Taking The PCEP Exam? YOU GOT THIS!
PCEP — Certified Entry-Level Python Programmer Certification
The PCEP is a certification that certifies you as an entry-level python programmer. This means you made an incredible accomplishment, and you are familiar with programming concepts like data types, containers, functions, conditions, loops, etc. So show off your certification to employers because you got some skills!
I took the PCEP exam on Sunday, January 30th, and I failed on my first try. I knew what I had done wrong. I did not have a strategy in place. Days before taking the exam, I took a free course offered by Python Institue to prepare. While going through the course, I noticed I needed to practice more examples of functions and loops. I made sure I wrote down what I needed to go over and how I will go over it. Then, I took a look at the course material again and looked at some examples on Youtube. Before I knew it, it was time to take the exam. I had confidence without a test-taking strategy. I launched the exam but immediately lost faith. I started overthinking every question. Instead of flagging the questions as soon as possible, I took some time to figure out the problem. I ended up flagging the problem 5 minutes into overthinking about it. I wasted more time when it was time to return to the flagged questions. I went into panic mode when I and yes, I guessed some answers. Of course, I did not have time to go back to review my exam. After failing, I was disappointed. Fortunately, I don't give up.
“Giving up is the only sure way to fail.” — Gena Showalter
Let Me Try This Again. I Got This!
I thought about what I did wrong the first time I took the exam. Thanks to Nicole Ann Hargrove, I could think strategically about how I would pass the exam. She was also super helpful with problems I did not understand. The first thing I did was develop a test-taking strategy and stick to it. What helped me the most was the practice test from the book PCEP Certified Entry-Level Python Programmer Practice Tests: Prepare for and pass the current Python Institute PCEP by Emil Frlez and talking through the problems to myself. I used a source-code editor to play around with some code, and I also found some shortcuts to figure out problems quickly. After seven days of studying, I was anxious. I could not wait to take the exam, especially after scoring a 95% on the practice exam.
Tools I Used to Study
- Notion is a great tool to organize notes. For example, I used Notion to take notes for every material I learned, and I was able to look back into my notes if I did not understand something or If I needed to refresh my memory.
- Visual Studio Code is a source code editor that supports Python. I used it to practice coding skills. But, of course, the more you practice your skills, the more you understand how the code works, especially when it comes down to knowing the different types of error messages.
When studying to take the exam, it’s essential to make sure you understand each section of the material but also remember, you don’t have to be an expert and know everything.
Before you launch that exam, stretch just a little, or maybe have some water. Make sure you shake all those nerves off … if you are nervous.
Monday, February 7th, I was more than prepared. First, I had some tea, a great breakfast, and a nice walk to my balcony. Then, I came over to the computer and took a deep breath in and out to prevent test anxiety. Then, I launched the exam, and I felt super confident. When I answered the questions, I knew I had passed the exam. I was more than happy to see my result when I completed the exam. YES, I DID IT! I earned the PCEP certification.
I learned having a strategy for test taking can result in an excellent outcome. I have some great strategies I would like to share.
The Strategy I Used to Pass
- Flag those questions you are having trouble with and answer the easy questions first. Then, once you have completed easy questions, go back to answer the flagged questions. If you follow this strategy, you will have enough time to think through the hard questions.
- Read every question closely and carefully. You might know the answer to the question, but the answer could be wrong because you did not read it carefully.
- Learn how to use shortcuts for specific questions. For example, even if you have a basic understanding of Python, you can create a shortcut to answering a question quickly.
- Go over the exam.
Remember that YOU GOT THIS, don’t sweat it. If you fail, try again and Don’t Give Up.
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