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In this issue... |
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Every once in awhile people ask me if taking a PMP Exam boot camp is a good option to prepare for the PMP Exams. I'd say PMP boot camps definitely have their share of drawbacks and these drawbacks are the reason why I never recommend a bootcamp to any of my students.
But then again, I've been told that I am biased in this regard and only say this because our company doesn't offer a boot camp. I will let you be the judge of that. So this week let me share with you my 5 Reasons why you should NOT take a PMP Exam Boot Camp.
Also, this week my team and I has been busy and at the same time excited about OSP International's newest baby - The PM Exam Simulator at www.pm-exam-simulator.com. This is another addition to our line of products which aims at helping PMP Exam takers pass the exams the EASY way!
Read on and enjoy!
Until Next Time,
Cornelius Fichtner, PMP
President, OSP International LLC
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5 Reasons NOT to Take a PMP Exam Boot Camp
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 Often touted as "ideal targeted training" for the Project Management Professional (PMP) exam, many people find PMP boot camps are an attractive option for exam preparation.
While boot camps are designed to deliver noticeable results with a high-output of effort in a short period of time, the drawbacks of choosing this path for exam preparation often outweigh the benefits.
Bootcamps may work for some because the instructors are usually highly qualified with master's degrees, prior training, and years of industry experience. Most also offer a pass guarantee and will assume financial risk if you fail. They may offer to pay for your exam re-take or provide custom coaching and feedback.
Quoting high first- and second-time pass rates, boot camp programs claim to be the ideal package for exam preparation, often including the PMBOK® Guide, a prep guide, test-style prep questions, and meals during classroom sessions. If you would like a surefire way to pass the PMP Exam in a short period of time, then a boot camp may be just what you're looking for.
However, PMP boot camps definitely have their share of drawbacks and these drawbacks are the reason why I never recommend a bootcamp to any of my students.
Reason #1: Boot camps are expensive.
Designed to be the ideal all-in-one exam preparation experience, the sheer cost of boot camps make them less-than-ideal for those of us on a budget. An intensive 4-day course can cost you several thousand dollars, depending on your location, whether it's a busy time of year, and the availability of included amenities. While the up-front cost may seem astronomical, check to see if it includes the actual PMP exam fee and comes backed with a pass guarantee. Most boot camp companies will offer to cover tailored tutoring and re-take exam fees if you fail the first or second time. If you fail a third time, they may even offer to let you take the entire 4-day course over again for free.
But all of this comes at a cost. Essentially a pay-to-pass program, boot camps pump a large amount of students through a short-term, high-yield course. Boot camps may only be a viable option if time is more valuable to you than money.
Reason #2: Boot camps are inconvenient.
Unless you live in a large urban area where a course is offered, the 4-day boot camp will usually require travel and hotel accommodations. For most project managers with jobs and families, dropping their responsibilities for four days is not only inconvenient, it's impossible. Work and life does not stand still (or even slow down!) just because you have an important exam to pass. Most project managers require - and work best with - a study schedule that fits with their lifestyle instead of interrupting it.
Reason #3: Boot camps focus on memorization.
As you are already aware, the PMP Exam is based on concepts from the PMBOK® Guide. Specific principles include communication, cost management, human resources, integration, procurement, quality, risk, scope, and time management. The material is broad and the data is often in-depth. So, how do boot camps ensure you thoroughly master and understand these concepts in a mere four days? They don't.
There is absolutely not enough time in four days to extensively cover concepts and in-depth data. Instead, boot camps focus on rote memorization of high-yield material. While they may be able to guarantee a "first-time pass", boot camps cannot and do not offer an education that will help you with project management beyond the exam.
Reason #4: Boot camps have limited schedules and openings.
As noted above, the inconvenience of boot camps is often rooted in their location and need for travel away from home. On top of that, many boot camps have limited space and are only able to offer sessions at certain times of the year. If you thought taking time off from work and your family would be difficult, try doing it around their schedule instead of your own. The only available times may be during a busy work crunch or stressful family situation. At best, this may be inconvenient. Often, it is impossible. Project managers with home and work commitments will usually have better success with a study schedule or workshop that still allows them to fulfill their home and work responsibilities.
Reason #5: Boot camp training focuses on passing the exam instead of teaching concepts.
The material on the PMP exam is broad and in-depth. If you are not already familiar with concepts covered in the PMBOK Guide, boot camps will not be able to help you in a mere four days. As noted in their "guarantee", boot camps only promise to help you pass the exam. They do not offer an education that will guide or assist you through your career.
One of the secret ingredients to doing well on the PMP exam is understanding of project management principles, both individually and how they work together. Instead of focusing on competency, boot camps rely on rote memorization of high-yield material. While this may result in a high first-time pass rate, it does not ensure that the project manager has learned any skills or gained experience that will help their career beyond exam day.
In conclusion, if your goal is to simply pass the PMP exam without learning new techniques to improve your project management skills, then a boot camp may be just what you're looking for. If you are unemployed, single without familial commitments, have more money than you know what to do with, and are simply looking to add credentials to your CV, then a 4-day PMP boot camp will probably serve you well. However, if you are genuinely interested in becoming a better project manager on the road to excelling on the PMP exam, then a more in-depth study approach is what you want.
