​Preparing for the PMP Exam: A Lesson in Over-Preparation by Traci Cook

Everyone has their own learning style so I can only share with you what worked for me to prepare for the PMP exam ...

A couple of caveats before I share …

1.  I am an over-preparer. I was slightly terrified to take this exam and likely spent too much money and used too many resources for a normal, non-extreme studier.
2. I justified that I had saved thousands of dollars on a PMP boot camp due to the gracious program at Syracuse and IVMF so I spent a little more on additional resources than I likely would have normally.
3. I learn best when I can see and hear and feel concepts presented in a variety of ways. Because of this, I like to have lots of options. Audio books, podcasts, blog posts, videos, books (printed and virtual), online courses … I go “full immersion” and use all these things to prepare.

I satisfied the 35 hours of instruction by enrolling for PMP Certification Preparation through Syracuse University's "Onward to Opportunity" program with the Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF). It is a FREE program for post-911 Veterans and their families! I was very impressed with the program and very appreciative of their support of my Army-wife-transient career. They pay for the 35 hours, require three passing exams within their training to get certified, and pay for one exam. It's a great deal operated by great people. If you're eligible, please give them a try: https://ivmf.syracuse.edu/onward-to-opportunity. They offer a variety of certification programs, not just PMP, so it's definitely worth looking into.

During the 35-hour IVMF course, I created a “script” for each section by copying the course transcript and using that to follow along with the videos. I would bold, highlight, underline, or add screenshots as the videos progressed to help organize the information in my head. 

**IF you are part of the "IVMF Core," you can find these transcripts in the PMP Group on IVMFCore (https://www.ivmfcore.org/s/contentdocument/0690B000003vHgiQAE). 

I posted them one section at a time and another student consolidated them into a single document there.

At the end of each section, I would take the tests and then screenshot the questions I got wrong along with the explanation. I put these screenshots into a PowerPoint slide (just dropped each screenshot onto a new slide) and would review by flipping through those slides. I ended up doing this for most mock exams I took, including the end-of-course exams on IVMF. It was the best way for me to review information I (clearly) needed to review.

After completing the 35-hour IVMF PMP course, I gave myself a break to absorb the information. I ordered too many books, became overwhelmed by the sheer volume of study information, and fell off the PMP wagon for a bit. I went ahead and became a PMI member and submitted my application and sketched out a study plan for myself. I chose to cover one knowledge area at a time, using various resources to focus on that one area before moving on. During this “break” time, I still engaged in learning, but not at full-court press pace. I …

• Watched portions of Joseph Phillips’ course “PMP Exam Cram Session - PMBOK Guide, 6th Edition” on Udemy.com (https://www.udemy.com/pmp-exam-cram-session-pmbok6/) for another perspective on topics I was unsure about. It’s a shorter course covering high points of studying instead of a full 35-hour course (which I already completed through IVMF) so that appealed to me. The course was $9.99 and I liked having that additional resource.

• Watched YouTube videos for (yet another) perspective on various topics. Some I really liked included videos from ExamsPM and Ricardo Vargas:

• ExamsPM, Overview of 49 Processes from PMBOK 6th edition Guide for PMP and CAPM Exams:
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ckkibs2Rw9c

• Ricardo Vargas, Elaboration of Processes:
• https://youtu.be/GC7pN8Mjot8

• ExamsPM, All the PMP Formulas and Calculations - PMBOK 6th Edition:
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hb1Sotom5X0

• Listened to a PMP Prep podcast in the car to and from work
• Conversations on the PMP Exam 6^th Edition by Louis Alderman … This is a playlist I found on Google Play. It is conversational in nature with several PMP experts (Andy Crowe, Bill Yates, Louis Alderman) discussing various aspects of the exam. This is the first one I listened to and it was an easy listen; its goal being to get you in the mindset for the exam.

Once I scheduled my exam, I went full immersion for 6 weeks before the exam date. Here is what I did …

• Listened to audiobooks in the car and when I had free time waiting in line somewhere (I have a subscription to audible so I would use my points to get free books to listen to). I liked:

• Simple PMP Exam Guide by Phil Martin (I started with this one; it was conversational and I could listen casually)

• Simple PMP PMBOK Quiz by Phil Martin (this one is more focused on basics and definitions so it's a good place to start with exam questions; the other two – listed below – helped me more with exam prep)

• PMP Study Guide* by Gino Nazoroff

• PMP Exam Prep* by Andrew Ramdayal

*These two audiobooks were a series of scenario based questions and answers. The narrator reads a question, gives you four possible answers and then gives the right answer along with an explanation. I found this helpful to get into 'test' mode.

