I took the exam just one week ago and passed it on my first try above target.
I did it studying one or two hours per day for almost 3 months. In my opinion the hardest part it´s to deeply understand how the processes are linked and feel the whole thing like an entire cycle that you must follow constantly. Lots of questions about change management process...must be knew in detail.
Having experience in different projects it´s key increase the chances in the exam. Saving Changes...
Senior Projects Manager | Field & Marten AssociatesNew Westminster, British Columbia, Canada
Dec 18, 2018 8:12 PM
Replying to Steven Bernheisel
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Hi Heather,
I took the exam just two weeks ago and passed it on my first try. Here's what I did to prepare, in the order that I did it:
1. I took a weeklong (35 hour, thus meeting the formal education requirement) training course from New Horizons. This was actually the second time I've taken the same course with them as I've been trying to get the PMP for about five years... fortunately for me I could expense these courses as they are expensive! The course came with a copy of the PMBOK guide and a copy of a study course from Crosswinds (which has an online component to it as well). I took the course the second time in late February of this year.
2. I then joined the PMI and registered for ProjectManagement.com and immediately noticed PMchallenge. So right away I started quizzing myself with that and over time probably answered thousands of questions, earning all of the little badges you can get from doing those along the way.
3. I then started reading the PMBOK guide and read it all the way through one time.
4. In early September, I started watching the Sandy Mitchell PMP prep courses on Lynda.com. There are two of them: one with specific exam tips and one that is basically an online 'boot camp' similar to the New Horizons course I did.
4. Sometime in late October, I started going through the Crosswind course, taking the online mini-exams as I went. After I finished, I took the Oliver Lehmann online exam simulation and got a 65%.
5. I then did the entire Crosswind course over again, plus the exams and their full exam, which I didn't do the first time, and then re-took the Oliver Lehmann sim and got a 74%.
6. Meanwhile while I was doing the Crosswind course I was also trying to memorize a chart they provided with their book that's basically supposed to be the brain dump that everyone suggests you be prepared to do when you start taking the exam.
I wasn't very happy with that 74% result but at that point I was basically out of time so sat for the exam anyway, and passed it with a pretty good score. One thing is that I put a lot of effort into memorizing all of the math formulas but got virtually no questions where I needed to use them.
Hopefully all of that helps!
Thanks for sharing your experience Steven and congrats on passing the exam. I agree, memorizing won’t do you any good in the exam but deeply understanding things is the best strategy.
As for PM Challenge Questions, they are good for refreshing your memory but needs updating.
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1 reply by Steven Bernheisel
Dec 19, 2018 3:38 PM
Steven Bernheisel
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I agree re: updating, at least if the point of PMChallenge is to help prepare you for the PMP exam, which it might not be. But if it is, the nature of the questions does not line up all that well with what is really on the exam.
Having said that, I still think it was a valuable exercise for me as I am sure some of the terminology I memorized, as well as some of what ITTOs went with what process, came from going through those questions.
Senior Projects Manager | Field & Marten AssociatesNew Westminster, British Columbia, Canada
Dec 19, 2018 9:36 AM
Replying to Thomas Walenta
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I sat in the exam 1997, having to answer 400 questions in 8 hours. Since then, I helped to create exam questions at PMI, and taught many in PMP Prep classes and at an university.
My rule of thumb is to plan for 160 (80-240) hours of effort to spend on learning. Most of my students take 3-4 months to learn, if focused.
I recommend to have the physical PMBok Guide at hand, and the PDF to search for, mock-up exams per knowledge area and a preparation book which covers the content in a pedagogic, understandable format. Do not use too much material, you do not have the time to read it all. Stick with English.
If you do not have 35 hours of (any) classroom experience, you may consider a bootcamp.
Also read the PMP handbook which details the process and the Exam Content Outline (ECO), which is the base for the exam. Both can be downloaded from www.pmi.org.
And yes, having a mentor for this project is a good idea.
Wow, Thomas, I did not k ow the exam was 400 Questions for 8 Hours ... for how many years was the exam this way ? And was it all multiple choice ? Saving Changes...
Mohamed AmerConstruction Manager| Shapiro CMNew York, Ny, United States
On December 4th, 2018, i passed my PMP Exam from first time "Thank God".
My journey takes some time (I will tell you why).
Here it is:
I read PMBOK first time in my life .. find it hard .. No problem.
Then, start studying PMBOK and Rita "chapter by chapter" .. this works for me.
Then i read the whole PMBOK again. much easier than first time.
Then i start answering questions and read PMBOK randomly to focus on areas with wrong answers .
Keep answering questions and look back in PMBOK till your score is 70% or more.
For questions, i use Q&A booklet by PMI and PM Prepcast website.
Last day before exam, i revised all mathematical formulas especially EAC, ETC and TCPI.
Let's learn from mistakes:
--- The MOST important point i learned is "Consistency" .. don't make my mistake of studying then stop .. then study again then stop .. DON'T.
My PMP achievement delayed because of this action.
Finally, i hope this post provide positive addition to PMP Study "Best Practices"
Thank you Heather for starting this discussion and good luck for everyone. Saving Changes...
Steven BernheiselManager, Financial Systems| Ventas, Inc.Louisville, Ky, United States
Dec 19, 2018 11:10 AM
Replying to Rami Kaibni
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Thanks for sharing your experience Steven and congrats on passing the exam. I agree, memorizing won’t do you any good in the exam but deeply understanding things is the best strategy.
As for PM Challenge Questions, they are good for refreshing your memory but needs updating.
I agree re: updating, at least if the point of PMChallenge is to help prepare you for the PMP exam, which it might not be. But if it is, the nature of the questions does not line up all that well with what is really on the exam.
Having said that, I still think it was a valuable exercise for me as I am sure some of the terminology I memorized, as well as some of what ITTOs went with what process, came from going through those questions. Saving Changes...
I have been previleged to deliver PMP classes for more than 5 K students over last 14 years. Also experienced few cases pertaining to your concerns. The lessons learnt from our experience is as follows 1) One needs to train himself from PMI way of thinking i.e. First priority is project and second priority is stakeholder.(In general it happens otherwise in the organization) 2) On an average 250-300 hours of study time with 1000+ mock questions scoring 80% + to get confident 3) Remember it is the EXAM so not to bring one's personal experience/views while answering the questions 4) Read nothing but PMBoK.Questions in the exam mostly have direct answers in PMBoK guide Saving Changes...
Drew CraigSr. Agile & Product Coach| VanguardPhiladelphia, Pa, United States
Ravindra sums it up well to help those preparing the right context and frame of mind.
My experience was taking a 4-day boot camp sponsored by my employer. I prepared before the class with the PMBOK and materials by the provider.
I read the PMBOK twice, first just straight through in the class doing exercises along the way, the second capturing notes and having a bound set of notes to carry with me instead of the entire book. I also used flashcards.
There is a lot of mental prep needed for sitting the 4-hour exam. Usually, this is also taught in the boot camps. Healthy body, healthy mind. If you drink a ton of coffee before, then expect to have to leave for the bathroom (clock keeps ticking and there is a process to sign in and out). I went in with a mindset of controlling the exam as opposed to letting the exam control me. Read each question once and answer. If it requires calculation, skip it. Decide to skip before reading. This is your first pass. Then go back and complete the others. Be very careful of time. Once you fall behind, things go sideways very quickly. Stay focused on moving forward and trusting your gut. If you start second guessing, time will tick by very fast. Saving Changes...
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