PMP Exam - Overview

www.pm-mentor.com contains much more details about what to expect on the PMP test, the types of questions and tips on how to answer those questions. Below is some background information.

Expect to be Surprised
Candidates study hard and diligently and practiced with many practice exam questions but still they get out of the exam room and say they were surprised by the difficulty. Even if this was an open book exam it would make no difference - it would still be very hard to pass.

It is a very good idea to work through as many practice questions as you can lay your hands on. However be aware that very few if any of those will be on your exam - they are merely part of the preparation tools. They are intended to help reinforce critical concepts, terms and definitions and prepare you for the manner in which questions are asked.

Remember on the exam day you are not tested on your mastery of practice questions. You are tested on your ability to demonstrate a deeper understanding of modern project management methodology and principals.So expect to be surprised on exam day.

200 Multiple Choice Questions

• 200 Multiple Choice Questions in 4 hours.


• One question and 4 possible answers -select only one.
  
• 4 hours to complete the exam in other words 1 minute 12 seconds per question.
  
• 25 questions not taken into consideration to calculate your final score.
  
• But you don't know which questions are not scored.
  
• You must correctly answer 106/175 questions or 60.6% to pass.
  
• Correct answers are counted as 1 point.
  
• Incorrect answers are counted as 0 - no negative marking
  
• There is no penalty for incorrect answers.

Therefore you MUST answer all questions you have a 25% chance of getting it right!

Difficult but Do-Able

Many experienced project managers believe their experience will carry them through the exam, they are wrong. You need a combination of experience, knowledge dedication and self discipline to pass. If you are not prepared you will find the exam environment and process intimidating and very stressful.

• 106/175 or 60.6% is not easy to achieve don't make that mistake!


• You need to be thoroughly prepared. It is do-able if you are prepared.


• Many candidates are genuinely shaken by the experience.


• 30% of candiadtes fail on their first attempt.


• The most common reason for failure is inadequate preparation.


• Success rate increases dramatically to 85% with preparation.


• Ironically more than 90% of candidates who re-take the exam achieve a passing score!