The Project Management Professional (PMP) certification, a widely respected project management credential, assesses a candidate’s capacity to oversee a professional project’s people, procedures, and business priorities.
It is helpful to project managers in almost every area, including business, information technology (IT), construction, and health.
Why is the PMP exam so difficult?
No set PMP passing score: PMI conducts a psychometric analysis to determine if a PMP candidate has successfully passed or failed the PMP exam. However, people need to learn the psychometric analysis criteria, including whether a specific PMP passing score exists.
So, you must study harder to earn your PMP certification. It is commonly accepted that to pass the PMI test, you must mark 75% of the questions accurately. By any standard, achieving 75% is a difficult task.
Syllabus’s vastness: Many believe the PMBOK Guide is the basis for the PMP test (A Guide to Project Management Body of Knowledge). But the PMP credential test is not based on any particular book; instead, the PMBOK Guide & Agile Practice Guide serve as the primary sources of information.
The PMP Exam Content Outline is the exam’s foundation (ECO). ECO is updated every four to five years, just like the exam syllabus. The most recent revision, which took place in January 2021, is followed by a new PMP test.
A list of the domains and tasks tested during the exam is listed in ECO. The three dimensions of the present ECO are people, processes, and the business environment. There are numerous tasks in each of these sectors.
The exam is prolonged and complex: The PMP exam is highly drawn-out and taxing. In reality, it is one of the professional exams with the most extended duration.
You must complete 180 multiple-choice questions in 230 minutes to pass the test. You’ll need to spend longer than 4 hours on the exam if you include scheduled breaks. You have roughly 76 seconds to respond to a question.
Although you can answer 180 questions comfortably in the allotted time, a working professional may need help to focus for so long when glued to a computer screen.
Numerous reference books: PMI advises reading ten different project management books to study for the exam. There will be risk management. A working professional would find it nearly impossible to read ten books to prepare for one exam.
Exam questions frequently change: 180 questions make up the exam; 175 of those questions receive scores, and the remaining five do not. Pre-test questions are these five inquiries. Therefore, you must provide the best possible response to each question.
There always needs to be more prepared for a test since there are always new questions. You can’t base your practice on databases of outdated historical questions. PMP certification cost is more.
Different types of questions: The seven questions on the PMP certification exam make the test more challenging. There are five other formats for these questions:
⮚ Multiple choice: several options, a single correct response out of the four possible answers.
⮚ Multiple solutions: The alternatives provided contain more than one proper solution
⮚ Matching: Compare the options in the two columns.
⮚ Hotspot: Pick a point on a diagram to place a hotspot next to the correct response.
⮚ Fill in the blanks: You must provide the appropriate answer to each blank.
How do you pass the new PMP exam?
To ensure you pass the PMP certification exam, PMI suggests that you follow the below mentioned strategies.
1. Make a schedule for your study time: Setting aside time to study for your exam can help you stay on track and cover all the material you need. Inform the people in your life so they won’t bother you or take away from this time. You might even ask your employer for permission to study for the exam.
2. Get acclimated to the format: Spend some time getting used to the PMP exam’s format. In the exam, a few new question forms can catch you off guard if you aren’t ready for them. In addition, attending the class is not required if you have a current CAPM certification.
3. Count on specialists: Get advice and assistance with exam preparation; get in touch with your nearby PMI chapter. You can also locate a group you could study and train with.
Make sure you receive your training from a PMI-authorised PMP Training Partner. Count on your project management training partner and try to seek assistance for practice exams.
4. Other sources: In addition to the PMBOK Guide, you’ll need to consult other publications to comprehend project management certification fully.
You can consult a range of PMP PPTs that PMI has given and a few well-known publications to aid your exam preparation. PMP certification online also helps to get a pass on the exam.
Conclusion
A professional career will advance and prosper with the PMP certification.
Even though it demands effort, commitment, and some discipline, it is an approachable challenge. It’s also thrilling as a challenge. When you succeed, you will feel an incredible sense of fulfillment.
The best aspect is that there will be plenty of prospects for job progression after this. Therefore, stop focusing on the PMP pass rate and put more effort into achieving your goal.