Use a proven study approach and products. They can minimize uncertainty and build confidence. Today, a variety of study approaches and products exist in the market, plus a number of free ones on the Internet, but take care and remember that you usually get what you pay for. When selecting the best approach, ensure that the material aligns with the exam as based on the current PMBOK® Guide (third edition through fall 2009). Evaluate your learning style. Do you respond best to voice tools, placemats, flashcards, exercises? Choose the products that align with your needs. Ultimately, you are preparing for an exam, so it is a must that the approach you choose offers an exam simulation. Work the questions to the point where you can tear them apart fairly quickly and recognize the best answer. To prepare for the marathon of the four hours, run through a complete 200-question test at least three times before taking the real exam.

Be familiar with differences between PMI's approach to project management and how you manage projects at your job. Failing to recognize differences can make you vulnerable on the exam. One of the two biggest differences between what the typical project manager does at work and what is on the PMP Exam is the project management approach your company takes compared to the approach described in the PMBOK® Guide. The other big difference is terminology usage. You might have to consider some of the views and terms as "theory pills" to recognize them for the exam. If your workplace takes a different approach, know the difference.

A number of basic assumptions and givens factor into how PMI addresses project management as opposed to how you perform it within your company. You should become familiar with the PMI "theory pills" because they are underlying factors in how most questions are presented. "Theory pills" characterize a conflict between reality and what might appear on the exam. Reality is not often addressed in the questions. For example, in reality, you probably face constraints with regard to time and money, but on the exam, a question will probably assume, in theory, that time and money have no impact. Don't read too much reality into these types of questions.

Study with another person or a group, if possible. Group study and feedback can help you stay on track and keep everyone accountable. Studying together helps create accountability for yourself and others. As you study with others, assign content to one another and become the expert on your assigned content so you can mentor the others. After all, the best ways to learn are to do and to teach. Create some type of study schedule that everyone will follow. As the test date approaches, wind down the group study a bit so group members can study on their own and focus more on their specific preparation needs.

Only you can gauge how many hours to study. Cramming the day before is not a bad idea. It can help you detect any final subject areas that need last-minute study. As for the number of hours that lead up to that final study review, you have to measure your own comprehension against what is expected on the exam itself. If it takes you one hour to grasp a concept, then you need one hour of study. If it takes you two hours, then you need two. On average, however, expect to study around 30 to 40 hours, at a minimum.

You should know what to expect, measure what you know cold, and determine the topic areas that need extra work. Focus on bringing your knowledge up to a level of familiarity that gives you comfort about your comprehension.

Set a date for the exam and work to that date. Sticking to a date will help you stay focused. Procrastination can be your worst enemy in getting ready for the exam. You may feel that you need to study more, so you plan to study as time allows, but you never give your study the priority it needs. Set a date for the test. Work to that date. Keep the exam a priority. Focus on it. Establish a study window, a time period during which all that you read and research remains fresh in your mind. This period is in the range of three to six weeks, depending on your own capabilities. Whatever the period, your goal is to focus on the material and retain the concepts fresh in your memory just before the exam.

Do all this and you will likely be better prepared and have a greater chance of success. If you aren't where you want to be within a week of taking the exam, move out the date. Reschedule and be sure.

Become familiar with the process inputs, tools and techniques, and outputs. The Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) describes project management as comprising nine knowledge areas, each of which is a process with inputs, tools and techniques, and outputs, or ITTOs.

It isn't critical to memorize every ITTO for every process. In fact, mere memorization may leave you hanging when it comes to taking the exam. The most valuable action you can take with regard to ITTOs is to understand how they fit into the processes, when, and to what end. There is a certain flow to ITTOs that make sense when you grasp the logic and reason behind their use and application. Just as planning comes before execution, certain inputs to some process are not possible unless they have already started life as outputs from another.

Envisioning outputs and inputs in their own right can give you another view on how the processes themselves function, on how activities follow one another, precede one another, or run concurrently.

