Long time reader of this site and I got valuable insight and feedback from other members, so I decided I would post my experience as well in case it helps anyone.

• I started studying 8/12, and started with the PM Prepcast to earn my contact hours. Also this gave me a good foundation and really good understanding of the PMBok. I would also read the cooresponding chapter that the prepcast session I was listening to went with.


• After completing the prepcast and PMBok first pass I then read a chapter of of RMC's PMP prep book and a chapter of the PMBok for a second time. I skipped the questions and problems in the RMC book.


• Read RMC a second time, this time doing the problems and questions at the end of each chapter. Those chapters I scored poorly on I marked down to read a third time.


• Took the PMstudy and Oliver 75 exams to see how well I was studying.


• Reviewed the chapters and sections in RMC on the questions I got wrong to see why I got it wrong and why the correct answer was correct.


• Took some more practice questions and then decided to buy the four PMstudy exams.


• Took the remaining three exams and reviewed each question I got wrong, and studied any terms or items I didn't know that were in a question.


• I then read Jim Owen's papers on each of the knowledge areas, which were very good because they are short, and he gives you the key items and areas to focus on in each knowledge area for the exam.


• Every couple of days I would practice doing a brain dump of all the formulas and the process chart on page 43 of the PMBok. After a while it was second nature to me, and I then used flashcards to review what happened in each process a couple times a week.

I also wanted to include some notes on my impressions of the exam and what I felt worked well for me.

• The PMstudy exams are worth every penny of the $50 they cost. There were questions on my exam that were worded, or even I thought were questions I had taken in one of the PMstudy exams. These tests really give you a gauge of how well you know the material.


• I created a schedule to track what chapters and items I wanted to do each day. However with work, family, and other responsibilities I was not able to always stick to the schedule. Having the schedule was invaluable for me because it kept me motivated and allowed me to track what I had covered and still needed to do.


• I scored poorly on several of the practice exams, but found many of my mistakes were because I did not read the question carefully. The practice exams really taught me to slow down, take breaks to recharge my brain. Don't let the scores on your practice exams deter you. If you really put in the effort and understand the concepts, reading the questions carefully, and your scores will improve. I am not a very self-confident person, but I knew all the studying and effort I had put in really was helping me to learn the process based on the PMBok.


• It is impossible to memorize all ITTO's, all the steps in all processes, and all the terms covered in the PMBok. Understand to pass the exam you don't need to memorize, but understand the concepts. If you know what happens in each process it is easy to determine what you would need to do that process (inputs), what comes out of that process (outputs), and what tool would help you do that process (tools and techniques). I believe you can overstudy and burn yourself out if you try and learn everything, the idea is to understand and pass the exam, not get a perfect score and know everything.

As I mentioned for me the exam itself was very much like the PMstudy practice exams.

• Lots of questions on ITTO's


• I had nearly 15 questions on what each type of way to handle threats and opportunities (avoid, mitigate, transfer, exploit, enhance, share, and accept).


• I had very few questions on calculations, only 6 or 7 that I can remember and all were easy. However there was one question I felt was using the wrong EAC formula based on their wording, but I was able to get the answer anyway.


• There will be questions that ask things you have never heard of. DON'T PANIC, go back to your studying, and realize it is probably one of the 25 sample questions that don't count. There were questions that I didn't know what the question was asking or what any of the choices were. I just figured it was a sample question given that PMBok 5th edition is now being designed.


• There came a point when there were so many questions in a row that I wasn't sure the answer that I thought I was going to fail. Again don't panic and keep thinking logically about the question you are on. Mark it down and come back to it later.


• Also don't think about previous questions when you move on to another question, you need to read each question carefully.


• Lastly when you find your mind drifting or you can't concentrate, take a break. I took a break after 100 questions, and after I completed all 200 but before I did my review of the questions. I spent 5-10 minutes stretching my legs, getting a drinnk of water, and just clearing my mind. It really helped me focus once I got back in the exam room.

My scores on each test are below so you can see where I was scoring and still passed the real exam with 3P and  3MP

• PMstudy 1: 64%


• Oliver 75 (very hard questions): 57%


• PM Head First (easier than actual exam): 80%


• PMstudy 2: 78%


• PMstudy 3: 75%


• PMstudy 4: 66%


• Retook PMstudy 1 several weeeks later: 85%


• PM Zilla 25 (very hard questions): 56%