Strategies for Passing PMP Exam

Strategies for Passing PMP Examby beacon on 9/14/2013 3:52 PM eBook - Strategies for Passing PMP Exam by Suhail Iqbal, PgMP, PMP, PMI-RMP, PMI-SP, PMI-ACP, CAPM, PRINCE2 Practitioner, MCT Focus: PMP Testing Nature of Work: Suggestions/Guidelines eBook - Strategies for Passing PMP Exam Making up your Mind Before you decide to go for PMP Certification, you must first get convinced if it is really for you. Do not get into this if you are not really serious about becoming a certified Project Management Professional. Just because your colleagues have done it, does not make it a potent reason for you to make an attempt. It could be a good motivation but if you do not align this motivation with your personal and professional growth objectives, you stand no good chance to get anywhere near getting certified. Mind it, PMP is serious business and is unlike any other exam or certification. It is easy to convince yourself to go for it because there is something for everyone in PMP, and I can assure you, if you look closely you will find your interest in it. No matter what profession you are in, in one way or the other you have been involved in some kind of project management, may it be formal or informal. Even if you have not led any projects yourself, you can find some challenges or projects you have undertaken even performing your routine duties. It will definitely be more attractive if you have been full or part-time engaged in projects already, but even if you have been contributing to projects in an indirect capacity, that will also count. If you are considering pay raise, change of job or switching between careers, PMP may be a great way to add value to your credentials and to give you confidence enough to attempt the change-over. Do look into the eligibility criteria for appearing in PMP exam, if you come up to the required criteria. Maybe you find you are not even eligible and therefore it may not be right time for you to start thinking about PMP. When you are fully convinced that PMP is for you and you are absolutely serious about it, then is no time to think it over any further. Now engrain it in your mind that you WILL be a PMP ultimately and you will not leave any stone unturned in achieving this challenging target. Fulfilling Eligibility Criteria A full day training session may give you 7-8 contact hours. you do not qualify to take the exam. but can be any training on the subject of project management aligned with the philosophy of PMI’s PMBOK Guide. seminars and training sessions. workshops or a training from PMI recognized Registered Education Provider or from any other source. These individuals will have to show project management experience of at least five (5) years which should be quantifiable in 7. anyone can apply for PMP certification as it is a global certification open for all.500 hours of project work. they have reduced the PMP Exam Fee for PMI . Remember that both these are the requirements. number of hours spent in contact with the trainer would be considered as Contact Hours. meaning at least 16 years of education. your experience years will not count. If you do not fulfill anyone of these. count each Credit Hour as ten Contact Hours. Firstly those who do not hold a bachelorettes degree and just have a high school diploma. This need not be a PMP Exam Prep Course.org). Applying for PMP Certification Exam If you feel you do fulfill the eligibility criteria. It does not matter if you hold a valid PMI membership or not.500 hours of project work to your credit. experience and formal project management training. all experience before this gap of three years would not be considered.500 hours of project work.PMI has clearly defined in PMP® Handbook (which can be downloaded from their official website www. by attending some seminars. having 3 years’ experience as well as 4.500 hours of project work experience. To facilitate and encourage PMI members. Another caution. They must have three (3) years of project management experience quantifiable in 4. even if you have a number of such smaller gaps in your career. Second category is reserved for those who do hold the bachelorette degree. If audited. if you have a continuous gap in your project experience of more than 3 years. If you attended a college or university program on project management. and the semester duration is equal to or more than 4 months. You only have to assure that the training is in line with PMBOK and the trainer had the right credentials to be conducting that training. each Credit Hour for the course can be counted as 15 Contact Hours. Two types of individuals can apply for PMP certification. Similarly if you cannot show 4. now is the time you must be applying for PMP Certification Exam. you still do not qualify. This professional training could have been received through a university or college program.pmi. both are required. your educational background. you may have to produce attendance certificate(s) of 35 contact hours which could have been acquired from one course or various trainings of shorter durations summing up to 35 hours in total. no matter how large the figure may be. Gap of less than three years will do no harm. the eligibility criteria for candidates applying for this certification exam. A 3Credit Hour college or university program may give you 30-45 contact hours. For lesser semester durations. meaning they have less than 16 years of educational background. If you have two and a half years of experience but do have 4. Again. The last requirement to fulfill is to have acquired professional training in project management of at least 35 contact hours. There are three requirements you have to be meeting to be eligible for this certification exam.500 hours of project experience during these five or more years. For workshops. five years of experience as well as 7. PMI has made a