PMP Lessons Learned

I took and passed the PMP exam on the first try, here is my advice for you (Disclaimer: If you haven’t started studying some of this may not make sense just yet).

#1 Take a class, there are tons of REP’s out there. Do your research and find the one that works best for you. There are some topics on the exam that are not in the book, so the class or some kind of supplemental learning tool is necessary to pick up on those items. If you are a self-learner you may be able to get some of the additional books suggested and do a self-guided course.

#2 PRACTICE EXAMS! Take as many questions as you can, but beware that all mock exams are not created equal. My suggestion is, if you start taking an exam with tons of grammatical and theoretical errors, just stop and go on to the next one. Once you get far enough in your study process you’ll know what I mean. I didn’t really ramp up my practice exams until I got past chapter 8-9 in the book, then I started doing 50-100 questions 5-6 times a week.

I used PMTraining for my class and exam simulator, while I could have found a better class the sample questions they provide you are as intense as what was on the exam. PMStudy also offers some really good material and exams, but I did like PMTraining’s questions better. The practice exam that I took and feel was closest to the real exam came from Head First Labs. That was the last exam I took before my real one and it was spot on. I studied for about 3 months and took a full four hour practice exam every weekend starting at about 6 weeks out, don’t under estimate having to sit in a room for 4 hours taking a test. DO NOT get discouraged if your practice scores are not the highest, I didn’t start averaging 75-80% on mock exams until my last week of studying. But be sure to review the questions you got wrong, it’s very very helpful.

#3 Study Time. I put in about 3 months of study time and just about cut myself off from the world. I studied about 1-2 hours during the week after work and about 3-4 hours on the weekends; although there were times when I did 3-4 hours after work and 5-6 on the weekend. I increased study times after my 5 week class was over. One thing I did that I don’t suggest is that I read the book and made notes, that was a waste of time. Read the book and make flash cards as you go. The flash cards are way more beneficial; I only looked at the notes once or twice. This may sound weird, but read the entire book from front to back, yes include the dictionary and appendices. If I were you I would not study in complete silence. When you take the test there will be others around you typing, sneezing, writing, coughing, etc.; put some distractions around you when you take the mock exams so that you will be able to zone out while taking the test and not be bothered by the sounds of others. I also took 1-2 days out of the week for a break.

#4 The exam itself. The test is hard, but not as hard as you think it is. As long as you have put in a good amount of study time and really worked to understand the information, not just memorize it, you should be able to pass with no problem. I do not feel there was anything on the test that I hadn’t seen before, of course there were some items I did not know the answer too, but I did not let those psych me out, I just picked the answer I felt was best and moved on. Know your formulas, understand your processes (Know what goes in and what you use to get your outputs), keep your nerves in check, and you will pass no problem.