Passed PMP on my second attempt - here’s my full journey

Yesterday I passed the PMP exam. I started preparing in December 2025 and took the exam on April 4, 2026. Wanted to share my experience in detail since posts like this helped me a lot.

My preparation steps:

1. Andrew Ramdayal (AR) 35-hour course

I didn't just listen passively — I focused on truly understanding the PMI mindset. This was the foundation.

2. AR Simulator

After the course I moved to the AR question simulator. I reached around 60–70% and felt ready to take the exam.

3. First attempt — February 2026 — FAILED

The real exam was significantly harder than the AR simulator. I wasn't prepared for that gap.

An additional challenge for me: English is not my first language. Some questions were difficult to understand due to complex vocabulary and sentence structure — not because I didn't know the material, but because I couldn't always parse what was being asked. I got Needs Improvement** **in Process and Business Environment, and Target in People.

4. Back to preparation — this time more targeted

- Continued with AR simulator and completed the 200 Ultra Hard Questions from AR. These were closer to real exam difficulty — still slightly easier, but much better practice.

- Downloaded PMP Exam Prep by EZ Test Prep — this app was a game changer for me. It's interactive, works great on mobile, and automatically focuses on your weak areas. I went from struggling to consistently scoring 60–80%.

- Purchased PMI Study Hall — did topic-specific questions and mini exams, averaging 67–72%. Then took two full-length practice exams: 75% and 76%.

- Watched David McLachlan's PMP Cheat Sheet video to identify any remaining knowledge gaps.

5. Exam day — April 4, 2026

I was convinced I had failed. The last 60 questions were brutal — fatigue hit hard, and I was answering many questions purely on intuition with no real confidence.

6. Results

I passed — Above Target overall.

- People: Target

- Business Environment: Target

- Process: Above Target (this was my weakest area going in — the focused preparation paid off)

To everyone still in the process:

I know how hard this journey can be. There were many days I wanted to quit — where I had no motivation and just wanted it to be over.

What helped me most after failing the first time was a simple decision: study every single day. I didn't set aggressive time goals. Some days it was 20 minutes. Some days it was 3 hours. But I committed to making some progress every day — and that consistency is what got me here.

Good luck to everyone still grinding. You've got this.