Rebecca BraglioCommunity Engagement Specialist II| Project Management InstituteNewtown Square, Pa, United States
Have you taken the exam? Passed? Failed? Failed and then passed?
Help out a fellow project manager and post your tip on studying for and taking the exam. Here are some we''ve gathered from members so far:
J.l Laroche: Try not to try to absorb all the PMBOK content by heart, focus on the main stream of processes and knowledge, the tools and the results and you will be fine don''t worry. remember to get first through all questions, answering the evident ones and flagging the others and then get back to the flagged ones, and think of it, even if you''re unsure of the answer, always, always pick one, if you''re wrong you will not loose points and you have 1 on 4 chances to get it good...
M. Hartsough: When reviewing those questions you flagged, don''t start second-guessing yourself. IMO, in all probability your initial answer was correct. Don''t change your original answers unless you definitely found a better one. Remember to answer from the "PMI Perspective". The PMI Perspective isn''t necessarily how you or your organization manages projects.
F. McCaskell: take a break every 50 questions - no matter if you don''t think you need it. This will prevent you from being burned out at the end.
C.Tong: don''t think the exam is easy or you won''t prepare yourself well Saving Changes...
Pamela FowlerProject Manager, PMP| N/ATucker, Ga, United States
I took the exam this weekend and I was not even close to passing. I spent 6 months studying and it did no good. I am not sure how else to prepare or if I should try and take it again.
...
3 replies by Glynis Turner, Samantha Ohler, and Stanford Moss
Sep 24, 2018 9:07 PM
Glynis Turner
...
Same. I took it Aug. 4 and had to step back a few weeks but I’m trying to stay motivated. I am currently going through Rita’s book. I took a boot camp but I think it gave me a false sense of security.
Sep 25, 2018 2:11 PM
Stanford Moss
...
Hello Pamela,
regardless of your results you will need to give your brain a good rest.
Take some time of from your studies and put the PMP material down for about a month or two.
You need a new plan. Forget all of your previous assumptions about what constitutes the PMP exam. This is exactly my approach having fail the exam the first time just this past April.
For example when you start again do a SWOT analysis of the process groups, knowledge areas and ITTO's.
Work on your weakness one knowledge area at a time. You have nutting to gain by rushing back to take on this beast using the same old strategy. It will not work.
Take about 100 questions then identify and categorize the kinds of questions that give you grief.
Understand how each question connects to PMI domain areas. It is an extraordinary challenge this exam.
Perhaps,we don't necessarily have to memorize the entire PMBOK 6th Ed.
However, page 25 should be memorized and dumped within 5-6 minutes, all of the formulas should be dumped in 3-4 minute practice every single day.
Read the glossary this is critical to understanding the wide range of terminologies. Study the categorization and index of the tools and techniques.
I will retake in November and good luck with your studies.
Sep 25, 2018 2:30 PM
Samantha Ohler
...
Hi Pamela,
I have read a few articles on how others have done with this exam and one person advised to schedule your studies from Finish to Start. By mapping out the time needed for each category or area will also help you determine how long you need to study prior to retaking. I have scheduled mine to take about 11 weeks with approximately 2 hours of studying per day.
Also, set a calendar reminder for about 35 days prior to your next scheduled exam. You can take a look at where you are in your studies and reschedule without any penalty if you do not feel that you will be ready within that one month's time.
Finally, I have also been rummaging through the archived PMI Webinars. There isn't anything to specifically help you study for the PMP, but there are some that help with a few of the knowledge areas. For instance, there is a 2-part Math webinar for "Demystifying PMBOK Guide Math" that can help with your equations.
If you are on LinkedIn, you can also request to join a group called "I want to be a PMP". This is a virtual PMP Study group!
Failing your first time through the exam is rough and can take its toll. I just failed my first attempt last Saturday. Just take some time to decompress and when you are ready, jump back in! I wouldn't wait too long to begin studying though, just my opinion, as you don't want to forget or become unfamiliar with what you have learned thus far! You can do this!!
I am retaking mine in December. :)
Best of luck!
Samantha
Saving Changes...
Glynis TurnerGovernment Contractor| ASEC CorporationGermantown, Md, United States
Sep 24, 2018 9:03 PM
Replying to Pamela Fowler
...
I took the exam this weekend and I was not even close to passing. I spent 6 months studying and it did no good. I am not sure how else to prepare or if I should try and take it again.
Same. I took it Aug. 4 and had to step back a few weeks but I’m trying to stay motivated. I am currently going through Rita’s book. I took a boot camp but I think it gave me a false sense of security. Saving Changes...
