I have this mantra, “If I can do you it, you can do it; If you can do it, I can do it.”
And the same held me in good stead when it came to preparing probably one of the toughest exams of one’s professional career – PMP.
In this article I’d like to share my PMP exam tips, tricks & lessons learned.
The seed
I was keen on earning this most coveted credential in the Project Management world. It all started around June 2016 when I started researching ways to kick start my PMP studies. Soon I learned that it demands lot of commitment, concentration, dedication and hard work.
Actively, I spent 4 months with 2 to 4 hours of preparation everyday. Here is my study plan, resources I 
used, tips & tricks I learned in during the course of my PMP study.
Study Material and Study Plan
- Head First PMP – I spent about 3 weeks to finish this book. This book explains PMP concepts in a pictorial and a fun way, using many memory aids. If you need a light reading of PMP and a fun start, I would recommend you begin with this book.
- PMBOK – This is THE book to consider for your PMP study. Majority of questions appear from this book so as much as possible try not to ignore this. It took me 1 month for first reading; took less than a month for 2nd reading; and took about a week to skim through the book for the 3rd time.
- Rita Mulcahy – I’d suggest reading this book after reading PMBOK for the second time. This book is gold for Quality Management, Procurement Management and Human Resource Mangement. Actually, I started reading only the pointers for tips and ended up reading the whole book. It is so interactive that you feel this book talks to you in person.
- Saket Bansel’s Videos – I watched his free videos for the concepts I felt I need more explanation. His white board sessions are awesome.
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PMP certification exam was the first big exam I took after a gap of 18 years, after my college. I had to overcome my own doubts and self-imagined limitations and prove to myself that this is possible. I took up the challenge with a couple of thumb rules and it all worked out well.
I’d like to share my PMP journey, what worked for me and what did not, hoping that this will help PMESN readers prepare for their own PMP exam with some insights.
In my view, PMP journey itself is a learning experience, so enjoy this and you will find it much easier to pass your PMP exam.
My study resources
My entire PMP prep duration was 12 weeks. I did not want to include too many study resources as it only made me get overwhelmed. So, the first rule was to stick with 1-2 main and 1-2 ‘gap’ study resources. I chose the following after some research –
For detailed study –
For ‘last mile’ preparation –
Also Read: PMP Certification – How I Earned Mine Without PMBOK, Jackie W. Gibbs
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Shiv, I wish to share my PMP exam lessons learned for the benefit of PMP exam takers. You might be surprised to learn that PMP practice exams contributed to about 40% of my PMP knowledge. I have also shared few other ‘small adjustments’ that I discovered along the way, which have helped a great deal in my preparation for the exam.
First, here are my..
PMP exam preparation resources
These were my primary study resources, but I did not go studying them in the same order as above.
I would suggest not starting with PMBOK first – you may easily get overwhelmed. I chose to study PMBOM AFTER I read through other books – which made it easy for me to negotiate PMBOK. Plus, I found that this approach helped me learn most out of every PMP® concept. More on this in a bit.
My prep plan using PMP practice exams
I realized early that taking mock tests is of utmost importance for finding success in PMP exam. With this in mind I made few changes to my study approach.
First, I did not miss any ‘PMP Lessons Learned’ articles posted by successful PMP candidates. These articles, coupled with a lot of tips on PMESN really helped me come up with a plan that suited the focus I had to give for work, my need for travel, and the time I had to give to my family.
I allocated 1-2 hour of study 3 days in a week and 6-8 hours of study on weekends for two months. [continue reading…]
After long deliberation, you decided to take up PMP exam. You applied for the exam at PMI.org, received their nod, went ahead with scheduling your exam with PearsonVUE, collected your top study resources, prepared a study plan and schedule, hit your study milestones and now your PMP exam day is around the corner.
You are, understandably, bit nervous about the exam. After months (for some like me, years) of studying for the exam, you want to get everything right on the day of the exam and come out with flying colors.
Note – If you are taking online exam, then watch this free webinar for a 21-point checklist to ensure things go as per plan! This will also share what to do under each of these sections from the online exam perspective.
Here are 9 tips, based on the exam experience of successful PMPs, that you can use to manage the ‘risks’ on the day of your PMP exam.
1. Get a good 8-hr of sleep the night before
It is important that you feel physically and mentally fresh during the exam. A tired body cannot host a relaxed mind. After all, you need to sit and concentrate for 4 hours and answer question after question.
Even if you feel that you are not completed prepared, which most of us do, make sure you get a good night’s sleep.
Also Read: 5 Things Successful PMPs are Doing The Week Before PMP Exam Day
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Shiv, thank you for your support, emails, great tips, and the PMP prep books. I earned my PMP yesterday with 2 ‘Proficient’ and 3 ‘Moderately Proficient’ score.
I completed my exam in just 2.5 hours.
I would like to share some advice and study tips here based on my PMP prep experience, for the benefit of PMP aspirants.
My preparation for the exam started way back in April 2016 with a course at my workplace, which ran for three days a week. I completed this course by June 2016. Due to many things, I couldn’t study the materials I got at the course.
I started studying afresh in September 2016 by –
- Reading your Blueprint,
- Watching videos on UDEMY for free,
- Reading RITA, and
- Solving questions provided by the UDEMY course.
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Shiv, I passed my PMP exam recently, and here are a few myths I’d like to burst and also share few tips from my PMP exam experience.
Myth #1: PMP Exam is tough.
PMP exam is not as tough as most people perceive it to be.
PMP is identical to the quarterly exams during schooling – I did my schooling in India and I understand other countries have the mid-term exam after 6 months from the beginning of the academic year. Quarterly exams are conducted every 3 months. There are 7 subjects in all. And by the first quarter, we would complete 5 chapters in each subject. Isn’t it? That makes it 35 chapters in all. But, for PMP we have only 13 chapters!
Fact: The difference is the cost of PMP exam and that is where fear lies for many people. “If I failed I’ll lose $500+!”
Also Read: Don’t just start your prep with PMBOK guide – by Vignesh, PMP
Myth #2: It is difficult to write an exam for 4 hours without break.
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