The Project Management Professional (PMP®) is recognized as one of the most challenging certifications, requiring coursework and years of experience in order to sit for a challenging examination. Did you know only 70% of those taking the exam pass. But we want you to be a part of that 30% who not just qualify but ace the certification exam. Here are the tips that if you follow diligently will bring out the winner in you.
Tip #1 – Prepare Study Calendar
Begin by planning out your study schedule and make it a point to stick to it. The following will help you acheive:
- Read and understand the PMP objectives.
- Keep documenting your prep classes.
- Schedule a test date only when you start scoring 80% or above in the preptest/mock papers.
Tip #2 – Go PMP certification course
It is advisable to go for an exam prep course to get a formal training. The testprep has courses and lessons, simulations, quizzes, video tutorials and interactive exercises to provide holistic approach for preparation.
Tip #4 – Practice. Review. Repeat
In the beginning, of the preparation take pre-assessments and retention based question but when you start approaching the last phase of your preparation, go for situational or real-time practice test. After each test carefully analyze your score and work on the weaker section again before re-attempting the test. Once you feel confident of all the sections, opt for the re-test. Follow the loop.
Tip #3 – Compose and focus yourself
Anxiety shoots up as the test day approaches, so it is very important to relax yourself and believe on your hardwork.
Tip #4- Key points for answering questions:
- Concentrate first on finishing all two hundred questions in the allotted time. That means you will have to abandon some perplexing questions until later. If you time your progress correctly, you will have time to come back and reconsider questions you skipped. You may often find that your subconscious mind has made progress toward the correct answer while you were finishing other questions.
- If all else fails, your first thought of the correct answer is a best bet.
- Long questions may be misleading. A key skill acquired with practice is to learn to x-ray questions, leave out unnecessary fluff, and concentrate on the grain (the real intent) of the question. Excessive detail is sometimes included, just like in real life situations.
- When an answer makes an absolute statement, consider that it is likely inappropriate in the context of the question and thus a strong clue to the correct answer.
- Beware of “close-but-no-cigar” terms. The exam often tries throws you off by slightly changing the name of a process or knowledge area, or calling a knowledge area a process. The same is true of terminology encountered throughout the PMI- PMP Course. Your best bet here is not necessarily to memorize term, but rather to recognize them properly.
- Remember to answer questions in a manner indicating that you know that you, as project manager, are in charge. That also means that you will always go to superiors with a solution or good proposed alternatives for a solution.
Tip #5: 1 Day before the exam
Revise the key concepts that you would have listed during your preparation. Get enough rest on the night before the exam. Plan your schedule accordingly.Depending on your exam location, you may have to schedule your exam date well in advance. That means that you will have to plan your study carefully so that you are somewhere near your peak of preparation on test day.
You’ll know the result immediately after finishing. Best of success to you in obtaining the credential and the enhanced career to follow!