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Here we are again for another issue of the PM Exam Tips Newsletter. If you are looking for the best way to pass the PMP Exams then you made no mistake in subscribing to this newsletter. This and next week I will share the "10 Steps to Becoming a PMP" with you. Read the first five steps below...
Also read about how Bradley Likes (who just recently passed the PMP Exams) found most of our products useful in achieving success in the PMP Exams..
Remember to try to answer this week's sample question too! Enjoy!!
Until Next Time,
Cornelius Fichtner, PMP
President, OSP International LLC
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10 Steps to Becoming a PMP: Part 1
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 For most PMP Aspirants the first steps on the way to their PMP certification are the most difficult ones. The process looks extremely difficult and I hope that these 10 Steps will help you on your way to becoming a PMP. Here are the first 2 steps.
Step 1: Read the PMI Credentials Handbook.
The PMI has published a Credentials Handbook, which you can find at the following URL: http://www.pmi.org/Certification/~/media/PDF/Certifications/pdc_pmphandbook.ashx.The Credentials Handbook explains everything that you want to know about the process of taking the PMP exam and becoming PMP certified. Reading this handbook takes about 20 minutes and it should be the FIRST 20 minutes on your journey to becoming a certified PMP. It will answer most of your questions about the procedures of applying and taking the exam.
Step 2: Make sure that you are eligible.
It is really quite simple to find out, if you are eligible or not to take the PMP Exam.
Do you have a High-School Diploma, an Associate's Degree or the global equivalent of these? Then you must have a minimum of five years (60 months) of unique, non-overlapping professional project management experience of which at least 7,500 hours must have been spent leading and directing project tasks. (Non-overlapping means that if you managed two projects in the year 2006, then that only counts as 12 months and not as 24.)
Do you have a Bachelor's Degree or its equivalent in your country? Then you must have a minimum of three years (36 months) of unique, non-overlapping professional project management experience of which at least 4,500 hours must have been spent leading and directing project tasks.
In both cases, you must also show that you have had 35 "contact hours" of project management training. The good news is that all project management related training from your whole life counts. So if you are 30 years old and you took a 2-day PM class when you were 21 years old, then you already have 16 contact hours.
Step 3: Become a PMI Member & Member of your local PMI Chapter.
Becoming a member of PMI International makes financial sense, because as a PMI member you will not only receive a free PMBOK Guide but you will also receive a substantial discount on the PMP exam. In fact, the discount is bigger than the membership fee. So even if you don't want to stay a PMI member for life, becoming a member in your first year makes sense.
Becoming a member of your local PMI Chapter can also make sense, because most chapters offer PMP Prep Workshops. Again, as a member you usually receive a discount that is greater than the membership fee. Your local chapter is also a great resource for PMP information. You can attend your chapter's dinner meeting and speak in-person with new and seasoned PMPs about the exam. They will be very happy to answer your questions and help you. And you will also meet PMP aspirants like yourself and you can form a study group. Studying together is more fun and increases your chance of passing.
Step 4: Sign up for the Exam.
"I want to become a PMP" is a good plan. But "I want to become a PMP and my exam date is in 3 months" is a much better plan because we all work a lot better when we have a deadline. To sign up, you first have to fill in the PMP Credential Application and submit it to the PMI. You can find the paper application in the Credential Handbook (see step 1 above) but you definitely want to apply online at http://www.pmi.org. Once your application has been approved you will receive a letter from the PMI. Now you can apply to take the exam on the Prometric Website at http://www.prometric.com/PMI/default.htm. The PMI doesn't perform the test themselves - instead they use Thomson Prometric, a testing company with testing centers around the world. Depending on where you live you may have to travel quite far to take the exam. So you definitely want to schedule this well in advance.
Step 5: Read the PMBOK Guide. Twice.
About 75% of the questions on the PMP Exam come from the PMBOK Guide. You must know it. And the only way to know it is to read it at least twice.
Read Steps 6 - 10 next week...
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| Answer at least 1,000 PMP Exam Sample Questions |
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 The most important activity as you are preparing for your PMP Exam is to take as many sample questions as possible.
Watch this video we have prepared for you: http://bit.ly/hbcI2z
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| Sample PMP Exam Question |
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You are managing a software development project. You have completed 40% work of the project scope. The project approved budget is $10,000. How much you have spent to date on the project if your CPI is 0.8?
A.5000
B.4000
C.5500
D.4500
Hint: First calculate the EV and then calculate the AC. |
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Exam Tip: Consider waiting if you fail your PMP Exam twice
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 OK, I really hope that you will NEVER have to make use of this week's PMP Exam tip: If you fail your PMP Exam twice, then consider waiting a bit instead of taking it for a third time right away. Here's why:
Once your PMP Exam application is approved you are given one year and three attempts to pass. In case you fail all of these three attempts, you need to wait one year before filing another application to try again.
So... If we assume a worst case scenario of you failing the exam twice within ten months, this means that you now have two months and one more attempt to pass the exam left. But think about it: you are already nervous, studying to pass the exam has become a real chore and you may question your ability to pass the exam. Add to this your personal life, your work load that may come in the way of your studies and you can see that your third attempt might not go well either. And if you really fail a third time, then you'll have to wait one year to re-apply.
So why not give yourself a clean slate?
Instead of going head first through this wall and failing for a third time, simply let your PMP Exam application expire, apply again and give yourself another year and 3 fresh attempts. Granted, doing this is more expensive (PMI members pay $275 for a re-examination vs. $405 for a full application), but it removes the pressure of having to cram for your 3rd attempt in the short time left as well as as the mandatory 1 year wait after the failed 3rd attempt.
Of course, this is a very personal choice and the timing of when you failed your first two attempts must be considered as well. If you take good measures to pass on your third attempt, or if your two failed attempts happen early on in your eligibility period then it might be better for you to go and try for a 3rd time right away. But if you're unsure about your readiness or if time is running out, then letting your application expire is a valid choice.
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| Solution |
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 The correct answer is: A
Reference: PMBOK4 - pg:182
Explanation: EV can be calculated by the formula EV = %complete x BAC = 40% x $10,000 = $4,000. AC can be calculated by the formula AC = EV/CPI = $4,000/0.8 = $5,000. Choice A is the correct answer to this question.
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Lessons Learned from Bradley Likes, PMP |
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I passed my PMP exam and believed I passed because of the various tools I
used. I started with using The PM PrepCast pod cast to get a clear
foundation of the material. I made sure that I joined PMI to gain access
to the PMBOK and other resources available online. I went through the
PMBOK while taking the PM PrepCast material to understand the layout of
the book.
After finishing the PM PrepCast I used the eFlashCards to
help remember key topics. I have seen some students not memorize all the
ITTO and formulas so I decided to make sure I understood the flow of
the ITTO first and then I memorized all the ITTO and formulas. Out of
this process I created a memory dump in the beginning of the PMP test.
This helped as you can refer to this during the test. I would recommend
creating a memory dump because as the test goes on you do not have to
draw this from memory rather can refer to the memory dump.
I made sure
that every question I would identify on my memory dump of where I was in
the knowledge area and process which seemed to help me understand and
answer the questions. I also took 3 full length tests from PMStudy.com
as this helped me understand how the questions were laid out and how the
computerized test would feel.
During the exam I did use the full time
as I went through the exam and answered all the questions I could
quickly and they went through a second pass and answered the harder
questions. After each hour of the exam I would stop and take about 2 to 3
minutes to gather myself and take deep breaths and then continue to
take the exam. I really feel all the experiences I had with PM PrepCast,
eFlashCard and PMStudy.com helped me pass and more importantly
understand the material.
For more success stories, click here.. |
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