special offer.500 hours of project work. This way you will be able to enjoy membership benefits. You will now be presented with the ―Eligibility Worksheet‖ which will act as dashboard for filling your experience in months (3 years or 36 months for bachelorettes and 5 years for high-school diploma holders) as well as hours (4.500 hours for bachelorettes and 7. Remember the experience duration you enter must not overlap with another project. The next screen presented would ask you Organization and its contact information. Again.Members to US$405.500 hours for high-school diploma holders) and PM education in hours (35 required). It is PMI’s policy that if the two projects intersect and overlap. if some details are confidential. you can Save and then leave the process by logging out. Again. On the left column you can see your progress through your application and in the middle of the page you will be presented the current page (in this case the ―Attained Education‖) to fill. You can complete each page of application and keep moving forward. where you will be asked to finally Submit the application. you can start filling your application from where you had left it. Next page is the ―PMP Requirements Overview‖ which will give you instructions on the eligibility criteria in very clear terms with examples. After getting the ―Contact Address‖ Page and ―Contact E-mail Phone‖ page. I would suggest you start keying in your last project first and then work backwards in your experience. Simply ―Save and Continue‖ after reading this carefully. If you are not already registered on PMI website. more will it be difficult for you to satisfy audit requirements. I would strongly suggest you become a PMI Member before you can apply for PMP Certification. go to www. As soon as you complete three years and 4. click on Certifications. you can use fake information with a clear note describing the reason. kindly enter here a fake name and specify why you are using a fake project name. Note the name of the project ―XYZ Project (Name not disclosed being Confidential)‖. select PMP and then click on ―Ready to Apply?‖. On the next screen Click on ―Apply for PMP Credential‖ and you will be taken to the Application screen. As the application is too long and it may not be possible to complete it in one sitting. I would suggest that you should not enter all the experience here because more the projects you have done.org. or else login with the login information you have. while for non-members it is US$555. stop adding any further projects and move on to the next item.pmi. To apply for PMP Certification Exam.500 hours have been accomplished. Following is an example of a confidential project of 9 months duration you have recently completed. The next time you login and re-open your application. PMI will not consider overlapping period in both of the projects but only in the first. you will be presented the third page for ―Attained Education‖. . you will be required to ―Add Experience‖ of one project at a time in separate sheet of data. On all subsequent pages you will be offered the option to ―Save and Continue‖.500 hours. till you reach the end of application. For those of you who work on confidential projects and would not like to reveal the name and nature of your project. If you choose to fill in the PM Work Experience. This way you would know when 4. one being reduced PMP Exam fee. you would be required to create your account. would suggest do not show more than 35 contact hours and show only those contact hours acquired recently and they must also be clearly aligned with PMBOK Guide. out of 1. Keep adding the projects until and unless you meet the mark of your required experience. your Eligibility worksheet will start getting populated. you still can quote him/her and if he/she is no more traceable. Only when you are sure all data is correct. . 330 hours in Monitoring and Controlling Domain and 100 hours in Closing Domain. When the ―Still Need‖ column starts showing ZEROs in all three rows. If 3 years or 4500 hours of project experience is not complete. you must specify here the reason of confidentiality and reveal as much as can be possible to show the genuineness of the project. with an exception. This person could be the Project Sponsor. this is the person who will vouch for you in the transcript form. to ensure no mistakes or errors are left. If you ―Save and Continue‖ now. you would have to enter more project experiences. Again. This sample project of 15 months and 1600 hours. 380 hours in Planning. you can always revert back from where you have left by following the same steps as you started filling the application. you can anytime Save the application and logout. Once again go through the whole application very carefully. This will make it convenient to verify in case of audit. In case your project is confidential. You can similarly add the PM Education of 35 Contact Hours. Next you will be asked how many hours of project time you have spent on each of the domains.600 hours spent on this particular project. Later when you come back. Client. approachable and willing to fill and sign on your transcript. if needed. do not show more than required experience and show only the latest experience. you think you spent 150 hours on Initiating Domain. After entering as much data as we have shown. 