7 Tips to Pass the PMP Exam

In January 2021, the PMP exam changed to meet the changing needs of the project management profession. This new pattern validates that you have the skills to lead projects for all three key approaches –

• Predictive (waterfall)
• Agile
• The mix of Predictive & Agile (Hybrid)

It would be helpful if you get consolidated tips from participants who passed the exam after January 2021. After getting certified, we talk to our clients and learn from each exam experience. Here, I am sharing the critical tips to pass the PMP exam –

1. Practice and Learn People skills
2. Develop a good understanding of Agile
3. Know Project Management concepts
4. Learn the Hybrid project management approach
5. Develop a Study Plan
6. Don’ Delay the Exam
7. Network with fellow professionals

1. Practice and Learn People skills : People skills are mostly known as soft skills, and the PMP exam tests these skills significantly. But, when we think about a project manager role, we mostly understand that it is the ability to plan a project with scope, cost, and schedule and put it together with other things like risks, quality, procurement, and necessary documentation. But now, people or soft skills are as crucial as the ability to handle projects with appropriate processes. The new PMP exam includes 42% of questions primarily for the following people-related skills:

• Interpret, analyze, and evaluate conflicts
• Inspire, motivate, and influence stakeholders and team members
• Support Team Performance using different KPI
• Empower team members and stakeholders
• Develop a team with appropriate skills
• Identify and fulfil training needs.
• Eliminate impediments, obstacles, and blockers for the team.
• Mentor and coach, the team, and stakeholders
• Present Emotional intelligence while leading the team

So, you must learn to avoid the directive leadership approach and apply facilitative and servant leadership instead. You also need to develop skills to lead teams in a virtual team environment. Virtual teams are more prominent across the globe now.

2. Develop a good understanding of Agile : The PMP exam is 50% agile now to meet the changing needs of the project management profession. In this frequently changing business environment, more and more organizations, irrespective of industry, are moving to agile because when project requirements emerge as we progress, the Agile ways of working work well. So, it would help if you had a good understanding of Agile approaches, especially Scrum. So, learn Scrum well since it is an excellent agile way of working and helps understand the timeboxed development approach. If you enrolled with the iZenBridge PMP Course, we make you prepare for the Agile part of the PMP Exam. One of the Frequently Asked Questions is – Does PMP get easier if I do Certified Scrum Master (CSM)? Please watch the following video to get the answer to this question –

3. Know Project Management concepts : The PMBOK content gives a good understanding of project management processes. You don’t need to memorize the PMBOK® processes and their inputs and tools; the PMP exam will not test your memory for these processes; you need an understanding of these instead. The common confusion we see in PMP aspirants is – which PMBOK edition should I use to pass the PMP Exam? Please watch the following video to get clarity on this question – PMBOK 6th vs PMBOK 7th Edition | PMP®

4. Learn the Hybrid project management approach : PMP exam appreciates the hybrid approach to managing projects. The hybrid approach is a mix of Predictive and Agile ways of working. The question is – when do you need a Hybrid approach? When none of the predictive or agile purely works in your project context, you should use the Hybrid approach. Some parts of the project may be predictable, and some may need frequent adaptation with time. Also, often project situation changes, and you need to change a predictive life cycle to adaptive and vice versa. To understand more about project management contexts that may need hybrid approaches, please watch the following video – PMP Exam Questions on Hybrid Project Life Cycles | PMP® Exam Questions

5. Develop a Study Plan : PMP exam needs dedication, and you need a roadmap and study plan to pass it within a specified time. For PMP, no single study plan is suitable for everyone. Each person has a different level of project management experience and exposure to Agile Practices and requires a plan accordingly.

A good study plan helps you understand the content based on PMP Exam Content Outline, mastering it and practicing a lot of PMP exam domain questions, agile-related PMP questions, and full-length questions.

If you have enrolled in the iZenBridge PMP course, our experts will help you create a study plan suitable for your experience and considering your work and life obligations.

For more details about how to create a study plan for your PMP exam preparation, kindly refer following blog – 3 Steps Foolproof PMP® Study Plan

6. Don’ Delay the Exam : The PMP exam preparation needs a commitment and rhythm to pass the exam on the first attempt. The more you delay, the more it becomes difficult to pass, and the more you procrastinate further. Our lead trainer Saket Bansal explains his view on this in this video – Don’t delay your PMP® Exam

7. Network with fellow professionals : If you plan to meet a group of peers who are also preparing for the PMP exam, it makes exam preparation easier. So, joining a local PMP chapter helps to network with fellow professionals to discuss ideas, experiences, and solutions for the PMP exam concepts.

I hope this blog helped you to apply tips to pass the exam on the first attempt. Still, if you have more questions in mind? Contact us; Our iZenBridge PMP experts will be happy to assist you!!

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