and sites that come highly recommended. And avoid the common plague of believing one site or book is better over the other at the end of the day PMBOK IS KING! Use it as your guide/refrence/dictionary! At the end of the day its just an exam and barring any hick ups you do well on the exam and leap quitely into a promising profession. ADIOS AMIGOES!!!