640 hours in Executing. Note the items you ―Still Need‖ to enter. Just fill in the hours for each domain like for this 15 month project. now there will be data already filled available in the online application and you can move forward to the section you were working on before you left. still leave out 21 months and 2900 hours of experience which will have to be shown through other projects. may be quoted. your application is complete. Then you will be asked to write a brief description of your project between 300-550 characters. Manager/Director or Primary Stakeholder.After the organization details you have to provide the contact details of the person whom you reported to or the one responsible for the project. This could be accomplished by adding one education session of 35 contact hours or several sessions of shorter durations summing up to 35 or more contact hours. This will conclude input of one project experience. If the person with whom you worked has moved. you must SUBMIT your application. Be sure this person is available. even do that more than once. Remember. you can go back to the organization and whomsoever is currently responsible for records or data on the project referred. Be careful in providing contact information here because in case of an audit. As indicated earlier. it will ask you to confirm to SUBMIT application. Now you are all set to start your preparations for your PMP exam. giving your further instructions along with login information to book the exam in a Prometric Testing Center. which you can pay online or wire transfer them. earlier will you get a decision about your application. Preparing the Study Plan Now that you have been registered for the PMP Exam. You can retry a maximum of three times during this one year period without going through the whole acceptance process again and again. and your exam fee has been invested. . you will be reimbursed part of the fee you have submitted (PMI retaining the processing fee for your application). you will be intimated of their decision on your application. Naturally you can book your exam anytime earlier but whenever you select a date. In case you application is rejected. Safely apply 6 weeks before the desired date. you will receive a congratulatory note from PMI. This is the time when you must prepare your study plan and assign time to various activities. Earlier you can send these documents. you must allow some time for Prometric to be sure seats are available to sit in the exam. Use the fastest means of getting the audit package to PMI. PMI will let you know if your application has been approved or selected for review. You will be required to approach the contact persons you mentioned in your application for each entry and get the respective transcript filled in and signed by that person.Within next five days you will receive an email from PMI confirming receipt of your application and the fact that it is complete. You could have started preparing even earlier but now is the time when something has been committed and you cannot turn back. Be mindful of the fat that PMP is not the only exam being conducted at Prometric Testing Centers. So when you are planning to sit in exam. I suggest you do not wait for the last date to sit in the PMP Exam. You will be given one complete tear from the date of acceptance of your application to sit in the said exam or it will expire. obviously at some additional charge. that may be a time when testing center is already too crowded making it impossible for you to get your desired slot to sit in the exam. Paying Online is much faster and more efficient so you must use a Credit Card to make the payment online. If selected for review. The package must be sent by post and cannot be scanned and emailed to PMI. so you have to move forward. this will take care of rush days. GRE. they have TOEFL. Cisco and Sun etc. You will be required to send in these sealed envelopes in one package to PMI within 90 days of the start of audit process. After your payment is received. As soon as they get it. You have one complete year to take this opportunity of passing PMP Exam and you have three re-attempt chances to avail within this one year. they will confirm receipt and soon after. If your application is finally accepted. You will be asked to submit your PMP Exam fee. you will be sent a set of PDF documents containing the transcript forms regarding each one of your project experiences and PM education entries you have made in your application. PMI suggests that you must register your exam with Prometric at least 3 months before your eligibility expiration date. it is presumed you are really serious about exam. You will obviously have to pay for retries but without the processing fee which will be US$275 for PMI Members and US$375 non-Members. and several other certifications from Microsoft. Ensure that person seals the transcript in an envelope by his/her own hand and sign across the flap of the envelope before handing it over to you. it is almost next to impossible to pass the exam. you are still left with more than three months before your eligibility expires. you just relax and go in hibernation mode for a while. PMBOK being the core reference is to be referred and kept at the back of mind while studying other reference material and books. if you still cannot make it. During these first two months. so you can make one final attempt within permissible time. articles and standards. which is the temptation you MUST resist. So if you spend 1st month in reading project management basics and read through PMBOK Guide you will be better equipped to get your queries clarified during the instructor led course. As we also want to leave some eligibility time for reattempts. 2 months are enough time to prepare for PMP Exam and for the first attempt. let us have a look at the study material you need to have. if they like. PMP certification is developed to check the knowledge and skills a project manager have in application of PMI’s standard ―A Guide to Project Management Body of Knowledge‖. 