By exam week the studying is done. What is left is logistics, pacing and nerves, and all three can be prepared for.
The week before
Take your final full-length exam three days out, not the night before. Review your flagged questions and the domains that were last to reach target. Confirm your appointment details, the identification you need and, if you are testing at a centre, how long the journey takes.
The night before
Stop studying by early evening. Lay out your identification and anything the testing rules allow you to bring. Sleep matters more than one more hour of quizzes.
Pacing on the day
You have about 80 seconds a question on average. Some will take twenty seconds; give those seconds to the harder ones. Check the clock at fixed points, for example every 45 questions, rather than after every question.
When a question stalls you
Flag it and move on. The review screen lists every flagged question, and a later question often reminds you of the right frame for an earlier one. Never leave a question blank; a considered guess is better than an empty answer.
Read the format line
Multiple-response and matching questions look like single-answer ones at a glance. The instruction tells you how many answers to give. Read it every time.
Afterwards
Your result shows a performance rating for each domain rather than a score. If a domain is below target, it tells you exactly where to focus if you need a second attempt, and where to celebrate if you do not.
Sources
- The certification body's current exam content outline (timing and question formats).
- The certification body's certification handbook (testing rules and results reporting).
- The exam format on the PMP page.
