Modes is an Engineer and Project Manager in Johannesburg, South Africa. Modes decided to get PMP certification as this certification is becoming more and more a requirement on RFPs for the projects he is working for, in order to get a more Senior Project Manager role especially in large capital projects. We asked PMP tips from Modes and he answered our questions in an interview.
PMP certification is a highly renowned credential so if you are planning to succeed in your career as a project manager it is a must-have certificate for you. When you are preparing for the PMP exam it is always helpful to read the success stories and PMP tips of previous PMP exam takers.
Here is the interview with Modes Cloete who passed the PMP exam successfully with the PMP training from Master of Project Academy. We gathered awesome PMP tips from him, let’s read on.
1- ) How long did you study for the PMP exam?
I studied for the exam for about 7 weeks. I was spending 6 hours a day on average. However, keep in mind that I know people who studied more or less. It completely depends on your background, dedication and how you feel confident during your PMP preparation.
2- ) What was the biggest struggle when preparing for the PMP exam?
The material for PMP exam is a bit different in some areas from what I have learnt in practice. Therefore I had to do a bit of a paradigm shift in certain aspects. That was my biggest struggle when I was studying for the PMP exam. So, you might be a perfect project manager at your job. However, passing PMP exam requires different skills and rigorous preparation. I learned the theory of project management and which I saw sometimes different than what we are practicing in the field.
3- ) How was the quality of PMP training materials?
The material was great! I followed the PMP training course and then I added the PMP exams to my PMP study plan. The completion of this material brought me almost to a 90% readiness for the writing exams. In some cases, when I was uncertain whether I had a firm grasp on the concepts, I would view some YouTube videos. Sometimes I also browsed the internet for further explanations. This was a tremendous help which just firmed up the concepts explained in the Master of Project’s PMP online course. However, I must admit that without the Master of Projects training material I would have been lost.
4- ) How much similar were the questions in real PMP exam when you considered?
I can say that they were fairly similar. That’s why it was a great help to get a feel of what type of questions will be asked during the actual PMP exam. It made me feel really confident.
5- ) How many sample PMP exam questions did you practice before the exam?
I did two of the Master of Projects PMP sample exams and another two from other sources. One of my most important PMP tips to every PMP student is to also do at least three exams before attempting the exam. The PMP exam questions can be confusing that’s why you need to read carefully to be able to understand what is asked. By doing a few PMP mock exams beforehand helps you to understand what to expect.
6- ) How was the support you received throughout the PMP training?
Master of Project was really helpful during the whole process. In many cases, the answers to my questions were already in the Q&A section. However, in cases where I did post questions they all were was answered promptly.
7- ) Do you have any recommendations for future PMP candidates?
- Work through all the material in the Master of Project’s PMP online course.
- Read the PMBOK Guide in parallel
- Make use of YouTube and other sources on the internet to firm up your understanding.
- Make sure you work through at least three PMP exams from different sources.
8- ) Do you have any PMP tips for the exam day?
- Go well rested!
- Go with a plan. You have 200 questions and 240 minutes. What worked for me is to do 50 questions (taking about 50 minutes), verify your answers for another 5, take a break of 5 minutes and then tackle the next 50 questions.
9- ) Finally, how likely is it that you would recommend Master of Project Academy to a friend or Colleague?
No doubt I would recommend Master of Projects to a friend. The material was easy to follow and covered all aspects of what you need to know to pass the exam. I have friends that paid an enormous amount of money for PMP classes and had to attend these classes after work hours.
With Master of Project, I got the same material in the comfort of my own home, at my own time and at a fraction of the cost. Another benefit is that I could replay certain parts of the videos in case I didn’t grasp a concept right away. Or I would pause the video to first read up a little bit on a certain aspect before continuing the lesson.
Thanks to the Master of Project team for your excellent training material and support!
About Modes Cloete
Modes Cloete is an Engineer and Project Manager with 27 years’ experience in the Energy industry on various large capital projects. He recently acquired his PMP certification as this certification is becoming more and more a requirement on RFPs, for the Senior Project Manager role, on large capital projects.
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