How To Prepare And Pass The PMP Exam On Your First Try

1. Understand your schedule

You need to understand your schedule so that you can more effectively plan for the certification. The amount of time people have on their hands varies by their employment status (unemployed, part-time, full-time) or if they work morning, afternoon, or night duties. An understanding of your schedule will be instrumental in helping you carve out a time period you can commit to studying and preparing for your PMP certification.

2. Develop a study plan around your schedule

If you work full time, you need to set aside 2-3 hours per day to study during breaks, before work, after work, while in transit, and other times you are not actively engaged with work. If you work part-time, you may be able to spend up to 4-6 hours per day preparing for the examination. The important thing is having a set schedule that fits your situation and staying disciplined till you cross the bridge to becoming part of the elite club

3. Start studying with an exam date in mind

Have a test date in mind and schedule the test. 

In order to be more committed to passing the PMP certification, I recommend that you should pick a date and work towards sitting for your examination on that date. 

This will help you stay committed to your study plan as you keep your focus on the examination date that you have chosen. You will be aware of this date and be driven to do all the work required to be ready to sit for the exam on that day. The thing is you can always change the test date a few days before the actual test without cost if you feel you are not ready. I personally believe from my experience that not having a test date in mind allows a lot of people to lose that sense of urgency and the excitement they had about becoming PMP certified as other events that compete for our attention come in.

4. Get a good material and/or coach to acquire the required 35 Contact Hours

In order to satisfy the 35 contact hours project management education requirement to sit for the certification, you need to purchase a top-quality course from a PMI registered education provider. This material will teach you all you need to know to pass the examination. You can go over the course materials a couple of times and also complete all the tests and exercises that come with them as many times as possible in order to reinforce your understanding of the materials.

5. Purchase a good study material in addition to the PMBoK Guide

You can also purchase additional study materials to complement the course you bought to satisfy the contact hours. This is absolutely optional. This is only necessary if you want to understand the materials from the lens of a different REP. If you have the time to do this, please do it as it will also add to your knowledge and readiness for your test.

I also recommend going through the PMBoK guide at least once to have an understanding of the materials from PMI’s perspective. Also, bear in mind that the PMI’s recommendation is always the correct option during your test.

6. Games and Flashcards 

Games and Flashcards to help master important and easily forgotten concepts are helpful. There are games available to understand the flows of the ITTOs for example. The flashcards help with mastering important concepts.

7. Practice tests

Go through as many questions as possible. Most study materials have practice exercises at the end of each chapter and a lot of them have questions to test your readiness when you complete the materials.

This will also help prepare you for the test. For questions where you chose the wrong options, try to understand why, bridge the knowledge gaps, learn your lessons, and hold on to the lessons learned.

8. Get a mentor who is already a Certified PMP

Reaching out and cultivating a relationship with established PMPs will also make your journey smooth. They can share the experiences with you and guide you towards getting to where you want to be efficiently and effectively. 

Reach out to me if you want me to be yours but be aware I can only take a few at a time. I will take on more as spaces become available.

9. Join a study group of aspiring PMPs

Joining a dedicated open or closed groups of aspiring PMPs like you will also be beneficial. These groups are available on LinkedIn, Facebook, and on some websites. Here, you will be able to ask questions and receive answers, join discussions, and also make connections that will be beneficial to you in the long run.