The PMP Certification is a very famous and globally recognized certification for the project professional. This certification is awarded by the PMI (Project Management Institute) USA. Obtaining this certification is not an easy task and to earn this certificate you have to pass through various stages.
Since, I have passed through these processes; therefore, I am writing this article to help you to pass it with minimum effort. If you are planning for this certification, then you will find this article very useful.
To pass the PMP certification exam you need to have a balanced approach. You must know that how exactly you should prepare for the exam. Keep in mind that the way I am going to explain you is not only method to study for the exam, you are free to follow your style of reading. Purpose of this article is to make sure that you don't miss any important step.
Here, first I will brief you about the initial preparation and then we will focus on study plan in more detail.
OK. Let us get started...
Initial Preparations
Gather all relevant information about the PMI and PMP certification exam; e.g, what are the eligibility requirements and if you qualify for it, what is the syllabus, which is the best book for the exam preparation and some online resources etc.
Join the PMI membership and your local chapter. Once you become a member the PMI and their local chapter, you can join their meetings and seminars. You will also get discount to training courses organized by them. Participate in these seminars because there you will get chance to meet many PMPs. You can get some valuable information about the exam from their experience.
Next step is to attend a training program to earn 35 contact hours for PM education. Just make sure to go through any PMP reference book and the PMBOK guide before attending the training program. If you do so, it will help you a lot in the training sessions. Once your training completes, apply for the exam and schedule the exam date.
Study Plan
After you scheduled the exam; you must start your study seriously. Many aspirants fail the PMP exam in first attempt because of their inappropriate way of preparation. I don't want you to be part of that crowd. Prepare for the exam smartly.
Buy any two good PMP exam reference books and study them thoroughly. Then open the PMBOK guide. The PMBOK guide is a bible for the project professionals and in exam there will be many direct questions from the PMBOK guide itself. Try to understand the logic behind Input, Tools & Technique, and Output given in this guide. Please do not try to memorize it; just understand the logic behind them.
Practice some PMP Exam sample questions given at the end of each chapter of the PMP exam reference books. You should also buy any good PMP Exam question bank software so that you could get at least 1,000 to 1,500 questions for practice. Most of the times, these kind of software has simulated exam facility. Once you complete your preparation, you should try these simulated exams to find the knowledge gaps in your study.
I have seen that many people very desperately seeking for free samples questions and mock tests available on the Internet. Attempting too much questions and trying many mock tests will only waste your time. Don't do this. Resources suggested by me in this article are enough for you to pass the exam.
Before you go for real exam, try any good full length exam simulation and check your performance. You must pass it with 70% result in every domain. If you are lagging in any domain, please revisit those domains and make sure your knowledge gap is filled.
Taking the Test
Reach the test center before 30 to 45 minutes so that you could complete the formalities and get some time to relax. Test consists of 200 questions and you have four-hours to finish the exam. This time is enough for the test; therefore, you don't have to worry about the duration of the test.
Once you complete your test, you will be followed by a survey. After this survey, your result will be displayed in the screen.
I wish for you to see the congratulatory message on the screen.
This was all about the PMP certification exam preparation plan.
Good luck for your studies.
Fahad Usmani, PMP, PMI-RMP is a blogger on Project Management topics. He writes on his blog PM Study Circle to help professionals with the PMP certification exam preparation. Visit his blog to find various PMP Study Notes.
