MY JOURNEY TO THE PMPEVELYN MILLHOUSE-FORT, PMP

JANUARY 18, 2016

Along the way asking myself, “What would LeBron do?

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SOME OBSTACLES ALONG THE WAY

• Health issue• The Dreaded PMI Random Audit

No big deal -- I cleared the audit in 4 weeks A benefit of the audit – PMI extended my eligibility

period by 1 year• My dog passed away in August, 2015. I had to reschedule my September

test date.• Got sick 2 days before my exam date in October 2015, had to cancel and

then had to get reapproved by PMI to reschedule.

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WHAT WOULD LEBRON DO?LeBron would find a way to win!

My plan to win…

• Learn the PMI process - not just memorize the material• Attend Monday night Study Group• Study at least 2 hours a day• Attend review classes• Learn how to use PMI Customer Service (they are very

helpful)• Read the PMI Handbook (to understand the exam rules)• Stick with it!

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BOOKS I USED (primary sources)

• References books from class• Project Master’s reference library• Books found on Amazon

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REFERENCES BOOKS FROM CLASS

• Rita Mulcahy, PMP, et al., Rita Mulcahy’s PMP® Exam Prep, Eighth Edition Aligned with the PMBOK Guide, Fifth Edition, RMC Publications

• Kim Heldman, PMP, PMP® Study Guide Project Management Professional Exam, Seventh Edition, SYBEX A Wiley Brand

• A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide), Fifth Edition

• Joseph Phillips, CAPM/PMP Project Management Certification Exam Guide, Third Edition

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BOOKS BORROWED FROM PROJECT MASTER’S LIBRARY

Tony Johnson, MBA, PMP, PgMP, PMP® Exam Success Series: Bootcamp Manual, Crosswind Learning

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BOOKS FOUND ON AMAZON• Aileen Ellis, the PMP Expert

Aileen Ellis, PMP, PgMP, PMP® Simplified, 5th Edition, AME Group Inc.

Aileen Ellis, How to Get Every Earned Value Question Right on the PMP® Exam: 50+ PMP Exam Prep Sample Questions and Solutions on Earned Value Management (EVM), AME Group Inc.

Aileen Ellis, How to Get Every Network Diagram Question Right on the PMP® Exam: 50+ PMP® Exam Prep Sample Questions and Solutions on Network Diagrams, AME Group Inc.

Aileen Ellis, How to get every Contract Calculation question right on the PMP® Exam, 50 PMP® Exam Prep Sample Questions and Solutions on Contract Calculations, AME Group Inc.

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BOOKS FOUND ON AMAZON• Sean Whitaker, PMP Rapid Review, Published with the authorization of

Microsoft Corporation by: O’Reilly Media.• Andy Crowe PMP PgMP, The PMP Exam: Quick Reference Guide, Fifth

Edition (Test Prep series)• Andy Crowe – flash cards and quick reference guide• Project Management Process Posters 5th Edition - by True Solutions Inc.

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Books Found on Amazon(cont.)

• This series simplifies the exam• Provides 1,000 sample questions • Details solutions by explaining why the best

answer is best and the wrong answers are wrong

• Highly recommend this series

Note – Amazon book reviews are very helpful

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BOOKS FOUND ON AMAZON (cont.)

This book covers every exam task on the PMP Exam

Highly recommend this book because of the approach

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RESEARCHED EXAM SCORING

http://edward-designer.com/web/passing-score-pmp-exam/

http://www.deepfriedbrainproject.com/2009/12/popular-myths-pmp-exam-pass-score.html

http://www.pmchampion.com/blog/pmp-exam-prep/pmp-exam-passing-score/

I was unaware (based on my research) that weighted scoring is used (e.g. the level of difficulty is a factor in the passing score).

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DAY OF THE EXAM

• Ate a good breakfast

• Arrived at 8:00 AM

• Implemented my strategy: Answer easy questions first Mark hard questions for review and return Take a short break (very important for me to not skip the

break) Go back to answer marked questions Don’t change answers unless obviously wrong

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DAY OF THE EXAM

• Finished the exam in about 3 hours minutes• Completed marked questions in about (another) 20 minutes• Reviewed the hard questions that I was unsure of in about (another) 15

minutes• I submitted my exam 5 minutes before expiration of time (I used my full

time)• Answered survey questions and then got my results

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SUGGESTIONSBelieve you can pass the exam!Try to take exam within 2 months of class because life gets in the wayDon’t just memorize material but learn the process as wellSchedule the exam to match your personality (i.e., if you are a

morning person, test in the morning)Visit test facility day before

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SUGGESTIONSBelieve you can pass the exam!Fight for every pointDo not get stuck on any questions (i.e., don’t waste time; you can

always come back)Do what it takes to win; in case the win is a passing score!

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MY PERSONAL STRATEGYThis presentation reflects my personal journey and strategy for

passing the PMP exam.

The recommendation and strategy may not work for everyone or be the recommended strategy for you.

Be sure to follow the recommendations of your instructor as to the strategy and methodology that is best for you.

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DISCUSSION

Thank you April Wennerberg and the team at Project Masters, Inc.

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