I am a Civil Engineer working primarily in MRT (Mass Rapid Transit), LRT (Light Rail Transit) and infrastructure bridges in Malaysia and Brunei. I have always been an PMP aspirant that fancied the credential from PMI.
Here’s my short, to-the-point PMP prep experience. Overall, the approach for me was to go with selected study books and mobile apps, and then take mock tests.
I depended heavily on my work experience. I decided to pursue the credentials after obtaining several years of experience in Construction industry, which actually made it easy to prepare for PMP exam.
Study books
The approach I found easier is to practice applying PMBOK processes and concepts to daily work. This gave me good insights into the workings of a PM withing PMI’s PM framework.
I studied Rita Mulcahy’s PMP Exam Prep together with the PMBOK as a reference. Rita’s Mulcahy’s PMP Exam Prep is a great book and easier to go through then the PMBOK itself. The techniques in the book is a must read for all PMP aspirants.
Mobile apps are a great way to use your free time productively. I also went through tons of mock exam questions from iOS apps like PMP Tutor and etc.
Also Read: My recommended PMP study resources.
Study approach
I went through one chapter every day for all the 14 chapters and repeated it twice before the exam.
I did go through Olivier Lehmann’s 175 questions after completing all chapters. When I took the PMP exam, I found that these were close to the real exam.
PMP Tips
- For the exam, I would definitely recommend to be well prepared on all the Inputs, Tools and Techniques and Outputs (ITTOs) for all the processes.
- Surprisingly, I found many questions around ITTOs on the exam. I have seen people ignoring certain aspects such as ITTOs, or specific KAs. So the lesson was for me not to ignore any aspect of the exam.
- It is also good to be calm throughout the exam and take a break whenever you feel overwhelmed with the questions. I took 3 breaks throughout the exam after about 70 questions each. Also, make sure to also keep yourself hydrated.
- Do not worry about not having enough time to complete the questions. 4 hours are enough to answer and even review the questions.
Finally, remember that the road to success is always under construction. Never give up and keep going.
Good luck!
Also Read: “I Had Just 2 Weeks to Prepare for PMP Exam”: Suguna Rajoo, PMP
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