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TOPIC: Thank you PM PrepCast!

Thank you PM PrepCast! 8 years 1 week ago #7135

  • Julie Hanson
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A great big thank you to the PM PrepCast, Cornelius Fichtner (and Justine!). I passed the PMP yesterday - first try.

It was really important to me to have a "low & slow" training - I did not want to rush through a boot camp style class in a few days. With the PM PrepCast videos - I was able to watch (over & over) any areas that I needed extra practice like Advance Earned Value Management, Decision Tree Analysis, Network Diagram plus other lessons that I simply wanted to rewatch. The email lessons with formulas let me know exactly what to learn and were invaluable to my studies. I am so happy I chose this program for my contact hours and highly recommend it to others. This is my study timeline:
  • PM PrepCast lessons - it took about 3 months (remember, I was looking for low & slow!)
  • 2.5 months in advance of the exam, I read the first 3 chapters in the PMBOK and then the first 3 chapters in Head First PMP. From there, I read a chapter in one book and then the other. For example, Scope Management in the PMBOK and then Scope Management in Head First PMP.
  • I started taking full length practice exams 8 weeks prior to the test - 1 per week. I focused on my weakest knowledge areas for the following week's focus.
  • 1 week prior to the exam - I started practicing the brain dump. I should have started 2 weeks before - I had to memorize 5 formulas the day of the exam which was stressful!
  • 1 week prior - keep going over your weakest knowledge areas, read the glossary in the PMBOK a few times, watch videos, scan the internet for PMP exam tips & trips. Anything you can read to keep emphasizing what you have already learned is helpful.
  • I made sure that this exam came first - and my friends and family knew about it and knew that I was not doing anything social until I passed the exam (not until I made it through the 1st try). It's a big commitment and the exam is challenging - putting everything you have into it helps to reduce stress on the day of the exam.
  • Exam day - I scheduled my exam for 12:30pm and took the day off of work. I did not have to rush in the morning, I was able to go through the formula guides again and notes for areas that I was still having trouble. I arrived at 11:40 and I was checked in and guided to my exam station. I was able to start early.
  • I took a short break (about 10 minutes) during the exam and worked through it.
Study aids:
PMBOK, 5th edition
Head First PMP
PM PrepCast (videos, formula lessons, quizzes, and more)
PMP Exam Simulator (I took 8 practice exams!)
The PMP Exam: Quick Reference Guide (from Amazon)

Happy testing! Congrats to the other PMP's that went through this program!

Thank you PM PrepCast! 8 years 1 week ago #7141

  • C. George Morris PMP CSM ITIL
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Congratulations Julie!

Working on a brain dump that includes the Process Group and Knowledge areas from the PMBok guide coupled to the PM formulas as mentioned is important, regardless of the few EVM questions. This provides an essential foundation.

The exam simulator and comprehensive study in terms of glossaries, tips and other references cannot be understated.

Again well done.

Thank you PM PrepCast! 8 years 1 week ago #7147

  • Scott Gillard
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I wish they had a current Head First book when I was studying. I had seen an old one and loved the format more than Rita's. I think it came out about a month after I took the test. Congrats!
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