• Read PMP books on my Kindle during down-time and usually before falling asleep at night. I have Kindle Unlimited so I searched for free books on PMP and liked these:

• Ace Your PMP Exam series by Shiv Shenoy (a series of 12 different books covering all parts of the PMP exam)

• PMP EXAM Simplified by Aileen Ellis -- She also has some great books that include 50+ questions and solutions for the PMP:
• How to Get Every Network Diagram Question Right on the PMP Exam
• How to Get Every Contract Calculation Question Right on the PMP Exam
• How to Get Every Earned Value Management Question Right on the PMP Exam

• Read and Pass Notes for PMP Exams by Maneesh Vijaya (this is my favorite PMP Kindle book; he adds his own scratch notes and drawings that just worked for me. I like his writing style and his explanations helped clear up some confusion for me.)

• Utilized the PMPrepcast Elite course practice exams by Cornelius Fichtner

(https://www.project-management-prepcast.com/pmp-exam/the-pm-prepcast)

I liked his explanations – and his accent – and highly recommend this program. The BIGGEST benefit was the practice exams which is the primary reason I chose it. The questions were the most similar to the actual exam of any I have seen (although they were more difficult than the actual exam in my opinion). After passing the exam, I feel like this was the best preparation tool I utilized outside of the actual coursework that taught me the content. I chose PrepCast Elite (at $299) for the exam simulator.

• Enrolled in Shiv Shenoy’s PMP Exam ‘Last Mile’ Prep for PMBOK-6

(https://shivshenoy.teachable.com/p/pmp-exam-last-mile-prep-pro-for-pmbok-6)

It was $147 well spent for me. He has emails, online lessons, mock exams, a Facebook group, and online books that are all available once you’ve enrolled. You can also opt for a $67/month rate if you’ll only be using the course for a month or less.

• Studied daily
• I started with the PMBOK and used it as my study guide. I would read and highlight a chapter (highlighting helped me focus on the information) and then create a 4x6 notecard with main points. For each knowledge area, I had a card with the definition and key benefits on the front and the ITTOs on the back. Writing down the information helped me see patterns and understand the processes without trying to memorize all the ITTOs.

• After reading the PMBOK chapter, I would read the corresponding chapter in Andy Crowe’s How to Pass the PMP Exam On Your First Try ($65) and complete the book’s practice exam. I wrote my answers in my PMP notebook and would write out the answers to questions I missed.

• Once I completed that exam, I would read the corresponding chapter in Joseph Phillips’ PMP Project Management Professional Study Guide, Fifth Edition ($35) and complete the practice exam from that book, again using my PMP notebook and writing out answers to questions I missed. Note that this is the 5^th edition of HIS book but it is focused on the PMBOK 6^th edition.

Oh, and in the tradition of full-disclosure, here are the other books (which are excellent!) that I purchased and then gave away because it was all too much. They are good resources but don’t be like me and order too many books. One (maybe two if you’re neurotic as I am) is plenty.

• Head First PMP: A Learner’s Companion to Passing the Project Management Professional Exam, 4^th Edition by Jennifer Greene and Andrew Stellman

• PMP: Project Management Professional Exam Study Guide, 9^th edition by Kim Heldman

• PMP Exam Prep: Accelerated Learning to Pass the Project Management Professional (PMP) Exam, 9^th edition by Rita Mulcahy (This seems to be a very popular choice for most PMP prospects. I found it to be slightly confusing as I couldn’t match up her terminology and processes directly to the PMBOK. Her tone was a little harsh for me, too, but I’m an extreme feeler so most people probably wouldn’t even notice this.)

So that's what I've got. I passed the exam on my first try on 3 June 2019 and am sure that I over-prepared. In retrospect, I think that once you've mastered the concepts, taking practice exams is the best way to prepare for the actual exam. Register for the exam when you feel ready, but don't wait too long ... you don't want to forget what you've learned while brushing up on what is difficult for you.

I wish you all the best and hope this long, complicated post has helped in some way! Thanks for reading.

:) Traci