Passing PMP on the first attempt
There are thousands of tips available in the internet however there are few things did the trick to me in clearing the PMP in first attempt.
First one : The Institute plays a major role in preparing and passing the PMP on the first attempt, please look for the institute which has basic standards like good lab facilities, how long they have been in the industry, it should not be a person specific but the process specific institute, the strong management or the admin staff support you from the counseling to till the end etc. I did evaluate many institutes before choosing CADD (Synergy School of Business Skills in Mylapore, Chennai), the reasons why choose is again repeating the above points, long timer in Chennai, multiple PMP certified trainers, good admin and support system throughout.
Second one: PMBOK is the bible for clearing, no need to study any other books. if the institute is supplying any books then mainly for the calculations and other quality guru statements and metrics (like what is the value for 6 sigma?).
Third one : two things to remember while choosing the best answer out of 4 choices, one is the state of the project like is it in execution stage or closure etc. could be determined by the question statements, the other part is the which choice is inline with the scope of the project? – in other words which choice gives the time saving?/ reduce the cost? / will speed up the process? / will address the risks? / will meet the quality in line with the Agreements etc then that choice might be the best answer.
Fourth one: the preparation of the examination is very important considering the fact that it is for 4 hours exam with breaks you can take within this 4 hours. To concentrate for 4 hours is biggest task. practice with mock test for 4 hours and feel comfortable before booking the exam. the best way to do is the go to the study center and give the mock exam. it is essential to study on daily basis till study for 2 hours to 4 hours daily the PMBOK, mock exams and practice the formulas and remember the quality statements.
Last one but the not the least: please do not consider your real project experience while answering always refer what PMBOK recommends. the PMBOK considers of the Organisation goals , vision and tolerance for risks etc in first 100 pages. The PMBOK then discusses the process areas and the knowledge areas from page 100 to 500. All the actions are to avoid scope creep and data collection and evaluating the data and taking the decisions. The project we handle in real time is mostly process driven or influenced by the key stake holder of the project.
Conclusion: The preparation and analyzing skills have greatly improved in my project management skills, of course it is the greatest confidence booster if you clear the exam so try to think only with the mindset you can clear on the first try.
All the Best !
