Every project manager knows how they aspire to acquire PMP Certification. Why not? PMPs understand and speak the language of global management. But, it takes tremendous effort, diligence, and time to pass PMP (Project Management Professional) exam.
The statistics say 2 out of 5 candidates fail on their first try on PMP exams. That does not mean it is difficult to achieve. PMP flash cards can help you make it. It emphasizes challenging PMP exam concepts, definitions, and PMBOK technology.
All these are based on the actual PMP exam. Many hopeful PMPs think they do not have to study hard if they follow some quick tricks. Do not be tricked! There is no shortcut; preparation is the only hope.
You may have tried many study techniques till now. Put all that aside and focus on this article. Here we come with a useful guide to crack the PMP exam on your first try. Check the following study techniques.
Top PMP Exam Study Techniques and Tips
Over the past few years, we have analyzed the reasons behind the failure of many PMPs. We observed that most of them have some common mistake patterns. Such as; they may not have written sufficient mock tests, or maybe they were slow.
Keeping all these in mind, here we have prepared some techniques to help you make it.
Technique 1: Master the PMBOK Guide
The PMP exam is hugely based on PMBOK (Project Management Body of Knowledge) – published by PMI. Use the guide as the roadmap to prepare for and pass the PMP exam. You may not get any exact questions from the guide. But, the conceptual clarity it gives will surely help to crack the exam.
The tedious part is the guide is lengthy. So you can choose one knowledge area of the guide to read every week. Gradually, collapse the knowledge area of the guide to read one process each day. Studying this way can help you understand each topic.
Do not just memorize; try to understand the concept as well. The PMP exam questions will be based on these concepts, ideas, and principles. Moreover, some PMP exam questions are situational explanations of a problem. They contain the necessary information for the answer as well as irrelevant information.
Take a break after finishing a section. You will understand each term and condition with time. Make sure you follow the latest version of the PMBOK guide (version 5). It includes all the knowledge areas, concepts, processes, and formulas.
Techniques 2: Use Flashcards
Electronic or paper flashcards can be your quick study partner. They are compact, cost-effective, and portable. Besides, each card contains one question and formula. It allows you to collapse the concepts into smaller bite-sized portions.
So you can master one concept at once. You can print the downloadable flashcards or flip through a computer. Also, you can create your own flashcards during preparation.
Techniques 3: Use a PMP Textbook
PMP exam consists of a lot of tough questions and answers. These questions aim to test your knowledge and understanding of real-life scenarios. So, good study material can help you practice all these. Most PMPs confront a challenge to deal with inputs, tools, techniques, and outputs (ITTOs) of the processes.
Some textbooks prefer to work on the basics before researching the ITTOs. In fact, it is an excellent choice to work on the basics first. Thus, you can understand the connections between the processes.
Techniques 4: PMP Exam Preparation Workshops
If you look for one-on-one connection or more like classroom settings, try the PMP exam prep workshop. You can make good contact with other PMP professionals in your area. The best part of doing a workshop is they accomplish the 35-hrs requirement. That’s what you need to participate in the PMP exams.
Techniques 5: Try Online PMP Exam Workshops
There are many PMP prep courses available online. These courses include exams more like real PMP exams. They follow the same question format as well as follow the exact exam environment as PMP exams. Most of all, these exams are less expensive.
Techniques 6: Online PMP Exam Simulators
PMP simulators are basically practicing exams that happened online. The stimulators follow the same PMP exam format and replicate the same exam environment. You can be more prepared for PMP exams through PMP stimulators.
Techniques 7: Try 35-hour Projects Management Training
One of the requirements for the PMP exam is to spend 35 contact hours on formal PM education. Please do not take it as a task; instead, take it as a fun learning experience. Try to spend this 35-hour to make a strong foundation. Make sure to choose training provided by REPs (Registered Education Provider).
Final Words
Note that all of the above techniques may not work for you. So, it is crucial to determine which one is effective for your PMP exam preparation. One strategy that will work for sure is to understand the PMBOK guide. Make sure you read each chapter actively to learn the concepts.