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What you must remember at all cost is that you have prepared well for the exam and that you can do this! When you walk through the doors into the exam room, the most important thing for you is to pass the exam. You can partially achieve this by preparing yourself physically and mentally for the event. After the exam everyone has a story to tell. For example, one of my students wasn't allowed to change any clothing and the other one wasn't allowed to use the bathroom. These examples are of course extreme but they might happen to you.

So what if something similar happens to you? Take a deep breath. Listen to this "odd rule" that the testing center staff is informing you of. And then follow it. Don't jeopardize your chances. Play along and do the best you can. Adjust yourself mentally to the situation and work with it.

Remember: What really matters is that you relax, concentrate and pass the PMP exam.

Until Next Time,
Cornelius Fichtner, PMP
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If you think that the [url=http://www.project-management-prepcast.com/]PMP Certification[/url] exam is your average college test where you can cram yet still get high marks, then think again. The PMP exam is anything but easy. It is an experience-based exam in a 200-question, four-hour computerized format. When you are studying for the exam, you could answer the sample questions easily enough in the comfort of your own room with no ticking clocks, no distractions and no security cameras pointing at you. However, during the actual examination, you will find yourself in a radically different setting.

Think of it as the battleground and you as the soldier. And any good soldier would create a battle plan before the exam. He knows that planning can spell the difference between passing and failing. You have to formulate strategies in terms of how to answer and review the questions, how to ease the tension from your body and how to replenish your energy. Your battle plan will serve as your guide during the exam and will help you focus on the task ahead of you. With a battle plan, you will be able to breeze through your exams knowing that you have everything under control and and can maximize the time allotted for you to finish the exam within the allowable period.

Until Next Time,
Cornelius Fichtner, PMP
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Relax. PMI does not want you to fail the exam. But they also don't make it easy. PMI primarily wants to ensure that you have grasped the best practices captured in the PMBOK Guide so they fine tune their exam to ensure an acceptable pass ratio.

There are still a few formulas to be learned (mainly in the cost management area). Some students report that they saw no formula based questions at all on their exams and others say that they were really, really glad that they had studied the formulas so in-depth. You should therefore learn the formulas and their applications, and then, before the actual exam starts, write them down on the scratch pad that will be provided in the exam room. You want to do this before beginning the exam so you won’t have to dredge them from memory in the midst of an anxiety attack.

Don’t hesitate to go back and change the answer to a previous question. You will encounter the situation where answering one question provides you with further insight into a previous question.

Study hard, read a lot and practice many simulated exams until you ace every one will help you pass your PMP Exam.


Until Next Time,
Cornelius Fichtner, PMP
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I'm VERY happy to announce that my Project Management PrepCast (http://www.pm-prepcast.com) is very close to reaching the milestone of having 10,000 students!

To celebrate we will give away 10 free licenses of The PM PrepCast in the 10 days following our milestone. And then for the 10 days following that we will offer a 10% discount to everyone else who would like to purchase a copy.

So if you would like a chance to win a complete PMP Exam Prep Video Course then please go to to this page here and and sign up to participate in the contest:

http://bit.ly/prep10k

Good luck!]]> http://www.pmonetwork.net/posts/preList/22/22.page http://www.pmonetwork.net/posts/preList/22/22.page GMT
An example of a study plan for the [url=http://www.project-management-prepcast.com/]PMP Certification[/url] is as follows:

* Go through the training in no more than 2-4 months. Set a schedule, and stick to it. Review the appropriate section of the PMBOK with every topic in the training.
* Purchase a PMP exam prep course and include it into your plan. Print out study aids that are part of the particular training module, especially if these cover topics that you find difficult. After finishing the course, take simulated exams.
* Find out what your strengths and weaknesses are. This will make you a little sharper and alert for information as you continue the training. You can take another full PMP or CAPM exam simulation every 2-4 weeks, and adjust your study plan based on results.
* In the last month leading to the exam, focus work with the simulations on your trouble areas by using the flash cards and other training materials. Aim for 80-90% scores during your simulated tests as you get close to the actual exam. This will give you confidence that you are ready to pass, and if the scores are lower, will give you more impetus to work harder.
* Read books, online materials, free templates, listen to podcasts, and any other materials that fit your learning style to see things from different angles and approaches.


The key really is to practice good project management and you will succeed. Increase your chances of project management exam success with a plan.