2-4 months. then why not prepare really well. If there is a conflicting concept in any book to what is stated in . Even this last attempt will have enough time to prepare. I must also warn you that you will be tempted to reattempt the PMP exam immediately after you fail the first time. Let us leave the last (6th) month for extensive exam simulation testing. PMBOK is not the only study material for the exam but also take note of the fact that without understanding the framework and structure provided in PMBOK Guide. you have almost 6 months available. I am sure you will never have to come to that. As I said.e. So for the first two months (1st and 2nd). Before that 3 months (3rd to 5th) might be reserved for in-depth preparations. Especially after Role Delineation Study conducted in Sep 2011. in case we do not make it in first attempt. an experienced project manager must take at least 2 months to prepare for PMP exam but you can extend it a little further. PMP Handbook clearly specifies. you can have a much relaxing environment. you must at least have gone through PMBOK Guide from cover to cover. PMBOK Guide as the core reference but not the only reference to be used in preparation for PMP Exam. Putting together the Study Material Now that you have your schedule developed and you know when to do what. the changes in PMP Exam Specifications implemented in Sep 2012 clearly mentioned use of other study material in support and preparation for the said exam.. analyze the whole situation thoroughly find where you went wrong and prepare with new vigor for 2-3 months before you re-attempt the exam. i. All the questions in the exam will not be from PMBOK Guide but at the same time none of these questions would be in contravention to PMBOK Guide. Following is a suggested schedule for taking your PMP Exam for the first time. during which you should put together your study material and have some leisure reading of project management books. you may like to take an instructor-led PMP Exam Prep Course but before you do that. but in case of further misfortune. For an experienced Project Manager.Normally. It shows two months of Application Phase and a very relaxed 6 months for exam preparations. 2 months of preparation may suffice and they may attempt the exam 4 months earlier than mentioned. revisions and last minute preparations. In the unfortunate occasion of failure. so I suggest maximum time you should allow yourself must not be more than 6 months. PMI Code of Conduct and Professional Responsibility (included in PMP® Handbook) You will have to read through some of the latest books by renowned authors to understand terminology. Sixth Edition. Please do not compare them with PMP Exam Prep Guides as those are meant only to pass PMP Exam and do not provide in-depth knowledge. AMACOM © 2012 e. Scheduling. Meredith and Samuel J. Sep 2012 e. PMP® Handbook (downloadable from www. Tenth Edition by Harold Kerzner. PMP® Exam Specifications. The Little Black Book of Project Management. 5th Edition. Third Edition. Ireland. concepts and frameworks of project management. philosophy.pmi. which can be referred are as follows:a. We do not recommend for you to read through all these books but they should be referred occasionally for clarification of doubts and otherwise. Third Edition. You might be an experienced project manager already aware of these concepts with ample knowledge base. free of cost. For those of you who do not understand any terminology or concept mentioned in PMBOK Guide may have to refer to any number of books or internet resources to clarify your concepts. by Jack R. . PMP® Role Delineation Study. Some of the books from famous project management authors. Project Managers Portable Handbook. Mantel.PMBOK Guide. Fundamentals of Project Management. then precedence must be given to PMBOK Guide. John Wiley & Sons © 2006 d. by Paul C. Sep 2011 d. Dinsmore and Jeannette Cabanis-Brewin. Jan 2013 b. Cleland and Lewis R. Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning. they are a good read. AMACOM © 2011 f. into the subject. Third Edition. Project Management: A Managerial Approach. You need to refer to following core references and related documents:a. by Michael C. Fourth Edition by Joseph Heagney. These books are a treasure of PM knowledge and they will give you insight. Published by John Wiley & Sons © 2009 b. before you can sit in PMP Exam. by David I. AMACOM © 2010 (272 pages) Citation If you are a PMI Member. The AMA Handbook of Project Management.org) c. otherwise mentioned in PMBOK Guide and explained in detail by these authors. A Guide to Project Management Body of Knowledge. to you from PMI website under section ―eReads and eReferences‖. McGraw-Hill © 2010 (464 pages) Citation c. and Controlling. full text content of above titles is available. Thomsett. 2nd Edition. Published by RMC Publishers © 2013 b. By Jennifer Greene. it will give you a feel of how concepts are explained and will make you comfortable with terminology. Edited by Dr. Class setting is also good because other students may ask different questions which may not even come to your mind and you will hear all the explanations. not because it is not useful. PMP® Exam Prep. now you are ready to take on the challenge of properly getting into your PMP preparations. Initial Reading Reading through PMBOK Guide may be a difficult job. Published by O'Reilly Media c. A Brain-Friendly Guide to Passing the Project Management Professional Exam. you would know where to give more emphasis and what to study. If you have done your initial reading.The need for PMP Exam prep Guides cannot be ignored as they would help focus the aspirant in the right direction for exam preparation purposes. take an instructor-led training where you are sure the trainer is better equipped to explain and provide justifications for key but difficult concepts. Published by Project Management Institute © 2009 Select one or two appropriate study guides and they will do the magic. Taking a Course It is good to take some instructor led course because whatever you study on your own. Reading it through once. this will help you understand the things better when you read it again with more thoroughness. no matter you can grasp it all or not. Either the matter has to be discussed with other fellow PMP aspirants in a study group. 