The Secret Of Creating Your PMP Exam Brain Dump Sheet

There’s no better catalyst for self realization than taking the Project Management Professional (PMP)® exam. I’m kidding you, of course, but there is some truth in that the PMP exam day will illuminate that “you don’t know what you don’t know.”

The PMP Exam is a ‘closed’ book exam. That means the only reference material you are allowed to carry into the testing facility has to be contained in your brain. But during your exam, your brain is going to be very busy interpreting the exam questions and trying to apply all of the knowledge, skills and principles you’ve accumulated in your studies and work experience.


If you haven’t already, you should go for a visit to the local testing facility where you’ll take your exam and confirm what to expect. Most likely, on your exam day, the exam monitor will check you into the testing facility, hand you six or so sheets of scratch paper and two pencils, then show you to your seat and confirm that your PC is working. Then you’ll have about 15 minutes to go through a tutorial that really only takes about 5 minutes to do. Then you begin your exam.

During the test, recalling what you do know can be daunting. Quite frankly, some of your ability to access that knowledge is going to seem misplaced amongst your grey cells. So how do you create the best opportunities to pass the PMP Exam that day? You can use the 10 minutes you don’t need from the tutorial time to do a Brain Dump!

What is a Brain Dump?

A Brain Dump is a technique used by many students on closed book exams to create their personal mini reference table. Brain dumps are abbreviations of components and concepts, which you have committed to memory and are then spilled out on to sheets of paper prior to the exam for reference.

Brain dumps contain just enough key concepts, theories, formulas and content, which will jog your memory. By having the information on your Brain Dump, your mind can focus on the question at hand instead of trying to remember the formula needed to answer the question. It helps you to be in the the right frame of mind specific to each question.

What goes into a Brain Dump?

Brain Dumps are only as good as the quality and quantity of information that you can spill out on the piece(s) of paper just before you begin your PMP Exam. They contain the formulas, theory, concepts and PMP-isms that you might otherwise forget for a moment at the very moment when you need it most.

Here is what you can generally find as part of a PMP Exam Brain Dump:
Table 3-1 of the PMBOK® Guide 4th Edition
Formulas, such as earned value, PERT, communication channels, procurement, probability, project selection and depreciation
Values, such as 1, 2 and 3 sigma and estimate ranges
Acronyms, such as BAC or TCPI
Powers of a project manager
Conflict resolution (best to worst)
Sources of conflict (order of priority)
Herzberg’s motivators
Project closing check list
And of course: you must include all the items that you personally have trouble remembering during your studies and that you feel need to go onto your sheet. The list above or using a Brain Dump that someone else created can be a good start but you really need to customize it to your needs. Don’t study what others are having trouble remembering. Instead, include what gives you the hiccups.


How do I Study a Brain Dump?
Brain Dumps are pure memorization. As part of your exam preparation, exercises and studying, go ahead and practice committing the content of your Brain Dump to memory and then writing them out onto a blank sheet of paper on a daily basis.

Every morning, practice your brain dump until you’re satisfied with your progress. By the end of the first week you should be able to write out your brain dump in its entirety on the first go.

Then continue dumping it on a regular basis, going back to the daily routine in the two weeks leading up to your exam.

So What *IS* The Secret of Creating My PMP Exam Brain Dump Sheet?

Creating and studying your very own, personalized PMP Exam Brain Dump Sheet is a means to an end in itself. It all begins with creating the content that goes into it by getting to know your weak areas as you prepare for the exam. Then you memorize, you dump and you repeat. Pretty soon what seemed too complex to remember is at the forefront of your knowledge.

So the secret is that you will accelerate your studies and knowledge simply by going through the motions of creating, studying and knowing what’s on your personalized Brain Dump.


Last but not least, your PMP Exam Brain Dump is a great tool not only to help you bring your reference material into the testing facility, but also providing stress relief knowing it’s there as you encounter questions that require it. You’ll help yourself to learn the material as you study for your PMP Exam and give yourself an important edge in passing.

This is 6 steps that will guide to in how to fill the PMP exam form.

- Kindly refer to the PMP handbook before you start filling the online application form.

- To get PMP Handbook:  Click Here

Step (1 ) Log on to the PMI website:

• http://www.pmi.org/Pages/default.aspx

Step(2)    Please note that to apply online for the PMP examination, you have to have an account with PMI.

• If you do not have an account with PMI then you have to create an account .

• If you have an account with PMI then  log in using your user name and password.

Step ( 3 ) Once you register and log in, You will be directed to the PMI home page,  which will look as follows:

• Click on ” Get Certified “

Step ( 4 ) You will be directed to the following page :

• Click on ” Apply for PMP Credential “

Step ( 5 )  Now you start to enter information about ( contact address , education , 35 hours training , 3500 hours in project management )

• Work Sheet overview ( This will work as calculator to calculate the number of hours that you have to have for each section )

• Enter information about you address , email and phone number
  

• Enter information about the projects that you involve with ( Note : You can add more than one projects so you can reach the minimum )
  

• Enter information about your education ( Note : you can add more than one )

• Enter Your name that you wants it to appear in the certificate

• Submit the document for review from the PMI ( make sure that you complete all the requirements )
  

- Note : if you are selected for audit the PMI will send files to your email address which you have to print them and sign them from the person who you add his name in the project as reference that you have to send to the PMI the following documents

1- Copy of your education certificate.

2- Copy of the attendance certificate of the project management course ( 35 hours ).

3- The papers that they send it to your email ( signed ).

Step ( 6 ) After the PMI reviewing your paper if you selected to be audit and they approved your paper OR if you did not selected in the audit , then you will receive an email from the PMI to tell you that you are eligible for entering the PMP exam then you have to do the following :

PMEA , wish all the best for you to pass the PMP Exam

This is a nice tip , that PMEA would like to share it with you. This tips is a small guide about How/ what you will do in the PMP exam day.

• Arrive early on exam day , at least 2 hours
• Make sure to have ( PMP Mind Map , PMP Process Group , PMP ITTO , PMP exam formula  ) with you. This will help you as quick review.
• Bring 2 forms of ID.
• Print  letter from PMI.
• You will be assigned a small locker in the exam center.
• They will give you sheets of paper, 3 pencils and a calculator
• They will escort you to your seat
• You will walk through instructions for taking the exam
• You have 15 minutes to complete the instructions ( you can use this time to right down the PMP formula in the sheet paper which they gave it to you )
• You have 60 seconds to start the online test after completing the instructions
• Once you begin the test, you have 4 hours. The clock does not stop if you take a break
• This advice from PMEA on taken the exam

•  
  1. Answer 75 Questions  
  2. Break  for 2 To 3 min.
  3. Answer 75 Questions
  4.  Break 2 To 3 min.
  5. 50 Questions
  6. Review and close.

  
  

  • No talking
  • People will come and go, but don’t let this shake you.
  • Read the answers from the bottom up.
  • If you are unsure of an answer, do not guess on the first pass. Simply mark the question for review
  • Do not struggle too long on one question. Mark it for review and come back to it at the end.
  • Once you get to the end, you can then review the questions you previously marked. Many of these answers will now come quickly
  • After completing the questions marked for review, you can now click on “Complete “
  • It will prompt you “are you sure”
  • Once you choose yes or ok, the system will take around 2 to 3 min to calculate the result.
  • Once complete the words “Congratulation You passed” appear on the screen.
  • Your test results are then printed with the attendant.
  • The attendant will give you a certified copy of your test results
  • You will receive certification via mail

 
 Good Luck,