This week I am sharing the exam experience of another student from PM Exam Last Mile prep program. “PMP training online is the best way to prepare for this marathon of a test”, Srinivas says. He passed PMP with Above Target score last Friday.
Srinivas Reddy has been working in IT industry for decade and a half after completing his M.Tech in Computer Science and Engineering. In his free time Srinivas loves to play cricket.
What made you take up PMP?
I have been working in IT and leading and managing software projects for many years now. It has been my goal for the past few years to enhance my professional career.
I thought of achieving PMP certification in 2017 but not able to accomplish this because of my work issues.
As I came to know that PMP exam is going to change from turn of the year I decided to get certified before that happens. This time I was serious about it and achieved my goal.
Srinivas passed with overall Above Target score.
In the past I have completed CSM, CSPO and Oracle certifications, and PMP would only make me a well rounded project manager, hence the choice.
Which study resources did you use?
I enjoy studying at my own pace and I’d like to wrap my study around work schedule. Thus for PMP training online was my first choice. Hence, no books!
I have used the following material –
- PMBOK guide (did you know that most of the exam questions can be traced back to PMBOK)
- Udemy PMP Exam Prep Seminar by Joseph Phillips (I signed up for 35hr cert),
- PM Exam Last Mile Prep program by Shiv Shenoy (the mind map based videos and other modules to fast track),
- PMP® Exam Secret Strategies course – part of ‘Last Mile’ program (these strategies helped me cut down on time and prep efforts)
- PMP exam simulator by Cornelius Fichtner (excellent way to experience exam conditions & practice time management)
Also read: How troubled times helped me pass PMP exam, says Manish
Can you please share how did you go about PMP training online?
I used 7-week PMP study plan template from PM Exam Last Mile prep program. Thankfully I was able to stick through pretty much all the steps and did not have to make many changes.
I would download and open the mind maps for each knowledge area and then follow along the video training. The thing I enjoyed is that the videos explain the processes while creating the mind map. These mind maps are very helpful to understand each process and the concepts involved.
Once I am done studying a particular knowledge area in the PM Exam Last Mile prep course, I would jump to the same KA chapter in PMBOK. This is the best way to cover the otherwise hard-read of PMBOK pages.
Moreover, I could add my own insights and additional points to these mind maps, and also use them to revise the study in the week before the exam.
The mock tests helped me practice applying concepts learned in the videos to exam questions and also practice how to manage time on the exam.
What was your exam experience like?
I took my exam online from home.
Overall my exam experience was good and went without any issues.
I took a quick 2-3 min break before continuing the 2nd part of the exam to refresh myself. This helped me concentrate on answering the next set of questions.
I did not get too many formula based questions as I was a bit hesitant to use MS Paint like page for calculations. There were under 10 questions that I marked for review. I was able to review them all just in time during the exam.
It was quite an amazing feeling to see congratulations message on the screen after I submitted my exam.
I passed with Above Target in 3 domains and Target in 2 – and with overall Above Target score.
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Any study tips for PMP students?
Start with a plan and maintain discipline of study. This is the main suggestion I have for PMP aspirants.
Apart from this, here are a couple of pointers that helped me –
- Get a mentor (I worked with Shiv) for providing guidance and motivation in each and every step in PMP preparation Journey. There are many ups and downs during this long journey, and having someone to constantly guide is very helpful.
- Read and understand PMBOK guide at least once. It is important to read ‘PMI’s language’ from the exam perspective.
- Solve as many as sample questions before going to the real exam. Sample questions are a good way to take away fear of the exam. I highly recommend answering as many 200-question sample exams as you can.
- Lastly, if like me you are not a fan of books, go for the PMP training online option.
All the best,
Srinivas Reddy, PMP
