PMP - During the exam

If after reading the warning about noisy exam centers you thought "how bad can it be?", think again. The one I went to had a drip somewhere, and given my rather distressing disposition to counting (yes, I count when I'm idle!) the steady dripping sounds was more than distracting. I almost counted to 115 before retrieving my concentration.

And then there are the other test takers; one lady tapped her pencil incessantly, leading me into another counting rhythm. Another candidate went out rather frequently and the creaking door did nothing to hide the fact.

So, heed the wisdom; exam centers are not very exam-like; learn to concentrate.

Use every minute the clock gives you; this is one rare occasion where you can have 4 whole hours entirely to yourself, grab them, every minute :-) Use the orientation exercise that explains how the test works. There are NO sample questions, only a quick introduction. Use the opportunity to get familiar with locating the clock, using the calculator, navigating through the test, reviewing answers, etc. Repeat the orientation to get more comfortable.

Depending on what your exam taking style is, be prepared to take up to 60 or more questions to get into the groove. It's useful to mark the initial questions to be reviewed later.

Taking breaks is widely recommended. But it's ok not to take a break if you don't feel like it. It took me around 2:45 hours to finish all the questions, by then I was relaxed and thinking clearer. So rather than break the concentration that had settled in I chose to continue without a break.

Orient yourself inside the exam center. Locate the restrooms so you do not waste unnecessary time during the exam. Remember, the clock doesn't stop.

If you plan to do a braindump, do it neatly. There is no use having all those important tips if they are illegible when you really need them.

The rule about scrap papers is, if you need extra paper you need to return the one you already have. Most of the PMP exam takers I know did not need the extra paper. So don't be nervous about using paper frugally.

Finally, even if you are done before the 4 hours don't leave until the time is up, even if you are super confident about all your answers. These are 240 minutes that nobody can take away from you. They're yours to use, even if it means twiddling your thumbs counting down the last 15 minutes.

When the time is up the test ends automatically. A white screen appears that stays for so long, it makes you think something crashed in the exam software. Use the short survey at the end of the test to provide feedback. This is your chance to get back at the PMI for those sneaky questions in the exam ;-) After the survey the white screen re-appears, soon followed by... CONGRATULATIONS!