On the first time you prepare for the PMP Exam, you can drown in the overwhelming information, formulas, and lessons, all reminiscent of high school and college under the tutelage of demanding instructors; this time though on a different level. Forget about cheating, you won't be able to do this and what if you're found out?
This time too, you are determined to make the grade because of promised better job opportunities and compensation. The thought that 30% of first time candidates of the PMP Exam fail can diminish your resolve and your self confidence. Fact is the computerized test format is gruesome with 200 questions that must be answered within four hours.
For the test, there are 200 sticky questions. To make the situation stickier there are no wrong answers! You have to choose the best answer that befits the cataclysmic situation. If you are an engineer, you might be grappling with a foreign issue e.g. accounting; or if you are an accountant, you might be tortured to numbness by an engineering fiasco.
Now you are already shaking, but first things first. Don't scare yourself. The fear of failure can affect your performance. Beat this by assess you learning style. Do you learn faster by going it alone or do you flourish in a classroom environment? Do you prefer video lessons or do you love to read and write what you read until your brain absorbs the lessons? When you know what's best for you, go for it.
Before the PMP Exam
Long before the PMP exam, prepare all the documents you need. Let family members do the job of looking up exam schedules and venues, and getting what you need for your lessons because time away from your studies at the start of the course can break your momentum.
In midstream, a little voice will tell you to go over something you find difficult. Follow that voice because it is a warning that this is your weak area. Master that and if you don't well, expect it to appear on the test questions. This usually occurs when you're in midst of the preparation. Follow that hunch and don't be satisfied with a so-so understanding. Master it.
During the preparations for the PMP Exam, get physical and go to bed on regular hours to get enough sleep. Regular exercise and enough restful sleep make you mentally alert, creative, and your memory retention increases. The regimen will help you stick to your study plan, no matter how tedious it can be.
Two days before the PMP exam, hit the gym to release all the tension and ease those knotty muscles, but avoid exercising late in the night because you'll find it difficult to sleep; avoid alcohol, eat healthy, and relax your mind to your favorite music. The day before the exam, go over some video taped lessons just for a refresher but don't sweat the whole thing. When the brain is taxed, it reacts by forgetting the things you should remember, so relax and enjoy the day.
Passing The Pmp Exam
The PMP exam is not an easy exam. It is a 4-hour, 200 question multiple choice exam. Out of these 200 questions you will have to answer 106 correctly in order to pass. However, candidates fail. It happens every week, every day. Yet, knowing that it happens is little or no consolation if the person who fails is you. OK... so you have failed... what can you do now?
Let's start at the beginning. After the exam you will be handed a score report, that doesn't just show that you failed, it also gives you an indication about your proficiency level for each of the six performance domains. There are three possible levels: Proficient, Moderately Proficient, and Below Proficient. Each of the six performance domains contains a different number of questions on the exam you just took and you can now see your proficiency level in each of these domains. That way you can see in which one you probably failed the exam. This is important information for you so that you can prepare properly for next time. Because now that you know where you were not proficient you can better focus your future studies.
If by reviewing your score you believe that there was a mistake, you can challenge the result: The PMP credential program is administered and supervised by the manager of PMI's Certification Program. All challenges are governed by the comprehensive and exclusive rules of the PMI Certification Governance Council's (CGC) Certification Appeal Procedures. This appeal process is the only method to review all decisions made by the PMI Certification Program Department regarding applications, eligibility, examinations, test administration and results, and other application or testing-related certification issues. You may now challenge your result by downloading the appeals procedure from the PMI website and submitting your appeal.
The better option, certainly, is to retake the exam. Since you have not passed the exam on your first attempt you may now re-test up to two more times within your one-year eligibility period by submitting a completed re-examination form and paying the associated re-examination fee (currently $275 for PMI members). I recommend strongly that you immediately re-register and give yourself about one month of time to review all your study materials. During this time you should focus on two primary areas:
First, focus on those performance domains in which you did not receive a proficient score on your card. Those are your problem areas and consequentially those are the ones you should be working on.
Second, sign up for an online exam simulator. While this will cost you some extra money, now is not the time to try and be cheap. Now is the time to practice your exam taking techniques. Before the Olympics every athlete will be practicing their sport again and again. Well, your "sport" is taking the PMP exam. So practice it as often as you possibly can. The best way to do this is through an online exam simulator.
If worst comes to worst and you fail a second and then a third time, then you will have to wait one year from the date of your last test before re-applying and attempting to test again. If your one-year eligibility period expires without having passed the examination you must re-apply for the credential. Re-examination applications can be filed online or on paper.
You will find a lot of details about the exam taking process and re-examination in the PMP Credentials Handbook. It is available for download on the PMI website You can find it on the PMI website in the Career Development section.
And what is the best way not to fail? Read the PMBOK Guide at least twice. Have a sound study plan while also taking a lot of sample tests. And you should also use a good PMP preparation workbook or an audio seminar like The PM PrepCast.
Both Jessica Parklanes & Cornelius Fichtner are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Cornelius Fichtner has sinced written about articles on various topics from Stress Management, Careers and Job Hunting and Stress Management. Cornelius Fichtner, PMP is a noted PMP expert. He is the host of The PM Podcast at http://www.thepmpodcast.com where you can hear his free interviews with PM experts fro. Cornelius Fichtner's top article generates over 9900 views. Bookmark Cornelius Fichtner to your Favourites.