I have been studying the PMBOK Guide 7th Edition for three months and consistently scoring around 70% on various mock simulators. However, I still feel nervous about the situational questions. In your experience, what is the safest "passing" score on practice exams before booking the actual pmp certification? I want to ensure I don't waste the exam fee.
3 answers
Reaching a consistent 70% is a solid foundation, but for the current pmp certification format, I usually recommend hitting at least 75-80% on full-length simulators like the one from iCertGlobal. The actual exam is heavily weighted toward hybrid and agile methodologies now, so make sure you aren't just memorizing ITTOs but actually understanding the "Project Manager mindset." If you can explain why a specific answer is correct over another, you are likely ready. I found that reviewing the mindset sections in my prep course was the final "click" I needed to pass with Above Target in all domains.
Are you finding that you struggle more with the predictive (Waterfall) questions or the Agile ones?
I felt exactly the same way. I was scoring 72% and passed with 3ATs. Focus on the ECO (Exam Content Outline) rather than just the textbook.
Kevin is spot on. The ECO is the blueprint for the pmp certification. If you understand the tasks listed there, the situational questions become much easier to navigate.
Most of my errors are in the hybrid scenarios where the transition between phases is ambiguous. It feels like the pmp certification expects a very specific balance of servant leadership and strict control that is hard to pin down in those mock questions.