Today I passed my PMP exam on the first attempt(!). I am appreciative to have had the PM Prepcast to aid in my studies.

I thought about taking my PMP exam for several years, though only seriously in the last year or so. I have a co-worker who previously took the exam but did not pass on the first try, so I was a little apprehensive (although he did not study before taking it!).

My Lessons Learned:
* Fully commit yourself to this process. Squirrel away in your house/apt/room and dedicate as much time to your studies as possible, especially in the final two weeks before the exam. I had two weeks off from work over the holidays and took full advantage of the time to fully devote to my studies (5-6 hrs per day). It's not easy, but it's worth it!
* Take as many sample practice questions as possible to expose yourself to the different styles of questions. The practice questions seemed more difficult than the ones on the exam, though there were some tricks!
* Allow yourself some down time each day. When you feel like your brain can't absorb any more, take a walk, watch tv, etc. You don't want to burn out! It helps to talk with friends, too, to try to explain what you're learning. This helps with your knowledge retention and shows how much you've learned.
* Fully utilize the brain dump page(s) and write down as much info as you can before you start the exam. That way, when you're in the midst of it you can refer to your notes, which helps tremendously.
* On the day of the exam, try to relax, smile and be proud of all your hard work! If you've put in the effort, more than likely you WILL pass![/size][/size]