How I passed my PMP exam on 1st try in 2months!!

Hello everyone,

If you’re preparing for PMI’s PMP certification and need guidance on how to study, schedule your time, and understand what to focus on, you can follow the roadmap I used.

I’ll share the resources I utilized in each section according to the course schedule, so you can see exactly when and how I used each material.

My 2-Month Study Plan for the PMP Exam?

Since I work from 8 AM to 5 PM, I scheduled my study time as follows:

Weekdays: 2 hours each night

Weekends: 4 hours each day

1. The First 30 Days:

I used the PMP Udemy Course (35 PDUs) by Andrew Ramdayal.

This course is essential for earning the 35 PDUs required for the PMP exam application.

• My Study Strategies:

I watched each video thoroughly, taking detailed notes.

I used Copilot (AI chat on MS Edge browser) to get examples and further explanations for difficult topics. Because the Udemy course provides a broad overview, so this Copilot help me a lot for deeper understanding.?

While studying the Udemy course, I also used David McLachlan’s question videos to review each section I had learned:

• 100 PMBOK 6th Ed. PMP Questions and Answers (now the Process Groups Practice Guide) (youtube.com)
• 150 PMBOK 7 Scenario-Based PMP Exam Questions and Answers (youtube.com)
• 200 AGILE PMP Questions and Answers - the BEST Preparation for the Exam! (youtube.com)
• 110 PMP Drag & Drop Questions and Answers (youtube.com)

My Recommendation: These videos are excellent for adopting the PMI mindset. Answer each question yourself, then check the answers and note any mistakes. David’s scenario-based questions are particularly useful. I highly recommend David McLachlan’s videos.

Subscribe and like his YouTube channel if you find it helpful.

David McLachlan - YouTube

(I purchased his Udemy 35 PDU course to support him)

2. The Last 30 days:?

Finish the 35PDU course to submit Application for the exam:?

• I watched the “Exam Mindset” video in the Udemy course and a video by David McLachlan for tips on answering questions.

• Remember to think like PMI, not based on your own experience.

• I spent 2 days taking practice exams on Udemy and reviewing wrong answers, achieving 80% and 91% on two attempts.

• Then, I submitted the PMP application by following the course tutorial and received approval in 3 days.

Scheduling the Exam:

• I scheduled my exam day 30 days later.

• I registered for PMI membership, so my total fee for the exam was $393 (non-member fee is $555). That's good deal! :)

Practice Questions:

• I registered for PMI Study Hall – Essential on PMI website ($35 for 3 months).
• I spent around 3 weeks completing all practice questions (717 questions), practice exams (2 full-length exams with 175 questions each), and 15 mini exams (15 questions each).
• I achieved an average score of 78%. (Almost the same as my exam result ^^)
• Although the questions are challenging and lengthy, they help identify weak points. Practice makes perfect, so don’t worry or lose confidence if you have many wrong answers.

My Recommendation:

• I highly recommend registering for PMI Study Hall (PSH) because the practice exams are very similar to the actual PMP exam. In fact, I found the practice exams to be even more challenging than the real one.
• Take notes on important questions and understand why you got them wrong.
• Practice full-length exams at least twice (around 3.5 hours each) to get used to the exam duration and the pace of each question. Aim to finish each question in about 1 minute.

Day Before the Exam:

• I reviewed my notebook several times. This notebook was very helpful because I noted everything in it.

Exam Day:

• I took the online exam at home, but I recommend taking it at a center to avoid technical issues and stress. I was very nervous because my network connection was unstable at the beginning of the exam process.
• The proctor was helpful, only speaking to me once to adjust the lighting.
• The exam consists of 180 questions with 230 minutes to complete, including a 10-minute break after every 60 questions. You cannot go back to previous questions after the break, so double-check your answers before proceeding.

Result:

• I completed the exam in about 3 hours and 15 minutes and received a passing result the next day.

One Last Note:

• Take your time to study. Avoid fast-tracking or speeding up any videos. Focus on learning deeply and truly understanding the material.
• Remember, you’re studying for knowledge, not just to pass the exam.

• Many questions, even those in the Process domain, often relate to the People domain as well. Ensure you have a solid understanding of both. David McLachlan’s question videos are particularly helpful for this.

Finally, You Can Do It! Good Luck!