You should utilize as much Lessons Learned as you can!

You Want the Good Stuff, without the Filler...

We get it.

You don't want to read through 3, 5, 10, or 20 accounts by former PMP students, looking for the nuggets.

Each one of those accounts is helpful, but many are also wordy. And there's a lot of repetition, too.

So we've done the work for you

We have read over 40 accounts of lessons learned from the studying and exam process. And we've listed the key points here, for you to get the best stuff, without the fluff.

So, here are over 90 lessons learned...

General Principles

1.     Study the PMP Handbook and the PMP Examination Content Outline.

2.     This is a proprietary certification. Therefore, you may know a lot about Project Management, but to pass, you must know what PMI expects you to know. And you must recognize and use the terms and approaches PMI has chosen. As an example, if you come from a rigidly traditional PM environment, like the construction industry, some of your work experience could lead you astray when answering questions based on Agile or Hybrid PM.

3.     Do not neglect to study topics you think you are good at. Always test yourself against the PMI’s requirements and, ideally, test questions, to validate your knowledge before moving on.

4.     Take your exam in your strongest language. You will not be able to use a dictionary, so practice questions in that language, to ensure you understand the keywords.

5.     PMP: Practice Makes Perfect… [groan]

Preparation

1.     Start your preparation by reviewing the PMBOPK Guide – but not by reading it cover to cover

2.     Make yourself a study plan.

3.     Don’t rush your preparation: you have a year.

4.     Set up your study space to suit you.

5.     Then review the formal learning materials you have chosen.

6.     And equip yourself with the materials you need.

Your Study Plan

1.     Your study is a marathon, not a sprint. Don’t aim to cover all the ground too quickly. Set out a plan.

2.     Treat your study plan as a project plan.

3.     Commit to your study plan. But don’t be afraid to review it.

4.     Little and often. Create opportunities to study as often as possible – even if they are short reviews of a single small topic. This avoids burnout and builds a routine.

5.     If you can schedule big chunks of time in the run-up to your exam, for studying. If you work, try to get either:

01.        study time from your employer (best)

02.        unpaid study leave. If you can’t get either, consider

03.        annual leave

6.     Plan to complete your learning around 2 weeks before your exam, so you can spend that time practicing questions and checking the details.

7.     Track your progress as you go. And don’t be afraid to revise your plan, if it is not working for you.

8.     Celebrate milestones in your progress.

Exam Simulators and Sample Questions

1.     These are hugely valuable and a worthwhile investment

2.     Do as many sample questions as you can. Recommendations range from 3 full exams (540 to 2,000 questions). Practice. Practice. Practice.

3.     Do at least one full-length mock exam. Ideally, three or more. Doing more than one also starts to build your endurance.

4.     Aim to finish full practice exams in the 230minutes to get used to the pace and rhythm. 

5.     Too mock many exams are overkill. You will get diminishing returns. How many is too many depends on you, but notice when you are good enough to feel ready.

6.     Make notes of the questions you get wrong and look for areas of weakness to focus your revision and practice on:

a.     Subject areas

b.     Types of questions

7.     Review your answers afterward and make notes.

8.     Over the week or two before the exam, do one or two full simulated exams

9.     There are lots of sources of questions around. Some may not simulate the PMI’s questions ell,area orbut will check your knowledge

Studying

1.     Make yourself a study plan

2.     Be realistic about which study methods work best for you and if you don’t know, experiment until you find one that works.

3.     Split your studying up into themes and study a small number of topics each session – 1 to 3, say – or one Knowledge is an area or major topic.

4.     Carry out reviews of what you learned at the end of each week

5.     And also do a full review of where you are.

6.     There are lots of learning materials. Your PMP is a big investment, so don’t stint on these if you canaffordcan afford it.

7.     Having a good Exam Prep book can help you get a different perspective on ideas you don’t understand. Having two doubles this.

8.     Don’t just listen to courses or read books. Actively take notes – and review them at the end of a session and the start of the next.

