A roadmap to pass the new PMP Exam(2021)

I held back celebration until seeing this exam breakdown report and confirming that I had not just passed but had scored high in all 3 domains in the new format PMP exam. It took a good 8–9 hours for PMI to populate this report after completing the exam. In a way, the wait helped by adding a suspense element, culminating in ecstasy and celebration!!

Passing the exam required discipline and focused effort. I made notes during my preparation process and organised them for easy consumption. No single approach works for everyone, further down is the plan I followed and found highly effective.

Who will benefit by passing the new PMP exam?

The demand for PMP certification as a mandatory requirement for project management related jobs has steadily declined, mainly due to the adoption of Agile methodologies(and proprietary certifications) that are process light. It is unfair to put PMP in the same order as many other “anyone can pass with little effort or by just participating” Agile certifications. The practical knowledge PMP exam demands is way beyond what the other quickie certifications do.

Whether projects follows a traditional/waterfall or Agile/hybrid development approach, good project management remains critical to enhance chances of project success. Further, about 50% of the new PMP exam focuses on Agile/hybrid approaches.

In my opinion, gaining the breadth of knowledge and its application required to pass the PMP exam significantly benefits the following roles :

• Project Manager
• Product Manager
• Product Owner
• Program Manager
• Scrum Master
• Release Manager
• Implementation Manager
• Release Train Engineer
• Business Analyst
• IT Business Systems Analyst

How valuable are exam preparation training programs(classroom or virtual) and how do I gain the 35 PDUs to qualify for the exam ?

The exam expects clear understanding, preferably on-the-job experience of project management. With all due respect, instructor led sessions hardly help on this front given they are usually quick 4 day(typical) programs. Discussions hover around only a few topics and in case a “session hijacker" is in your batch ,most of the time will be spent in Q/A .

If you have experience of working in any capacity(not just as PM) in managed projects, specifically in an IT organisation, the following 2 preparation resources + an exam simulator are more than sufficient to earn the 35 PDUs and pass the PMP exam.

1. Rita Mulcahy’s RMC exam prep book. Unlike the “laundry list“ like PMBOK material, Rita’s conversational style helps to keep one interested and strengthen/clarify project management concepts exceptionally well. Agile concepts are beautifully embedded aptly within the chapters . This book is a must own for anyone wanting to better their project management skills, not just for passing the PMP exam.

2. Joseph Phillips’ PMP Exam Prep Seminar on Udemy is a good option to gain the 35 PDUs and when on discount costs just about INR 500. Joseph keeps the lessons lively with this witty style and hearing him say“ Good job, keep moving forward “ and “you can do this” is quite uplifting !

Mantras for the preparation phase

1. The PMP exam tests your ability to respond in the best possible manner in real-time project situations. So, effort is better spent in understanding concepts and internalising how PMI’s ideal PM would deal with problems rather than trying to memorise a lot of material.
2. About 200 hrs. of focused effort is required with a clear plan of what material to study and how to go about it. The key is consistent effort without much gaps. An average of 3.5 hours per day for about 60 days is what it typically takes to comfortably pass the exam. Unavoidable gaps of a day or two is ok, provided you catch up on lost hours. But momentum will be lost if gaps are longer.
3. Do not over prepare ! This is the most common cause for unreasonable delay in appearing for the exam or in worst cases even dropping the whole idea of taking the exam.

Typical behaviour of the “over prepared” PMP exam candidate. Watch out ! :)

a. Reading through tons of material from multiple authors or subscribing to very many exam simulation tools. The danger here is every author’s suggested approach is different and explanations for answers may even seem contradictory. This will only add confusions and delay during the preparation. I have selected optimal, proven, high quality resources for you further in this write up.

b. Attending multiple PMP exam preparation programs. Surely a way to waste time.

c. Contacting many PMPs for tips to pass the exam. Trying to follow multiple views/approaches leading to more confusion and delays.

d. Dragging the preparation for more than 3 months.

Stretching your preparation timeline puts taking up the PMP exam at risk because other professional or life priorities may very well take precedence!

3. Make notes along the way. These will come handy while revising the vast material during the 1–2 days prior to the exam. Avoid reading new material during this time. The last 8–10 hrs of preparation should ideally be used to cementing in your mind key concepts from material that you would have already studied.

4. Plan, prepare and “get it done” when passing the PMP is your highest priority. I waited for 6 full months to complete a critical client project before starting my PMP exam preparation. And once I started, kept at it relentlessly and “got it done” in 50 days.

5. Around 50% of exam questions cover Hybrid/Adaptive/Agile approach. If you haven’t worked on Agile projects, related questions may be tricky. The exam prep resources suggested further below cover agile sufficiently.

Scrum is a popular topic in the exam. Refer Scrum in 5 mins for a quick understanding of Scrum and also use it as a cheat sheet for your final preparation for the exam.

