PMP Exam Lessons Learned By Srinivas

This is a PMP exam lessons learned of Mr. Srinivas who is a visitor to this blog and has passed the PMP certification exam.

I passed my PMP exam in the second week of July 2019, on my second attempt. I thank Fahad for sharing knowledge through his blog that helped me in my endeavor.

I learned about the PMP exam through the internet. Although this certification is not very common in the Indian oil and gas industry; I thought it would add value to my experience as a project manager, so I went for it.

After collecting information on the PMP exam, I searched for a suitablePMP training programand settled with a virtual one. Afterward, I got a PMI membership, downloaded the PMBOK Guide and studied it, attempted the PMP exam, and failed.

Being a science graduate, this was a downer for me. I thought practicing free online tests and reading the PMBOK Guide would be enough. I banked on my experience, too. In the real exam, I ended up with two right answers and could not select the correct answer within the allotted time. By the time I realized my folly, I had wasted a lot of time.

It is important that you learn the essence of the PMP exam from someone who passed before you start yourPMP exam preparation.

Freebies are not always useful and can sometimes confuse you. They are good for grasping the basics, but they are not sufficient to understand how the PMP exam tests your mettle with time ticking down and the stress involved in choosing between two nearly correct answers.

With my oil and gas background, a few concepts were new to me, as opposed to most aspirants who are from the IT field. I prepared alone instead of in a group.

After my first failed attempt, I restarted my preparation with free tests from projectmanagement.com. A second and third review of the PMBOK Guide gave me useful insights.

When I scouted for more questions similar to the real PMP exam, I came across400 questions from Fahad. I suggest reading the PMBOK Guide at least two times and then trying these questions. It will reinforce your preparation and you will not regret the cost. I purchased theKindle edition, and I am satisfied with the content.

The book is worth more than what you spend, even if you combine the questions from all free mock tests available across the entire internet. If you can take a cue from these questions, review the PMBOK Guide one more time and consider what you missed. That is the perfect way to reach your PMP goal.

Apart from Fahad’s PMP Question Bank, I would recommendPMP Questions and Answers by Christopher Scordo. This is a valuable product. Read the PMBOK Guide at least once and attempt these questions, and again, review what you missed.

I skimmed throughRita Mulcahy’s book, but I did not find it useful. I used the Cornelius Fichtner’sPM Exam Simulatorto practice questions two weeks before the exam.

www.pmppracticeexam.org is another free site I referred to during my preparation.

I studied for two hours every day, and a week before the exam I started attempting mock exams. It took three months of preparation to pass, but I believe two months should be fine. The exam will test your performance under stress, so plan your strategies on handling the pressure during the mock tests, and you will achieve your objectives.

Once I felt I was ready, I scheduled the exam for two weeks later. I was notselected for an audit.

The exam tests your mental endurance under duress. Practice your tolerance. I found that the exam questions were easy; most were situation-based.

I completed the test with five minutes leftover and had ten questions marked for review. I reviewed them and submitted the answers.

I saw the congratulatory message. I had passed.

After seeing the results, I was elated, as I did not expect that I would pass the exam with such a high score. I cleared with four “Above Target” categories and one “On Target.”

I want to give my sincere thanks to Fahad. He is the only person and blog that shares PMP content without looking for any monetary benefits. I will vouch for his material.

要访问这个博客,特别是FAQ section. Certain concepts are clearly explained; I used to visit his blog regularly for any updates and many times have interacted with Fahad. I asked him for some clarification, which he obliged. He is happy to help even if you don’t make purchases. This is a great example of sharing knowledge.

I recommend that all aspirants interact with someone who passed for any suggestions and read the lessons learned of successful exam takers.

Thanks, Fahad.

Regards,

Srinivas Korimilli, PMP