PMP Lessons Learned: Relax the Day before the Exam is the Key to Exam Success

Good news keep coming! Thanks and congratulations to Brandon East who just passed the PMP Exam! This is a testimonial that the PMP Exam is really achievable if you have a good study plan and the determination to put through.

The lessons learned by Brandon East on this PMP Exam prep project is detailed below:

As far as my studies went, I started with a course at UGA fundamentals of PM. Then read the PMBOK® Guide6 and reviewed with the Andy Crowe book (The PMP exam and how to pass on your first attempt). I would get typically 2 hrs a day study time and would try and take a full length practice exams).  That is a very important aspect. I read over Edward Chung’s notes here on your site which was also a great resource. I finally broke down and purchased the PM PrepCast™ Elite version and listened and took notes. Once I finished the course I then went back through it and this time read along with my notes to kinda solidify the information.

So a very big part of my success came the day before the exam. I did absolutely nothing pertaining to PMP PMI project management or anything dealing with the exam. I just relaxed and spent the day with my wife. This reset I believe was key for me passing the exam.

Now Pearson Vue was a very comfortable experience for me because in the Nuclear industry you take a lot of Proctored tests so I was used to it. The team there was very nice and very helpful. They provided me with a dry erase flip book for calculations or brain dump if you feel the need (I didn’t).  It looked like a fairly new facility.

I finished the exam in approx. 2.5 hours with Above Target on all except closing which I had Target.

The key for me was the PrepCast and the study guide from Crowe (some swear by Rita).  Equally important is the PMI exam content guide. READ IT

So below are the actual resources I used:

• Courses:
  • UGA Project Management Fundamentals
  • OSP Project Management PrepCast elite.
• Books:
  • Andy Crowe’s The PMP Exam and how to pass on your first try
  • Aileen Ellis has several books of EVM CPM and contract calculations
  • PMBOK® Guide 6th edition
• Apps:
  • EzPM
  • The ITTO Game
  • PMP exam mentor
  • Break it up with some brain games as well (nothing to do with PM)
• Practice Exams:
  • The PrepCast simulator (pay for it and get all 8, it’s worth it)
  • All of the exam links provided on this website

That’s about it, you just have to study and study and practice. There is no easy way to the PMP.

Good Luck

~ Brandon East, PMP

Thanks Brandon East for the PMP Exam lessons learned!