Passed 3/24 - Review Strategy and Lessons Learned

I passed the exam on 3/25 with the following results:Initiating the Project - Moderately Proficient
Planning the Project - Below Proficient
Executing the Project - Moderately Proficient
Monitoring and Controlling the Project - Moderately Proficient
Closing the Project - Moderately Proficient
Professional and Social Responsibility - Moderately Proficient
I took a review course at a local university and this was the review I gave the the instructor.  Hope it helps:

I think that your class was invaluable.  It was great and really got me on the track I needed to study

I didn't end up using Rita's process game.  I just couldn't grasp it.  I ended up typing up all of the inputs/tools and techniques/outputs and using that as a study guide

I used the Earned Value formula powerpoint that you sent us and that was a huge help.  That was one of the things I wrote down when I got to the exam this morning.

I went through Rita's book 4 times and the PMBOK only once.  I read the PMBOK and Rita book (with questions) prior to each of our classes.  Then after the class I went through the book again.  So I had two swipes through by the end of the class.  I then went through it one more time and did the questions again.  Then right before the class I went through the sections that I tabbed as a quick review.

I totally understand now why you say to take the exam no more than a month out of the class.  I really wish I would have taken the test last week, but we had stuff going on the last few weekends that I didn't think I would be ready.  It really started to frustrated me in the last week as my percentages on exam questions were getting lower.

I took quite a few questions from Rita's CD.  I think taking too many though could start to hurt as you just start to recognize the question and get programmed into the answer.  The questions on the exam were not the same as Rita's.  I was averaging around 78-80% on the exams before I took the exam.

Exam Day:

I did a skim through my notes before I got there.  I took got there right at 8 (half hour before my exam time).  I was let right in to begin the test.  I had to put all of my stuff in a locker.  The only things I could take in were my ID and the pencil, calculator and paper they gave me.

I went through the tutorial and then did a brain dump.  I didn't really have tons to write down.  I wrote down the EV formulas and a few other random things that came to mind.

I thought the exam was very difficult and I felt I prepared fairly well.  They just asked things in a different way.  I found there to be lots of questions on Quality, Risk, tools and techniques and Earned Value (specifically EAC).  I know this can be different for everyone, but I was kind of surprised at the distribution.  I felt you really had to know the meaning behind the calculations not just how to do it.  I only had a couple of questions on the critical path.

I took the test is a little over 2 hours.  I am a fast test taker.  I only went back through those questions I marked.  I thought I would go through them all again, but I didn't feel that it would do me any good.  I either knew it or I didn't.  And I didn't want to risk changing something as they usually say your first answer is usually your best bet

I found the questions on the exam to not be as tricky as those on Rita's CD.

I felt I usually could discount two of the answers and then have to just determine between the next two.

I forgot how you told us after we finished the exam that there was an evaluation.  I was like come on tell me if I passed or not

It was really hot in there!  Not sure why, but it was.  It was pretty quiet and I didn't use the headphones.  I took one bio break about halfway through the exam just to get up and move around.

Congrats.

Can you recall, whether there were any so called wordy questions. Also would appreciate if you could highlight more detail "I found the questions on the exam to not be as tricky as those on Rita's CD".

Thanks & Congrats once again.

I really thought Rita's CD tried to trick you with some of her questions.  At least for me.  She would put a word in there that I read over.  I didn't find that on the exam as much.  Maybe because I was paying a bit more attention or I read over them and still didn't know Wink.  Either way I thought they were more straight forward.  And to your question on wordy, yes they had questions that had much more information in them that you didn't need or use.  But I was used to these and was able to get down to the question at hand.

 Hope that helps.