Unlocked PMP!! Get PMP Certified in 2024

Hi,

My name is Eric. I passed PMP exam with 3 above targets in 2024. I would like to share my experience with who is seeking for pursuing PMP certification.

[Introduction]

I am an electrical engineer who has 5 years of professional experience. I am currently working for a major EPC company within renewable energy industry, and I obtained my professional engineer license few months before PMP exam. After obtained my PE license, I started to think what could be the potential next step for me to pursuit. Project management is one of the most important skill in infrastructure or construction sectors. Especially in EPC and consultant side, because there are not only engineering tasks but also a lot of stakeholders between subcontractors and clients to be managed. The complexity of stakeholders and contracts management will increase if you want to climb up the corporation ladder from engineer to technical lead or project manager in the future. Pursing PMP is the best opportunity to learn large complex project management skill.

?[Material of Studying]

• Andrew Ramdayal 's Udemy course (35 PDU)

• David McLachlan's 100, 150 and 200 PMP questions (I can’t believe they are free videos.)

100 WATERFALL PMP Questions and Answers

150 PMBOK 7 Scenario-Based PMP Exam Questions and Answers

200 AGILE PMP Questions and Answers - the BEST Preparation for the Exam!

• Study Hall Essential
• 3rdrock's PMP Exam Prep notes
• Project Management Process Group and Knowledge Area Mapping Game

[Study Plan - 5 Weeks, 80-100 hours]

Week 1-Week 2

Cleared Andrew Ramdayal 's Udemy course to get 35 PDU by speed*1.75 watching all the videos. It takes roughly 20-25 hours to finish all the videos. There is a final simulation exam at the end of this course. I got 62% correct after finished the course. AR’s course helped me to built the conceptual and the structure of the PMBOK knowledge system, but it doesn’t mean you can take the exam right away after finish the course. You need to practice a ton of questions to build your reflex action on the real exam. Just like it doesn’t mean you can play professional basketball after watching a lot of NBA games. Practice!! Practice!! Practice!! I also submitted the application to PMI by using the template in AR’s video. Andrew made a comprehensive section to guide about how to submit the application to PMI. If you follow step by step, you will be fine. Once I got the approval from PMI, I booked the exam in test center immediately.

Week 3

Cleared all David McLachlan's practice questions in the video. I suggest to start from 200 AGILE questions, and then 150 PMBOK7 and take 100 traditional at the end. DM’s questions are probably easier than the real exam, but they were very helpful for me to build the proficiency of answering question and practice applying mindset on answering questions. Especially the Aglie questions, there are less focus on Aglie in AR's course. It was worth time spending to walkthrough all his explanation on each question. He explain how to eliminate incorrect choices and refine the most likely answers to improve accurate in each question, so I personally watched all his explanations in the video by speed*1.75. I also played 49 process mapping game until I regularly got 95% correct.

Week 4

Practicing 60-100 questions a day after work. I purchased Study Hall Essential at this moment. I was very frustrating at the beginning because I got roughly 40%-60% correct on the mini exams, but I read a lot of posts on reddit this is quite normal. Study hall is more challenge than the real exam, but it is published by PMI made it the only simulator from official institution. Study Hall is the most similar mock exam compare to other materials on the markets, so there is nothing special tips but keep practicing. I have done all the mini exams and practice questions before the exam, and I took my first full length exam in Study Hall. I got 67% in the first full length mock exam. I feel full length mock exam is easier than the mini exams and practice questions, and it is very similar to real exam.

Week 5

Week 5 is the week before real exam. Beside practicing 60-100 questions on weekday after work as week 4. I started to study 3rd rock note. It is a very good material to review all of the necessary knowledge you need to know to pass the exam. Especially the mindset chapter, I recommend to review mindset chapter before practicing the questions in study hall every day, so mindset will engrave in to your brain before the exam. The last weekend before the real exam, I took full length exam 2 in the study hall. I got 73% correct, and I was quite confidence that I will conquer the exam at this stage.

?

[Exam Day]

The total length of the exam is 230 mins with 180 question. Here are some tips for taking the exam in the test center.

1.???? Use 230-155-80 rules on your exam. There will be a clock counting down from 230 mins on up right of the screen from 230 mins when you start. Try to finish your first 60 questions in 75 mins, second 60 questions in 75 mins and last 60 questions in 80 mins. Plus or minus 5 mins of each section shall be fine. ?

2.???? Get a good sleep the day before the exam. I jogged 5 KM the day before the exam to make sure I was tired enough to get a good sleep

3.???? Don’t drink too much water before the exam. You are not allowed to go to toilet during every section of the exam. You will get two 10 mins break when you finish first and second 60 questions.

4.???? Make good use of some useful tools to get better understanding of the questions. One is high light pen can highlight the sentence you think is critical or important when you get a lengthy question. Another one is eliminated line to exclude wrong choice.

5.???? You will get the result right after the exam. TA will print out a piece of A4 paper and you will know the outcome on the A4 paper immediately.

?[Cost]

1. Andrew Ramdayal 's Udemy course (35 PDU) 10 USD (I purchased the course when it was on sale)
2. Study Hall Essential 49 USD
3. 3rd rock note 15 USD
4. The PMP exam fee 405 USD
5. PMI membership fee 139 USD

Total cost: 618 USD

At the end, wish you the best luck of PMP exam.

By Eric Chang

2024.08