Hey everyone, just passed my PMP exam last week (AT all areas) at a testing center. Not writing this for the pat on the back, but want to give everyone getting ready to take their exam a few tips and tools that helped me.
First a little background about me since everyones milage in Project Management may vary....
-15 years Active duty military
-No formal project management work experience, just military "projects"
-B.A. In Political Science
-MS in Project Management last year
For exam prep, the only knowledge I was taking into studying was work experience in terms of people and management and an overall understanding of project management from my masters.
To prepare for the exam I allowed myself ~45 days to really dive in. I would allot at least 1 hour each day (maybe take weekends off). I recommend utilizing the following tools in this order... once again your milage may vary depending on background/experience.
-Rita Mcullays PMP Prep book. ~400 pages. READ THIS COVER TO COVER and DO THE EXAMS. I cannot stress this enough. I tried to read at least a chapter a day and skimmed through the book a second time to hit weak areas. There is a wealth of knowledge in this guide and if you pay attention to your take aways you will see a significant increase in your practice exam scores.
-Pocket Prep PMP smartphone app. Made it a point to do at least 1 or two 10 question quizzes daily, if not more. The scenario questions greatly mirror what you might see on the exam
-Agile Guide. I knew literally nothing about Agile and Iterative methods. This guide will give you a general rundown on the various methodologies as well as some good buzz words to know.
-PMBOK. I put this last because if you are taking this exam you should already be familiar. Always remember to bounce any questions or gaps you have from the other tools with the PMBOK. The exam is testing your knowledge on following PMI standards. Know them.
Obviously with the exam results and questions will vary. Biggest pieces of advice I can give are this:
-Have basic knowledge of Agile forms of project management
-Have or work on good reading comprehension and test taking skills. (this is paramount)
-Know your processes and have a big picture idea of inputs and outputs.
-Breathe, relax, and have confidence in your abilites. You got this!
Any other questions feel free to respond I'd be more than happy to try and help. Saving Changes...
Well done and congratulations on passing the exam. Did you use the 6th or 7th edition of PMBOK in your studies? I note that there are a lot of differences between these editions. Also, I assume you used the 10th edition of Rita Mulcahy's PMP Prep book. Thanks, Bob
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1 reply by Douglas Pistorius
Apr 18, 2022 3:49 PM
Douglas Pistorius
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Hey Bob! thanks for reaching out! My studies were based out of the sixth edition of PMBOK. Sounds like (at least for now) the processes outlined in that edition jive with the test well.
And yes for Rita. I used the 10th edition enhanced. I bought it straight from their site but I’m sure Amazon or Barnes and Noble carry
Well done and congratulations on passing the exam. Did you use the 6th or 7th edition of PMBOK in your studies? I note that there are a lot of differences between these editions. Also, I assume you used the 10th edition of Rita Mulcahy's PMP Prep book. Thanks, Bob
Hey Bob! thanks for reaching out! My studies were based out of the sixth edition of PMBOK. Sounds like (at least for now) the processes outlined in that edition jive with the test well.
And yes for Rita. I used the 10th edition enhanced. I bought it straight from their site but I’m sure Amazon or Barnes and Noble carry Saving Changes...
Thank you for sharing, Doug!- taking my exam tomorrow
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3 replies by Douglas Pistorius, Lydia Goodner, and Stéphane Parent
Apr 25, 2022 8:29 AM
Douglas Pistorius
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Good luck today! And yes please if you have time let me know your experience with the test. Just curious to get an idea of the question spread from someone else taking the test recently
Apr 25, 2022 5:09 PM
Stéphane Parent
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As we say in French theatre: "merde!". Let us know how your experience was.
Good luck for today's exam, Lydia! I'm sure you'll pass and when you do, it'd be great if you could post a similar note like Doug's providing feedback on how you found the exam process.
Thank you for sharing, Doug!- taking my exam tomorrow
Good luck today! And yes please if you have time let me know your experience with the test. Just curious to get an idea of the question spread from someone else taking the test recently Saving Changes...
Stéphane ParentSelf Employed / Semi-retired| Leader MakerPrince Edward Island, Canada
Apr 24, 2022 11:22 PM
Replying to Lydia Goodner
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Thank you for sharing, Doug!- taking my exam tomorrow
As we say in French theatre: "merde!". Let us know how your experience was. Saving Changes...
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