Mastering the PMP Exam on the First Attempt:

Unlocking Success with Operation MOS

Operation MOS has crafted a proven and trusted study plan for those wishing to earn the Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification without spending thousands of dollars in study material and several months to prepare for the exam. 

The PMP is a globally recognized certification that validates an individual’s past leadership experience as well as future potential. While many transitioning military members have “leadership experience,” achieving the PMP certification effectively allows one to solidify this experience in the industry. Moreover, holding the PMP certification often provides leverage during salary negotiations.

While there is an overwhelming abundance of PMP resources and bootcamps available, none compare to the comprehensive and effective nature of our developed study plan. Continuously updated and tailored to individual learning preferences, it enables everyone to learn at their own pace, ensuring optimal understanding and success.

We would wish you luck, but you will not need it after following this guide:

Pre-PMP Exam Guidance

This Forbes Article sums up the pre-exam requirements and different pricing aspects well! Be sure to read up on the requirements before you take the exam to ensure you are eligible. 

 

Example of How to Fill Out Project Management Experiences Section in the Application:

Pro Tip: Make sure you are writing these descriptions in Microsoft Word or a similar application. The online application is not reliable and will delete your input if you have it open for more than 5-10 minutes. 

 

If you are having issues with describing your projects, many find success using the following template, and then piecing it together on the application: 

 

Phase 1: Project Initiation 

  • What is the project? Can you define it? What is the “business case,” or the mission that you set out to achieve? 

Phase 2: Project Planning 

  • What was the roadmap that you (or others) developed? Think about how teams were organized, resources were acquired, and goals were set. 

 

Phase 3: Project Execution 

  • What were the deliverables that were created? This is the core of the project - what actually happened? 

 

Phase 4: Project Performance 

  • Project performance and monitoring ensures that project results align with the management plan. Project managers use key performance indicators (KPIs) to determine if the project is on track. 

 

Phase 5: Project Close 

  • Once a project is complete, the team must formally close it. Project managers generally hold a post mortem meeting to evaluate successes and failures. Project close helps a team identify things that went well and areas for improvement. 

Now that you have completed the pre-exam requirements, below you will find the weekly breakdown to pass your PMP!

Week 0: 

  • Get your Mind Right: Remember, regardless of how much experience you have in project management and leadership the test isn’t asking what YOU would do, but what PMBOK wants you to do. You should also be able to answer “why do you want to get your PMP?” and “what opportunities does this open for me that I am interested in?” 

  • Purchase the Lectures: Navigate to Udemy.com and sign up for Andrew Ramdayal’s PMP course. This course not only acts as a teaching tool, but also counts for the 35 PDU hours required to take the PMP exam. Ramdayal’s teaching style is easy to follow and he teaches to the exam, cutting out the “fluff.” Cost: ~$30 

Weeks 1-4: 

  • Watch all 30 sections of Andrew Ramdayal’s PMP course. 

  • Four weeks is about average to watch all these lectures, that will be about 2 hours per day, Monday-Friday. 

  • If you can, watch videos on 1.5-2x speed for most efficiency– the most important point is the lectures are still at a comprehensible speed. It’ll be different for everyone. Taking notes isn’t necessary, just make sure you’re not distracted when listening to these videos. 

  • Do not do any of the quizzes at the end of the sections - you will complete these later. 

 

Week 5-6: 

  • Complete the Section Quizzes: Go back and take the quizzes at the end of each section, ESPECIALLY the mindset section. If you’re getting more than 3-5 wrong, go back and review the necessary sections and try again. 

Week 7:  

  • Complete the PMP Application: It takes 3-5 business days for your application to be approved. 

  • Read the Agile Practice Guide: Agile Methodology concepts will be covered by at least 90 questions on the exam. Read through this guide once or twice and take note of specific agile terms such as: agile mindset, sprint, backlog, daily scrum, burndown charts, etc. NOTE: I this may be available on Navy Online Library or other DoD funded online libraries
     

Week 8: 

  • Exam Simulator: Navigate to Prepcast’s website and purchase the PMP Exam Simulator. Cost: $150 

  • Take at least three 10-30 question quizzes every day.  

  • It is important that you flag questions you are unsure on and review these questions as well as any incorrect ones after each quiz submission. 

  • Reading and understanding the explanations is KEY to successfully learning this material. It is where you close any knowledge gaps. 

  • Goal: Completed (and review) at least 100 questions at the end of this week. 

 

Week 9:  

  • Full Practice Test(s) on PrepCast 

  • Only take a practice test once you feel you have mastered a large amount of the material. 

  • Try your best to simulate the actual exam. Take the exam in a quiet environment without any notes, and take the 10 minute break at questions 60 and 120.  

  • Flag all questions you cannot definitively answer. 

  • Within 24 hours of finishing the practice exam, set aside time to go over every question you flagged as well as ones you answered incorrectly. Prepcast will give full explanations on why each answer option is/is not correct. 

  • A vast majority of those scoring AT/AT/AT on the PMP exam score between 60-70% on the PrepCast practice exam. It is extremely rare to score above 75%. 

  • Goal: Complete 1-2 practice tests, with at least one between 60-70%. 

 

Week 10:  

  • Register for the PMP Exam 

  • Take 3-5 quizzes of 10-20 questions each. As always, go over incorrect answers. 

  • Goal: Score between 60-70% on each of these quizzes. 

  • Go over Ramdayal’s Mindset Video - this is key to answering a large percentage of questions on the PMP exam 
     

Week 11: 

  • Take the exam: Make sure you’re well rested and relaxed the day prior and in the hours leading up to the exam. You need to be as relaxed and rested as possible for this 3 hour exam.