8th Edition. you already have a fair idea what you are getting into and you are also in a position to ask appropriate questions in class. by Rita Mulcahy. This much is enough for initial reading. by Christopher Scordo. PMP. you may create your own connotations and justifications which might be wrong or faulty. . PhD. Q&As for the PMBOK ® Guide — Fourth Edition. & Explanations. it will make the text more readable and possible. Also pick up one good title from general PM Books and try reading through some of the chapters. but because it is a standard and is so well-loaded with knowledge that it is difficult to understand it by reading once. or better still. Head First PMP. PMP Exam Prep: Questions. Anbari. Answers. Published by SSI Logic © 2012 e. Do not be disappointed with this and read it through in your initial reading. Do not make any notes or try remembering things. Most famous titles on PMP Exam Prep are as follows:a. You can pick the top two and they are probably the best of them all. The PMP® Exam ―How To Pass On Your First Try‖ by Andy Crowe d. Select a Exam Prep book also for initial read and read it after you have read the first two. Let the words slide through mind. Frank T. When you go for in-depth study. Andrew Stellman. You will have an option to book the exam in morning (9 AM to 1 PM) or evening (1 PM to 5 PM) slots on the selected day. If your reason is genuine. My suggestion is that you book the morning slot. whom you can get in touch with. this training will ensure you go through the motions of studying the whole material. That way you would be committed and will follow the study schedule more rigorously. by re-visiting Prometric site at max 48 hours before the exam time. Clarifying Concepts and Removing Doubts As I mentioned earlier. death or illness in immediate family or acts of God. In case. but if you miss anything. Do not use this to completely trash your earlier plans. So even if you are travelling. Booking your Exam You can book your exam anytime during the eligibility period but be mindful of the fact that you do apply latest by the 9th month of your eligibility period. all interested in taking PMP exam. Try to be attentive as much as possible. It is not necessary that you have to appear in exam at the center nearest to your place. you may still appear in your PMP Exam. Most interesting part of this training is that you have established a network of new like-minded professionals. when you have any queries which come up during your in-depth study. Stick to what you have planned and focus on the deadline. you can study it yourself later. You can remain in touch with them and especially with your trainer. you have to report within 72 hours of exam time to PMI giving your reasons why you could not sit in the exam. As you have already developed your study schedule. free of cost. . Be creative and think of anything you can or cannot think of. it is very important to clarify all possible doubts from your mind regarding project management and PMP exam. you must register at least 6 weeks before that date with Prometric testing through their website. like medical emergency. you can keep making note of whatever point comes to your mind in a dairy or a journal.Even if you did not get any time to do your initial study and you landed in an instructor-led training. PMI may allow you another chance with no additional charges. We do not want you already tired when you are coming for exam. you have an emergency which restricts your mobility and you cannot take the exam on the desired date and time. This is allowed for flexibility for minor adjustments in your schedule. so you would have a fair idea when you are sitting in the exam. I suggest you can even book earlier after your application has been approved and when your eligibility starts. You have to be creative and proactive in exploring and addressing all possible grey areas. to avoid any unpleasant surprises. You can change the booking only once. Whatever is the date you have selected for your exam. You can book the exam anywhere in the world by locating the closest Prometric testing Centre . Better still. I have heard people claiming that PMP exam pass percentage is just 60% and because only 175 questions will be marked. would be as per following domains:a. as declared by PMI. Out of these 200 questions. firstly PMI has clarified many times that this exam has no pass percentage and is based on percentile score. Initiating Domain 13% 26 Questions out of 200 . keep testing your skills by taking sample tests relevant to the area you have just mastered. you will be committing the same mistake over and over again. So. but still they carry the marks and if you answered them wrong. because all questions in the exam would be designed based on this specification. The distribution of questions in exam. There will not be all straightforward or easy questions. Some of the questions will be so ambiguous that you would bet they were wrong. But the irony is that you will never know which are those 25 questions. You will have to attempt 200 questions in 4 hours and there will be no break. Do not try to remember things by heart but try to establish a logic and remember things by their logical relationship. so it is 60% of 175 that comes out to be 105 questions. the number of failures will rise exponentially. I would advise you to book your exam on a day when generally PMP applicants are only few. Secondly. Also ensure that you do not attempt the same questions again and again. So for you. it has its own bumps and bruises. This will keep you on edge for the terms and concepts you might be misinterpreting. If you do not do that. you will be presented 25 test questions which will not be marked. do not expect it to be an easy ride. make a note of error in your journal and make it a