The overall journey of preparing for the exam not only earns you one of the most sought-after certifications but also makes you a good project manager. After passing the exam, I would like to reflect on some of my “Lessons Learned” for the aspiring people 🙂

Once done with the application and completion of course for 35 PDUs, you need to armour yourself to face the D-day and the 4-hrs exam.

1. Mocks: Select quality mock-tests and complete them within 4hrs (better to attempt in the same slot which you booked for the exam.
2. Weak Areas: Identify weak areas (chapter wise) by identifying the number of questions going wrong against each knowledge area in the mock exams and by keeping track of the improvement after completing each mock.
3. Bolster weak areas by sincerely revising the course material. Maintain a notebook for imp points or key concepts understood while going through the course & revise the same periodically (especially 1 day before the exam)
4. Few days off from work just before the exam to focus on the preparation and avoid distraction
5. Learning the ITTOs (Inputs, Tools & Techniques and Outputs) for 49 processes, prove helpful to answer the situational questions (you can’t cram all of these). The best way is to do exercises on ITTOs (through your selected course material/ book) & keep on revising periodically
6. Mapping of the 49 processes with process group and knowledge areas — Proves helpful for situation based question
7. Planning the entire prep day-wise (as we do for any project on excel) with each of the involved tasks really helps to complete syllabus and preparation for the exam

Happy to hear your feedback/ suggestions/ queries. Hope, the post may help the aspirants clear the exam and earn their PMP 🙂

Best Regards

Pranav Kumar Singh