I see a lot of people "cram" like this to pass tests. I see it in Cisco
tests, Juniper, PM, and as a Amateur Ham radio operator, the radio exams.
What happens is similar to your experience. Congratulations, you passed the
exam! But clearly the concept it "Retention to make you a better XXX", in this
case a better PM.
So I ask you, when you are about to go under the knife do you
want a surgeon or an anesthesiologist that "Crammed" for their
boards and got a "Slightly proficient"?
You realize when you took lectures as an undergrad student
that after 10 years the retention rate is only 2% of the material
for the average undergrad? What do you believe the retention rate
of your "cram" session will be if you barely scrapped by with a 75%
aka 'C' the day of the test 6 months from the test date? How about
2 years? I suspect the same as the people I run in to that cram for
their Radio exams.... A year later they know almost nothing about
proper FCC requirements on various frequencies, and what certain
components do, or the difference between a Yolk, and a Yagi antenna...
I paid in to the PMP here because it is about "bettering yourself".
A good solid PMP manager, that knows his stuff, will see through
you like a paper tissue as I often run in to the same thing when
hiring network engineers and architects that appear to know nothing,
even basic CCNA or CCNP basics a person with 2 years experience would
have, yet they don't know the material. They crammed. A clear sign
of this is the CCxx, or PMP that has no undergrad degree. I won't hire
them. Their resume goes in the shredder.
You are fooling no one, or you will for a short period of time
which means I would suspect you to have a lot of "job hopping"
that looks bad, or you are with one company for a long time,
either way, I pass. It can't even be gratifying for yourself...
I find the PMBOK bland and boring. I have read through it, but I feel
much more confident that I know the material having watched the
PMPCast lectures. And no, I have no affiliation with this system,
and it is a lot of time and work but is a bargain for $99.
But there is some satisfaction that you actually know the material
rather than being "marginal"...
Good luck.
MJD