Mandisa, a project manager, was looking to improve her career in project management. After registering for ExamsPM’s training, Mandisa decided to become PMP(r). She passed her PMP(r), in just 30 days. We asked her for her lessons learned. Here is what she had to share with us:
[one_fourth_3_first] [/one_fourth_3_first][three_fourth_last] 1. Why did you decide to become PMP(r). The PMP(r), certification is an important asset for career advancement and recognition of professional skills. It is especially important in the construction industry that I am involved in. It’s a significant performance equalizer for a woman in Africa’s construction industry.
2. What is your current job? What were your past roles? I am a project manager for a property development and construction firm. I have also been an assistant development manager and project officer, as well as a graphic design lecturer, designer, and lecturer.
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3. How long did you take to become PMP(r). I signed up on 7 August and completed the exam on 16 September. Although I had completed previous PMBOK(r), 5th edition training for 4 weeks, I was not able to sit before the exam changed from 6th edition. There were so many changes to the PMBOK(r).
4. What did your study plan look like? What was your study schedule? How many and how long did each day go by? What about per week? I knew there was a recommended study plan. Because of my limited time and busy work schedule, I needed to leave at most one week for the simulations. I finished the study material the Monday before the simulations began.
5. What study material did your use? Videos and handouts from ExamsPM. They include all the course tests as well as 3 simulation tests.
6. What advice and tips would you offer someone going through this certification process? It is important to take revision time. Practice as many simulations as you can. Even though I only saw one question in the simulations, it helped me to prepare my mind (I say this in retrospect).
7. Let us know when you took the exam. How did you find the actual exam date? I wrote the paper-based version. I arrived early to settle in. We signed in, and I immediately wrote all the formulae. I didn’t want to see the paper before I signed in, in case I panicked. This helped me remember some things and I was able to refer back to what I had written.
First, I concentrated on the questions that I understood, then I moved on to the next question. I made sure I was following the prescribed pace of 50 questions per hour. There is still time for skipped questions. I will admit that I was a little stunned when I saw the results. It was paper-based so I received my results one week after writing. I am PMP(r), CERTIFIED! !
8. Can people connect with you via LinkedIn?Yes, search for Mandisa Saurombe, or you can find my profile at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mandisa-saurombe-5422b7b8/?originalSubdomain=zw
Mandisa, congratulations again! We are so happy to see you again!
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