Pass the PMP Exam On the First Attempt Aasim Naseem, April 15, 2019April 27, 2024 In September 2018, I passed my #PMP exam on the first attempt. Here I would like to share my experience of how I planned my studies and daily routines to achieve this target within 2 months. Here we go.Don’t Delay itThe longer you take to decide to sit in the exam, the sooner you will lose your passion and interest in preparation. This is very common among professionals they start the preparation in a very high spirit, but due to their other involvement in jobs, family and friends, they can’t keep the same pace. The depth and breadth of the contents result in losing their passion and interest. The best strategy is the book the exam date first and then start the preparation.TimetableDedicate a specific amount of time for the preparation, and stick to it religiously. Skip any other activity but don’t skip the study hours. Keep it at the highest priority on any other plan during that time slot. Plan your day accordingly so that you may have isolation and a perfect peaceful environment for study.Fix your study place/desk and keep all your notes/books/laptop/stationary there. Make that corner as your “Mission Control Room”.Remove The DistractionWhen I start preparation and until the day of the exam, I uninstall all the applications from my phone. This helps me to remove all the unwanted notifications and the addiction of checking the phone unnecessarily after every 10 min. This saves you a lot of time, believe me, a lot of time which then you can invest in your preparation.Squeeze Each Minuit of Your LifeYou are on a bus or riding in a cab, you can avail this time by reading some articles on your phone, taking a practice test, playing with flashcards or doing any other study-related activity. There are tons of applications and websites providing free material for the preparation on the go.I used to play with flashcards or attempt practice tests while riding on a bus. Those 40 min time slots had a great contribution to my preparation.NetworkingKeep in touch with the people who are currently studying or recently passed the exam. Go and meet with them, talk to them, and discuss your and their preparation strategies. The more you are in touch with such people, the longer you will keep your motivation and passion alive. You will keep Feeling itStart Applying From The Page 1Don’t wait to pass the exam, or have a job as a PM in high profile company with a separate cabin/office and managing a multi-million dollar project. NO. wherever you are, wherever you are working, whatever the kind of project you have in hand; start applying your knowledge from the next working day, from page 1 of the book you are studying. Whatever you learn during your study, start trying to apply/practice in your current projects and your daily routines. The more you feel and apply it, the more you will grasp the concepts. This will help you to learn how the theory is applied to real-world problems.Start Feeling ItCover and hide under the feeling that you are in the exam preparation mood. Your thoughts, your schedules, and your lifestyle should start revolving around it. Make it your centre of living.ConclusionPutting a PMP badge on your profile is one of the proudest moments of your career. Only with a disciplined schedule, consistency and focused study can earn this badge, once and for all. Feel free to ask any questions you should have, and I would be more than happy to assist you.CheersAasim NaseemI’m an engineer by profession, a blogger and a photojournalist by hobby. Seasonal writer at LAFZ Media UK. I write on different topics and things around us. Contact me at +971.56.126.8842 or Aasim.Naseem@outlook.com Digital Diary Pass Your PMP Exam PMPPMP ExamProject Management Professional
Thanks, Aasim for your valuable insights. Would you like to share the study material you followed?Reply
Thanks for your comment, Jim. I followed the Rita Mulcahy’s PMP Exam Prep book. The reason I choose Rita is, she explained everything in much details. Hence, your focus move from just passing the exam to leaning the content at its best. This helped me a lot to grab the concept from its roots.Reply
First to answer your question: Yes, the exam simulators are a must. They help to have the “feel” of the exam, the ticking clock for each question, to measure your pace of attempting the exam, and to control your nerves. There are multiple kinds of simulators like by knowledge area, by phases, or by full-length exams. I strongly recommend them to everyone.Secondly, I agree with Alexander. I wasted a few weeks searching for free online exam simulators but they were not as good to help you pass your exam. Their questions were limited and did not cover the whole content of the PMP exam. Although paid simulators are (little) expensive, this would be your one-time investment to get a lifetime professional badge. Hesitating spending $200 or $300 on a simulator but later spending the same (or more) amount on your new gadget isn’t a wise move, agree? 🙂Reply