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This is where you shift from learning to testing. The goal is to simulate exam conditions, identify remaining weak spots, and build the stamina and timing you need for 180 questions.
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What You're Doing
Taking full length practice exams under timed conditions, doing thorough reviews of every wrong answer, and filling knowledge gaps with targeted study.
Week by Week
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Week 9: First Full Practice Exam
- Take your first 180 question practice exam. Simulate real conditions: timed, no notes, no breaks beyond the two built in ones.
- Score it. Don't panic about the number. First practice exam scores are typically 55 to 65%. That's normal.
- Spend the rest of the week reviewing EVERY wrong answer. Categorize your errors: was it a knowledge gap, a misread, or a mindset trap (choosing the real world answer over the PMI answer)?
- Update your study notes with anything you missed.
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Week 10: Second and Third Practice Exams
- Take two more full exams with at least 2 to 3 days between them.
- Between exams, study your weakest areas intensively.
- Track your scores in the Practice Test Tracker. You should see improvement.
- Pay attention to timing. You should be finishing with 15 to 30 minutes to spare. If you're running out of time, practice reading questions faster and eliminating obviously wrong answers first.
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Week 11: Targeted Review
- Take one more practice exam.
- Spend the rest of the week on your weakest 3 to 5 topics only. Don't re-study things you're already getting right.
- Do small batches of 20 to 30 questions focused on your weak areas.
- Re-read the PM Mindset page. By now you'll understand it at a much deeper level.
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Practice Exam Sources
Not all practice exams are equal. Some are too easy, some test obscure trivia that won't appear on the real exam. Good sources:
- PMI Study Hall (official, closest to real exam difficulty)
- Andrew Ramdayal's practice exams
- PrepCast PMP Simulator
Avoid free random quizzes online. They're often outdated or based on the old exam format.
The Review Process
This is non-negotiable. For every wrong answer:
- Read the explanation for the correct answer
- Identify which domain and topic it falls under
- Write down the concept in your own words
- Ask yourself: "Would I get this right if I saw it phrased differently?"