Don't overanalyze questions. Keep in mind that three years' experience is the minimum needed to qualify for the exam. Some project managers with years of experience overanalyze questions to the point where they actually select the wrong answer. Three years of experience is the minimum needed to qualify for the exam. Answer questions based on that level of experience instead of 20 years' experience (or however much you have). Don't assume a question is a trick question just because its answer seems too obvious. Don't apply too much specific industry experience, such as IT or construction, to questions. In other words, assume you know nothing about the specific industry in the question and focus on the project management piece of the question.

Break the exam into manageable pieces (25-question chunks). This breakdown makes the exam less overwhelming. Just as you use the work breakdown structure to break project work into manageable pieces, do the same with the exam. The first 10 questions let you know you are in the exam, and during the next four hours, you and the exam will do battle. Your goal is to come out the winner, so break down the exam into battle chunks you can overcome. After getting through the first 10 questions, move up to question 25 with the knowledge that you are one-eighth complete. Then continue through the exam in 25-question chunks. Breaking the exam into smaller pieces helps you stay focused and prevents the exam from intimidating you.

Don't be shaken up by a few questions that you feel you don't recognize. Remain confident. Attitude goes a long way on the exam. The PMP exam is ever evolving. It doesn't simply test your knowledge of the PMBOK® Guide. It tests any potential subject used in modern project management. Very likely, there will be a few questions you just don't recognize no matter how familiar you are with project management. You are trying to pass the exam, not get a perfect score, so stay focused on the end result (passing) and continue onward through the exam.

Understand the value and substance of the ethics and conduct standards behind professional and social responsibility. Successful responses to questions on professional and social responsibility come from a solid foundation in values and ethics, standards that extend beyond your work as a project management professional. You must be willing and prepared to do what is proper and principled in every facet of your life, personally and professionally, whether at work or at home. The ideology behind professional and social responsibility focuses on honesty, fairness, truthfulness, and conscientious conduct.

With regard to professional and social responsibility, exam questions may deal with how to advance project management as a profession. It is the responsibility of every project management professional to build on and advance project management as a profession, through personal conduct and support of others. It is important to enlighten others about project management and its benefits, whether those others are within an entire industry or at your company. It is important that you mentor others and provide guidance to help them gain positive experience and knowledge.

Exam questions may also explore adherence to policies and law as well as your duty to report any violations. Reporting violations is a key aspect of professional and social responsibility. If something wrong is going on, you are obligated to report it, whether at the company, government, or legal level. Reporting of violations extends to truthful and accurate reporting as it applies to PMI certification and the certification process. PMI expects its member to comply with its governances regarding ethics violations.

An important element of professional and social responsibility is respect. If you have respect for others and for policies, everything else falls into place. You honor intellectual property rights, including copyrights, patents, and trademarked information. You honor agreements, including nondisclosure agreements. You recognize others, their values, and their differences, especially cultural differences. You listen and learn to gain an understanding of various points of view and diverse perspectives. You hold yourself to high principles, conducting yourself professionally and dealing with conflict or disagreement in a positive direct approach, affirming your standing as a constructive and trusted project management professional. You negotiate in good faith and avoid taking advantage of others. You establish a productive environment that fosters mutual cooperation to ultimately build trust, confidence, and performance excellence.

Another important element is fairness, a standard that governs how you make decisions without prejudice or favoritism and how you interact with others with equity and sincerity. You should set your own interests aside and open opportunities equally for all candidates and suggestions that advance the project toward its goal. The standards behind professional and social responsibility touch on how to avoid real and perceived conflicts of interest.

A final important element is honesty, a standard that encourages truthfulness in both communications and conduct. You must report information accurately and in a timely manner, without withholding any details that impact the outcome. When you commit to something, do so in good faith. You also need to nurture a safe environment that invites frank communication and candor.

Take time to learn about other PMI resources and standards. PMI makes a wealth of information available about certification and project management itself. Some of this information relates to tools for increasing project management knowledge. Other information documents various standards.