Category: PMP Exam Tips

Getting PMP Certified — Study Notes, Tips and Lessons Learned [Fully Updated for the new PMP Exam]


PMP

Welcome Aspirants!

Hello I am Edward Chung. I passed the PMP® Certification Examination with 4 ‘Above Target’ (equivalent) in Initiation, Planning, Executing, Monitoring & Controlling and 1 ‘Target’ in Closing in my first exam attempt.

During my PMP® journey, I got lots of help from fellow PMP®s. That’s why I created this website in the hope of helping fellow Aspirants to get certified. This is my way of contributing back to the project management community

edward family with 3 kidsI get PMP® certified (and later PMI-ACP®, ITIL® Foundation…) while having to take care of my daily full-time job and my family with 3 kids. It is doable and I will share my experience and tips below.

Is the PMP® Exam Difficult?

If you are reading this article, it is highly likely that you are considering getting the PMP® Certification. Maybe you are doing some researches about how to apply for the and pass the exam.

Early in my PMP® journey, I have the following questions in mind:

  • Do you find it is hard to find the time for bootcamps while you are having a full-time demanding job as a project management professional?
  • Preparing for the PMP® Exam is very expensive?
  • People say that the certification is very difficult and the passing rate is low?
  • Taking a 4 hour exam would be impossible?

After spending hundreds of hours searching the internet and reading numerous documentations…… fortunately I have found the answers to the above questions to be NO.

Getting PMP® Certified is Much Easier Than You Think!

Read here for the summary of my PMP® Exam process with a view to easing the path to getting certified — as the information provided by PMI nor on the internet is clear enough. My time and cost saving tips may also be able to help you out.

 

Golfbag

Overview: How to Get PMP® Certified?

The following is the detailed account of my PMP® Exam process , including how to meet the requirements of the exam (please refer to PMP® Certification Process Overview for an annotated discussion of the requirements, application process and more):

  1. [Experience requirement] Project Management Experience (4500 hours for degree holders / 7500 hours for sub-degree holders)
  2. [Education requirement] 35 Contact Hours of Project Management Education
  3. Fill the online application form & schedule the exam (tips below)
  4. Study for the exam (you may refer to the PMP® Exam study resources below)
  5. Take & pass the PMP® Exam and get certified

Free and Recommended Prep Resources

Getting PMP Certified is expensive? Yes - to some extent - here is the PMP® Cost details. For your easy reference, below is a list of useful study resources (good quality but free/cheap) to help me and other Aspirants pass the exam:

  1. Recommended PMP® Certification Prep Book / PMP® Study Guide
  2. [FREE] My PMP® Study Notes (updated for both aspirants taking the exam before and after 26 March 2018)
  3. [FREE] PMP® Mock Exam Questions
  4. [FREE] PMP® EVM Formulas Explained in Simple Terms — just enough for PMP® Certification Aspirants to answer PMP® questions correctly
  5. [FREE] 20+ PMP® EVM Mock Exam Questions — with detailed explanations and tips on answering PMP® Maths (EVM) questions
  6. [FREE] PMP® Glossary Flashcard
  7. [FREE] 47+ Commonly Confused PMP® Terms

In the sections below, I will include all the exam prep study resources & tips that helped me to pass the PMP® Exam in first attempt. Hope you will find them useful.

Golfbag

PMP® Training & Application

Perhaps the most obscure part for the PMP® Certification require is the “35 Contact Hours”. I spent tens of hours to search for the best exam prep course and discovered that the best is NOT the most expensive. With online training courses, I got both the 35 Contact Hours as well as the preparation to pass the PMP® Exam in the first attempt!

Below are some useful articles to help you get started:

Golfbag

Study Notes, Sample Questions & Formula Guide

That’s how I passed the PMP® Exam after getting a go for my exam application:

  1. Took the PM PrepCast™ online course
  2. Read PMP® Study Guide by Andy Crowe
  3. Practised hundreds of mock exam questions

I wrote down everything I learned during my exam prep in the following study notes in the style of “Cliff notes” — i.e. brief and to the point. I have also included many FREE PMP® sample questions which are similar to the difficulty of the real PMP® Exam.

My exam preparation tips can be found here.

 

Golfbag

Taking the Exam

I confess I was quite nervous while taking the exam despite I had spent over a hundred hours on exam prep and I got around 80% in my mock exam questions. Luckily, I passed with 4P and 1MP. Below are my exam taking experience and tips:

Golfbag

Earning PDUs for Recertification

Every PMP® need to earn 60 PDUs every 3 years in order to be able to renew the PMP® Certificate. Earning PDU is not expensive (can even be free) if you know the following tips:

Golfbag

Step-by-step PMP® Certification & Study Guide

If you are still at a loss of what to do. I have created a step-by-step guide to help Aspirants like you. Just follow the steps outlined in the Guide and you are ready to get certified. This Guide is created with a view to answer thousands of queries I have got from Aspirants around the world over the past few years. Again, getting PMP® is easier than you think if you know the ins and outs!

Golfbag

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