The PMP (Project Management Professional) Certification Training is among the most demanded certifications which shows your dedication towards your career. Holding this certification is considered to be prestigious as the course is extremely detailed and passing the examination is no cake walk. As difficult the exam may seem, it is not impossible to crack it. According to statistics, only 3 out of 5 individuals manage to make it through in the first attempt. Amongst those who did not manage to make it through in the first attempt, most of them shared that they had not attempted enough mock tests, or the time was not sufficient enough to complete the examination. Hence, we can learn from our mistakes and attempt to rectify these errors in order to pass. Here are some tips and tricks to help you ace the PMP Certification.

1. Study the PMBOK Guide from end to end

PMBOK® Guide or the Project Management Body of Knowledge is published by PMI (Project Management Institute). This may be a lengthy and boring Guide to read but it is your go-to option to best understand the concepts. There are several guides and books in the market but none that can replace the PMBOK. To ace the examination, a thorough understanding of this book is essential. There may not be a lot of questions from the book. However, for that, you may have to turn to another reference book. It is highly recommended that you read the book from end to end at least twice, before appearing for the examination.

2. Have a Plan of action or a Schedule

To prepare for the examination, you are required to have a clear plan of action. Preparing for the exam can be overwhelming, hence it is important that you have a clearly defined roadmap. If you get lost in the process, it could be challenging to get back on track without any planning. Here, you have to define your goals and set a course to achieve it.

So, what are the important points that you should keep in mind while preparing a plan? The most important of all is how much time do you have in hand? How many months of preparation do you require? How many hours are you willing to devote towards the preparation, on a daily basis? Considering your best time of focus – you must also decide whether you will be studying into the wee hours of the morning or waking up fresh to focus on the studies, prior to leaving for work.

The next point that comes into the picture is – how are you planning to divide the syllabus? Will you keep the difficult lessons for the weekdays or the weekends? Schedule the course chapter-wise and set realistic deadlines. Remember, that you need enough time in hand to complete a number of mock tests.

To stand out in the crowd and to ace, the examination, follow your plan diligently.

3. Refer to other study guides as well

The PMBOK may be your go-to guide for all concepts and theories but that is not enough to clear the exam as PMBOK is not resulted oriented. What the guide lacks is that it does not give you an understanding of how these processes are linked and how can they be applied in practicality. The questions asked during the PMP examination are mainly scenario- based. Hence, studying the PMBOK will only help build your basics but will not suffice in clearing the exam.

Also, there are several topics that are not covered in the PMBOK guide that appear quite often in the PMP exam. Hence, the other guides that you can choose from are:

• PMP Exam Prep by Rita Mulcahy
• Head First PMP: A Learner’s Companion to Passing the Project Management Professional Exam by Jennifer Greene
• The PMP Exam: How to Pass on Your First Try by Andy Crowe

4. Attempt several types of practice questions

The questions provided during the PMP examination are diverse scenario-based. Only reading the theory will not suffice to pass this examination as it will not provide the required knowledge. Hence, it is imperative that you attempt some mock tests.

Solving a variety of questions will help you understand how questions can be split into categories. The questions can range from short and direct to lengthy and formula based, while others are scenario-based. There are also some questions that are based on the tools and techniques of project management.
By practicing in this manner, you will be able to create a strategy and recall it during the exam.

5. Attempt simulation tests

The best way to practice a PMP certification exam is to solve the entire simulation test comprising of 200 questions of varying difficulty levels that need to be answered with the same efficiency. Sitting for 4-hours at a stretch and responding to every question with equal attention, can be a daunting task

With the help of practice tests, you can monitor your progress, note your timing and mold your test-taking strategy. You can also get rid of any nervousness that you may have and observe the kind of questions that seem challenging. And, the only way to do all this is, is by solving sample papers.

When you start getting a score above 80%, rest assured that you will definitely pass the actual exam.

Remember! Practice makes man perfect.

6. Utilize the 35 hours of project management training

Before applying for the PMP exam, you need to meet the PMI requirement of spending 35 contact hours on formal education of project management. People often consider it to be a task that they are required to get done with. Instead, it is best to treat this as a learning experience that will help them ace the exam. The 35 hours training provided it by a PMP certified instructor

should be utilized to build a strong foundation of the concepts tested.

You can use this time to clarify whatever doubts you have as the trainers are not only certified but also evaluated and approved by the PMI.

7. Strategizing

If you hear the success stories of those individuals who have passed the PMP test in the first attempt, you will observe that every individual has a different story to tell. What is the best strategy for the exam? There is nothing that will cater to all. Everyone is required to find what suits them the best – be it flashcards, group studies or making audio. You need to see what suits you best.