Cindy BarkerManager, Revenue Services| City of VernonVernon, British Columbia, Canada
Sep 24, 2018 10:04 AM
Replying to Samantha Ohler
...
Hi Cindy,
Which 3-day prep course did you take?
Hi Samatha,
I took a prep course through Project Management Centre of Excellence Inc.
I took the exam this weekend and I was not even close to passing. I spent 6 months studying and it did no good. I am not sure how else to prepare or if I should try and take it again.
Hello Pamela,
regardless of your results you will need to give your brain a good rest.
Take some time of from your studies and put the PMP material down for about a month or two.
You need a new plan. Forget all of your previous assumptions about what constitutes the PMP exam. This is exactly my approach having fail the exam the first time just this past April.
For example when you start again do a SWOT analysis of the process groups, knowledge areas and ITTO's.
Work on your weakness one knowledge area at a time. You have nutting to gain by rushing back to take on this beast using the same old strategy. It will not work.
Take about 100 questions then identify and categorize the kinds of questions that give you grief.
Understand how each question connects to PMI domain areas. It is an extraordinary challenge this exam.
Perhaps,we don't necessarily have to memorize the entire PMBOK 6th Ed.
However, page 25 should be memorized and dumped within 5-6 minutes, all of the formulas should be dumped in 3-4 minute practice every single day.
Read the glossary this is critical to understanding the wide range of terminologies. Study the categorization and index of the tools and techniques.
I will retake in November and good luck with your studies. Saving Changes...
Samantha OhlerIT Program Manager| AMIGDelaware, Oh, United States
Sep 24, 2018 9:03 PM
Replying to Pamela Fowler
...
I took the exam this weekend and I was not even close to passing. I spent 6 months studying and it did no good. I am not sure how else to prepare or if I should try and take it again.
Hi Pamela,
I have read a few articles on how others have done with this exam and one person advised to schedule your studies from Finish to Start. By mapping out the time needed for each category or area will also help you determine how long you need to study prior to retaking. I have scheduled mine to take about 11 weeks with approximately 2 hours of studying per day.
Also, set a calendar reminder for about 35 days prior to your next scheduled exam. You can take a look at where you are in your studies and reschedule without any penalty if you do not feel that you will be ready within that one month's time.
Finally, I have also been rummaging through the archived PMI Webinars. There isn't anything to specifically help you study for the PMP, but there are some that help with a few of the knowledge areas. For instance, there is a 2-part Math webinar for "Demystifying PMBOK Guide Math" that can help with your equations.
If you are on LinkedIn, you can also request to join a group called "I want to be a PMP". This is a virtual PMP Study group!
Failing your first time through the exam is rough and can take its toll. I just failed my first attempt last Saturday. Just take some time to decompress and when you are ready, jump back in! I wouldn't wait too long to begin studying though, just my opinion, as you don't want to forget or become unfamiliar with what you have learned thus far! You can do this!!
1) Take the mock tests. Take at least 100 questions at a time and use a stopwatch. Take at least one 200 question test so you can assess your stamina and develop a strategy for handling such a long test. Check your score if you are getting 75-80% you should do OK.
2) It felt like every question ended with the phase "What would you do in this situation?" and found three the four choices seemed reasonable at first glance. I found that pinpointing exactly where you were in the project process was critical in eliminating choices and selecting the best answer. In your situational test questions make sure you have a sense of exactly where you are in the Project Management Process Group and Knowledge Area Map (page 556 of PMBOK guide). Saving Changes...
as per my experience, enroll in the PMP after you get hands on experience in the project management to understand the situations. the exams is all about real situations with good understanding of the PMBOK.
I cannot agree more --- I am going from the CAPM -- attained in 2017, to the PMP early next year so I do not get "real life" mixed up with PMBOK guide answers.
Effectively, they are the same test, just with more PM experience.
If you can organize the Knowledge Areas/Process groups -- you'll find they have striking similarities regarding Inputs/Outputs and can make total sense with a little organization of the mind.
The formulas aren't that hard either. Most of them are in only Cost Management anyhow.
Practice test, practice test and practice test. It'll come naturally before you know it. Saving Changes...
I recently got involved in the PM world. I took a course at PMA and have now taken the test twice and failed by one or two questions. I would love some advice on how to dissect the PMI questions when they try to trick you. I have memorized the ITTO's, read the PMBOK a few times, taken multiple mock exams, bought exam prep apps and countless other resources to help me study. Both tests were shown that I was at the cusp with my scores, which is very discouraging. If anyone has any advice or recommendations on how to understand the PMP exam questions more clearly I'd greatly appreciate it. I have the knowledge ( both explicit and tacit) I just need to know how to read through their trickery; I'm not a good test taker. Thanks. Saving Changes...
