Written by Juliett Johnson
Can you imagine the day in the life of an aspiring PMP student preparing for their first PMP Exam? Mrs. Dawn Woolcock, from Hewlett-Packard took the Technology Forum audience on a journey to the wonderful world of PMP Certification Preparation.
Tip 1: Understanding and knowing your learning style is key to PMP success. Some people find they do better through repetition, watching videos on YouTube, creating or putting learning formulas to song, or rhyme. Others find writing out what they understand or through social interaction, like participating in Boot Camps or Study Groups. Some find just creating an environment of plain solitude is their best learning style. “Know your learning style before starting your PMP preparation,” recommends Woolcock.
Tip 2: Remember the power of 4: 4 choice answers per question in 4 hours. Taking your time—and that means no more than 2 minutes per question- equates to reading carefully and selecting the best answer in a narrow timeframe to ensure your completion of the 200 questions. No two exams are the same so practice test questions are random. Your preparation success will be in your ability to read and understand the question context and select the best answer through elimination for the scenario described.
Tip 3: Retaining information for a certification test is quite different than memorizing information. The questions for the PMP can be very tricky and obscure. The answers can even be similar making multiple choices your best guess. The good news is guessing doesn’t penalize you.
Tip 4: Be aware that personal experience and “real world” experience will not prepare you for the test questions. Exam preparers must put on their PMBOK 5th Edition hats and follow the project management discipline as structured per the ten (10) Knowledge Areas.
As of July 2013, PMBOK 5th Edition added Project Stakeholders as the 10th Knowledge Area to consider for project management professionals. It was previously inclusive in other knowledge areas, however the value and weight of stakeholders buy in and approval during a project has significantly impacted on- time project delivery.
Tip 5: If there are knowledge areas you feel you are weak and you have little understanding of the process impact, spend more time and focus on those knowledge areas first. Your best approach to preparing for your PMP is a planned “project” approach.
Tip 6: There is no such thing as cramming for your PMP certification. Learn your PMP formulas and understand how they are applied in a project plan scenario.
Allow yourself time to prepare and allow your time to study and practice reading the questions and answers. Just like any athlete, you have to practice and train your brain to think, comprehend, and anticipate the little hurdles in every question and answer. So your preparation with the PMP practice questions will help you avoid being confused and anxious.
Think of your readiness for PMP certification as a lifecycle process: Access your need for the certification, decide on your path for achieving your certification, determine the scope and how you will deliver on your decision, integrate into your work and life style, and coordinate your plan in to real life achievement as well as monitor and control the outcome of your efforts. Creating a PMP test prep plan starts with knowing your learning style and committing to a life-long principle of giving back to others after exam completion. So whatever you did to pass your PMP exam and earn your certification, feel free to share with others.
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