8. Become a PMI member and connect with other Project Managers

It is best to become a PMI member before writing the exam. The exam fee is cheaper for PMI members. PMI opens vast opportunities to network with many other project management professionals.

Due to the dynamic nature of PMP, it is essential to keep track of the latest developments in the field. There is no better way to do this than to connect with other project managers. You can also find peers who are attempting the exam and connect with them for a group study. You can always reach out to a PMP practitioner in case you have some queries or to help you crack some scenario-based questions.

9. Manage time well

Time can be divided into two components

• During the preparation
• During the exam

People who attempt the PMP exam are working professionals. Hence, it is important that you manage your time between your professional responsibilities and the study time for the exam. This exam requires a lot of studying, solving practice questions and writing the mock tests, hence, planning is the most essential part of the preparation stage. In the months that you prepare, do only the highest-priority tasks. It may seem like a good idea to plan your vacation, but it would be best if you could do it before starting your preparation or after completing the exam as you might lose track of your progress.

Answering 200 questions in a span of 4 hours is not easy and some people complain that they couldn’t complete the test. This is due to lack of time management on the exam day. Do keep in mind that if you leave out more than 1/5th (about 40) of the questions in the exam, it is extremely unlikely that you will pass.

On average, you have about 1.2 minutes to respond to each question in the exam. If you need to take a break in between the exam, then it is going to be less than that. When you take into consideration the time to relook at some of the questions, you will roughly have about 50 – 60 seconds for each question.

Tips to manage time efficiently on the day of the test:

1. 1. Set a 90 seconds time limit to respond to every question. Once you cross this time frame, mark the question for review and move on to the next.
   2. Respond to the easier questions first and then return for the difficult ones.
   3. You may need some time for a break. Hence that must be considered too.
   4. Set aside some time in the end to review some of the questions that you haven’t answered.

10. Learn to hold your nerve

You may have performed well during your mock tests. But, it may not be the same on the day of your exam as you may be anxious, and you might be nervous before entering the exam hall. There are many of us who do not perform well under pressure and there might be some variables beyond our control. There are other factors that could rattle us on the day of the exam. For example, if the washroom is far from the exam hall, it may make our break longer than what we had planned and prepared for initially.
Irrespective of what the variables are, try to keep calm as the stress may impact our performance.
So, how do you handle stress during the exam?

1. Write a lot of mock tests. The more you face such a simulated environment, the better you will get at handling it.
2. Keep reminding yourself that no matter what happens during the exam, you will remain calm and maintain your confidence.
3. The exam comprises of both easy and difficult questions that are spread across the entire exam. If some parts aren’t going well, the others are always there to make up for it.
4. Manage your time well as the pressure of time is what causes the anxiety

Pointers to keep in mind for the PMP Exam

• PMP is designed in a manner that best shows you and teaches you to apply the knowledge in different scenarios that the project managers face. Hence, you should not only be aware of the terms and terminologies but also be smart during the study and exam too.
• Your main focus should be understanding and the application of knowledge. For this, you need to solve several practice questions with the PMBOK as your major reference along with another guide, to fill the gaps whenever you find any.
• While it may be important to refer to other guides, it will be a good idea to limit it to 2-3 or only use those points not mentioned in others. Each book describes the concepts in a different manner and using too many books as a reference could only add to the confusion.
• As they say, your thoughts matter, it is important to keep a positive attitude and your spirits high. Too much stress during the examination may be a hindrance and will impact your performance greatly. Hence, relax, keep calm and stay positive. If you find some questions difficult or tricky, there are always other questions that will be easier to respond. With your mind strong and will stronger, you will definitely ace the PMP exam.

Last minute revision tips for passing the PMP exam

• Focus on controlling and monitoring process group
• There will be several questions around change management
• Procurement and risk questions are the most challenging parts. Hence, extra attention should be given to those chapters
• Most of the questions in the exam are situational-based thus you need a better understanding of the concepts.
• Time and cost questions are the easiest.

Conclusion

In summation, to ace the examination you need to treat it as a project itself.

First, you need to define your goals and objectives. The next step, you need to chalk down the resources you wish to use like the study material, training institution or mock papers, etc. Split the syllabus into tasks and allow reasonable timelines to complete them. Check if you are going as per schedule, else revise your strategy based on your performance in the simulation tests. Believe in yourself and have the faith that if you consistently put in efforts you could clear the PMP exam with flying colors.

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