point to clarify that doubt and to write a confirmation in your journal. you lost. As it is percentile based so pass percentage will keep fluctuating. If more people are being tested on a specific day. Make use of this facility sparingly. but do not leave any stone unturned in understanding all terms. all 200 questions are equal and you are supposed to score well in all of them. PMP® Exam Specification You must go through the PMP© Exam Specifications and prepare in accordance to that. PMP is a professional certification and it means business. because you do not know which questions will not be marked you still have to score well in all. You will see long scenario based questions which can only be understood and interpreted by experienced project managers in the field. This is the only way to progressively learn and improve. concepts. I would beg to differ here. tools and techniques used in project management.You have already established a network of friends preparing for PMP and your trainer is also available to answer any of your queries. methodologies. Taking Sample Tests During the process of studying and preparing for PMP. Therefore avoid rush days like when PMP testing is switching from one version to another. because then you would start remembering the answers without establishing the logic. Whenever your answer is wrong. This will protect you from stereotype questions if prepared by the same author and give you diverse and holistic view. Each full test will take 4 hours to complete and for the remaining part of the day you can spend time marking questions you have answered wrong and finding reason why. So. you must now dedicate some time exclusively for full length PMP Sample Exams. a. do one paper from FASTrack and next from uCertify. I would recommend following Exam Simulation Software for this purpose. but remember PMI clearly says there is no pass percentage. uCertify PMP Exam Simulation (www. Rita Mulcahy’s PMP FASTrack Exam Simulation Software (www. Do not keep doing questions from FASTrack.rmcproject. free questions are normally too easy and they give you a false sense of security.ucertify. The free questions available on internet would not suffice for this rigorous testing. I would suggest you buy paid questions or simulation software from at least two sources. and sample testing. Secondly. Meaning you could score Below Proficient in almost 20% questions. If you need help. Moderately Proficient and Proficient. Always make note of your mistakes as if never to repeat that very mistake ever again. but Moderately Proficient is passing on margin.ucertify. Perfecting Exam Taking Once you are well prepared after having done your initial reading.com) c. Planning Domain 24% 48 Questions out of 200 c. they are not available in large numbers. Read the explanation of wrong questions very carefully and then try to find justification of the explanation in more than one reference books. you still can pass sometimes. It has been observed that if you score Below Proficient in one major or two minor areas. Closing Domain 8% 16 Questions out of 200 You cannot afford to fail anyone of the domains. Firstly. You must at least have three full length tests and it would be perfect if they are more than that. detailed in-depth study. Do not take even a single doubt for granted. seek guidance from your trainer or some friend. so all your scores should either be Proficient or Moderately Proficient.b. Monitoring and Controlling Domain 25% 50 Questions out of 200 e. Proficient is definitely PASS. CertGear PMP Exam Simulation (www. hey have three grading: Below Proficient. safely we can target on 80% score to pass the exam.com) b. Always search and pin the reference to PMBOK Guide. . Executing Domain 20% 40 Questions out of 200 d.com) Do as many full-length exams as you can and keep staggering the source of questions. you can move on and always return to this question later. Do not take along anything. handkerchief. almost 74 seconds to attempt a question on average. you are ready to go sit in the exam. all questions you have attempted must be correct. Do not study one night before the exam and have some long peaceful sleep that night. which would be posing the actual question. but there will be questions which you will not be able to understand in first reading. You may revise your material by scanning through it or making few notes here and there. Do not start reading things in detail at this stage. paper. Just mark all such questions to be reviewed later and move on to the next question. which will not appear in any order but would be offered randomly. If you are unable to make head and tail out of the question or you cannot find the right option. you will reach that level of perfection. Do not spend more than 37 seconds on each question. few administrative questions would be asked on screen and you may even be offered to take a survey or sample screen to orient you with the exam screens. which is very important. lay special emphasis to the last line or sentence of the question. You will have to fill a form and sign in on a register. I am sure after attempting minimum of three full length exam papers. keyboard and the screen to your convenience. have a quick glance at your material and develop a mental map of all what you have studied. You have only 4 hours and 200 questions. adjust your seat. you will be able to guess the answer even before you read the options. At the start of the exam. Such questions will never go wrong because you knew the answer already.Once you start scoring 85% marks consistently on all exams. just relax. where you will also be searched. You must be able to separate redundant information from useful information and create an understanding of what is being asked. Once you finally start the exam. You must have booked the exam in the morning slot. Do not review these questions again except