Here are some tips to help you prepare for the Exam:
1. The PMP Exam is tough, and you are going to need more preparation in addition to taking the 35 or 40-hour training class (or boot camp).
2. The Exam has situational questions or case studies that are meant to test your understanding of the concepts (and not memorization).
3. Read the PMBOK® Guide two times, in conjunction with the guide book whose link is below in this page. The sequence of chapters in this book and PMBOK are identical.
4. Keep the Process Group/Knowledge Area table (Page 25 in the PMBOK) in front of you during your preparation. It has 49 processes. Memorize the process names and the Process Group and Knowledge Area they fit in.
5. For each process, you should be able to write one sentence on the objective and key output. Later, you should understand the requirements (inputs) and how the process is conducted (tools and techniques).
6. Learn the charts and figures (such as the cause-and-effect diagram, control charts, etc.) Know their purpose, Knowledge Area, and various names used to identify those.
7. From the study notes, decide what you will write down on the scratch paper given to you at the start of the PMP Exam (if writing notes on that paper is permitted). This must include the formulas (in Appendix B) and the 49-process grid. Practice writing these from memory at least five times.
8. After you have read each chapter, do the practice test at the end of each chapter in this book.
9. Review the questions that you answered correctly. Was the correct answer a lucky guess? Did you select that for the wrong reasoning? This is also an opportunity to identify your gaps and learn the material. It is better to make mistakes now, rather than in the Exam.
10. Toward the end, do the full mock (sample) exam of 200 questions (in 4 hours), which is at the end of this book.
11. One of the biggest PMP challenges is answering 200 questions in one stretch. Please acknowledge that doing questions in batches of forty or fifty at home is comparatively easier.
12. You must practice at least three full 200-question tests at home to build your test-taking tenacity. You should get 85% or more in these tests at home. Many online practice questions are easier than what you will see in the Exam.