Kimberly McCoyProject Manager| TekSystems - ContractorZanesville, Oh, United States
Hello!
I am beginning my journey to get PMP Certified. I am wondering how much study time people spend on average for their exam. I am currently between 2-4 hours in the weekday and 4-6 on the weekends. I know this is enough with the month I have spent consistently, but want to see other opinions. If possible, what were your study techniques?
Thank you in Advance! Saving Changes...
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Dinah YoungProject Manager / Software Asset Manager| Prince William CountySpringfield, Va, United States
I took lots of practice exams and quizzes.
Memorize the equations, understand the processes with their inputs, tools and outputs. And then practice, practice, practice. Saving Changes...
Understanding how to apply the formulas backwards & forwards is important as some EVM questions might not be asked in a forward-pass manner (e.g. here's the BAC, AC, figure out EV, PV, then CPI, SPI and so on). Lots of practice is the best way to do that...
Senior Projects Manager | Field & Marten AssociatesNew Westminster, British Columbia, Canada
It depends on your experience in Project Management but I still would say that considering the pace you've mentioned, you probably need around 4 - 6 Months of study.
You have to go through the PMBOK at least once and read another resrouce like Rita Mulcahy's Exam Prep and do lots of simulation exams.
In my exam, while I was expecting and hoping to get some calculation questions, unfortunately I only got two calculation questions, nothing more and the rest were lengthy scenario questions so you never know - You need to be ready. Saving Changes...
You can join a study group, it always works to keep you motivated. I am mentoring (free) now one group and we are starting with the scope chapter.
1. You can buy one udemy course, it helps you regulate your study and simplify things, and also it covers 35 contact hours if you want. 2. Join any study group or mentoring group 3. PMBOK is your number one reference to study 4. Pick another resource like Rita, but there is other good stuff around 5. A lot of questions solving after each chapter you finish practice until 100%. 6. Simulation exams up to 85% score. 7. Full review of notes you are creating as you go 8. Exam and Pass, 9. let us know to celebrate with you.
4 Months and average of 2 hours daily
Kevin Drake Saving Changes...
Drew CraigSr. Agile & Product Coach| VanguardPhiladelphia, Pa, United States
My suggestion and experience is pretty close to Rami's post. I put in about the same time as you are referring. My focus on the sims was not extensive, but strategic to help gauge progress, though relied on gut feeling as well in how I felt with the material - confidence level and understanding.I also utilized commuting for flash cards and reading. Good luck. Saving Changes...
Kimberly that amount of time sounds pretty short. I recall maybe 10 or more calculation questions, it seemed I was always pulling out the calculator, and as Kiron say they mixed up the formulas all the time, so you need to know basic algebra (at east in a couple of my questions I had to play around with the formula to get the answer). Saving Changes...
Tamer Zeyad SadiqAssistant Cost Manager| Turner & TownsendRiyadh, Ar Riyad, Saudi Arabia
The PMP exam recommendation tips are:
1. You should have university or college certificate, work experience not least than 5 years and 35 hours for PMP course;
2. Read PMP handbook and PMP exam outline very very well , because, the PMP exam will depend on the tasks as mentioned in PMP exam outline;
3. Read PMBOK last version from cover to cover at least two or three times to understand the PMI definitions and ITTO's as well, because, PMP exam ref. is absolutely from PMBOK;
4. Read Rita book, understand and practice the questions in each chapter. Rita book is for understanding the some topics like change request procedures, time network analysis, EVM, conflict resolutions, plan risk management response...etc;
5. Concern the topics, which are scope management, change management, communication management, stakeholder management & Risk management. The exam will ask you many questions related to these topics, and
6. You must practice a lot of questions to understand these topics and to understand how the PMP exam frame what does he ask. The best websites for PMP practicing are : PMSTUDY, PM PRECAT and some applications in Udemy; Good luck to every body!!! Any questions I am ready!! Saving Changes...
Arief PrasetyoPrincipal in Project Management| SLBKabupaten Bogor, Jawa Barat, Indonesia
I read the entire PMBOK, which took about 2 weeks. I read and summarized in a small notebook (yes those, paper ones). It is an old habit of mine - I find that I understood things better if I read, and wrote the summary at the same time. As I was reading, if there were things that are unclear (and there are many), I would look it up on the internet. For example, I was having a hard time differentiating between risks and issues.
Like if something dramatic were to happen, such as a sudden import ban on your specific type of raw material, how would this be handled. Does it get handled as a newly identified "risk", or is this an "issue" and is addressed in a different manner.
After finishing with the PMBOK, I took a full 200-questions exam simulation and used it as my starting benchmark. I then joined the study group organized by my local PMI chapter, but since the study group is weekly and it covers only 1 topic per week - it did not meet my personal timeline. But through this study group I found mentors, who introduced me to the "story line" technique; where they ask me to explain what processes are involved, along with tools and techniques related to a specific topic, such as "deliverables" where does it start, and how does it end.
After about 1,5 months of practicing various story lines, i took another exam simulation and got a 23% increase from my starting benchmark. With some encouragement from the mentors, I went ahead and booked an exam.
All the best! Saving Changes...
Dana KearneyPresident| Global Portfolio ProjectsRancho Cucamonga, Ca, United States
Kimberly, I would like to join your study group, hopefully, you are still in session. Best regards, Dana Saving Changes...
Dana KearneyPresident| Global Portfolio ProjectsRancho Cucamonga, Ca, United States
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