I worked through all the PrepCast lessons (at 2X speed on my iPad.. sorry, Cornelius...)with the PMBOK Guide open and in front of me, and pausing to study things I didn't get at first from the PrepCast and a first reading (not study) of the PMBOK guide. Then I worked through each related section of the Diane Altweis and Diane White (the "Dianes") "Achieve PMP" 6th edition study guide, and took their sample exams at the end of each section. Cornelius' lectures track the PMBOK guide so well its almost like having the guide read to you; the Dianes take a more wholistic, completely different way of presenting the PMBOK material, and for me, the two very different perspectives helped me assimilate the material better. I then worked through the optional PrepCast Formula Guide and worked through and studied the 106 sample questions covering the formulas in that guide. Then I took the PrepCast free timed quizzes and free sample exams, and only one premium practice exam. I learned the most from working through every question I got wrong on the Dianes' sample exams at the end of each of their chapter sections, their sample Final Exam, the PrepCast Formula Guide, the free PrepCast sample exams and the one premium practice exam I actually took, (in all the exams, often disagreeing with the "correct" answer, but figuring their specified correct answer was the preferred by PMI "best" solution way of looking at things, and then finally took the real exam, but did not want to waste exam time doing the "brain dump" I had rehearsed. I kept time records of my study time and studied for about 250 hours over 6 months while working full time, with several week-long interruptions from work, and a week off to attend a friend's wedding in Mexico. I passed today, finishing the exam in 3 hours with 3 "above target", 1 "target" and 1 "needs improvement" domain score. I'm 65, I do have a law degree, and more than 20 years of project management experience, but no prior formal project management training of any kind.
If I had it to do over again, in preparing for the exam, I would follow the same regimen but I would allow more time to work through all the premium practice exams, carefully studying the correct answers to those I got wrong, and I would have felt better prepared. However, apparently, I was prepared well enough...thanks Cornelius, OSP and the Dianes!
P.S. I did try listening to Cornelius at 1X and 1 1/2X, but I kept losing my concentration. That undoubtedly says more about me than his presentation, but for me, it was honestly worth the cost of the new iPad mini to be able to download all the podcasts and to use the 2X listening speed feature. His careful enunciation makes it possible to listen at 2X without losing a word. BTW, if you are managing space on your iPad, the entire collection of the PrepCast 6th PMBOK guide edition podcasts takes 9.24 GB of storage.
