Lesson Learned by Archana Dhanjal, PMP

My preparation for PMP exam – for (1.5 months) 4 Hours sincerely daily and on weekends  6-7 hours  ( This includes 200 Q Exam – 4 hours – Divide hours- First give exam – later in the day- Analyze the wrong Qs)– This is what I required to prepare

 

My timetable included solving mock questions as much as possible. This is the method I used:

1.      My Go train travel time to work is 30 minutes – I downloaded an App PMP (Blue Color-white strip) – Solved 20 questions While going and 20 questions coming back  - Believe me this works.

2.      Knowledge area wise or chapter wise – As per Education edge’s test material – Keep solving 50 questions daily. Sprint Questions , 100 questions from drop box  &  (Internet has lot of timebased short exams- just google)

3.      On an average try to solve 50 to 75 questions on daily basis – this should take 75 minutes – Analysis of answers use to consume a lot of time for me – as the trick is to see the wrong options also and to know reason behind the wrong answers. So keep at least 30 mins aside for analysis of answers and corrections.

4.      Make sure to read PMBOK full two times before exam.

5.      Class notes & Discussions during the class- help a lot during analysis of the question & to choose the right option

 

Points to remember & the exam questions which I got – 9th Feb I cleared my PMP( I got Above target in 4 sections & Target in One section)

 

My PMP Exam Questions:

1.      My exam was fully dominated with Risks & Stakeholders questions

2.      I got direct Cost questions – all values were mentioned- EV , AC & PV ( I was luckyJ)

3.      Majority of my questions were 3 lines or max 4 lines long – 5 to 6 questions were big paragraph type

4.      My weak Point -My timing was not so good in the exam – at the end I got hardly 10 minutes to review my paper  ( For this I would suggest to time bound yourself while practicing)

5.      Easy Questions do come during exam – Believe me –( My mistake was , when the questions came across easy – its 10 seconds to answer , I still reread the questions – Cudnt believe its easy. J)

 

Types of Questions which I got in my exam:

 

Below are the points must be done thoroughly before the exam: - My paper had many  questions  of Risk ,Stake holder , Change request & Project Documents (Which document will be updated)

 

Perform Integrated change Control

Please make sure – the Steps for Change process – as per my understanding – (Please refer PMBOK and class notes for proper steps)

1. Whenever a change is requested

2. Document the change in Change log

3. Evaluate the impact for the change

4. Look for Options

5. Approval from CCB board

6. Once approved or rejected – the Change log to be updated

7. All baselines and Plans to be updated

8. Validated Changes, Work performance reports & Manage Communications – Understand the flow of change and updates.

 

           All the above steps questions are asked like – Which is the next step or what is the immediate next step project manager will take ?

            

             Quality & Validate Scope

 

1.      Control Quality & Validate Scope process – Check the whole Input & Outputs – the whole Chain & exact difference between to – I got this question in the exam – Which process is the Project manager in ?

2.      Do all the Quality Diagrams – thoroughly – Specially Pareto Charts / Control Chart & Histograms – I did not get any pictorial diagram in the exam – but a situation and I had to choose a quality tool

                                     3.   Conformance & nonconformance – Quality – you should know it thoroughly the chart in PMBOk – two direct questions I got

 

 

 

            Communications & Stakeholders

1.      Communication Mgt Plan & Stakeholder Mgt Plan – Know the proper difference

2.      Power /Interest grid – Remember it thoroughly – Power comes in Y axis and Interest in X axis – I got this question – I could answer it –they ask the grid inside like..keep satisfied/low interest…

                                      3.   Also the Stakeholder Classification Model – I got one question  (My technique-  If I am concerned for you  I am INTERESTED  / if I am involved in your project – I am INFLUENTIAL)

                                      4.   Communication Method Questions were there – can’t recollect but were tricky

 

Procurement

Procurement – I got straight questions – Luckily – I got the Staff Acquisition questions-(Time & Material) & Fixed price Contract Qs.

 

Risk Management

1.      Risk Mgt – I got the Qualitative Analysis Question, Plan Risk Response & Update the risk Register – These were confusing questions ( Options are Risk Register , Update Project Mgt Plans , Request for Change…)

2.      Many questions were- In which document Project Manager will update this or look into ? – Those were tricky one – As my options were -1. Stakeholder Register , Risk Register , Update the Change request …

 

Time Management

1.      Free Float & Total float – You should be know the difference

2.      All Logical relationship with examples – Successor & Predecessor , FS, SS, SF, FF

3.      Always make the network diagram correctly at the first short – takes little time but – don’t miss the direct question

 

I/p O/p

 

1.      Ip/Op – I got One direct question – From Collect Requirement – Brainstorming / Affinity diagram

2.      Tricky i/p o/p questions – about project document updates & project management plan updates

3.      I got 2 – 3 twisted in language – questions about Affinity Diagram – large number of Ideas into groups – These words were mentioned in the question

4.       Page 78 Should know the Project Documents -and Glossary read atleast once

 

 

Typical easy questions which I got were around 10 -12

·        The basic Project charter Question – high Level requirement/ High level risks – Yes I got this

·        Project Framework – I got the question about Weak Matrix Organization  &  Projectized  - Cant rember the Qs – But Could figure out in exam

·        CPI & SPI were mentioned – Project is behind/ahead schedule or over/under budget

·        EV , AC, & PV were given – Project is ahead or behind

·        Weak Matrix Question

·        Management Reserve – direct question

·        Cost Baseline direct question

·        Project Scope Statement direct