There are hardly any candidates who would like to clear the PMP exams in their first attempt. PMP stands for Project Management Professional. It is an important certification and therefore students put quite a bit of focus on correct PMP exam preparation. It could also be considered as the most important industry-recognized certification exams. If anybody wishes to become a project manager, he or she should most certainly clear this examination. However, you must thorough with the various knowledge areas.

While dreaming about clearing the exam in the first attempt is the first step to success, this dream must be backed up by a clear action plan. You must therefore try and find answers to the question of how to prepare for the PMP exam. We will try and have a look at some useful tips. We strongly believe that these tips will help in the right exam preparation and also help you to stay away from the rest of the crowd. You must understand that this is a competitive exam and therefore you must have a good study plan amongst other things.

Important To Master PMBOK Guide PMP Exam Preparation

This is a famous guide by the name PMBOK or Project Management Body Of Knowledge. This is a guide that is published by PMI. If you want to prepare for the PMP exam in the right earnest, you must try and become proficient with this guide. This is perhaps one of the most important and singular steps that will take you closer to the success in this exam. Though the market is filled with many other PMP exam preparation books, this is a book that has stood the test of time and comes with a proven track record. It is preferred by teachers and students alike and experts have also given a thumbs-up to this book. Hence your question of how to prepare for the PMP exam should start with this book.

You Must Have A Clearly Laid Out Plan

Any exam preparation without a well laid out action plan is bound to go haywire. The same is the case with PMP exams too. You must have a well thought out road map to prepare for the PMP exam. Each day before you sit down to study, you should have a clearly defined goal for the day. In the same way, it is imperative that you must have well-defined goals for the week, for the fortnight and even for the month. This is because PMP exams are not easy to crack. You will be able to pass the PMP exam only when you are able to get started early and devote at least a couple of months for preparation. It has been found that only those students who have hourly, weekly, fortnightly and monthly plans are the ones who would be able to succeed in this exam.

Use Multiple Study Guides And Sources

While there is no doubt that the PMBOK guide is one of the best for PMP exam preparation, this alone may not do the job for you. You must, therefore, look at other sources of knowledge. It is always advisable and prudent to refer to a few more guide book. While the PMBOK is a good guide many students and even teachers believe that it is not exactly exam-oriented. While it is theoretically strong, when it comes to practical applications, many are of the opinion that there are quite a few other options that are better. PMBOK is recommended for having a strong basic foundation but when it comes to preparing for the PMP exam in the right way, you should always look at a few more guides.

Focus On Practice Questions

Practice makes a man perfect. This is an age-old proverb and it continues to be relevant when it comes to preparing for and clear PMP exams are concerned. As a student preparing for the exam, you must understand that having as many practice-question-based study materials as possible is a good way to be ready from the exam point of view. For example, you could try ITTO questions which are known for their focus on tools and techniques as far as project management is concerned. You must try and focus on these practice questions as much as you can. This will help you to identify the questions in the exam hall as and when you read them instead of being blanked out.

Use Contact Hours Efficiently

You should be aware of the fact that you will be eligible to sit for the PMP certification exam only if and when you have completed the mandatory 35 hours of project management training. Many students consider this just another mandatory requirement. Actually it is not so, because this 35-hour project management training has been designed after quite a bit of planning and research. This training could be the cornerstone for building a strong foundation based on which you can move forward.

Learn To Manage Time Well

Finally, you must learn to manage your time well. Time management can be basically divided into two categories. The first is during the examination. You have a limited time within which you have to answer the questions and get the required numbers to clear the PMP exam. Hence, you must try to manage the time efficiently when it matters the most. Before the exams, you must devote time and here again, you must be in a position to scientifically and intelligently manage your time. If you are occupied elsewhere you must know how to use your spare time as best as you can.

The Final Word

In fine, there is no doubt that you can clear the PMP exam even though it is tough and challenging. It all calls for planning, time management and studying intelligently rather than haphazardly.