How to Pass Your PMP Exam [Project Management Professional] | Video

So, you want to pass your PMP exam? Here are my top tips to ace your Project Management Professional certification exam.

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Preparation to Pass Your PMP Exam

1. Read the PMP Handbook and the Examination Content Outline (ECO)
2. Don’t rush your preparation: you have a year. Set up your study space to suit you.
3. And equip yourself with the materials you need.
4. Use a spreadsheet to collect and document evidence of all your project work. And ask your boss to review the project hours you are claiming. Check with anyone you plan to name as a referee for hours you are claiming.
5. Take time to get the application process right.

Support to Pass Your PMP Exam

• Make sure close family members know what you are doing. Let them know what you need in terms of support.
• The extra money you pay for a good learning provider is well worth it. Don’t go cheap on a poor provider.

Your Study Plan to Pass Your PMP Exam

• Make yourself a study plan. And Treat your study plan like a project plan.
• Your study is a marathon, not a sprint. Don’t aim to cover all the ground too quickly. Set out a plan. Little and often. Create opportunities to study as often as possible – even if they are short reviews of a single small topic. This avoids burnout and builds a routine.
• Commit to your study plan. But don’t be afraid to review it.
• A regular pattern that you stick to, is likely to work best for most people. Include days off, so you don’t get jaded and stale.
• Track your progress as you go. And don’t be afraid to revise your plan, if it is not working for you. Celebrate milestones in your progress.
• If you can, schedule big chunks of time in the run-up to your exam, for studying. If you work, try to get either:
  • study time from your employer (best)
  • unpaid study leave. If you can’t get either, consider
  • annual leave
• Plan to complete your learning around 2 weeks before your exam, so you can spend that time practicing questions and checking the details.

Studying to Pass Your PMP Exam

1. There are lots of learning materials. Your PMP is a big investment, so don’t stint on these if you can possibly afford it. Having a good Exam Prep book can help you get a different perspective on ideas you don’t understand. Having two doubles this.
2. Take a look at our PMP Study Guide and Exam Prep Resource Kit
3. Start your preparation by reviewing the PMBOK Guide – but not by reading it cover to cover. Then review the formal learning materials you have chosen.
4. Be realistic about which study methods work best for you and if you don’t know, experiment until you find one that works. Active studying is best. Aim to understand the content – Rote learning is not appropriate for the PMP exam. Don’t just listen to courses or read books. Actively take notes – and review them at the end of a session and at the start of the next.
5. Split your studying up into themes and study a small number of topics each session – 1 to 3, say – or one Knowledge are or major topic.
6. Carry out regular reviews of what you learned at the end of each week, and also do a regular full review of where you are. There is some good content on YouTube if you are struggling to understand an idea.
7. Prepare diagrams, mind maps, and flow charts to illustrate what you are learning. Put charts of key information on the walls in your study space.
8. Consider taking a structured course. The Primary choice is between:
   • PMI Accredited Training Provider (ATP)
     The advantage is a level of guarantee over content and quality. If this is the way you want to go, we recommend Grey Campus
   • Independent training provider
     The advantage is that PMI materials used by all ATP are restrictive and not great as learning resources. If this is the way you want to go, we recommend PM PrepCast

The Focus of Your Learning to Pass Your PMP Exam

• The PMBOK Guide is a good source. But it is not the only source of knowledge for this exam. Review the PMBOK glossary. You don’t need to memorize it, but you do need to recognize the terms.
• Understand the differences between Agile and Traditional predictive methodologies, and also how the predictive PM process groups relate to the Scrum Sprint Cycle.
• Study the soft skills – things like: conflict, skills gaps, team management, leadership styles – Leadership skills feature highly in the new exam.
• Learn the Scrum methodology. Around half of the Agile questions are about scrum, so you need to study the Scrum Guide.
• There will be some questions on Kanban and other Agile content. Things like: retrospectives, MVP, DoD, roles and responsibilities, relationships between team and PO
• Learn your formulas – and understand the principles, so they seem obvious (as much as possible). But don’t worry, not many calculations will come up (maybe none). Study and understand Table 7-1 in the PMBOK Guide 6th Edition – especially the ‘Interpretation of Result’ column.
• Practice calculations like: network diagrams and critical path calculations, and EVM calculations.

Additional Resources: Exam Simulators and Sample Questions to help you to Pass Your PMP Exam

• These are hugely valuable and a worthwhile investment
• Do as many sample questions as you can. Recommendations range from 3 full exams (540 to 2,000 questions). Practice – Practice – Practice.
• Do at least one full-length mock exam. Ideally, three or more. Doing more than one also starts to build your endurance. And aim to finish full practice exams in the 230 minutes to get used to the pace and rhythm. 
• Too mock exams is over-kill. You will get diminishing returns. How many is too many depends on you, but notice when you are good enough to feel ready.
•  Review your answers afterwards and make notes. Look at the questions you get wrong for areas of weakness to focus your revision and practice on:
  • Subject areas
  • Types of questions
• Over the course of the week or two before exam, do one or two full simulated exams

Scheduling Your PMP Exam

• Book far enough ahead to get a slot that suits you. Choose a time slot when you tend to be at your peak alertness and energy levels
• Book a day off work for your exam day. Better still, also book a day off for the day before your exam.
• When you book your exam, give yourself enough study time but make sure you have a date to work towards. Don’t postpone booking your exam but don’t do it too early, either.

Your PMP Exam – Logistics

• Check and double-check the date, time, and place of your exam. Visit the premises (if using a center) a week or so ahead of your exam.
• Make yourself a checklist well in advance for your exam day. And, if you are traveling, plan to arrive between 30 and 60 minutes early
• Get an early night the night before your exam. Then, get up early on the day so you have plenty of time for your morning rituals.

Your PMP Exam 

• Move quickly and steadily through the questions – but do not rush
• Read the questions carefully. Read what they say, not what you expect them to say. The same for the answer options. Answer the question PMI asks not the one you expected them to ask. One word can change the meaning and if you miss it, you’ll get the wrong answer.
• Don’t panic if you get stuck on a question. Choose the best response and move on. You can always go back to it if you have time and other questions may remind you of something important that will help you with it.
• The first questions will be the hardest. Not because they are harder, but because you will be edgy. The first 5 aren’t scored and this is why they are there.
• If you have time after a sequence of questions, go back and review them – especially calculations: look for silly errors.
• If what you do at work and what the PMBOK Guide says conflict – always answer according to PMBOK. PMI’s exam: PMI’s Body of Knowledge. Simple.

Recommended Videos

Carefully curated video recommendations for you:

• What is a Project Management Professional (What is the PMP)? | Video
• New PMP Certification Exam: Discussion with Markus Kopko | Video

What Kit does a Project Manager Need?

I asked Project Managers in a couple of forums what material things you need to have, to do your job as a Project Manager. They responded magnificently. I compiled their answers into a Kit list. I added my own. 

Check out the Kit a Project Manager needs

Note that the links are affiliated.

Learn Still More

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For more of our videos in themed collections, join our Free Academy of Project Management. 

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