PMP Exam Tips

Exam Taking Tip # 1

Doing well in Exams isn't just about learning what you are studying well, it's also about expressing what you know clearly enough that the person marking the exam can fully appreciate your knowledge. Take the opportunity to teach your friends and the people around you some of what you've studied. Set yourself a challenge to teach other people things that you are learning. Afterwards you'll know the subject even better, and you'll probably find the subject more interesting (especially if you find a fun way to teach it).


Exam Taking Tip # 2

There are distinct differences between "Accelerated Learning" and "Cramming". Accelerated learning is our preferred method, however, since cramming is a heavily used component of studying for today’s student, it's helpful to know how to make it work for you. Here is a five-step cramming process: 1) Make choices. Don't try to learn it all when you cram. You can't. Instead pick out a few of the most important elements of the course and learn those backward, forward, and upside down. Sometimes these choices will be difficult. You might be tempted to go over everything lightly. Resist this temptation. If you cover a lot of material lightly, chances are, you will recall none of it during the exam. Be courageous and choose a few important items. For example, you can devote most of your attention to the topic sentences, tables, and charts in a long reading assignment instead of reading the whole assignment. A useful guide is to spend 25 percent of cramming time learning new material and 75 percent of cramming time drilling yourself on that material. 2) Make a plan. Cramming is always done when time is short. That is all the more reason to take a few minutes to create a plan. Choose what you want to study (suggestion #1), determine how much time you have, and set deadlines for yourself. It's easy to panic and jump right in. Making a plan can save you time and allow you to work faster. 3) Use mind map review sheets and flash cards. Condense the material you have chosen to learn into mind maps. Choose several elements of the mind maps to put on 3x5 flash cards. Practice recreating the mind maps, complete with illustrations. Drill yourself with the flash cards. 4) Recite ad nauseam. The key to cramming is repetitive recitation. Recitation can burn facts into your brain like no other study method. Go over your material again and again and again. One option is to tape-record yourself while you recite. Then play the tape as you fall asleep and as you wake up in the morning. Repeat out loud what you have chosen to study until you are confident that you will be able to recall it. 5) Relax. Because you do not learn material well when you cram, you are more likely to freeze and forget it under the pressure of an exam. Relaxation techniques can be used to reduce test anxiety, both before and during the test.


Exam Taking Tip # 3

1. The most important tip that we can share with you is this: "Passing the PMP Exam is not just being able to Regurgitate PMBOK information, it's also about understanding concept and application, it's about common "Project" sense, it's about memory and knowledge retention and it's about dedication to understanding the Project Management from PMI's perspective!"
2. Learning "How to learn" is one of the greatest investments you can ever make in yourself.
3. Regular Exercise of the body is important for the mind to function at full capacity
4. Practice "Calming" breathing techniques. You may find yourself frustrated during the 4 hour PMP Exam, know how to calm you emotions and remain focus will be an important aspect of passing the exam!
5. Just prior to entering the exam room, think of a time when you were feeling particularly confident and feed off of that feeling.
6. Your state of mind during the exam is crucial to your success - Remain positive at all times!


Exam Taking Tip #4

1. Every Exam answer should be from PMI's view. This means your personal experiences DON'T COUNT. 2. The newest version of the PMBOK, the PMBOK Guide-Third Edition, was released to PMI members in October 2004. In addition, the exam and the passing scores have been adjusted. The passing score for the new exam has now been changed from 81% to 61%. The exam taker must answer 106 questions out of 175 correct. 25 additional questions will be asked on the exam for a total of 200 possible questions. The 25 - pretest items will continue to be part of the exam. PMI uses these questions to understand the performance of the questions prior to counting the questions towards a candidates score. The exam taker will not know which 25 are not applied to the pass/fail score. Out of the score able 175 questions, approximately 19 will come from Initiation, 40 from planning, 47 from execution, 37 from monitor and control, 16 from closing and 16 from Professional responsibility. 3. Identify and learn the PMI mindset: Many of the exam questions give you a typical project situation that a project manager faces and then you need to choose the best answer. In order to choose the best answer, think best practices according to PMBOK not your situation. This means you need to understand the role of the project manager from PMI perspective. Assume that you are in an environment where best practices rule. Where you have a project charter according to PMBOK. Where the project managers have the support that they so richly deserve. It’s a world where the PMBOK is the true guiding force and where team members perform. Where functional managers answer you when you call. Concentrating on knowing the mindset of PMI, memorizing and knowing how to apply the inputs, tools and outputs of each process, and beating the practice exam questions to death!!

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