when you are absolutely sure you answered a question wrong. Read everything carefully but quickly. Eat well on previous night but on the day of exam. coins. do not panic. you will be able to attempt more than 70% questions in first run. In the second run. First run should not take more than 2 hours and you have spent almost 37 seconds per question so far. Writing the Exam Now that you are ready to take the exam. Reach the exam center at least half an hour before the start time of the exam because Testing Center will take some time in documentation and other administrative work. There will be questions you would be able to attempt in less than 30 seconds but then there will be questions which will take 2-3 minutes to understand and solve. Before departing for the exam. No calculator will be provided and you would be expected to use the calculator available on desktop. If you are well-prepared. and trust me. only re-visit those 30% questions you left and you have full two hours for them. So you have to be very quick but at the same time keep your wits about. no writing material. Before starting the exam. you will immediately be offered questions. You can be sure you must have scored more than 60% already and you need few more correct answers to reach . calculator or even anything to eat would not be allowed. If you are well-prepared. do light breakfast. do not waste any further time on this question. You will be fresh and ready for exam. You will be provided with lead pencils and few blank sheets of paper to take along to the seat reserved for you. Make note of these domains and resolve to fix them. you must not attempt the re-take exam before 2-3 months. This will ensure you do well in exam. you can again leave them and move ahead. so do not take any of these instructions lightly. click the SUBMIT button. which is really bad. you take a two minute break. Now you have an added advantage that you have actually seen the exam questions.‖ Wish and pray that’s how it turns out for you. i. at least switch one source out of the two you used earlier. you will again exhaust in an hour or so. sit back and breathe normally. relax and again apply your mind in this third run. Rather than getting into depression. Try to keep those in mind while exploring weak areas. control your breathing and slowly and peacefully. But do not take so much time. but it is not permanent. Go through the preparation cycle as before. I am sure you will be able to attempt all remaining questions and by the time your four hours are up. eliminate the lesser probable option and you have your answer. You need to improve your chances to succeed by any means possible. Still if some questions are taking more time. you would already have completed your work. target percent set by you. you have 180 minutes. This is important to reduce fatigue. 90 seconds. have a glass of water and flex your neck and back muscles. you will tend to get really tired after 2 hours. discussed with colleagues and reviewed with . just take half of this time per question on average. use elimination method and eliminate the most unlikely option and then compare the remaining three. you could not make it in your first attempt. For such questions. The computer will take almost one minute to process your result and if fate is smiling on you. You will be able to decide quickly in most of the cases but there would be some questions. Before hitting the Submit button.. Again eliminate next unlikely option and you are left with two. relax. We are talking about Below Proficient rating in 2-4 domains. go to washroom. The concepts which are not clear. do not leave out anything. must be thoroughly thrashed. if you feel like. but if it does not. As the test time is going to be very busy and mind boggling. This will further diversify your view and break you out of stereotype questions. you can attempt this yet again after 3 months. There is always a hairline difference between passing and failing the exam.e. you must take another two minute break. Try to decide on the correct option which usually would be one of the two best options. You can immediately get it booked but for end of 2nd or 3rd month.Strategies to Re-take PMP Exam If. You will be able to review all questions in another one hour. After all this is not end of the world. So after the second run. sit back and relax.the mark of 85%. For attempting remaining 30% or to be exact 60 questions. but lay special focus on weak areas identified. Closely look at it. As suggested earlier by me in the schedule we developed. I will strongly suggest that after first run. relieve yourself. you have to logically analyze what went wrong. You will observe these two minutes have refreshed you. you will see the amazing words ―CONGRATULATIONS! YOU HAVE PASSED. and then you will definitely pass. Well. almost 3 minutes per question. And the best place to start this analysis is the report you received after your exam. there is nothing to worry. Do extensive testing in those areas and try to change the source of questions this time. you will find you have got Below Proficient score in at least two major domains or in one major and two minor domains. read over. you have almost 4 minutes to a question now. where all options will be looking alike. Try Again . This time you must be left with around 15 questions you could not attempt. Try. please do not panic. unfortunately. Now is the time you must start worrying about maintaining this priced certification. There are two types of PDUs you can earn. One reason of your failure could be that you were not well-prepared and you jumped the gun.trainer. which are essentially like the Contact Hours you acquired to be eligible for PMP Exam. The certification awarded to you is good for three years from the date of passing. you have to live with it. you have to change the source of questions. Maintaining PMP