PMP Acceleration Program: Hints & Tips for PMP Success

Exam format: 200 multiple choice questions (with 4 possible answers) to be completed in 4 hours
(thats approximately 80 seconds per question!). Each correct answer is worth 1 point (however, you
will not be scored negatively for incorrect answers. Therefore if you really dont know then why not
guess, you have a 25% chance of guessing correctly?!). The estimated pass score is believed to be
somewhere between 61%-75% (however the PMI do not publish such information!).

Examination Outline: the questions that you will expect to see in the exam will cover the
following areas:
Initiating the Project (13%)
Planning the Project (24%)
Executing the Project (30%)
Monitoring & Controlling the Project (25%)
Closing the Project (8%)
Since the PMI made changes to the PMP exam (as of 31-Aug-11) you will no longer be tested on the
subject of Professional & Social Responsibility separately, as this will now be part of all the process
groups. There has also been an additional Knowledge Area added to the PMBOK Guide as of July
2013 (in line with the release of the 5th edition of the PMBOK Guide), which covers Project
Stakeholder Management. This new knowledge area will also cover additional processes too. For
more detailed information relating to the PMP Examination Content Outline, visit the PMI website.

Learn from others: review the Lessons Learned documents submitted from previous
participants on the PMP Acceleration Program, to gain valuable hints and tips for your own final
exam preparations.

Learn from your results: try to complete as many sample PMP exam questions as possible, but
dont forget to learn from these example questions. Looking up incorrectly answered questions is a
must; additionally you should try to understand your areas of weakness, and focus your final
revisions around these areas in particular.

Read questions carefully: some of the questions will have diagrams, charts or other exhibits
associated with them. Youll see many questions that are phrased negatively (for example which of
the following is not..). Dont choose the first answer that looks to be correct, read the question and
think about it before looking at the possible answers (a good tip is to read the possible answers from
the bottom upwards as this prevents you from latching onto the first answer, which may be plausible
but incorrect). Pass over any difficult questions and come back to them later (you can mark such
questions for review during the exam). Watch out for misleading questions, if you really dont know
the answer and WBS is an option then go for it (you have a 25% chance of getting it right and you
wont lose a score for guessing incorrectly!).

Understand ITTOs, Formulas, Process Groups: practice brain-dumping, you dont have
to memorize all of the Inputs, Tools, Techniques and Outputs, but it will help you greatly if you know
as many of them as possible (and more importantly understand the process relations).

Take a Mock Exam: during your final exam preparations it is important that you take a mock
exam to gauge how ready you are for the exam. There are many exam simulations available via the
internet, but very few of them are free. However all HP employees have access to the SkillSoft
offerings and we highly recommend that you considering completing the PMP TestPrep as a mock
exam. This test simulates the real PMP exam with the PMI and it provides you with a report at the
end of the test, which details how proficient you were (enabling you to focus your final studies
around any areas of weakness highlighted following the test).

EXAM DAY (Prometric Testing Centre): its worthwhile pointing out that you will not be able
to take anything into the test center with you (for example: your watch, phone, food/drinks, car keys
etc.). You will however be given a locker and a key, and youll get a pen/paper which you can take
into the test room (along with your locker key). A calculator will be accessible via the computer and
you can sign out during the test for a comfort break, or to have a drink/some food if/when required.
Make sure that you prepare your clothes accordingly, in case it is either too cold or too warm in the
test room. Finally. Make sure that you know how to get to the Test Centre and allow adequate time
for traffic/parking if necessary! Good Luck!