Cleared PMP on 29th Aug...

Submitted by Apache24 on Wed, 09/07/2011 - 18:57

PMP Exam Tips, Tricks and Lessons Learnt.

Cleared PMP on 29th August on first attempt. Thanks to everyone in this forum, especially to people who contributed their lesson learned as it helped me to develop my preparation strategy and maintain focus throughout my preparation of around 2 months. My score card stands as: Initiating the Project Planning the Project Executing the Project Monitoring and Controlling the Project Closing the Project Professional and Social Responsibility Proficient Proficient Proficient Moderately Proficient Proficient Moderately Proficient

Here is my lesson learned from the exam:Books referenced Andy Crowe: I started my preparation with this book as it was recommended by the REP from where I earned 35 hrs of training. I feel this book is by far the best book to start the PMP preparation as its written in a very simple and systematic manner without jumping topics. More or less its a summary of PMBOK. I read the book twice before starting anything else. Rita: Started with Rita but initially was struggling to finish the chapters as there is so much of text per page but started liking it once I got accustomed to motherly way book explains the topics. I feel Rita develops the way PMI wants us to think thus developing thought process to answer the PMP situation based questions. After going through first pass of Rita I stared writing tests but with test results I thought it will be good idea to read Rita again. This time I started doing topics from Rita and PMBOK simultaneously but as just 12 days were left in the exam so did Rita alone along with first two chapters of PMBOK. PMBOK: After reading both Rita and Andy I was not left with much time to read PMBOK but as I learned from the forums that its really important to go through PMBOK so was worried a bit. Luckily I wrote 2-3 full length exams which gave the explanation with reference to PMBOK so I covered as many gaps as possible. Apart from that I read the PMBOK Glossary and then searched for index for terms which I was not familiar with. I got few terms like Cost-Contacts, FMEA etc. I now feel I could have done better if I had read PMBOK line by line. Tests Attempted:

InSite-Velociteach: Used one week free trial subscription which comes with Andy Crow book. Started doing the tests once I finished reading Andy which was around 30 days before the exam. Questions are easier than real exam so I used the tests to just practice and not to gauge my preparation. Use to get around 80% in 50 question tests. Also tried 200 question final paper based exam at the end of Andy Crowe book and scored 83%. ExamCentral (www.examcentral.net): Good source of free questions but again questions are easier than the real exam. I attempted around 300 questions in total. Scored around 78% to 85%. PMStudy Free Test 1 (www.pmstudy.com ): Good exam, nearly similar to the real PMP exam in terms of length of questions. Real exam was a bit tougher. Attempted the test 20 days before the PMP exam and scored 72% PMFastTrack: Gave just one full length 200 question test and secured around 78% but there were known questions also as I attempted the exam after reading Rita 6th edition and doing exercises at the end of each chapter. I always kept track on the question creep in the mock exams and calibrated the percentage accordingly. Beware that repeated questions can be a reason of continuous improvement in the mock exams if you are using same software again and again to give the exams. Further attempted questions on random basis. HeadFirst(http://www.headfirstlabs.com/PMP/free_exam/) :Good exam but again a bit easier than real exam. Scored 86%. Oliver Lehmann 175 questions (http://www.oliverlehmann.com) : Very high standard exam and it really helped me to find gaps which were due to not reading PMBOK. Attempted the test 7 days before the real exam and scored 77%. I suggest ,taking this exam once you are fully prepared as low marks may dampen your morale. Free Effectivepmc Exam (www.effectivepmc.com) : This is the toughest exam which I took. Scored 62%.Questions were wordy and took be exactly 4 hrs to complete the test. Only good thing was explanation of the answer were referenced to PMBOK so it helped me to further find the gaps in my knowledge. PMzilla tough 200 questions (http://pmzilla.com/pmzilla-final-pmp-exam-pmp): Good collection of questions. Key to success in PMP, I feel, is practicing lot of quality questions but not just from single source. Site referenced: http://www.deepfriedbrainpmp.com: Very simplified explanation of EVM, PTA formulas. http://www.monkibo.com/pmp-exam-itto-trainer: Used the tool to memorize IOTT.

http://www.mypmpexamprep.com/article/pmp-exam-input-outputs-tools-and-techniques : I used similar PFD to read every day for half an hour before sleeping for last 20 days before the exams in a hope to memorize IOTT but in vain. Memorizing IOTT: I feel PMP exam definitely do not test memorizing skills but do ask the input/output/tool of the processes indirectly in questions. I did not by-heart or rather was not able to by-heart the IOTT but was able to answer the questions with given choices. Exam Day: I was comfortable in the exam even though just slept 3 hrs on the night before the exam. Took a break after 100 questions (1.5hrs) and again after finishing 200 questions (3 hrs) .Marked all the numerical questions to come back to do the re-calculation and few more in which I had doubt. All together marked around 30 questions and reviewed in next 20 minutes (3.5 hrs). Changed 2-3 question options. Now with half an hr left was thinking to review all 200 again but decided to submit the exam as I felt I will not change the options as I had selected the answers confidently. Did the survey in jiffy and then came Congratulat ions..2 months dedicated efforts paid off. Special thanks to my wife for supporting me throughout my exam preparation.

