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TOPIC: Passed PMP Exam - 1 Month of Studying

Passed PMP Exam - 1 Month of Studying 10 years 10 months ago #3345

  • Daniel Hauer
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Started a study plan on April 15th and passed PMP Exam on May 13th. It was kind of difficult to fit in all the prep time needed in that timeframe, so I would suggest spreading it out over 2-3 months, at least.

Plan:
1. 3 weeks of watching PM PrepCast. I did skip over the interviews (Due to time contraint), but all the other episodes were very helpful.

2. Did some Fas Tracking, after about 1 week into the prep casts I began reading the PMBOK guide. Since it was the first pass, I did read through it fairly quickly. It took about 2-1/2 weeks.

3. After I had completed both the PM PrepCast and the PMBOK guide, I took the 2 free exams provided in the PMP Project Management Professional Bundle. I reviewed the study guide answers that were provided on the exam questions that I had got wrong (Exam 1 - 91%, Exam 2 - 90%). If I needed more clarification I referred back to the PMBOK guide.

4. The week leading up until the exam, I reviewed the PrepCasts in the Executing and Monitoring/Control sections again (Largest percentage of questions on exam). I also went over Chapters 4-12 in the PMBOK guide again.


Lessons Learned:
I did memorize all the Earned Value equations and that was the first thing that I wrote down when I sat down for the actual exam. Also, wrote down the process groups and knowledge groups matrix for a reference to the order of processes as I thought about scenarios laid out in the exam questions.

There were many instances in the exam where I would see a couple of answers that may be correct, but had to decide which one was the "most" correct (According to the PMBOK). That is where doing the 2 full practice exams helped prepare me for that thought process.

When reading the PMBOK Guide focus on understanding the inputs and outputs of each process. Also, need to have a clear understanding of the tool/techniques and where and how they are applied.

The four hour exam is long, but you have to keep moving to complete it and leave a few minutes to go back to questions that you may have marked for review.

I found that listening to the PrepsCasts provided me with insights I needed to thoroughly understand what I was reading in the PMBOK. A straight reading of just the PMBOK guide would not have prepared me for the exam quesitons.

Passed PMP Exam - 1 Month of Studying 10 years 10 months ago #3346

  • Richard Rapice
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Congratulations on passing! Can you please answer the following question.

You indicated you wrote down some formulas before starting the exam.

I assume you took the exam at a Prometheus test center.

How long did you have to write formulas before the computer started ticking down the 4 hours.

Passed PMP Exam - 1 Month of Studying 10 years 10 months ago #3347

  • Daniel Hauer
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I took the exam at a Prometric test center in Brookfield, Wisconsin.

The clock started counting down right when I sat down and clicked start. It took about 4 minutes to write down 12 Earned Value equations and the Process Group/Knowledge Areas Matrix, so it didn't cut into my actual exam time too much.

Passed PMP Exam - 1 Month of Studying 10 years 10 months ago #3350

  • Richard Rapice
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Aren't you allowed like 15 minutes to go thru a prep for the computer setup screen?

Passed PMP Exam - 1 Month of Studying 10 years 10 months ago #3351

  • Richard Rapice
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You indicated you did a brain dump on formulas when you first Sat. I see you indicated it took 4 minutes.

I have timed myself on a brain dump and it took me 8 minutes.

This included, earned values, project selection, math basic, pert, communication, probability, depreciation, values including sigma and r.o.m. estimates.


how did you do all that in four minutes? Or maybe I am doing too much.

Was your set of formulas less than what I have indicated?

Any thought?


Cornelius or anyone can you weigh in on this please?

Passed PMP Exam - 1 Month of Studying 10 years 10 months ago #3352

  • Daniel Hauer
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Richard, yes they do give you time for a 15 minute tutorial on how the computer based test will work that isn't included in the 4 hours exam time. Not knowing for sure if it was ethical to use tutorial time for the brain dump, I felt doing the brain dump was part of the test, so I didn't feel right about doing it during the tutorial time. No one would have really know, but I didn't feel right about it.

Also, on some of those formulas, depreciation, communications channels, rom, six sigma and depreciation, I have used them many times before or was comfortable enough to recall them off the top of my head, so I didn't write them on the brain dump. If I would felt nervous about the test where I would have thought I might freeze on the test I would have written them down also. But I felt fairly confident on those formulas.

Passed PMP Exam - 1 Month of Studying 10 years 10 months ago #3370

  • CHARBEL NEMNOM
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Dear Daniel,

Congratulations for the great achievement!

Could you please advise which Episodes numbers you watched again before one week of the exam?
Executing/Monitoring & Controlling Process Group, which E#?.

My exam is in one week as well :)

Thank you and regards,

/Charbel.

Passed PMP Exam - 1 Month of Studying 10 years 10 months ago #3371

  • Daniel Hauer
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Charbel, I went through episodes E04.XX through E10.XX again. I didn't necessarily listen to whole episode, but would skim through them to go over bullet points and listen to Cornelius only if I needed more clarification on a bullet point. If I would have had the time I would have listened through all of them again, but didn't really have enough time to devote to listening to all of them again.
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