Test Taking Tips and Study Techniques

00:01 Hello and welcome.

00:03 This module is going to present you with some test taking and study tips and techniques.

00:13 Let's start with what you should do first.

00:16 You've walked into the exam.

00:19 The exam has started.

00:22 First up, always write down hard to remember formula before starting the exam.

00:29 Now, as part of your study, you should have rehearsed a brain dump.

00:34 Now this could feature the formulas, maybe some mnemonics and mindmaps that you put together or anything else that you need to remember for the exam before starting to answer the exam. Get these things down on paper.

00:52 You will be given scratch paper and make sure you've got enough.

00:56 You can always ask for some more, but you won't be allowed to take any of it out of the exam room. So as part of your study practice, putting this together. As soon as you're allowed to in the exam, write it down.

01:09 And also as you go through the exam and something else comes into your mind, put it down on the paper because it may disappear as quickly as it appeared in your mind.

01:20 Always read the exam instructions carefully.

01:24 Take time to understand the rules of the exam and listen to the exam proctors about instructions.

01:32 There are many people I know of who didn't and made some mistakes which cost them some time. So take time to read the instructions you've given and anything that the exam proctors say listen carefully.

01:46 Here's a big tip.

01:48 Never cram during the minutes before the test, you're using a different type of memory, then short term recall, you're probably not going to remember that information about an hour later when you need it.

02:01 So put that technique aside, it doesn't work, and it may just stress you out even more in those minutes before the test.

02:09 You either know it or you don't.

02:11 Don't stress yourself out by trying to cram at the last moment.

02:16 Here's another tip as you go through the exam.

02:20 Answer all of the easy questions first.

02:24 Remember, there are 200 questions to answer.

02:29 Answer them in order.

02:32 Of which ones are easiest? Each question is with one mark.

02:37 So the time you spend answering one long question that may take you five minutes, you could have answered three or four other questions in that time.

02:47 So, Mark, those questions that are more difficult and come back to them later and answer the easy questions first.

02:55 If you do find a question at all confusing, skip it, market and then go back to it later on. Don't forget to come back to it later on, though.

03:06 Now, once you've answered the easy questions and you're looking at those more difficult questions, try rephrasing the confusing ones in your own words.

03:16 Try and figure out what is it they're actually asking.

03:19 See if you can put it into your own words, and that may help you understand what the question is actually asking.

03:29 Once you're going back towards the end of the exam and answering those hard ones, use the checkbox System.

03:37 that the exam will give you to make sure you've answered them all.

03:42 You generally have some time at the end of the exam.

03:46 Most people have at least a few minutes use this time to go back and check the ones, even the ones that you've answered and double check them.

03:58 In terms of study, we know that the best way to study for the exam is to become a teacher.

04:06 And to recite and teach the concepts in your own words, because a clue as to whether or not you understand a topic is whether or not you can teach it.

04:17 So during your study, take time to grab your partner.

04:22 Your children, your pets, or if they all run away from you, any soft toy or inanimate object will do and try and explain the concepts, because if you can't, you don't really understand them.

04:34 So for example.

04:37 Can you explain? What estimate at completion is without using the formula, if you can't, you don't understand it, if you can.

04:47 You do understand it.

04:49 So take your time as part of your study techniques to practice teaching anybody that will listen.

04:56 Another good tip is to form a little study group with others that are sitting the exam and share tips and tricks and teach to each other.

05:05 Because you should always practice putting into your own words the concepts rather than just reading things or listening to things and relying on rote learning.

05:17 True understanding is knowing when you can put it into your own words.

05:23 But we know that the best proven learning technique is simply hard work.

05:28 Now you've had all of these modules to go through and all of the extra material to go through. And if I could, I would simply put the information into your brain and you would pass the exam, but I can't do that.

05:41 So you need to apply yourself and practice that hard work in order to pass the exam.

05:48 So please be prepared to put in the time and effort necessary to be successful.

05:56 You have all the materials you need at your disposal to pass the exam.

