I passed my exam first try and had a pretty efficient study method.
Summary
1. make a plan, I linked mine below.
-->(1hour to make the plan, 20min each weekend to review the plan)
2. watch the PM Prepcast everyday on the way to and from work.
-->(15min each way per day)
3. Use flashcards, I linked mine below.
-->(10min per day until you're done)
4. Print out Ricardo Vargas process flow diagram 6th edition on 6 pages, tape it together and post it on the wall.
-->(review this when you get questions wrong in order to see why from a process perspective)
5. Take learning quizzes and review each wrong item.
-->(20 questions each) (1hour x 5 times or until you get a feel for the questions)
6. EXAM PRACTICE x 4
--> 4hour exam Saturdays ( do these the three weekends before your test and when you're about halfway through the prepcast)
--> 2hours to go through each question I got wrong and write down why I got it wrong.(very important)
7. Get ready for the PMP exam.
-->Take the day off work, sleep in, get to the exam center 30min before you appointment time. Know where the bathroom is. Do the tutorial (helps to calm nerves)
--> LEAVE your phone, watch, wallet. and test notes in the Car! (you don't need them and don't want to risk having your exam invalidated.)
--> BRING ID, clear water bottle, snack into the test room for your two breaks.
-->The Real PMP test questions are a bit vague but the prepcast does a really good job preparing you for them. Don't let it throw you off.
7. Celebrate.
-->IF you study these steps, you have a good chance of passing.
Exam question progression during studying.
1.Learning quizzes (20 questions ea x 5)
2. Timed quizzes (60 questions ea x 3)
3. Full practice Exam 1 and question review
4.(if first exam was around 60+ percent then proceed)
5.Full practice Exam 2 and question review
6.Full practice Exam 3 and question review
7.Full practice Exam 4 and question review
8.Real PMP exam ( the week after your final practice exam)
At first I was a bit lost as the study material seems to be all over the place and hard to know what is important. But after taking the test I can confidently say I made the right choices. I wish I had this list when I started studying.
First I made a calender in google sheets with my study plan. Each weekend reviewed I colored the finished tasks green and red for anything I missed.
MY STUDY PLAN:
docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/11nqbyWVA...2Fg/edit?usp=sharing
During my commute to work, I put on the PMP prepcast videos(15min), then during lunch I did flashcards(10mins), then on the commute home, I watched PMP prepcast videos(15min).
This daily study routine fit into my existing work really well and after two months I had covered all the material. It didn't really fell like a lot of work since I did it every day in small chunks.
MY FLASHCARDS:
www.brainscape.com/p/5GJ0P-LH-CVIAT
On the weekends I spent some time in the morning getting ready, light studying, then I would take an exam for four hours. Then review the questions I got wrong.
What I did do:
-->Prepcast EXAM simulator take exams and review wrong answers.
-->PM Prepcast (very highly recommend as Cornelius is a great instructor and keeps it interesting even after 50+ hours of content)
-->Watched the prepcast videos on 1.5x speed when I could still see the screen but wasnt really engaged in anything else(commuting)
-->Take notes on prepcast videos where there was a lot of information I didn't know such as DSDM, SCRUM SAFE, CRYSTAL, etc. (Yes these are on the actual test).
What I did not do:
-->Do not read the PMBOK Guide, Process Groups Guide, or Other reference texts because they are very poorly laid out and way to confusing to understand the information. Basically a waste of time in my opinion. Prepcast has you covered in this regard.
-->Do not watch the prepcast videos while sitting down at a desk. I lost focus when prepcast was the only thing I was doing so that didnt work for me.
--> Do not stress out if you are getting many questions wrong. Instead think of each one as a learning opportunity to do better next time. You will improve significantly if you study for 2months.
