The project management Professional certification commonly known as the PMP certification is one of the most recognized and popular certifications all over the world. It proves that one has the necessary skills to effectively manage and coordinate tasks within projects. It is a great advantage to pass the PMP exam in the first try as this sets the stage for a great career. However, it is worth stating that the PMP course exam is generally a low pass rate and difficult to pass in the first attempt. You will explore five easy tips any PMP candidate can apply in an effort to pass the exam on the first attempt as suggested in this article.
1. General Understanding Of The Format Of The Exams Is A Must
When preparing for the PMP exam, the first thing you should know is exam formatting and layout knowledge. Let’s take a look at the details of the PMP exam format: In the PMP exam, there are multiple choice questions. All of them are knowledge point questions. Five key projects skills domains (Initiation, Planning, Executing, Monitoring and Controlling and Closing) that you can get tested on in your exam. You have to be aware of these key facts if you want to have a better understanding about the exam time, total number of questions and their distribution across domains in general terms. Another reason is the ability to familiarize with the expectations that a real examination may hold in its format and organization.
2. Effective Study Resources To Support Deeper Study
Selecting the best PMP exam prep study materials is essential as it sets out the structure to follow while studying. Other suggestions include accessing PMI’s own PMBOK Guide, online PMBOK courses that are on-demand, practice exam software, sample papers, and discussion forums. Make sure the reference materials you are using are current editions in accordance with the updates on the PMP exam. Engage more of your senses by incorporating other forms of media such as videos as well as infographics into your learning process so that you will be able to remember more of what you have read. Take thousands of practice questions to see how much one has learned in terms of applications. This means engaging more actively in PMP online exam forums to help clarify any issue. Mixing these resources balances the theoretical knowledge and hands-on experiences that you get in class.
3. Stick To A Particular Time When You Are Going To Study
Thus, it is good advice to ensure consistency when preparing for an exam as extensive as the PMP. Design a study plan which will be realistic regarding the current working pressure and then stick with the devised schedule strictly on a daily basis. Organize a study schedule across the different topics in the exam to allocate more time to the ones that they do not fully comprehend well. For the weekdays, it is advisable to dedicate at least an hour towards PMP preparation while on the weekend more hours should be devoted. When should you begin preparing for the PMP exam? It is recommended to start preparing for the PMP exam 3- 6 months before attempting the test. This leads to spacing out of your study hours across domains enhancing concentration.
4. Make Mock Tests
Taking mock tests and exams is a useful practice that allows one to determine how prepared for the PMP exam they really are. It prepares you for the actual exam environment and this is beneficial especially to candidates who have test-taking phobia. Practice tests mimic the real examination by having some questions as those in the actual test and across areas. This just allows you to place more focus on those areas and then work to improve them. In case of an attempt in the mock test, try and look for score trends across the domains of your improvement. If there are areas where you have poor understanding, make flex points to accommodate for those areas as you work through your study timetable. The scores for the mocks should ideally increase as the mocks are taken nearer to the exam date in order to indicate exam readiness.
5. Hoping For a Positive Mind on Exam Day
Maintaining a good attitude and confidence during examination time is important for developing the right performance attitude. Similar to fear, anxiety and stress are likely to make one fail even when they are well prepared for the examination. Therefore, it is important that you have enough sleep at night before the day of exam and also take a balanced meal before you proceed to take your exam. Do not cram the night before the examination and instead, arrive earlier than the time you expect the test to start so that you can prepare for it patiently.
Conclusion
Aim at studying smart and not hard and ensuring that you follow a PMP exam study plan over a period of 3-6 months will guarantee you success at your first attempt at the PMP certification exam via Staragile. Use any experimental study materials, set a regular study time table, and study intensely for mock tests and finally build up confidence among the students. Of course, if you really want it and are willing to make efforts, then it is quite possible to pass the PMP exam and have PMP credentials added to your resume. Keep on pushing through if you’re working on preparing for your PMP exam!