Tushar Tomar, from Amsterdam, Netherlands, passed the CAPM exam successfully in the first attempt. Tushar prepared for the CAPM exam with the CAPM training from the Master of Project Academy and he scored “Above Target” at the exam. He has compiled a CAPM exam review for us and also gave great CAPM pass tips. You can find his tips for passing the CAPM exam in this post.
Before going through Tushar’s CAPM exam review, let us show you Tushar’s CAPM exam results:
1) How long did you study for the CAPM exam?
It took me around two months to prepare for my CAPM exam including some short breaks due to some official international visits. For the most part, I devoted around two hours each day for studying the CAPM Certification Training Bundle provided by Master of Project Academy and PMBOK. During weekends, I revised my notes and went through topic-specific exams for increasing my understanding of the topic. In the last week, I spent a bit more time, mostly to practice exams provided in the training bundle.
2) What was the biggest struggle when preparing for the CAPM exam?
The toughest part is to go through more than 800 pages of PMBOK with consistency. In addition, memorize all the elements of different knowledge areas with their corresponding input, tools, techniques, output (ITTOs), is a herculean task. Thanks to easy accessibility to study material from Master of Project Academy’s CAPM training, I have the flexibility to go through study material even during my daily travels to the office.
3) How was the quality of CAPM training materials?
I felt CAPM study materials of Master of Project Academy were highly relevant and excellent. CAPM training from Master of Project Academy led a good foundation of my concepts which is instrumental to pass the exam. Also, the study materials are helpful for digesting the PMBOK in a comprehensive way and making your own notes.
4) How much similar were the questions in the real CAPM exam when you considered?
The level of the questions was similar to the practice questions from the CAPM training material. In addition, some questions were based on Agile-based approaches and tailoring methods updated in PMBOK. The real exam included a few numerical questions which were also similar to the Math practice questions of the CAPM training bundle.
5) How many sample CAPM exam questions did you practice before the exam?
Besides the 1,000+ exam questions provided as part of the course bundle; I took three full sample exams. I analyzed the results of mock tests very carefully and went back to the PMBOK for revisiting the topics of wrongly answered questions.
6) How was the support you received throughout the CAPM training?
The support was very responsive and helpful. I highly appreciate the prompt and efficient response from the instructors.
7) Do you have any recommendations for future CAPM candidates?
- Firstly, do not miss reading the PMBOK, in addition to the CAPM course study material. Secondly, do not miss the Agile and tailoring practices for each knowledge area mentioned in the PMBOK.
- Try to use the ‘brain dump’ technique in the first 5-10 mins of your exam which includes all numerical formulas, key concepts, project management knowledge areas/process tables, etc. This technique was very useful for me and practice at least writing 10 times the brain dump.
- Make a good study plan as per your exam date and break down the study material into smaller digestible pieces (like WBS). I did this based on the percentage of questions coming in the CAPM exam. Also include some flexibility in your study plan which is important for staying realistic and motivated.
- Keep reminding yourself why you need this certification as this will keep you motivated even in tough days.
8) Do you have any tips for the CAPM exam day?
- Practice your brain dump minimum once in the morning
- Have a normal breakfast, do not try anything new or heavy
- Reach at the test center at least half an hour early
- Read each question carefully and if necessary, read twice
- For the longer questions, initially always read the first and last lines. This will help to skim the important info from in-between lines
- Try to use eliminate the wrong answer approach while reading the options carefully (you can use the ‘strike’ option for this, available at the test screen)
- Keep an eye on the timer, but not after every question (after every 20-25 Qs)
- Mark any question (marking option is also available at the test screen), you are not sure of for review and come back to it later.
9) If you would give 3 tips to your close friend about CAPM certification, what would you recommend as part of your CAPM exam review?
Same tips as the previous one. In addition, take lots of practice exams and learn from your mistakes.
10) Finally, how likely is it that you would recommend Master of Project Academy to a friend or a colleague?
I strongly recommend Master of Project Academy to my friends and all CAPM aspirants if they would like to pass the exam at the first attempt.
About Tushar:
Dr. Tushar Tomar is an experienced translational oncology scientist with 10+ years of expertise in life sciences particularly in tumor cell biology and immunology, drugs/target/biomarkers discovery and their pre-clinical validation. Currently, he is a project leader at a Dutch biotechnology company called PamGene that offers research services with its unique proprietary technology platform for functional proteomics activity profiling and biomarkers analysis for various disorders including cancer. Tushar manages all the phases of research projects (initiation, planning, execution, monitoring, reporting, and closing) for PamGene’s products and services. Tushar is aiming to utilize his newly gained project management knowledge to accomplish the goals of his company.