06:00 But it's up to you to do the work necessary.

06:06 So in the exam, you're going to be given a scenario.

06:13 In the form of a question.

06:16 And that question is going to provide you some information, either explicitly or implicitly about the things in the project that have already been done.

06:26 And you must know what best practices is to do best or next.

06:32 So think of it like this as a spectrum on the project life cycle.

06:37 The question is going to outline a particular point.

06:41 And in it it's going to either explicitly or implicitly provide you information that if you're at this point in the project, you could only be at this point if you'd done these things already.

06:53 But this means that you haven't done some other things too.

06:58 And generally, the things that are yet to be done are the answer that they're looking for.

07:04 And you may have to organize them in the right order about which ones should be done first, then second and third, then fourth.

07:10 So think about the questions in that regard.

07:14 And practice understanding them so you understand the picture they're painting for you.

07:21 Now in the PMP exam, you must assume that the project you are managing is, and this could be different from your current experience is that it's really big, it's complex and lasting for quite a long time. A big, complex project, and that that project is being managed perfectly in accordance with what is generally considered to be professional best practice.

07:51 You'll have a big team of professionals working for you as a project manager and many stakeholders that you need to manage and your position is project manager has ultimate responsibility and authority.

08:05 So this is the default project in the exam and this may be different from your current level of experience.

08:14 But when answering a question, always assume this is the type of project that the question is asking you about.

08:23 Here's my tips for how to answer a question in six steps.

08:29 First. Read the question fully.

08:35 One of the tips that I often tell people is to put your hand over the answer yes, even on the screen, and block out the answers and force yourself to read the question in its entirety.

08:47 Picking up the key words looking for what it's actually asking you? Read it fully.

08:54 I cannot emphasize that enough.

08:56 Next step, reread the question.

09:01 Take time to understand the question now throughout the exam.

09:05 You may be a little slow at reading those initial questions as you get used to the particular language being used.

09:11 You will get faster at reading them, but read and reread those questions. Then look to the answers.

09:21 There will be four of them, if possible, eliminate any obviously wrong answers.

09:27 Often there's at least one answer, which is obviously wrong.

09:32 Now the good thing about this is if at the end of it, you're forced to guess.

09:37 You've just gone from your chances of 25 percent to 33 percent.

09:42 But eliminate any obviously wrong answers.

09:46 Now with the answers that you have remaining.

09:48 Here's a couple of tips to help you decide which is the best one to put.

09:53 Put the answers on a spectrum of most right to most wrong and choose the most right one.

10:01 It's not uncommon for the actual perfect right answer to not be there. So in fact, what you're asked to do is of the answers given which is the most right.

10:14 So in order to do this, put them on a spectrum most right to most wrong and choose the one that's most right.

10:22 And if that doesn't work, try organizing the answers in the order of which they would be done first to last.

10:31 Some of the answers must be done before some of the other answers.

10:35 And figure out where you are in the scenario that's presented to you and choose the one that you would do first.

10:43 And finally, there's no points deducted for getting a wrong answer. So if you genuinely don't know the answer.

10:53 Do try to get rid of at least and obviously wrong answer and guess often this might be your tactic right towards the end of the exam, if you've got three or four or five questions left and you genuinely don't know the answer.

11:08 Take an educated guess.

11:13 So read the entire question before looking at the answer.

11:18 And I do need to emphasize this because in my experience, this is one of the factors or perhaps the most important factor, why people get questions wrong and what normally happens is people start reading a question and they go, Oh, I know what this question is going to be about.

11:36 I don't need to read the rest of it or understand it fully, and they go looking for an answer. Well, the people making the test anticipate you doing this, and it will be a wrong answer there that looks right to you. So please take your time.

11:53 Read those questions.

11:55 Fully reread the questions they are designed to catch you out. So take your time to read them.

12:03 Here are some common questions about the exam.

12:07 Is there a way to mark out or eliminate options that you immediately know are not the right answer? Well, if you're sitting a computer based test, you're going to have to use your scratch paper here.

