The Project Management Professional (PMP)® certification tests your knowledge and understanding of global project management standards as defined by the Project Management Institute (PMI)®. Project Managers who earn the PMP certification have proven they meet these standards, which can have positive results on their projects and careers.

One of the most beneficial ways to prepare for the material on the PMP exam is to test your knowledge using a PMP simulator. RMC’s FastTrack® Cloud exam simulation software is a great tool to incorporate into your test prep strategy. Let’s familiarize you with some other information to consider when choosing an exam simulator.

Best PMP Exam Simulator

1. The Benefits of Exam Simulation
2. What Questions are on the PMP Exam?
3. What to Look for in a PMP Simulator
4. Get the Closest PMP Simulator Experience

The Benefits of Exam Simulation

Overcoming Test-taking Fear 

If you are a nervous test taker, simulator exams are one of the best ways to overcome your fear. Exam simulation helps you get a feel for the test setup and environment. Seeing the same type of questions, you’ll find on the PMP exam will help you get comfortable with the pressure and timing associated with the exam.

Building your Test-taking Confidence

The more you practice, the better you become. You’ll learn how questions are structured and to identify the best answer from the options. There could be questions that present four choices that aren’t truly the correct answer. Don’t be caught off-guard! With our exam simulator, you will learn how to identify the best answer from the choices given.

Familiarity with how these questions is structured before you take the exam will reduce surprises. Because you are getting the closest test experience possible, you will be psychologically prepared for the real exam.

Identifying your PMP Knowledge Gaps

A good simulator will give you the tools you need to continue your studies. For example, our exam simulator will show you how well you did in each domain, development approach, process group, and knowledge area. Having this information shows you exactly what you need to focus on in your continuing study.

Questions Aligned to the PMP Exam

It’s extremely important for the questions in the PMP simulator to closely align to those on the test. Today the PMP® exam will test on three domains: People, Processes, and Business Environment and you must demonstrate knowledge in all three areas to successfully pass the exam. Additionally, the exam tests your knowledge for solving problems in predictive, agile, or hybrid environments.

In 2021, PMI added new question types: Multiple Choice, Multiple Response, Matching, Hot Spot (e.g., you might be asked to place an identifying spot on a chart), or Fill-in-the-Blank. Before 2021, the PMP® exam had only multiple-choice questions. FASTrack’s PMP simulator includes these new question types, as well as multiple choice questions. So, when you use our exam simulator, you know you are getting the most robust, practical exam experience possible.

What to Look for in a PMP Simulator

A good exam simulation tool will help keep you on track and lead you to success. When evaluating exam simulation, here are a few things to consider.

1. How Well Does it Simulate the PMP Exam?

An exam simulator should allow you to practice in a very similar environment to the real exam. That includes the type of questions, the number of questions and the topics covered in the exam.

RMC’s FastTrack® Cloud Exam Simulator has more than 2,200 questions that have been prepared by seasoned project management professionals from a variety of backgrounds. That’s the largest database of question for PMP exam simulators. It is set up just like the real exam and includes Agile, hybrid, and predictive questions closely align to those on the PMP exam.

You’ll get 180 randomly selected questions from our database and have 230 minutes to complete the practice exam. You will receive access to tools that you’ll find on the PMP® exam (an electronic whiteboard, calculator, scheduled breaks, and a comment feature).

Our students find that they are much less nervous when they go into the real exam setting because they practiced with our FastTrack® Cloud Exam Simulator. Some have even commented that since our questions are tougher than the ones found on the test, the real exam was a breeze!

2. How Effective Is It as a Teaching Tool?

An effective exam simulator identifies the correct answer and explains the answer. Being able to understand the correct answer in the context of your preparation will help you learn, not just memorize, information. It will also help accelerate your learning.

RMC’s FastTrack® Cloud Exam Simulator will give you the correct answer and explain why it is correct, and why the others were wrong. The explanation will also direct you to a related content’s source, like our PMP® Exam Prep book or the Project Management Book of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) and the Agile Practice Guide.

We recommend you take no more than two full practice exams, although you can take as many practice exams as you like. We’ve made it so you won’t get repeat questions. You can also take focused exams. For example, you can select a batch of questions based on a particular topic, like scope or resources, and score yourself on the topic of your choice. You can also practice taking questions by domain, process group, keyword, PMP, and Super PMP simulation. So, if you need to work only in the People domain, for example, you can laser focus in this area.

The PMP exam simulator should include real-time robust reporting to improve your knowledge and test results. You will want to find summary reports that compare your overall test performance and detailed reports that break out how well you did by test, question, domain, development approach, process group, and knowledge area. A great simulator will reveal your strengths and weak spots, so you know exactly where to focus your studies.

Lastly, make sure the simulator has flexible subscription options, so you get access to the right amount of simulation that aligns with your study schedule and your test date. If you need more practice, a good exam simulator should allow you to seamlessly extend your time.

Get the Closest PMP Simulator Experience

Our students who have passed the exam report back to us that the real exam was difficult. But don’t stress out! RMC’s powerful FASTrack® Cloud Exam Simulator will give you the closest experience possible to taking the real PMP exam.

What are you waiting for? If you haven’t experienced exam simulation, now is the time to give it a try using our free demo. You can also purchase RMC’s FastTrack® Cloud Exam Simulator in 3-, 6- and 12-month subscriptions.

If you need want additional information about the PMP exam, RMC can help.  We offer monthly webinars on Taking the PMP Exam: What You Need to Know.  Get more tips on how to prepare for the PMP.