self study group (PMP)

[CaptainA]

I completed my PMP exam in November 2007. Although I always avoided doing any certification and the fact that I also moved away from project management to more software architect side, I still went for PMP because then after some months I would have not met PMP eligibility criterion.

I used the following study materials

PMBOK
PMP® Exam Prep by Rita Mulcahy
Pmstudy.com ? it is the cheapest to get contact hours
PMP Exam Practice Test and study Guide ? J.Leroy Ward

Some observations
(1) Rita Mulcahy?s study books are more popular and helpful and many of my friends find actual exam question similar to her study material. Most of her test questions /answers are trick questions. But none of my exam questions were trick questions, and I found the exam very different and difficult than what I studied.
(2) Spending too much time preparing for exam is not helpful.First I tried studying 2 hours every day for 3 months, and then I had to travel due to office work for extended period of time. After that it was like starting all over again. So I spent 4 hours for 1 months and it worked for me. Some of my friends also have similar experiences.