Step 2: Applying for the PMP Exam

Once you meet the requirements, you have to create an account on PMI’s website and fill out the application. PMI asks for details about your project experience, including role, responsibilities, and outcomes. If you're a student, you can enroll for the Student Membership to get additional discounts on the exam fee (Usually it costs around USD 600+ to sit for the exam, but it's USD 420 - 450 for students.)

📌 Key Considerations for Application Approval:
✔ Clearly define your project management role in alignment with PMI’s domains (Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring & Controlling, Closing).
✔ Use PMI-compliant terminology (e.g., “led stakeholder engagement,” “managed project risks,” etc.).
✔ Ensure project experience is non-overlapping to meet the required months.

💡 Pro Tip: Use Chatgpt (or any other AI) to find the exact keywords as the eligibility goes through AI to determine if you can sit for the exam. After getting a sample, replace some words with your own knowledge and experience. PMI might randomly audit applications. Be prepared to provide supporting documents like certificates or references from past employers.

Step 3: Developing a PMP Study Plan

Once my application was approved, I started talking to my experienced and more knowledgeable friends to get insights from them. I highly suggest you also choose an idol (or 2-3 maximum) to follow their tips and tricks including routines. Don't blindly follow everyone's suggestions as different strategies work differently for people and it might just confuse you more. I personally followed two super talented human beings named "Andrew Ramdayal" and "David McLachlan" for being updated about everything related to PMP. Or simply you can follow Hosney Mobarok Fahad (me) for a more chilled-out personalized approach! Just kidding 🙆 

I personally designed a structured 10-week study plan as I was eager to complete it before the year ends to deal with my laziness and boredom. I was working part-time then, so it was relatively manageable to do so. If you're busy with other commitments in life, I again would recommend you to take maybe somewhere around 3 to 6 months to make it practically possible and not get bored. Improvise your plans with theories and YouTube/ educational videos accordingly.

📅 My Routine and Time Management:

🔹 Weeks 1-4: Read PMP Exam Prep (Recent Edition) by Rita Mulcahy. There were 14 chapters, each of which I finished in 2 days (14 X 2 = 28 days). Take necessary breaks when needed (I even partied one of those days randomly to stay in the loop 🙊). Meanwhile, glanced upon PMBOK Guide & Agile Practice Guide to understand the framework.

Just a reminder that at this point of time, I started doing a 2nd part-time job and most of the days, I'd just come back home after 12-13 hours and still kept on pushing myself to study for at least 2 hours as I had roughly little over 1 month left to give the exam. On harder days, I'd just fall asleep out of tiredness, but still kept on going, even if I'd wake up at 3am at night! That's in other words known as DEDICATION! So, get your ass back to this track if you really want to pass! 

🔹 Weeks 5-6:  I often used to get distracted and demotivated by life pressures at this phase. To make things look psychologically easy-going, I started solving exercises from the same book of Rita Mulcahy while watching Youtube video lessons by Andrew Ramdayal to still keep going, and took notes. 

🔹 Weeks 7-8: Practiced 2-3 mock tests weekly using exam simulators during the break time of my work. You just need a phone and internet connection and lots of motivation to do that!

🔹 Weeks 9-10: Focused on weak areas, reviewed PMBOK formulas, and kept on working on my mistakes.

Step 4: Adopting the Right Mindset & Techniques

Key Strategies I Used:

✅ Active Learning Approach: I created flashcards, summarized concepts in my own words, and taught others to reinforce my understanding. You can also grab a partner who's preparing just like you to motivate and test each other. Unfortunately I couldn't get any, so chose I myself instead. 😎
✅ Mock Exam Analysis: I didn’t just take mock tests—I reviewed every incorrect answer to understand gaps in my knowledge. If you don't want to spend anything just like I didn't, you can still get free YouTube videos and resources to test yourself.
✅ Time Management Practice: The PMP exam is 230 minutes for 180 questions. I tried answering questions within 75-80 seconds in the real exam. However, please keep a week in your hand to simulate real exam conditions. I couldn't do that and it made me nervous on the exam day for a while!
✅ Stress Management: A healthy routine, including exercise and meditation, helped me stay focused and calm.

💡 Tip: The PMI exam often presents situational questions. Always think from a PMI perspective—focus on stakeholder management, risk mitigation, and ethical decision-making.

Step 5: Taking the PMP Exam

I scheduled my exam at a test center to avoid any technical issues during an online proctored test. The exam structure included:

🔹 People (42%) – Leadership, team management, and stakeholder engagement
🔹 Process (50%) – Agile, predictive, and hybrid methodologies
🔹 Business Environment (8%) – Compliance, risk management, and strategy alignment

Exam-Day Tips:

✔ Stay calm & trust your preparation. Take deep breaths before the exam. Early morning schedule might help you stay fresh and focused with less distractions. Wearing Blue might help a lot of people calm down too!
✔ Use the 10-minute break wisely. Refresh your mind after 60 questions. Taking a break will immensely help you refocus and I highly recommend that. Go to washroom, try to take deep breath, if possible, stretch a little bit which will provide more oxygen to your brain!
✔ Flag uncertain questions but move on. Avoid spending too much time on a single question.

💡 Tip: If you’re unsure of an answer, eliminate the wrong choices first. This increases your chances of selecting the correct option.

Step 6: Receiving Results & Lessons Learned

After completing the exam, I received my congratulatory message immediately! Usually they'll hand you over a sheet mentioning whether you passed of failed (don't get a mini heart attack! YOU'VE GOT THIS!🎉

✅ Key Lessons from My PMP Journey:

🔹 A structured study plan is crucial—don’t try to cram everything in the last few weeks.
✨ Focus on the PMP Mindset—Think like a project manager.

🔹 Practice with high-quality mock exams (like PMI-authorized simulators). Mock tests are your best friend.
✨ Don’t Overcomplicate—Use simple explanations to understand concepts

🔹 Understand Agile & Hybrid approaches thoroughly—they dominate the new PMP exam.
✨ Stay Consistent—Even 1-2 hours of daily study makes a difference.

🔹 Exam day strategy matters—maintain a steady pace and manage stress effectively.