Very best of luck for your exam!!!!

Provider

URL

Comment

Ajith Namboothiri

www.ajithn.com

Requires registration. Number of questions may grow, as visitors are invited to add further questions. Many questions of CAPM exam style.

La Tha CertChamp CertGear

206-free-pmp-exam-questions.blogspot.com www.certchamp.com www.certgear.com

206 200 6 Free trial of CertGear's exam simulator. Questions based on Whizlabs' Exam Simulator software

Certification. about.com

certification.about.com

20

trial. EdWel Programs Head First Labs www.edwel.com www.headfirstlabs.com 200 200 Requires registration Online practice exam from the authors of Head First PMPbook. A PDF file with 2MB for download. Simulates a test environment online similar to the original environment. Simulates a test environment online similar to the original environment. PDF file (app. 1MB) for download. Just like the real thing: Questions are written against the PMP Examination Content Outline and reference to a current project management source. German language aid for the 175 questions. The 75 questions above, with a timer in the title bar. 30 free questions for Apple iPhone and iPad. 30 free questions for Android smartphones and tablets. 30 free questions for Windows 8smartphones and tablets. H

MeasureUp

www.measureup.com

My PMP

www.mypmp.ie

90

Oliver F. Lehmann, PMP

www.oliverlehmann.com

175

www.oliverlehmann-training.de

175

www.oliverlehmann.com

75

itunes.apple.com/de/app/xzams-pmpsample/id399303897?mt=8

30

market.android.com/details?id=com.digit.pmpexamfr ee

30

www.windowsphone.com/en-gb/store/app/pmpexam-free

30

PMP Preparation in Google+

New PMP prep question postedand discussed from time to time. Visitors submit new PMP prep questions and discuss them. 164 CAPM Prep Questions: Not quite the PMP exam style, but also helpful for your preparation. For CAPM preparation: Attendee s are invited to post own questions. Also helpful for PMP preparation. Registration required. My friend Cornelius Fichtner and his company are happy to help project managers pass the PMP exam. Registration required. Simulators help get familiar with MC exam environments. Simple simulator

Project Management, PMI, PMP Certification in Google+

www.oliverlehmann.com

(CAPM)

CAPM Virtual Study Group

50

(CAPM)

OSP International LLC

www.free-pm-exam-questions.com

110

free.pm-exam-simulator.com

90

PassTheProjectExa passtheprojectexam.com m PMConnection PMExam.com www.pmconnection.com www.pmexam.com

431

10 ? Order their free Daily Digest as an e-mail service. A great resource with intelligent questions. Nice little simulator for the real test. Good questions. H

PMPerfect.com

www.pmperfect.com

10

PMPQuest.com PMP Question Bank

www.pmpquest.com pmpbank.googlepages.com

12 200 Good, difficult questions. H

PM Study

www.pmstudy.com

50

200 free questions after optional registration. Registration needed Registration required. Registration required. Come as an Excel file. CAPM Prep Questions. Not quite the PMP exam style, but also helpful for your preparation. High quality questions, which simulate the real test very well. H (CAPM)

www.pmstudy.com PMTI Pmzilla Practical PM Pty. Ltd. www.4pmti.com www.pmzilla.com www.mosaicprojects.com.au www.mosaicprojects.com.au

15 15 155 30 25

PreparePM

www.preparepm.com

165

Project PMP ProXalt

sites.google.com/site/pgmpguide/ www.proxalt.com

480 20 Registration required.

SSI Logic, pmi.books24x7.com Christopher Scordo, PMP, ITIL

+100 Free (for PMI 0 members) online version of the book through PMI'seReads and Reference. Commercial version available in stores. 200 Registration required. Tough stuff. Good.

Simplilearn

www.simplilearn.com

Test Prep Review Threon Trial Exams Tutorials Point University High School Fresno Voight Project Solutions

www.testprepreview.com

15

www.threon.com www.trial-exams.com/ www.tutorialspoint.com www.slideshare.net

13 30 200 150 Registration required

H H

(CAPM)

www.voightps.com

500

My friend and colleague Dr. Roger Voight has a large body of free

questions. Many of them are also helpful for CAPM candidates. You need MS Internet Explorer to open them. Whizlabs www.whizlabs.com 52 Digest for exam simulator. Registration required.

* Level of difficulty marked with H: If you achieve 75% in these tests, you should be well prepared for the real exam. Raise the number to 82% for the other tests.