My journey from deciding to apply for PMP exam to passing was short & interesting.
Sharing my success story -
a. I took PM prep cast video session to achieve the required 35 hours PDU for applying the exam.
b. I read Rita M & went through PM prep cast video sessions as part of my preparation for the in depth understanding of the KT/Process Group topics.
c. I solved 7 mock simulator exam tests from PM prep cast (on average I scored around 73-75). What helped me most was to understand where I am going wrong / and the causes to address them (absolutely important to do this retrospective).
I spend nearly 2-3 hours during week days & 7-8 hours on weekends for 6 - 8 weeks as part of the preparation phase.
Strongly suggest to go through all PM prep cast videos & situational interview session with Oliver L - they really will help you understand the concept which can be applied in real life situation.
Regards
Ritesh