How to Prepare for PMP Exam

Cracking the PMP exam requires a lot of dedication and thorough preparation. Serious and good exam preparation is inevitable, regardless of your experience and education. In the past, people with more than a decade of project management experience failed simply because they undermined the difference between being a successful project manager and successfully passing the PMP exam. Most successful PMP candidates spend 35 hours or more preparing, so allow plenty of time to prepare before taking the exam. The images below show some of the best practices adopted by successful PMPs.

1. Review the PMP Examination Content Outline.

Reviewing the PMP exam content outline document is a very important step to succeed in the PMP exam. This is the most trusted document published by PMI:

Divide questions by process area

List of tasks, skills and knowledge required according to PMI’s role definition study. Going through it will give you a high-level idea of ​​what will be included in the exam. Once you feel you’ve achieved a reasonable command of the content covered in the PMBOK (or the study guide you’re using), go through it and make sure nothing sounds unfamiliar.

Here is a link to the PMP exam content outline document:

https://www.pmi.org/-/media/pmi/documents/public/pdf/certifications/project-management-professional-exam-outline.pdf

2. Enroll in a formal study course offered by accredited Registered Education Providers (R.E.P.s).

Project Management Institute Registered Education Providers (R.E.P.s) are organizations approved by PMI to offer project management training. PMI has begun accrediting training providers to create a global network of quality education providers to assist hundreds of thousands of PMI Project Management Professional (PMP) ® aspirants and credential holders.

There are several reasons why you might want to enroll in PMP training. These courses provide tailored PMP study materials, best practices for PMP exam preparation. They will give you a jump start in gaining an overview of various project management concepts, terminology, patterns, and other key inputs needed to prepare for the PMP exam. Most training courses will also provide you with a 35 contact hour certificate, which is necessary to qualify for the PMP exam.

3. Prepare a Study plan.

It is important that you consider getting your PMP certification a project as well. Prepare a plan that covers all the activities leading up to your PMP certification. One of the partial plans for this and a very important one is the study plan. Break up your study sessions into smaller chunks and prepare a study plan that includes timelines for reading the PMBoK, practicing mock tests, studying different materials, etc. Here’s a sample study plan

4. Review the latest edition of PMBOK Guide and self-study books published by other reputable training organizations.

It is recommended that you study the PMBok Guide , no matter what other preparation tools you decide to go with. Within the PMBoK Guide, focus on processes and agile methodology.

Along with the PMBoK Guide, you may want to review other study guides published by reputed organizations, which we will introduce in upcoming posts. You need to practice the exam questions as well, hence you are required almost 5000 exam questions to practice from different books and mock up exams.

5. Practice Mock Tests to get ready for the exam

Mock tests are often a very good indicator of your exam readiness. They are very useful to identify gaps in your project management knowledge. After taking the test, you can review the results and focus on the areas you need to improve.

Taking full-length mock tests is important for another reason – it’s not easy to sit still for four hours straight with full focus on answering questions. It is a physically daunting and mentally taxing experience. However, PMP certification is required. Better get used to it before it’s too late.

6. Form a study group:

A good study group can be quite helpful. Look for local meetups (read meetup.com) and if you can’t find one, create one. Attending a meeting has a number of benefits:

1. Studying in a group breaks the monotony of studying alone
2. It helps you get help in areas that you are struggling with and when you help someone, your confidence grows.
3. Sharing your project management experience with others is very helpful in cracking the particular type of questions that the PMP is famous for – scenario-based questions
4. It helps you motivate each other and keep you on track
5. The biggest advantage is that it forces you to study regularly and makes preparation a part of your routine