PMP is one of the most challenging project management exams that we can prepare for. We may find that a minimum of 4500 hours of project management experience and 35 contact hours is just not enough for taking up this exam. Almost all test takers are known to use more than one study method to pass the exam. Besides other methods, most PMP exam takers are also known to use PMP mock tests to pass the exam. Let’s take a look at how mock tests can improve our chances of passing the PMP® certification.
What is a Mock Test?
Mock tests are simulated tests, which are based on the original exam. They are essentially rehearsal tests before the actual exam and give us an idea of the type of questions that are asked on the actual exam.
Why Do We Need Mock Tests?
Just as a cricketers needs to do a lot of net practice to perform well on the day of the match, we must also learn the mechanics of taking the exam and what to expect when we arrive at the examination center on the day of the exam .We can use a mock test to successfully prepare ourselves before the actual exam. A mock test helps can help us in our preparation in the following ways:
Types of Questions
PMP® is a diverse and multifaceted certification exam. The mock tests help us understand the type of questions that are asked in the actual PMP exam. We can attempt a number of situation based questions covering different levels of depth and complexity. We can also ensure that we have adequate knowledge about the processes specified in the PMBOK guide. We can also try out formula based questions to know whether we know the formulae well enough.
Self Assessment
A mock test can help us to assess ourselves at any point during our preparatory days. The chief value of a mock test is to make sure we are learning and improving. It is quite important for us to attempt mock tests that allow us to go over our answers, ascertain where we went wrong and learn from our mistakes. A consistent first-time score of about 80 % in these mock tests can give us better chances of success in the actual exam.
Battle plan
We may have created a battle plan to tackle the actual PMP exam, being fully aware of its complexity levels. We may have devised strategies for managing our answers, managing our time, managing our stress during the exam and managing our brain dumps. However, it is also necessary for us to implement the battle plan in the mock tests before we attempt the actual exam. This can essentially help us in understanding which battle plan works best for us. This, in turn, can give us the necessary confidence in implementing the battle plan in our actual exam.
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What to Look for in a Mock Test?
There are lots of mock tests available today. However; we must lookout for the following factors to get the desired results out of a mock test.
Variety of Questions
PMP® is known to contain a wide variety of challenging questions. While choosing mock tests we should ensure that they too have a similar variety of questions which will make our experience of the exam more realistic.
Full Length Practice tests
We should practice a lot of full-length mock tests, each made up of 200 questions, to understand the difficulties that we face while taking up a 4-hour test.
Examination Content Outline
The mock tests should be based on the content outline of the actual exam. It should have the questions in the same proportions as the actual exam. For instance, if the actual exam has only 13 % questions from the initiating group ,the mock tests should also have the questions in the same proportion. We can download the latest examination content outline for the PMP® examination to have a look at domains, tasks, and knowledge and skill statements as defined by the Project Management Institute's (PMI)® Role Delineation Study (RDS).
PMI®-REP
A registered education provider (REP) is an organization that is approved by PMI® to issue PDUs for its training materials. Exam simulators from reputed REP's are known to be quite close in complexity levels of the actual exam.Thus, while choosing paid mock tests we should check if they are from a well known REP.
Detailed Explanations
We should choose mock tests which have detailed explanations for every question. Online simulators from reputed organizations are known to even contain references to the sections and page numbers in the PMBOK® Guide. This helps us in quickly referring to the particular section of the PMBOK® Guide whenever we select the wrong answer.
Most Recent Version in the PMBOK® Guide
We should choose mock tests that are based on the most recent version of the PMBOK® Guide. If they aren’t, then we will not be able to guarantee the relevance or the accuracy of the answers.
Will it Allow Us To Practice it Multiple Times?
By repeating the mock tests we are able to improve our results and gain a lot of confidence. So, we should look for mock tests that allow us to practice them as many times as we like. Thus mock tests are great tools that can supplement our study for PMP. By simulating the real computer-based testing environment, they are able to provide us with the requisite confidence of dealing with PMP®.
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PMP, PMI, and PMBOK Guide have registered trademarks of the Project Management Institute, Inc.
