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In this issue... |
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It's time for the next issue of our PMP Exam newsletter. My how time flies when you have an exam to get ready for...
Here is what you will find in this this issue:
- Three Ways to Prepare For Your PMP Exam
- Take A PMP Exam Prep Class
- A PMP Exam Sample Question
- Read and Understand Your Books
- The answer to the PMP Exam Sample Question
- Lessons learned from Chris Schiano
Enjoy!
Until Next Time,
Cornelius Fichtner, PMP
President, OSP International LLC
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Three Ways To Prepare For Your PMP Exam |
So, you've started the Project Management Professional (PMP) application process and are preparing to take the PMP Exam. Great career move! The PMP Certificate is a highly sought after career demarcations in both prosperous and challenging economic times. It is the recognition of "demonstrated knowledge and skill in leading and directing project teams and in delivering project results within the constraints of schedule, budget and resources." (Project Management Institute) Each candidate submits past project management history in an application process, and then must pass a four-hour / 200-question PMP Exam.
Aside from the fact that you'll need 35 contact hours to sit for the exam, studying for the PMP exam itself is a project unto itself. Just like most certification exams, you have three basic ways of preparing for the exam: traditional classroom based training, online courses and self study. But don't feel limited to just one. Many people who have passed the exam have used a combination of these.
Option 1: Classroom Based Training requires the least amount of self discipline and comes in a variety of flavors. Your local Project Management Institute (PMI) chapters and PMI "Registered Education Providers" (REPs) offer workshops, boot camps and classes specifically designed to teach not only what you must know, but how you will be asked to demonstrate it. Make sure your teacher is a PMP; taking the exam is an experience unto itself, and you want to know that your instructor has "been there/done that." Classroom Based Training can account for all or part of your thirty-five (35) contact hours required to sit for the PMP exam.
Option 2: Online courses are great for people on the go and are usually less expensive than classroom based training because of the course provider's lower overhead. They are usually much cheaper than instructor lead classroom courses. This option requires a medium amount of self discipline in that you have the flexibility of studying within your schedule. Online course usually offer a combination of webinars that you watch, web pages that you read, and documents that you download to study.
Some have deadlines, and some do not, so though you have the freedom to complete sections on your own you'll need a medium amount of self discipline to insure that you finish within the time allowed by you or the requirements of the course itself. Like the Classroom Based Training, online courses can account for all or part of your thirty-five (35) contact hours required to sit for the PMP Exam. If this is important in your plan, be sure to confirm before you sign on the dotted line.
Option 3: Self Study is the least expensive and therefore the most common way that people study for the PMP Exam and requires the most self discipline. The good things about this method are that you'll save money and you to prepare on your own time. That also means you'll need to be motivated.
The biggest road blocks you'll face using this method is that you'll have to create your own lesson plan and schedule, and you'll have to evaluate and buy your own materials. If you're dedicated and focused, this is a great way to prepare. Furthermore, self-study cannot be counted towards the 35 contact hour requirement. You must use classroom or online training for that.
Regardless of which method you choose, most successful people who pass the PMP Exam supplement self-study preparation with at least a classroom and/or an online course. With the advent of portable media players such as the iPod, iPhone, Blackberry and Zune, many choose a combination of online training and self-study: Downloadable videocast and/or podcast courses allowing you to take the material with you and study anywhere and anytime. It's a very powerful, cost effective and goal oriented solution.
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Take a PMP Exam Prep Class |
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 Have you decided how you will be preparing for the PMP Exam yet?
We created this short video on YouTube to help you decide what PMP Exam prep class will best suit you.
Watch this YouTube video and learn more: http://bit.ly/g4kNmZ
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Sample PMP Exam Question
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This PMP Exam sample question is taken from http://www.free-pm-exam-questions.com:
Question: You are managing an amusement park development project. You have received the following estimates for site excavation and area development activity that is critical to the success of your project. The most likely estimate is $100,000, the optimistic estimate is $90,000, and the pessimistic estimate is $120,000. What is the expected activity cost?
A. $ 101,666
B. $ 100,000
C. $ 120,000
D. $ 90,000
Hint: Use the PERT Formula
Please scroll down to find the answer to this question. |
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Exam Tip: Read and understand your books |
 The PMP Exam is mainly based on A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide). The most current version was published in 2008 and most people find a bit difficult to read. But due to the fact that the exam is based on this book, it is important that you actually read and understand all that it contains. As a supplement to studying the PMBOK Guide in preparing for the exam you need to get additional reference material. I recommend that you buy a separate PMP Exam
Prep book that will further enhance your understanding of the subject matter. These books will help make the complicated concepts from the PMBOK Guide clearer and they also give you more information and tips on how to prepare for and pass the PMP Exam
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So here is my tip: read and understand the concepts from the PMBOK Guide and from a separate PMP Exam Prep book. Also work through the sample questions and exercises in your prep book. And lastly, take as many sample exams as you can to gauge your understanding of the concepts. Go back and review the sections in the books that you did not score well and try again.
When you start scoring above 80% the first time you take any mock exam then you are ready for the real exam. Remember that it takes a lot of preparation to make sure that you pass your PMP Exam and receive your certification. So study hard, learn well and be confident of your ability to get your certification.
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Solution
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 The correct answer is: A
Reference PMBOK4 - pg:173
Explanation: PMBOK recommends the use of PERT in estimating durations and costs. The PERT estimation formula is (Optimistic + 4xMost Likely + Pessimistic) / 6. For the given data, this results in 101,666.66. Hence choice A is the correct answer to the question.
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Lessons Learned from Chris Schiano
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One strategy that helped me greatly on the PMP Exam as well as other certification tests is to perform a "Brain Dump".
As we all know, you cannot take reference material into the exam room; but, if you are like me, I am better able to answer situational questions if I have something that sparks my memory. We obviously cannot predict what questions we will get on the test, but in my case, it isn't necessary. With a good understanding of the material, a small piece of related material is all I need to start the synapses firing.
To facilitate this, I recreate the basic charts and formulas in the test room from memory. This involves taking a few of the more helpful charts and formulas that you would use as reference and memorize them; then, just before you begin your test, use the supplied pencil and scratch paper to write them out. As you take the exam, you will have a small set of reference material to use.
For the PMP, I memorized the process chart that lists the process groups and knowledge areas and all of the main processes. When I get a question that references any of the processes, I look at the self made chart which immediately sparks the brain into working.
I also memorize the most common formulas for Earned Value (EV). Memorizing the charts and formulas is made easier if you break each line or cell in the table to a memory mnemonic; for example, the process groups can be remembered with the phrase "If Syria Took Croatian Quartz, How Could Russia Protest". In each word, the first letter is from the name of the process group in order; "I" is for "Integration" and so on.
With the typical anticipatory anxiety that comes with any performance event, having a set of reference material to look at is a great coping mechanism and confidence restorer.
This lessons learned was originally posted here... |
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