In each issue, Cheetah News features an individual who shares his or her ideas, insight, and experience with Cheetah Learning's Methodology.

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Getting “Soaked” with Knowledge
Four days of accelerated exam prep, including mind mapping, meal planning, and test-taking tactics. And on the fifth day – a four-hour exam covering the content of a rather large reference guide. If you pass it, you earn your PMP^® certification.

Otis L. Boyles wanted his PMP^® certification, and since the defense contractor/sensors and surveillance company he works at was sponsoring employees’ certification efforts, the time was right. He knew about Cheetah Learning’s successful pass rate and decided to follow the recommendation of peers who recently took the course and passed the PMP^® exam using Cheetah’s accelerated learning techniques.

But knowing about the course and living through it aren’t quite the same thing. “It was like drinking, feeding and learning through a fire hose all at once,” explained Otis. “The Cheetah course was very different from any other prep course I had ever taken. Everything was given to me at such a fast pace. I had to memorize and absorb new information very quickly, and sometimes that meant putting in additional study time at night, which, believe me, I did. So don’t for a minute think you can go back to your daily routine at night after class.”

Some of those evening hours were spent reviewing the 25-question quizzes he took during the day and then looking for more detailed answers in The PMBOK^® Guide. The practice quizzes and the memory maps helped Otis navigate through the questions on the PMP^® exam. “I also found it really helped to get into the habit of reading the multiple-choice answers first, before reading the question.”

Once Otis adjusted to the “fire hose of knowledge,” he faced an even greater challenge. “I had to trust my first answer to the question and not over analyze or read into each question and answer too much,” he said. “And I couldn’t let my personal opinion or experiences bias my interpretation or answer to the question. I just gave the answer from the book. I had to make sure I didn’t get too frustrated or wrapped up in any one question either, otherwise I couldn’t pace myself throughout the PMP^® exam.”

Otis made it through the four days and the four-hour exam, and now his peers recognize his efforts in achieving the PMP^® certification. “Passing the PMP^® exam shows that you’re someone who’s dedicated to professional growth and is willing to commit the time and effort necessary to gain a better understanding of the tools and processes that support your profession.”

And Otis is enjoying other benefits from the Cheetah class, too. He now has an even larger network of PMP^® professionals who are facing the same or similar issues in their work environments. He can reach out to any one of them to discuss issues and possible solutions to potential problems.