I started studying for the PMP exam in mid-January. I had purchased a few study guides, and signed up and took an online course that was mediocre, but at least it got me digging into the PMBOK. Very unsatisfied with my learning progress, I went in search of another course. I found the PMP Prepcast, enrolled and my studies took a turn for the better. The class is well organized, I liked the format and Cornelius’s style is very engaging, and also it brings a lot of relevance to the material that you would not get by going through the PMBOK guide alone. I took the advice to develop a personalized study plan and used that as the foundation of my studies, and I stuck to it. I also acquired Rita Mulcahy’s PMP Exam Prep. That, with the PMP Prepcast became my two primary learning sources.
I enrolled in two simulated PMP Exam programs – the PM-Exam-Simulator and PM-Perfect. Initially I used these to test my comprehension of the knowledge areas as I studied them. The trend graph in PM-Perfect was very useful for that. As I neared the end of the Prep-cast studies, the tests/quizzes became a diagnostic tool to evaluate my overall test taking strategy and to identify areas of weakness. After each test I’d review ALL answers –for correct answers- to make sure my reasoning/logic was intact; where I missed-I would read the explanation thoroughly and go back to the PMBOK guide and PMP Exam Prep to review further. My strategy was to answer 100 questions in 100 minutes – break – then continue at the same pace- that would leave me with sufficient time at the end for review of any marked questions.
By the last month of studies, I took a quiz per day, minimum, and continued the diagnostics and review of material. I took the PMP Exam last week, stuck to my strategy and had the time to check all the items I had marked and even had time to check some other questions. It was a great relief to see the Congratulations message after completing the post-test survey.
Thanks for a great course! I highly recommend it to anyone preparing to take the PMP Exam.
Best Regards,
Michael Beyers MBA, SSBB, PMP