Successfully passing the PMP Exam and achieving lasting and positive effects on your project management skills involves daily study time for 10 to 12 weeks. Individuals that choose to study on their own should read the PMBOK® Guide twice, utilize an additional PMP self-study preparation book, listen to a PMP Exam Podcast, and tackle as many sample exam questions as possible. Individuals that prefer the structure of a classroom schedule should select a training class that meets for several weeks. Self-study at home will complement the in-class lectures and further solidify the information. Following this approach will ensure that you not only pass the exam, but become a superior project manager along the way.
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Be sure to answer all the questions |
 Make sure that you answer all 200 questions in the PMP Exam to avoid wrong markings for unanswered questions.
Watch this video as we give another expert PMP exam tip:http://bit.ly/fOLXgX
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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:
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 one hundred thousand dollars, the optimistic estimate is ninety thousand dollars, and the pessimistic estimate is one hundred twenty thousand dollars. What is the variance of this data?
HINT: Calculate the standard deviation using the PERT method and then calculate variance from it.
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Exam Tip: Assess Your PMP Exam Readiness with Free Sample Exams
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  The Internet is full of sites and blogs that help you prepare for the PMP Exam. As part of your PMP Exam Prep, you should take advantage of the many free, on-line sample exams. These will help you assess your readiness to take the actual exam.
Whether you can or cannot find time and money to enroll in a formal, classroom-style PMP Exam Prep course, answering hundreds (even thousands) of PMP Exam sample questions is a must. In the first few weeks of your PMP Exam Studies. it's OK to use just the free ones offered by various sources. These questions prepare you for the rigors of the actual examination for your certification and give you some idea of what to expect. While these do not necessarily reflect actual test questions, they can provide tips and guides to properly respond to any question that may come your way on the "real" exam. The free questions help you to sharpen your knowledge and identify areas where you need to study more.
However, after some weeks you will not only tire of constantly searching for new free questions. You will also begin to notice that free questions are not always of the same quality. Some are excellent, some are OK and many are really bad. That is the moment when you have to consider signing up for a PMP Exam Simulator. Yes, subscribing to such a simulator is going to take some money, but in the end, your goal should be to pass the exam. Invest this money into being well prepared for the exam.
So when taking courses for your PMP exam preparations, make sure that you get at least some free test questions offered by these courses. Together with the free sample questions on the internet and the ones of your PMP Exam Simulator you will be able to prepare yourself well.
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Solution
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 The correct answer is: A
Reference: PMP Study Guide 5ed - Sybex - pg:170
Explanation: Standard deviation can be calculated as (Pessimistic - Optimistic) / 6. Variance can be calculated by squaring the standard deviation. For the given data, the variance is 25 million dollars and the standard deviation is five thousand dollars. Hence choice A is the correct answer.
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Lessons Learned from Ravindra Yatam, PM |
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I passed my PMP exam on 06'December 2010. I would like to share my lessons learned:
Thanks for Cornelius Fichtner and his team for providing The PM Prep Cast.
I can say Prepcast is wonderful gift from Cornelius Fichtner, for all the Project Managers.
My journey to PMP started in February this year and while I am searching for getting 35 Hrs of contact hours, one of my friend informed about PM Prep Cast, next day I purchased The PM Prep Cast and my approach was that I first gone through the Prepcast chapters and then read PMBOK with Rita Mulcachy's PMP Exam Prep book. It became so easy for me to understand each concept of the PMBOK guide. It took me around 4 months to complete my first round, as my first priority is my Job. Then I purchased the PMP Formula Study guide from Prep Cast which was very helpful in understanding the Formulas and their application areas. Email course of the Formulas with their description is very use full for remembering each formula.
Mean while I completed my application process, it took me a week to keep all my past experiences in line and contacting my Managers and informing them about my preparation for PMP. On Completion of my first round of study I took a break and took a class room prep course from my local chapter. It helped me to fill my gaps I had while I am reading through PrepCast/PMBOK.
I took a break from my work after the Thanksgiving and gone through Prepcast , PMBOK and Rita's prep book and class room material supplied by the Chapter. Understanding and applying Rita's Process chart is a one good help while answering questions on the exam.
I focussed on practice questions that are available on internet for free beside those provided in Rita's Prep book. I took the preparation Exam online at www.pmstudy.com (They provide one free online 4 Hr exam, at the end of exam it provides a detailed information of grades on each Process and Knowledge area). Which helped me to concentrate on my grey areas for final exam.
PMP exam checks your Project Management skills. Many of the questions looks to be simple but are tricky. Understanding contract types (Procurement), Motivational theories (HR), Risk Analysis and responses (Risk) and Quality Tools and Techniques (Quality) and EVM formulas (Time, cost and scope) will be a great help. Sleep well on the day before the exam and attend the exam with a great confidence.
Good luck for your exam.
Thanks
Ravindra Yatam, PMP
More success stories from PMP achievers here..
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