Correction Certifications

PMP Exam Simulator: Practice Questions and Strategy

Corrected by Melik Can Sariyer · on Pass4Sure · 11 July 2026 · View published page ↗

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The exact change

Before

Do not change answers unless you have a specific reason -- your first instinct is usually correct / "The most dangerous moment on the PMP exam is when you are reviewing flagged questions and talking yourself out of your initial answer. Studies on test-taking psychology consistently show that second-guessing correct first answers is a net negative. Change an answer only if you have identified a specific error in your original reasoning." -- Kim Heldman, PMP

After

Do not change an answer impulsively out of anxiety, but do change it if focused review reveals a specific error in your original reasoning -- research on test-taking shows that answer changes are more often corrections than mistakes. / A common moment of anxiety on the PMP exam is reviewing flagged questions and wondering whether to change an initial answer. Despite the popular belief that 'your first instinct is usually correct,' decades of research on test-taking psychology, including a well-known meta-analysis of more than 100 studies, show this is largely a myth: answer changes are more often corrections of an initial mistake than the introduction of a new one.

Suggested change

Corrected the actual guidance to align with real research findings rather than the debunked myth the fabricated quote asserted, removing the fake attribution entirely; also fixed an adjacent unflagged line making the same backwards claim outside the quote for internal consistency.

Why this is better

The flagged Kim Heldman quote invoked unnamed 'studies on test-taking psychology' to support the 'first instinct is usually correct' belief. Verified via web search that this belief is actually a well-documented myth: a 2006 meta-analysis of 100+ studies found answer-changing is more often a correction than a mistake. Corrected the guidance to align with real research, removed the unverified attribution, and fixed an adjacent unflagged bullet making the same backwards claim for internal consistency.

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