Pleased to inform that I Passed the PMP Exam on 23rd Dec 2019 with the following scores
Initiation -BT
Planning -AT
Execution-AT
M&C- T
Closing -AT
The Journey of achieving this was conceived on 24th September 2019 when i thought of aspiring to be a PMP certified Project Manager in line with my current profile. On the 1st of October 2019 i registered for the Membership with PMI and kick started my application process . Was required to undergo the 35 contact hrs which i got it from a local REP here (Prothoughts Solutions) . Got PMP application approved on 27th October 2019 .Initial Read of the PMBOK 6th edition started as soon as i got my Membership which was more of a first glance to understand the topics at a high level , the structure of the exam and so on . Post completion of the Contact hours used the following study materials for the preparation.
1) Rita Mulcahy ( For deep dive understanding of the subjects )
2) Head First PMP ( For Visual Learning in easy and fun language )
The Preparation is divided in two parts one is going through the content in PMBOK and other study aids and have a grasp of the material, the other important part is preparing for the exam with simulation of the actual test conditions. Going through 4hrs of the exam without even a bottle of water allowed next to you in itself is a bit stressful.
Studied for a good 4 -5 weeks on all the content (2-3 hrs each day and more on weekends and more Sacrifices ) , prepared notes on each Knowledge areas and realized the importance of having a simulator which would basically prepare you for the exam.
Went ahead and Purchased the Prepcast simulator on Nov 28th 2019 , Gave all the seven Practice test in 20 days with the following scores
PMP Exam 1 - 77.5
PMP Exam 2 - 78.5
PMP Exam 3 - 79.5
PMP Exam 4 -78.5
PMP Exam 5- 77
PMP Exam 6- 71
PMP Exam 7- 75.5
ITTO exam - not taken
Particularly emphasized on reviewing questions and answers which i marked in the shortest time (Say 30 seconds) and got it wrong , these were the real gaps in understanding .
Was disappointed with scores on the 6th and 7th Mock Exam , however did not let that affect the flow of the preparation . Did not give any Practice tests on the last 3 days , Watched Football (Man U Vs Watford) and Cricket (IND vs Windies) a day before the exam to divert my attention ahead of the exam and stay fresh.
Exam day : Started the exam and was a little slow to get the pace going , encountered a lot of questions which made no practical sense or logic where the main content mentioned something , the end question referred to something else and the choices provided were completely unrelated to the question or the content. There were times when i had thoughts what if i would not clear this and if i had the courage to go through it again . Finished all the questions with about 20 mins to spare , had marked at least 40 questions for review and was sure would not be able to visit them again. Questions heavy on change control , stakeholder , risk and procurement . Hardly anything on CPM , EVA . Good i did not do any brain dump.
Ran through the entire 4hrs , Surprised to see Congratulations after submission , bitter sweet victory , Did not know how to react when asked by the TA to complete the survey which i completed without even reading the questions .
Thank you Prepcast and this excellent forum for providing experiences and thoughts of exam takers , wonderful platform for all like minded people to contribute and share knowledge.
Appreciate your support in my journey to attain PMP certification.
Nishiketh Shetty .
