Passing the PMI exam is one of the requirements for IBM PM Certification. Yesterday I sat for the exam, and passed. Some brief notes that may be helpful to those planning to take the test follow. Notes are based on my personal studying and test experience. If you have questions, please feel free to give me a call, or please drop me a quick note. Regards, Helen

Study Materials:
1. A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK)
2. Documents received from the 2 day 'PMI Prep Class':
 a. PMP Exam Practice Test and Study Guide
 b. PMP Challenge
 c. PMP Exam Prep Binder
3. Study Notes on the IBM web site (w3.project.ibm.com)
4. Quality Management for Projects and Programs (book by Lewis Ireland)
Supplement with your PM instincts and past experience....remember, don't be too caught up in IBM lingo. The PMI test is not an IBM test; you need to know PMI terms, practices, etc for at least the day of the test...
Re education: I took the PM Fundamentals class (21788 on MSE) in July, and the PMI Prep Class (N2504) in mid August.

Hints (based on the questions I had on my exam):
1. Exam has 200 multiple choice questions, each having 4 choices. The old exam had 5 choices; with the new format, there is less focus on pure memorization, and more emphasis on solving business problems. For example, you take a new job as a project manager on a project that's in trouble (cost, schedule, or customer sat problems), based on the 4 choices given, what would you do first. That kind of problem.
2. Know formulas cold: Earned value, number of communication channels, etc. There were at least 15 questions on Earned Value [PMI exams have a lot of variation in this area].
3. Know PMBOK cold.
4. Test had several questions on creating a network diagram and determining critical path. You need to draw the diagram, and then answer the questions that follow.
5. Many questions on use of Change Control, and use of Communications Plan. Again, questions were based more on solving business problems, than answering pure PMBOK memorization questions.
6. There were a few questions comparing Contract Closure with Administrative Closure. To be honest, I didn't focus my studies on that, so I was not confident on those questions.
7. Know definitions listed at the back of the PMBOK. Remember, forget your IBM terminology for at least test day.
8. Know Risk calculations (using decision trees, Expected Monetary Value, etc.) and Categories of Risk
9. Know Mazlow's needs, Leadership Styles, Motivation Theories, Sources of Authority/Power, Conflict Management, Team Building, use of Kick-off meetings. The Study Notes on the web site are a good study source.
10. Time Management: Focus was on use of crashing and fast tracking for reducing project duration.
11. There were a few questions on contracts, types of contracts in relation to risk to buyer or seller, and general procurement questions.
12. There were questions re quality (use of CIP, the 'ibilies' such as availability, costs of conformance, control charts, standard deviations, tools, audits, etc). Know the difference between quality planning, assurance, and control.
13. Several questions on costing estimates, types of costs, etc. Again, know Earned Value cold. There were a few word problems re Earned Value. From the text in the question, you need to determine BAC, BCWP, and ACWP, and then calculate CV.
14. The above list is not all inclusive, but it gives you a general flavor of the types of questions on the exam I sat for. My understanding is that the exam is modified daily, so the folks taking the test today will have different questions than the test I took yesterday.

What was not on my test (questions I had expected);
1. There were no questions on how to calculate seller price based on different types of contracts.
2. I expected many questions re the inputs/techniques/outputs of each phase; there were only a few questions.

The bottom line: I thought the test was difficult. I had studied in the range of 90-100 hours for the test, and received a 167/200 score (83.5%). You need 70% to pass.

[An informal poll of IBMers indicate the following correlation of study hours and exam scores: 30-40hrs: 70; 50-60hrs: 80; 80-100hrs: 85. This same data indicates an average intense study time of 50 hours yields an average of 90% pass rate for IBMers.]

My recommendation re studying:
1. Complete the paperwork on the w3.project.ibm.com web site to apply for the test. Submit to PMI using procedures on the web site. If they accept your application, you will receive a note with a letter of eligibility number. Then you have 3 months to take the PMI test (for the first time). Note: 60% of the folks taking the test pass on the first attempt. Then call the 800# referenced in the acceptance documentation, and schedule the test at Sylvan. Give yourself at least one month to study (I studied for 6 weeks).
2. Bring a simple calculator. Questions used straightforward math, but if you are like me, taking a test is stressful, and having the security of a calculator was important.
3. Bring snacks or drink and leave in your locker. During the four hour test there are no scheduled breaks. You can leave the test room by notifying the proctor. I took one break at the halfway point. At about test question 185, I still had plenty of time left to finish the exam, but found I was not concentrating well, so I took another break, and had a snack. Came back refreshed, and much more confident.
4. Re the test/facilities, etc. I took the 4 hour PMI test at the local Sylvan Technology Center in White Plains, NY. My test was scheduled for 11:30; I needed to be there 30 minutes before. This time is needed for the test proctor to verify your eligibility (bring your letter from PMI), your IDs (two forms, one of which needs to be a picture ID), and store all your belongings in a locker. I walked into the test with a sweater (just in case), a watch, and a simple calculator. Pencils and scrap paper are supplied. The proctor gives you an orientation to the computer, and a tutorial is available for taking the test on-line. And then when you are ready, you press the button to begin the exam.
5. As soon as the test started, I wrote down the Earned Value formulas on the scrap paper. Then I started the 200 questions. My strategy (which I did not deviate from during the test), was to answer each question in the sequential order in which the questions were presented. I left no questions blank. Note: other folks may use the strategy of answering only the easy questions first, and then going back and working on the hard questions, but I wanted to know that when I answered the 200th question, I was done. You can go back and forth within the test, and mark questions that you definitely want to review again.
6. Another strategy I used was to work backwards in some of the math problems. For example, there was a question re renting or leasing equipment, and I wasn't sure how to proceed. So I took each of the 4 answers, and worked backwards to determine the correct answer.
7. After about 3 hours I had answered the 200 questions. I then spent 30 minutes rereading each of the questions, and my answers. I changed 2 answers (follow-on questions gave helpful hints for those 2 questions). And then I pressed the END EXAM key, and after about a minute, my score was flashed on the screen. I collected up my belongings, received a note from the proctor congratulating me on passing the exam, and immediately called my husband to share my good news. (Preparing for the test is a family effort... knowing the local take-out numbers is essential!).

Stephen Moore, CPIM, PMP
Principal, Project Management Practice
Delivery Operations Support, IBM Global Services

High Risk Project Assessments | Complex Project/Program Management | Consulting

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