Until Next Time,
Cornelius Fichtner, PMP
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The questions in the [url=http://project-management-prepcast.com/]PMP Exam[/url] are based on the following process groups from the PMBOK Guide: Initiating, Planning, Executing, Controlling, Closing and Professional Responsibility. So expect questions like: Which process is applied to break down the project into smaller, more manageable elements?, or: Which Tools and Techniques are part of Risk Management Planning? Some questions use project management terms that may be interchangeable with others. There will be a few questions that require you to perform simple math calculations. Or you will be required to interpret graphs or diagrams on some questions.

The number one statement to remember is that you need to answer all questions on the exam from the perspective of the PMBOK Guide, even if you feel that this question is one of those that are not 100% aligned with the standard. Asking yourself "What would the PMBOK do?" is a good place to start.

Remember that PMI is trying to present an ideal environment for project managers that might be different from your own experience. The PMBOK Guide will help you a lot here simply because it gives the right answers to all the questions that you will encounter during the exams. Or it will at least point you in the right direction. So if you really want to be prepared for your exams, read your PMBOK Guide extensively and understand the lessons here.

Until Next Time,
Cornelius Fichtner, PMP
The PM PrepCast - http://www.project-management-prepcast.com/

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PMI does not release the actual score that is required for you to pass the exam. All they tell us is that "The passing score for all PMI credential examinations is determined by sound psychometric analysis." So nobody but PMI knows how many questions you have to answer correctly in order to pass.

This is important: Remember that there is no negative marking on the exam. This means that you are not penalized for questions that you answered incorrectly. There is just "correct" or "wrong" for the scoring. This means that if you leave a question unanswered your answer is "wrong". So remember not to leave any question unanswered. You need to answer them all.

After you click on finish and submit the exam, you will see on-screen whether you passed or failed. This takes about 10 seconds but feels like an eternity. You will also receive a printed examination report that tells you how you did in the various process groups.

To feel confident that you can do it, you must have undergone enough preparations and must have taken practice exams several times based on the lessons learned from the study materials of your choice.

Until Next Time,
Cornelius Fichtner, PMP
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So here is my tip: read and understand the concepts from the PMBOK Guide and from a separate PMP Exam Prep book. Also work through the sample questions and exercises in your prep book. And lastly, take as many sample exams as you can to gauge your understanding of the concepts. Go back and review the sections in the books that you did not score well and try again.


When you start scoring above 80% the first time you take any mock exam then you are ready for the real exam. Remember that it takes a lot of preparation to make sure that you pass your PMP exam and receive your certification. So study hard, learn well and be confident of your ability to get your certification.

Until Next Time,
Cornelius Fichtner, PMP
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And so, going into the eve of the exam, it is important that you can feel relaxed and do not worry. This will help you prepare mentally for the challenges of the next day. One of the most important techniques here is to take one, possibly even two days off from work. This way, you can focus only on your exam and not worry about any work related deadlines as well. Keep your focus!

And obviously, you also want to make sure that you get a good night's sleep. Go to bed early and avoiding things that could give you stress. Wake up early in the morning, do some light exercise just to get you warmed up and ensure that you get a good breakfast. Let my own experience be a lesson for you: avoid any food that's unfamiliar or exotic for you. You don't want to get an upset stomach during the exam like I had.

Remember, a positive attitude will help carry the day for you and help you achieve your goal of passing your PMP exam.

Until Next Time,
Cornelius Fichtner, PMP
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It is important that you are comfortable and relaxed. One of the things that you can do to achieve this is by making sure that you dress right for your [url=http://www.project-management-prepcast.com/]PMP exam[/url]. Feeling good in your clothes helps a lot to keep you focused on the task ahead. For this exam you not only want to be prepared but also relaxed and comfortable. Just imagine how distracting a scratchy clothing tag in your neck would feel during a 4 hour, stressful exam!

So dress comfortably and dress in layers. That way you can easily take off a layer if the room is too warm. And bring a sweater or light jacket that you can put on should the room be too cool for you. Remember, if you are comfortable and your clothing is just right for the temperature, chances are you will feel better and the right answers to the exam questions might just naturally come out.]]> http://www.pmonetwork.net/posts/preList/16/16.page http://www.pmonetwork.net/posts/preList/16/16.page GMT