Nervous for the big day? It is quite natural once you have devoted at least 4,500 hours to project work and have sat through at least 35 hours worth of classroom training on project management. Further, you need to study for hours and answer hundreds of practice questions to prepare well for your PMP® exam. Also, you have gone through the lengthy application process and qualified the audit of PMI.
So, after months of studying and preparing for the exam, you would surely want everything right on the day of the exam and come out of flying colours. If you are looking for a better way to prepare for the PMP exam, try our project management professional online course.
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8 Tips for the day of your PMP® exam
The following tips will surely help you to overcome your nervousness and take your PMP® exam with ease:
1. Sleep for good 8-hour the night before
As the saying goes, a tired body cannot host a relaxed mind. It is very important for you to be physically and mentally fresh during the exam. After all, you need to be focused for 4 hours and answer all the questions. You should try to avoid last minute cramming. Sleeping for 8 hours before the exam provides the needed rest to move new material from short-term to longer-term memory where it is needed.
2. Reach the exam center at least an hour earlier
It is important for you to reach the exam center a bit early. To be on the safer side, you should visit your exam center prior to the day of the exam. This would surely help you to gauge the right amount of time that is required to reach the center on the exam day, as numerous factors like traffic and mode of commute might play an important role for you to make it to the center on time.
You need to go through a security check at the exam center itself. So, you should leave your home at a time which will help you to reach the exam center an hour before the exam.
3. Carry everything that you need
Even if you think that you know what to carry with you to the exam center but it is suggestible for you to call the exam center a day before the exam and specifically confirm about what you should carry on that day. It is suggestible for you to carry your identification with photo ID, and possibly a print out of your exam confirmation page.
4. You should eat moderately on the exam day
It is safe to keep yourself hydrated and eat moderately to avoid feeling drowsy during the exam. Also, don’t go to the exam center with an empty stomach. You would surely hate to have a stomach upset, headache, or some other food-related issue that might prove to be fatal for you while you need to be focused for a long duration during the exam.
Further, each break might take you 8 to 10 minutes of your time which includes the time needed for security check again before you enter the exam room.
5. Get an idea of the sample exam software interface
You need to watch 15 minutes long video which is a sample exam software interface to familiarise with the exam software before you begin to write your PMP® exam. However, the time of this video is separate from your exam time. Watching this video before the exam will help you to know what to expect once you enter the Prometric exam center.
6. Brain dump
Did you hear about the brain-dump strategy? It comprises of a list of stuff which you need to recall quickly during the exam, like quality tools, types of powers of a project manager, process sequences, and more.
As a PMP® aspirant you need to practice writing down this information on a piece of paper within 5 to 6 minutes. On the exam day, just take 5 to 6 minutes to write all the information on the piece of paper given to you by the staff deputed in the Prometric test center. This would act as a ready reference document for you during the exam and help you to remember the stuff whenever you need it.
How to use brain dump in two steps?
- Step 1: You can use this method while practicing your mock tests in order to optimise the time while writing the PMP® exam.
- Step 2: In case, you don’t want to write the brain dump, you can keep it as a revision tool before you get into the exam hall. This would help you to keep the formulas and other required information fresh in your mind so that you can recall it easily.
7. Request for headphones
Most of the exam centers keep headphones to block outside distractions. You can ask for one to your exam coordinator. Although it might not seem to be an important element, still it will surely save you from the surrounding noises and focus on completing your exam on time.
8. You need to relax
A relaxed mind increases your chances of scoring more. Once you have done everything at your end, you just need to relax and go with the flow on your PMP® exam day. Dressing comfortably is extremely important since you need to sit down for 4 hours straight, help you to easily recall information, manage time, and answer 200 questions in time.
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Points to keep in mind while writing your PMP® exam
The Project Management Professional Certification exam consists of 200 questions which you need to answer in 4 hours. You need to consider the following points in order to answer the questions easily and on time:
- You need to read every question carefully and answer them. It is natural to get distracted and tired while answering all the questions in such a tight schedule. So, you need to relax by taking deep breaths and try to focus on the exam.
- Do not waste your time on breaks and you should plan for only 2 breaks. You must remember that the computer clock will keep ticking while you are on break. You will have to go through security checks before entering into the exam hall after every break. You should go for breaks when you absolutely need it.
- You should not panic when you find a few difficult questions consecutively which you are unable to answer. This is quite normal and you will find the easy and direct questions which will follow later.
- Do not spend more than a minute or two on any question. This would give you the time to read through all the questions. You will also come across easy and direct questions at any point of the exam.
- Use the elimination method for all the difficult questions or use your best quest in order to choose the best answer. You just need to ensure that you do not leave any question unanswered. In case, you are doubtful about any of the answer, you should mark it for review to come back to it later.
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Points to keep in mind once you complete your PMP® exam
Did you answer all the questions of your PMP® exam? That’s not it. You need to keep in mind the following points after you complete the PMP® exam:
- After completing all the questions, you should use the remaining time for reviewing the marked questions.
- You will be asked to fill a survey once you complete the exam. This survey is optional. Once you complete the survey or you choose to skip it, your result will pop up on your screen if you pass the exam.
- Finally, you need to collect your printed report card from your Prometric test center staff. You will receive the hard copy of the certificate at the address provided by you during the application process.
What should you bring to the Prometric center?
There are many restrictions on what is allowed to bring to the test area. But there are also certain things which you must carry in order to enter the exam center. They are:
- You should carry your printed your Prometric confirmation receipt.
- You should also carry a valid and correct form of government-issued photo identification.
The name on the photo identification must match the name that you provided while applying for the exam and it must not be expired. In case, there is any change in your marital status, you should have photo identification with the same name that you registered for the exam.
Role of Prometric and PMI in your PMP® exam
Prometric is a private company who provides secure testing facilities for certifications provided by many professional organisations. One of them is the project management professional (PMP) certification exam provided by PMI. Prometric is a leader of standardized testing administration with over 10,000 testing centers in 160 countries.
Project Management Institute PMI is a global organisation who sets the standards for the field of Project Management. PMI develops all the test content for the standardized Project Management Professional (PMP)® exam which determines the certification status of a candidate. PMI has chosen Prometric to manage the electronic PMP® testing process.
You need to pay the fee for your PMP® certification exam directly to PMI, whereas, Prometric manages the test scheduling, administration, and analysis process.
To conclude
After all the hard work you have put in while preparing for your PMP® exam, the exam day is a crucial day of your life. Prometric requires you to arrive at least 30 minutes prior to your scheduled test time. And once you are done with the security check and watched the 15 minutes video about the exam procedure, you need to complete 200 questions in 4 hours. You can also enroll in our PMP certification online training that will help you pass the exam with ease.
The tips mentioned in this blog will surely help you to avoid all the stress on this day. GO through all these tips to be organised and calmer to be in the right frame of mind to answer all the questions to pass the exam with flying colours. All the best!