12:20 And make a note of it.

12:22 Some people around the world are allowed to take the test and paper based format, and then you could mark your test paper and actually write that answer out.

12:31 But for the purpose of the computer based test, we're about 95 per cent of people sit the exam. You're going to have to use your scratch paper here.

12:38 You can't mark it on the screen as a wrong or right or wrong answer is your way to mark questions you are doubtful of.

12:45 Yes, there are. Regardless of whether you're sitting computer based or paper based with the computer, you can check it and go, I'll come back to it later for review.

12:55 Obviously, with paper based, you can make a pencil mark as well when you are done. Can you review the test? Absolutely. Until you've pressed submit on it, you can review any aspect of it and go back to any question.

13:12 And can you review the questions just marked as doubtful.

13:14 Yes, you can.

13:16 You can just check the ones that you've marked for review and ask to see those.

13:22 Do you get immediate test results if you're sitting the computer based test? Absolutely. By immediate, we mean give it a minute or two and you'll be told immediately whether you've passed or failed.

13:35 If you're sitting a paper based test, results can take between one to four weeks. That's the advantage of sitting a computer based test.

13:46 Can you bring any materials with you? Absolutely not.

13:50 You'll be taken into the room.

13:52 You're not allowed to take any paper with you.

13:54 No, no pens or pencils.

13:57 No calculators, anything at all.

13:58 You'll be given all of that.

14:01 In fact, I know some testing centers are actually wanding people down there and asking them to pass through metal detectors to ensure that no materials are taken into the exam center. What is the physical setting like? Well, for a computer based test, it's going to be a computer screen.

14:19 We do encourage you to go and visit the testing center before you need to sit the test and ask to see what the room is like.

14:27 If you have any concerns about the room, the noise level, the cleanliness or the professionalism of the proctors, please feel free to raise a complaint with the Project Management Institute. Can you take food or drink into the test area? No. You'll be asked to leave all of this outside in a locker and the only be allowed is a bowl of water and some basic food products. Obviously, it'll all have to be in clear wrapping as well.

14:55 Can you take breaks during the exam, for example, a lunch break? No. Your time keeps ticking.

15:03 You can leave the room to go to the toilet and which case you'll be chaperone or supervised. You may also access that locker with perhaps a bottle of water and some basic food in it, but your time doesn't stop.

15:16 So keep an eye on your time.

15:20 In fact, what are the time constraints or for the PMP exam? It's 200 questions and four hours for the CAPM exam.

15:29 It's one hundred and fifty questions and three hours, regardless of which exam you're sitting. Seventy two seconds per question.

15:38 So watch your time now.

15:41 It's not uncommon to take some time to get used to the questions, so it may be that you get to a quarter of a way through the exam and you haven't quite answered a quarter of the questions.

15:52 Don't worry. That's normal.

15:54 You will get faster at answering questions.

15:58 Not many people actually run out of time in the exam.

16:01 Most people, though, finish pretty close to the end.

16:07 Are the test questions grouped by areas such as scope or time management? No, not at all.

16:12 Completely randomized.

16:14 In fact, there'll be questions you don't really know which knowledge area it's referring to. Can you take paper and pen into the test area? As I've said already? Absolutely not.

16:26 And you'll also not be allowed to take anything out of the test area.

16:31 Now, don't forget.

16:32 My final point.

16:35 The PMP exam is not based on the PMBOK guide, these modules have followed the followed the PMBOK guide because it's a great place to start, though. But what we've done with all of these modules is made sure that we've aligned the information with a particular domain task because it's those domain tasks that you're actually tested on.

16:58 And those domain tasks are grouped by initiating domain tasks, planning, executing, monitoring, controlling and closing domain tasks. And yes, we know the percentages of each of those five domain task groups of questions you're going to get in the exam.

17:17 So good luck with your study.

17:19 Let me know if you have any questions and I'm sure you'll be successful.

17:25 Thank you. This has been an introduction and overview to successful test taking tips for the exam.