PMP Exam: How I Passed On My First Try

Maybe you're on the fence about pursuing further education. Maybe you're wondering if a certificate is worth the hassle of studying or what the ROI may be. I'm here to tell you, if you're a project manager or in a project management position, the Project Management Professional (PMP) exam is an excellent way to enhance your career, expand your knowledge, and build a trusted name as a Project Manager within your organization. Additionally, you will be eligible to join the largest organization of like-minded professionals by becoming a member of PMI (Project Management Institute).

There are a ton of resources on the internet and in your local backyard, but I can guarantee this article referencing my personal experience is a fair introduction to what you may expect, studying-wise, when choosing to take on this hefty (but gratifying) challenge!

About three months ago, I decided to embark on the short (but intense) educationally-disciplined journey that is the PMP exam. Knowing the test was planned to change in mid-March to reflect the newest PMBOK Guide, I figured studying would either be calmingly prolonged or fiercely time crunching. As someone who typically works well under pressure, I set the exam date for March.

Now, if you ever wondered what the secret to successful studying is, I have some bad news for you - there isn’t one. But if you're looking to take the PMP exam, I can offer you a few ways to properly prepare. Even better, it won't cost you an arm and a leg. Let me preface this long-winded article with: I passed above target. So, I can confidently report that this technique worked for me. If you've taken a certification exam before, I'd suggest skipping the next 3 paragraphs.

First, my knowledge of the PMP certification was close to null prior to studying. My basic understanding of the credentials and the similarities to my current career as a Product Marketer was based off a quick Google search. To jump-start the studying process, I ordered PMP Flash Cards for terminology exposure. Studying these flash cards was less about memorization and more about familiarity; I found them particularly helpful with knowledge area-specific terms and phrases.

Next, it was time for the 35 course hours. Before you drop $2,000 on the first Google result for "PMP accredited course", I highly recommend looking at your current employer's organizational process assets (hint: common terminology for the exam). For instance, my employer utilizes a 3rd party educational technology company called SkillSoft. They provide learning management system software and tons of business-related content; so yes, I was able to take all 35 course hours, accredited and approved by PMI - for FREE! If internal educational content is not available to you, there are other accredited sites, such as UDemy, that offer the necessary contact hours and additional resources for only $200.

If you choose to take the self-paced and self-taught approach, discipline will be key. Creating small and challenging, but attainable goals such as, "5 modules per week" will be critical to staying on track and holding yourself accountable.

Once I completed the 35 contact hours, it was time to apply for the exam and really start to study. On a side note, ensure to allocate enough time (perhaps a couple of dedicated days) to fill out the application on PMI's website. This lengthy process includes detailed breakdowns of your contact hours and professional project management experience.

Up until this point, studying had been a streamlined and passive process. The videos were played, the notes were written, the module exam questions were answered. It was in this next stage that studying became an assertive, creative and personalized experience formulated for my unique learning style. However, I didn't really know what study techniques were best for me. I knew I was a manual, visual and auditory learner- the dreaded trifecta. This meant I had to incorporate various methods for full comprehension and retention. Based on this, I decided to use the Flash Cards, 4SquareReviews and a simple template I created (and printed) to write down each of the 47 processes, their inputs, tools & techniques, and outputs.

The template in itself was meant to be a personal outline and ultimate resource, not a cramped space to define each tool and technique. Instead, I took a deep dive into those complex bullet points on a reference sheet; each "reference page" was identified by a number in the top left corner. When reviewing the template later on, a simple Post-It with the page number stuck to the corresponding cell was an easy reference to the expanded information.

I would like to note that the reference sheets mentioned included information from various sources. The active learning portion that aided to my comprehension consisted of researching, comparing, analyzing and restructuring the information to best suit my understanding. This meant my internet browser consisted of multiple tabs and my Google history looked a lot like "modeling techniques pmp".

If a visual studying method is all you need, I highly recommend Ailen Pedraza's Visual Flow Map. It is available for download through her LinkedIn article — PMP Exam Success: My Visual Approach. This beautifully constructed 50-page flow map, in PDF form, helps the visual learners see the PMP processes for each knowledge area.

During the assertive portion of the studying process, I alternated filling out the template with every free practice exam I could get my hands on. Again, Google will prove to be your greatest tool here. I listed a few sources below.

• Oliver Lehmann PDF (most challenging and similar to exam)
• Oliver Lehmann (online)
• Simplilearn (highly challenging, did not find it similar to exam)
• PMP Free Exam Simulator
• Top 10 Free PMP Practice Exams
• PMP Pocket Prep (Desktop/Mobile App $30)

I did not keep track of my practice scores along the way, contrary to what most PMP-bloggers had suggested. I can confirm I received scores between 69 - 94% even up until the second to last day. If this happens to you, don't get discouraged! The best advice I received was to focus on understanding the questions answered incorrectly rather than the overall score. The practice tests are meant to challenge your applicable knowledge and in some cases, are more challenging than the actual exam.

Coming full circle, after 3 1/2 long months, I sat down at my local testing center, nerves grumbling up through my throat, and clicked "start exam". Did I average 2 hours on practice tests but manage to spend 3 3/4 hours on the actual exam? Yes, I did. Did I miss question 1? I'm pretty sure. But was the journey worth it? I'd like to think so.

I'd love to hear from you if you have any questions or if you had similar experiences while studying! So drop a message, comment below, or feel free to email me at: [email protected].

With love and mom-confidence in you all,

Kelsey Marchesano, PMP