Today I took 4 hour long grueling online PMP certification exam, and finally passed it. It is one of the longest exams I’ve taken in my life, and two masters under the belt, I’ve taken a lot for sure. Anyway, here’s my journey to get PMP certification in 2021:
a. Applying for PMP: They have simplified form, very easy, as long as you have the list of the projects and approximate timeline, good enough to get started.
b. Preparation:
I did not take any online course or in person course (COVID restrictions), instead, I’ve dependent upon some books to help me get it through.
Must read books: PMBOK and Agile Practice Guide
Almost all the questions were either about Agile or Hybrid projects or Predictive/Waterfall moving to Agile/Hybrid. Agile Practice Guide is a must read. On the other hand, compared to common misconception, don’t waste time on ITTO or Lead/Lag calculations. However, the questions did include several multiple options and drag/match types for sure.
Another book that helped me get there is Rita’s 2021 PMP Exam Prep, this book is very well written. Even though the book is almost 600 pages long, I’ve never felt bored reading it. It is recommended to read at least once, then review twice.
However, for project integration, the best is the video, and the video itself has some links to process maps, it’s a must watch (at least 3 times!): Ricardo Vargas
For some specific topics, I’ve also used a lot of videos for quick refresh, e.g., risk response types or fund reconciliation.
Mock Exam
After analyzing for a while, comparing different options available, I’ve decided to go with PM Prepcast, they have a huge database of questions, extremely good quality, around 2000+ questions. Considering that very few people can have 4 hrs available to take full mock-exams, I’ve taken 50 or 60 at a time max. Over a month, it helped me cover more than half of the questions in the database. A quick trick is that, use the Learning Options, which provides hints, and review all the wrong answers later.
Overall, I prepped for 3 months….1 month to read the Rita Book and PMBOK, 2 months to take mock exams and review. Any question, let me know and good luck!
