I wouldn't say it is tougher than the simulator, just less logical. The simulator had plenty of difficult questions that required thinking through scenarios and understanding processes and standards. IMO, the real PMP exam just forces you to jump to conclusions and hope for the best. I don't know if there is a way to study for that type of questioning. I knew all processes, order of processes, TTs, management concepts, and the phases back and forth. I would say for the folks who don't have a complete understanding, it may actually be easier because they might not overthink the questions. Hope that makes sense. One last bit of advice is to take the free PMI PMP practice exam to set your expectations. I was really frustrated by the line of questioning in this exam and the vague answers. I wouldn't say the exam helped me understand anything better, but it did set my expectations. If you studied hard, you're likely as prepared as you will ever be so just take the exam. Just don't freak out when you're not confident in the questions/answers. As others have stated, I'm sure everyone's experience is different so take this for what its worth. Good luck.