If you want to maximise your chances to pass the PMP exam, follow these 5 top advices also wrapped up in a Haiku Deck.

As I was preparing to deliver a Project Management Professional training session, I had to remember what exactly were the key success factors to obtain the PMP 6-digit licence number back in 2006. Having since then primarily focussed on portfolio, programme and agile management, it took a while for putting together these highlights.

In order to help people to outperform - my motto -, the coach’s objective should not be to go through hundreds of slides (sic) but to have all participants certified. Here is how to proceed.

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Guess what? First things first, especially for a exam on project management ;-) The most important aspect is to be able to set time aside. Good old University times are over, well for most of us; we now have to juggle through business, family and hobby agendas. Independently of our respective capacities, it is pointless passing the exam if one does not dedicate enough time for its preparation.

Besides, make sure to clarify who pays what bearing in mind that time is money. Often, the employer covers exam costs, formal training, some material plus a couple of days of absence while the employee allocates significant portion of study on his own time. At this stage, the key reference is the PMP Handbook; check it out!

Whether you buy or borrow, get new or second-hand, put emphasis on books (12.700 results on Amazon), edocs, mobile apps or shared files, start to stack up whatever is necessary to support your study. The exam focussing on the latest PMBOK Guide, always get up-to-date material.

Two highly recommended items:
- Flashcards: Commerce-Off-The-Shelves or custom-made, they will prove very helpful at memorising the extensive body of knowledge, the essence of this exam to the difference of PgMP for instance.
- Samples questions: the PMP examination is comprised 200 multiple-choice questions; therefore sample questions are key to drill exercises. Many posts recommend where to drill exercises, sometimes for free.

Taking into account the breadth of knowledge to master, it is wise to get formal training by certified professional. This coaching shall be geared towards teaching how to pass to exam rather than reviewing in detail all on PMP processes and knowledge areas; the former will “feed you for a lifetime”, the latter will be acquired by self- as well as peer study.

Back in 2006, I’ve attended at least a 7-day training. Retrospectively, I should have done 2 or 3 days max with the rest of the week dedicated to rehearsal.

About rehearsal, the most effective way to handle it is by identifying peers who are willing to go through the same exercise of trying, repeating and reviewing; usual suspects: other formal study participants.

First, there is a joint interest to do so; second, there is usually similar business background which help for adjusting and improving. Such peer study can be done either face-to-face or virtually; heard about Google+ Hangout, Viber or Skype?

At this stage, you should feel ready to go, normally booking your appointment to a Computer-Based-Test (CBT) in the city of your choice through the Prometric website. So, check all logistical details; it would be silly to miss a flight or forget mandatory documents! Then, a common hint applicable to all type of exams: relax.

Last but not least, optimise the 4-hour allotted examination time and the questions you want to answer first.

Et voilà. After so much time and effort, you should get a nice-looking A4 diploma in your mailbox. As usual, the end of this journey is just the beginning of many others. What remains to do now is to:

- Leverage mutually beneficial aspects of the certification. For the employee, usually described as competitive advantage, salary boost and advancement opportunities; for the employer, clearer career paths, standardise communication, improve governance and build in-house capabilities.
- Stay tuned. Contacts established during this endeavour can help you identify resources, get new assignments and solve business challenges.