The Roadmap

The Exam Preparation Plan

Important notes to execute the plan

RMC PMP Exam Prep Book

1. Tricks of the trade pg.10 onwards(see question formats)
2. PMI isms in pg. 16 & 256
3. Rita process map in pg, 79
4. Pay attention to “adaptive/agile way” of managing projects embedded in all chapters
5. Tips for passing the exam in pg. 491
6. Watch out for Rita’s advice about good project management practices through out the book.
7. Avoid memorising and perfecting each topic. Run through the material
8. Notate your scores . This is to check your progress from round 1 to round 2 and to know if and when you are ready to sit for the exam
9. Play RMC’s Process chart game to appreciate the logical flow of project management processes. A good # of questions will indirectly test your knowledge on this front.

RMC PMP Exam Prep Book — Round 2 study

1. You will be surprised that some concepts will look “new” ! Review and understand them :)
2. Take chapter ending tests only after reading through next 2 chapters. This adds the challenge of recalling concepts that are different than what you studied recently. Handy practice for the exam.

Joseph Phillips’ PMP Exam Prep Seminar on Udemy

1. 25 hours for sections review and 10 hours for completing tests and reviewing answers
2. Finish a chapter + test in RMC guide and follow up with the same chapter + test in this seminar. Helps to consolidate understanding of concepts.
3. Lessons can be comfortably followed at 1.25x speed

Agile Practice Guide Annexure in PMBOK 6th edition

1. Focus attention on popular Agile frameworks : Scrum, SAFe and Kanban
2. The material is spaced out and can be reviewed quickly.

Prep-cast Exam Simulator — Knowledge Area tests

1. Choose min. 60 unanswered questions per knowledge area
2. Take tests in timed mode. Helps prepare for full length exam with time constraint.
3. 12 hrs. are for completing the knowledge tests and 20 hrs. for reviewing explanations for both right and wrong answers
4. Also review explanations for the questions you got right by guess work

Prep-cast Exam Simulator — Full length exam

1. The simulator exam format is very similar to the real exam. Follow all the rules . If you are planning to attend PMI’s PMP exam from home, try and simulate your actual exam taking environment: time of day , area in your house etc…
2. Spend min. 6 hours per exam to review answers and explanations.
3. Give 1–2 days gap before attempting the next exam. Use that time to revise weak areas.

1–2 days prior to attempting the real PMP exam

1. Review all topics from your notes.
2. Avoid reading new material during this time.
3. Play online RMC process chart game.
4. If you are attempting exam from home, try the OnVue online exam environment and get acclimatised to the UI.
5. Relax. Meditate.

When should I take full length simulator exams ?

When you score over 70 % in RMC chapter end tests and Exam Simulator’s knowledge area tests.

Avoid the temptation to attempt the full length simulator exam before you are fully ready. High chances of quitting the exam without completing or tendency to memorise answers(future exam scores will be misleading)

How do I know if I am ready to take up the real PMP exam?

You are ready if you score about 75% or more in 1st attempt of full length simulator exams

Or

you score 80% or more in 2nd attempt of full length simulator exams. Give a few days gap after 1st attempt.

Scores from further attempts don’t signify much as you would be going by memory and not by understanding.

During the exam

The initial few minutes …

The first few questions that were thrown at me all looked impossible to answer. For a moment, I started thinking where I could have gone wrong in my supposedly “fool proof” preparation plan.

But as I warmed up, subsequent questions seemed like known territory and my confidence grew. The only suggestion for the beginning of the exam is not to “get carried away” by the first impressions of the exam. Irrespective of whether the initial questions are seemingly hard or easy , you never know what is in store next.You are not done until the final submit.

The crucial last hour …

By the time you reach the last 60 minutes, there is a high chance that roughly 40–50 questions are left to be answered. No matter how well you have answered till now , in all likely hood pass marks are yet to be obtained. Look at what happened with me …….

The online proctor had warned me twice that I was moving ( wonder what that meant :-) ) and if I repeat again, strict action would be taken against me !! Back was hurting due to my fixed stance for over 3 hours. I just sat in the chair during my breaks too, which I realise is wrong. Taking the 2 optional breaks is an opportunity to relax and wriggle out any tensions in the joints.

The close to 2 months of effort played out in front of my eyes when the proctor warned me. I didn’t move an inch in the last hour, focused harder on answering every question. And then hit that submit button …. a highly anticipated message( in surprisingly small font ) appeared ….

“ Congratulations ………. PMP….. “

The only emotion that engulfed me was of relief !!!!

So, during that last hour, stick there and focus on every question and give it your best. It is okay if you cannot get to a few questions. If accuracy rate is high for your attempted questions , you should still pass comfortably.

All the best, you can do this !!!

Note : Please don’t hesitate to ask any question related to passing the PMP in comments below. I would be more than happy to answer to the best of my knowledge.