Credential If you have passed the PMP Certification Exam. but you see you cannot do anything about PMI. You are supposed to earn 60 PDUs (Professional Development Units). So. One. Only when you are really confident and you are already scoring even more than last time in your practice exams. Giving something back to Profession has a limitation. you are ready for your next attempt. If you failed on your third attempt. PMI allows only 20 PDUs to be transferred to next CCR cycle. . it is not true. if you like you can gain all the 60 PDUs of this type and they all will be honored. but with even more rigor and seriousness. seminars. It is very much possible your trainer was the source of all problems and he has taught you concepts which were not in alignment with PMBOK Guide. and then start thinking about preparing afresh. Gaining new knowledge can be through attending trainings. It is very much possible that you gain more than 60 PDUs in three year CCR cycle. There is no limit at gaining new knowledge. which you have to keep collecting and claiming on your PMI membership page called MyPMI. what will happen to excess PDUs? For PMPs. Maybe you want to re-take the instructor-led training from yet another trainer. so any PDUs in excess of 80 would go wasted. Any advanced trainings. You have been barred by PMI to sit in PMP Exam for one whole year now. leave this forb the time being. This is called CCR Cycle. Let one whole year to pass by. even if their questions were ambiguous or even wrong. Your earlier practice exams score must not have been 85% or you should have definitely passed. There is another condition to it and that is. card and collar pin. you must have received your Certificate. workshops. will give you some PDUs. you are definitely a victim of stereotyping. it means there is something drastically wrong. PMI may even like to audit your claim and if so. Meanwhile you can keep learning project management by physical application in the field. PDUs are only applicable to PMPs whereas Contact Hours were for those who were thinking of appearing in PMP Exam. Maybe he taught you right but you perceived everything differently. You cannot earn more than 45 PDUs of this type because you must learn something new at least of 15 PDU worth. Incase. In case you still don’t. you will pass this time. This is to cherish and be proud about. specially which you used most in your practice exams. I am sure if you plug all these holes. or get a transcript signed from person concerned. by giving something back to profession. by gaining new knowledge and Two. workshop or session you attend. And maybe it was PMI to blame. repeat the whole procedure one more time. Your claim will be vetted by PMI and can either be accepted or rejected. you may have to either send the course certificate you have claimed. mentoring sessions and more. seminar. firstly learning new knowledge. PMI has a number of other standards and certifications. a project manager has to excel on three levels. you have to grow out of the ordinary and rise above all. Category 5: Volunteer Service to Professional or Community Organizations Continuously Improving Your Competence For you to be continuously improving at individual level and also contributing positively to your organization. This essentially means that excess PDUs gained in first two years are of no use and will anyways be wasted. Category 3: Courses offered by REPs/PMI Components d. personal or soft skills development. Category 4: Courses offered by other Education Providers e. increasing his/her circulation and developing further competencies. you must gain those 20 PDUs during 3rd and last year of your ongoing CCR cycle. Category 2: Professional Activities and Self Directed Learning c. Category 1: Formal Academic Education b. secondly. According to the standard. must have be acquired during the last year of CCR cycle. PMI has a separate standard for project managers who want to excel and the name of this standard is ―Project Management Competency Development Framework (PMCDF). Every project manager must study and understand the contents of this framework and act upon it to develop their competencies. improving skills and expertise.the 20 PDUs you want to be transferred to next cycle. Some of these standards and associated certifications are as under:PMI Standards PMI Certifications A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide)—Fifth Edition >>> PMP – Project management Professional The Standard for Program Management—Third Edition >>> PgMP – Program Management Professional The Standard for Portfolio Management—Third Edition Organizational Project Management Maturity Model (OPM3®)—Third Edition . 2nd edition‖. you are already making this contribution. In addition to PMCDF. which a project manager can focus on. These PDUs can be acquired in various categories as follows:a. By earning these PDUs and maintaining your PMP Certification. you have to enhance and improve your project management competencies. but in search of excellence. If you want excess PDUS to be counted towards next cycle. and lastly. OPM3 Certified Professional Practice Standard for Project Risk Management >>> PMI-RMP – Risk Management Professional Practice Standard for Earned Value Management—Second Edition Practice Standard for Project Configuration Management Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures—Second Edition (Reaffirmed) Practice Standard for Scheduling—Second Edition >>> PMI-SP – Scheduling Professional Practice Standard for Project Estimating Project Manager Competency Development Framework—Second Edition Construction Extension to the PMBOK® Guide—Third Edition Government Extension to the PMBOK® Guide—Third Edition >>> PMI-ACP – Agile Certified Professional beacon's Test Prep Summary Took the test in 2004. Studied 300 hours and thought it was the right amount. Was very satisfied with their score. .