3.When taking the Exam, you will be allotted a little more than one- minute per question.  Pace yourself  to answer around fifty questions per hour.  Plan to use the full four hours.  There is no need to rush or virtue in finishing early.  It is best to be thorough.

4.The Exam questions are tough by anyone’s standards.  Do not approach them lightly.  While taking the Exam, you must focus all of your attention and energy.  Practice some deep- breathing and mental-readiness exercises beforehand.   Without proper focus, you can easily find yourself off-pace, anxious and making simple mistakes.  You should also be aware that constant focus can be draining.  You should plan to take a ten-minute break each hour to recharge.

5.On some Exam questions, all four answer options are correct statements.  However, three will have little or no bearing to the particular question.  This is often disorienting.  PMI does this by design to help ensure a thorough understanding of the subject matter.  Beware.

6.You will be supplied with scratch paper and pencils at the testing center.  Before you begin the Exam, take ten or fifteen minutes to write down all of your memorized equations, key definitions and other acronyms.  This will reduce anxiety and provide  you with a handy (and legal) reference throughout the Exam.

7.It is a good idea to track your progress while taking the Exam.  On your scratch paper, track each question as you answer.  Make three columns.  In the first column, place a check mark each time you answer a question correctly with 100% certainty.  The second column is for those questions you were able to narrow down to  two  possible correct answers.  The third column is for those questions you answered with mere guesses.  When you complete all 200 Exam questions,   add up the check marks in your first column and multiply the total by 0.9.  Multiply the total check marks from your second column by 0.5.  Multiply   the total from your third column by 0.25.  Now add the three products to derive your probable score.  This process usually produces a very accurate estimate of your actual score.  You need 137 to pass.  If your probable    score is close to 137 you should revisit all questions from columns two and three.  You can change your answers anytime before declaring you are    done.  If your probable score is well above 137, you can declare victory and “pass-in” your Exam with confidence.  The Exam is scored for you  immediately by testing center personnel. 

8.Once you understand what the Exam question is asking, try to determine the best answer before you look at the four options.  Then be sure to read all four options.

9.Recurring PMP Exam theme ­    “Projects must be strategically aligned with the high-level strategic objectives of the performing organization.”

10.Recurring PMP Exam theme ­ “The Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)  forms the basis of all estimating and  project planning.  The WBS is all-important”

11.Recurring PMP Exam theme …“Project Managers should spend 90% of their time communicating.”

12.Recurring PMP Exam theme …“Planning is the most important of all the Project Management processes”

13.Recurring PMP Exam theme … “The Project Team must be involved early in the lanning process and in all major decisions. The Project Team is all-important.”

14.Recurring PMP Exam theme …“Lessons Learned and Historical Records are essential inputs to just about every Project Management process.”

15.Recurring PMP Exam theme …“Project Managers are all-important and have complete authority and responsibility for all aspects of a Project.”

16.Recurring PMP Exam theme …“Project Stakeholders and their needs/expectations are all-important.”

17.Recurring PMP Exam theme …“Administrative closure and Scope Verification are essential considerations with just about every project deliverable.”

18.Recurring PMP Exam theme …“Adding out-of-scope extras to please project stakeholders is tempting . However, this practice adds no value and is generally discouraged.”

19.Recurring PMP Exam theme … “The Project Manager and Team should be pro-active, monitoring for risk events, looking for challenges and opportunities early-on in the process.”