Many aspirants are worried about math-based questions and the calculations involved in solving these questions. They wonder if they can use a calculator during the PMP certification exam.

Yes, you can use a calculator during your PMP certification exam.

In fact, you have two choices: you can use the built-in calculator application through the computer or ask the Pearson VUE staff to provide you with a calculator.

They will let you borrow a non-programmable basic calculator.

The PMP is one of the most valued certifications for project professionals. To attain it, you will have to go through a process. At the end, you must pass a computer-based exam under a controlled environment.

The PMI will test your knowledge on various aspects of project management, such as analytical, logical, mathematical, management, and leadership skills.

The PMP exam is a multiple-choice exam, and you have to answer 200 questions in four hours.

These questions are in different styles, and in order to prepare well, you will have to understand them properly. Each type has its own purpose and collectively they make this certification exam quite challenging.

How long you need for PMP exam preparation depends on one thing: you. How many hours can you put in each day, and how big is your knowledge gap?

Each aspirant will take their own time..

Once I read the lessons learned of a successful exam taker who took three years to prepare.

He dedicated the first year to reading the PMBOK Guide, and the second year was to reference books, and, in the final year, he reviewed all these materials again and practiced some questions. He then took the exam and passed.

I regularly receive emails from PMP aspirants asking if they have to pay any extra fees to reschedule or cancel their PMP exam.

This is one of the most frequently asked questions because many aspirants regularly need to reschedule or cancel the exam.

The short answer is: it depends.

It depends on when you want to reschedule or cancel the exam. You will not be charged if you reschedule or cancel the exam at least 30 days before the scheduled date.

The PMI will charge you a 70 USD fee if you decide to change your appointment within 30 days of your date.

However, your full exam fee will be forfeited if you decide to cancel or reschedule the exam within two days of the appointment; there is no refund in this case.

What happens if you have scheduled the PMP exam, and when the time comes, you have to cancel or reschedule due to an emergency.

I regularly receive many emails where aspirants ask me if they can change their PMP exam appointment.

Yes, you can reschedule your PMP certification exam appointment two days before the date. You will have to pay 70 USD to the PMI to change your exam date 30 days before your scheduled time, but doing so within two days of the exam will forfeit your full exam fee.

However, if you give more than 30 days’ notice, you can reschedule your exam for free.

A similar rule applies to cancellation.

Many aspirants ask me how quickly they can complete their PMP exam.

Yes, you can finish your PMP certification exam in less than four hours.

However, please remember this: you have been preparing for this exam for a long time and now you are attempting it. You may be tired, and you feel confident about all your answers, but this is your final chance to review your answers and pass the exam this attempt.

So, it is possible to complete your PMP certification exam in less than four hours, but I strongly recommend you use all the time you’ve been allotted for the exam. Use the rest of your four hours to revise your answers.

You have been waiting for this moment for months and you will not get this chance again. I am also sure that you don’t have any other business to attend to during this time.

Many aspirants wonder if they can take breaks during the PMP exam.

Yes, you can take as many breaks as you wish during your PMP certification exam.

Please note that there is no scheduled break; the duration of the test is four hours. Once you start, the clock will keep ticking until you finish or until the time runs out.

You can take breaks during your PMP certification exam to go to the washroom or eat some snacks, but the exam clock will not stop.

Now, you may be wondering whether you should take a break or not, or how many breaks you should take. It is your call. During my exam, I took two breaks; the first when I had completed 100 questions and the second when I had completed all 200 questions.

The total time allotted for the PMP certification exam is four hours.

You will have to follow a tutorial to familiarize yourself with the exam environment before it starts. This session will explain what the question screen will look like, how to select the answer and submit it, how to use the calculator on the computer, how to review answers, and other exam mechanics.

The time allotted for this familiarization session is fifteen minutes.

The duration of this tutorial session is not included in the exam time limit. You can start the exam right away if you complete this session in less than fifteen minutes and your exam clock will start counting down.

When I was taking my exam, I completed the awareness session in less than five minutes and used the remaining time to note down some formulas and concepts on the paper provided by the Prometric staff (now the exams are conducted at Pearson VUE centers).

Many aspirants think that there is negative marking on the PMP exam. Please note, there is no penalty for selecting a wrong answer.

Therefore, never leave any questions unmarked, even if you don’t know the correct answer. If you don’t know the right answer, select your best guess.

Leaving a question blank will not give you any marks. However, if you answer any question, you don’t know the answer to, you have at least a 25% chance of being correct.

If you are having a problem making best guesses, try eliminating the options that are the least likely answer. If you can delete one such option, you will have a 33% of selecting the correct answer, and if you eliminate two, you will have a 50% chance of choosing right.