Rhodora Funcion,PMP
Lessons Learned from Study Group
“When I was preparing for my exam back in 2018, I participated as a student in this program and passed my exam. In 2019, I participated as one of the volunteer leaders and facilitators, and now in 2020, I am the current director of the PMINAC Study Group program.
I believe in this program and the benefits working collaboratively with others to meet your goal of being PMP® and CAPM® certified. The study group is what you make it out to be. It’s your experience!”
Advise For Future PMP And CAPM Aspirants
- Aim to attend all sessions and read chapters before going to study group sessions.
- Be prepared to learn, engaged, and contribute. We can all learn from each other.
- Read PMBOK 6th e.d.
- Be sure to familiarize yourself with the glossary section at the end of PMBOK 6th e.d. It’s so important you don’t miss this!
- Practice PMP exam worthy questions from PMI Registered Educational Providers (R.E.P.)
- Book your exam if you haven’t already done so. In this case, you should have all booked it by now.
- Pass the exam and Celebrate!
Lessons Learned from Study Group
It's important to be prepared and complete the required chapters before each class. By doing so, it sets a realistic pace for getting through the information and provides an opportunity to ask questions relevant to the chapter being covered. Being consistent each week with following the study schedule is critical to set the knowledge foundation for truly understanding the PMBOK Guide.
By participating with the study group, I was able to get through the PMBOK Guide at a good pace and the weekly sessions kept my studying schedule consistent. The mentors, study group leaders and group members were all wonderful both in terms of learning and mental & emotional support. As well, the PM Online Training exams were extremely helpful.
Advise For Future PMP And CAPM Aspirants
Stay consistent with your study schedule and be disciplined with completing the required reading for each weekly class.
Also, I covered the PMBOK Guide twice. The first time, I read through it in order of the study group schedule. The second time, I read through it in order of Process Groups (Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring/Control, Closing) and the relevant Knowledge Areas in each Group. It's much easier to remember the Process Group and Knowledge Area information when there's genuinely a clear understanding of how everything is intertwined and logically positioned.
Maple Rose, PMP
Amith Jagota, PMP
Lessons Learned from Study Group
- Helped maintain my preparation momentum in a supportive environment.
- Facilitated my learning via PMP certified facilitators & fellow PMP aspirants.
- I especially found the collaborative team-based presentations, Q&As, open discussions & weekly tests very beneficial.
Advise For Future PMP And CAPM Aspirants
- Preparation:
- Focus on understanding the concepts as the exam tends to be more situational based.
- Read your preferred high quality PMP preparation book at least 2 (preferably 3) times.
- After reading each chapter, test your understanding by answering chapter specific questions.
- Do full length high quality mock exams to:
- Test your understanding of the concepts.
- Refine PMP exam test taking strategy.
- Get mentally prepared for the actual exam.
- Be diligent & consistent with your preparation.
- Booking the Exam:
- Take the exam when you feel you are ready.
- The results of your mock exams should give you an indication of your readiness.
- Day Before the Exam:
- Get a good night’s sleep.
- Don’t over-study.
- Day of the Exam:
- Have a hearty breakfast.
- Be well hydrated.
- Arrive a little early at the exam centre.
- Do deep breathing to help calm your nerves.
- Implement your PMP exam taking strategy (answering a certain number of questions within a certain timeframe, taking breaks, etc).
Lessons Learned from Study Group
- Read ahead and take notes – You benefit the most out of the study group presentations when you can follow along. The presentations will help you understand and master concepts that you’ve read about in the PMBOK.
- Study buddies are crucial. If you have someone you can talk the concepts with, it helps reinforce your understanding of the knowledge areas, processes, and how they all fit and integrate with each other.
- Show up. Life happens and if you’re behind on your reading, just showing up to the study group keeps you accountable and responsible. Sometimes it’s the push you need to get over a slump in your studying.
Advise For Future PMP And CAPM Aspirants
- PMBOK is your bible. Read it, highlight it, make notes on it.
- Supplement the PMBOK with other materials but do not overwhelm yourself by buying or downloading hundreds of materials. See what works for you – if you like audio books, stick to those, if you like watching videos, I would suggest Joseph Phillips’ PMP Exam Prep on Udemy. If you like reading books – most like Rita Mulcahy. I personally did not use Rita’s book. I just stuck to the PMBOK, Joseph Phillips’ video on Udemy, and watched Ricardo Vargas’ PMP Process Flow video on Youtube.
- Set aside 2-3 days per week to study and more frequently, closer to your exam date.
- I started studying on my own in June until August and joined a 12-week study group from September to November. Studying was more intense during the study group, 3-hours a week for the study group + another weeknight of studying for 2 to 3 hours, and 6 to 8 hours on the weekends.
- Closer to my exam date, I booked a week off just to focus on pulling all the concepts together as a whole.
- I didn’t memorize the process chart or ITTO’s or do a memory dump of these during at the beginning of the exam. What I did was understand the knowledge areas, process groups, and what are the important inputs and outputs.
- During my last week of studying, I spent a lot of time with my study buddy – helping to fill in some gaps that I might’ve missed.
- Be well rested on your exam day and know that the exam is passable.
Hazel Navarroza , PMP