9.     Make big charts of key information and put them on the walls in your study space.

10.  There is some good content on YouTube if you are struggling to i=understandunderstand an idea.

Enhancing Learning

1.     Re-write what you learn in your own words.

2.     Prepare diagrams, mind maps, and flow charts to illustrate what you are learning

3.     Use brain dumps at the start and end of learning sessions to review what you know and what you have covered. 

4.     Find opportunities in daily life and at work to:

a.     Practice what you are learning

b.     Explain it to other people

5.     Look for connections between things that are unfamiliar to you and other things you already know and understand.

6.     Some people like to make flashcards to test themselves.

The Focus of Your Learning

1. The PMBOK Guide is a good source. But it is not the only source of knowledge for this exam.
2. Review the PMBOK glossary. You don’t need to memorize it, but you do need to recognize the terms.
3. Understand the differences between Agile and Traditional predictive methodologies, and also how the predictive PM process groups relate to the Scrum Sprint Cycle.
4. You do not need to memorize ITTOs. But you do need to understand them.
5. Study the soft skills - things like: conflict, skills gaps, team management, leadership styles
6. Leadership skills feature highly in the new exam.
7. Study the Agile content. things like: retrospectives, MVP, DoD, roles and responsibilities, relationships between team and PO
8. Learn the Scrum methodology. Around half of the Agile questions are about scrum, so you need to study the Scrum Guide.
9. There will be some questions on Kanban.
10. Focus on processes (sequence), documents (contents), and tools (which to use when)
11. Focus on data flows – draw out flow charts in your notes to understand the principles.
12. Do not ignore the smaller parts of the exam – you have to do well in every section.
13. Learn your formulas – and understand the principles, so they seem obvious (as much as possible). But don’t worry, not many calculations will come up (maybe none). Study and understand Table 7-1 in the PMBOK Guide 6th Edition - especially the 'Interpretation of Result' column.
14. When studying the Knowledge Areas, learn Integration Management last.
15. Practice your network diagrams and critical path calculations.
16. Early reports suggest you do not need the 'other' reference books that PMI recommends - just the PMBOK Guide and the Agile Practice Guide, plus the Scrum Guide.

Support

1.     Make sure close family members know what you are doing. Let them know what you need in terms of support.

2.     The extra money you pay for a good learning provider is well worth it. Don’t go cheap on a poor provider.

3.     The advice you get from [ATPs*] is based on years of experience. Pay attention to it.

* The original referred to REPs - the older form of PMI 'Registered Education Providers'

Your Application

1.     Use a spreadsheet to collect and document evidence of all your project work

2.     Ask your boss to review the project hours you are claiming

Scheduling Your Exam

1.     Book far enough ahead to get a slot that suits you

2.     Choose a time slot when you tend to be at your peak alertness and energy levels

3.     Book a day off work for your exam day.

4.     Better still, also book a day off for the day before your exam.

5.     Booking your exam date will motivate your studying.

6.     When you book your exam, give yourself enough study time but make sure you have a date to work towards. Don’t postpone booking your exam but don’t do it too early, either.

Your Exam - Logistics

1.     Check and double-check the date, time, and place of your exam

2.     Make yourself a checklist well in advance for your exam day

3.     Visit the premises (if using a center) a week or so ahead of your exam.

4.     If traveling – plan to arrive between 30 and 60 minutes early

5.     Get an early night the night before your exam.

6.     Get up early in the day so you have plenty of time for your morning rituals.

Your Exam – the Exam

1. Move quickly and steadily through the questions – but do not rush
2. Read the questions carefully. Read what they say, not what you expect them to say. The same for the answer options. Answer the question PMI asks not the one you expected them to ask. One word can change the meaning and if you miss it, you’ll get the wrong answer.
3. Don’t panic if you get stuck on a question. Choose the best response and move on. You can always go back to it if you have time and other questions may remind you of something important that will help you with it.
4. PMI is not trying to confuse you with its questions. It is trying to test whether you understand the material; not just that you have rote learned it. But, indeed, some of the languages are deliberately vague - even ambiguous. That's why using a good practice simulator is so important.
5. The first question will be the hardest. Not because they are harder, but because you will be edgy. The first 5 aren’t scored and this is why they are there.
6. If you have time after a sequence of questions, go back and review them – especially calculations: look for silly errors.
7. If what you do at work and what the PMBOK Guide says conflict – always answer according to PMBOK. PMI’s exam: PMI’s Body of Knowledge. Simple.
8. Some questions ask you to choose 2 or choose three options. If you do not choose the right number, you will not be able to move to the next question.
9. The balance of question types seems to vary in different reports. So, please do not infer a 'fixed' set of proportions based on the experiences of a small number of candidates.
10. You have to manage your own time during the exam. If you are examining at home, then the breaks come after Qn 60 and Qn 120. If you take too much time, you may end up with too little time for later questions.
11. You can skip breaks
12. If you take your exam in a Pearson Vue center, they provide you with a computer and everything you need.

Your Exam - The Questions

1. The questions are all based on applying your knowledge to a scenario that the question establishes. It is not about repeating facts, but rather about interpreting the situation in the light of what you know. Some reports suggest that over half of the questions are of the type 'what would the Project Manager do next?'
2. Do not worry about rote-learning the ITTOs there are no questions about them. There are, however, situational questions that mean you need to understand them.
3. Although we are sure that Agile and Hybrid feature accounts for half of the approach-specific questions, most people who took the exam early reported that they seemed to be an even bigger part of the exam. This is almost certainly 'salience bias' - this content was new to the first cohort of candidates, so they noticed the questions more.
4. Around half of the Agile questions refer to scrum and the Scrum Guide. There are only a very few questions about Kanban.
5. There are very few calculation questions (some reports say none). But you will need to know and interpret the results of calculations and understand the formulas.
6. Beware of answers that represent generalizations. You can spot these when you see words like always, never, every, none, must, or completely. Check for exceptions before considering these answers.
7. On the other hand, the words sometimes, generally, maybe, perhaps, or often can indicate a likely correct answer.
8. Just because you think the grammar is incorrect, it does not mean an answer is wrong.

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