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In this issue... |
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Welcome to another issue of the PM Exam Tips Newsletter. This week I will explain to you in detail what is the difference between contact hours and PDU's.
Also Shivprakash Iyer, PMP will share how The PM Prepcast helped him pass the PMP Exam last March. Don't miss the sample PM Exam question for this week and also watch our video that will give you a few tips on how to manage your time during your PMP exam.
Enjoy!
Until Next Time,
Cornelius Fichtner, PMP
President, OSP International LLC
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What is the difference between Contact Hours and PDUs? |
 If you are working toward a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification, you may have wondered "What is the difference between Contact Hours and Professional Development Units (PDUs)?"
The main difference between Contact Hours and PDUs is that Contact Hours are accumulated prior and PDU's after your PMP Exam. Before the exam you need 35 Contact Hours and after you become a certified PMP, you will need to accumulate 60 Professional Development Units (PDUs) every three years to keep your certification current. However the content of the training can be identical.
The Contact Hours Requirement:
Only 35 Contact Hours are a required to apply for the PMP certificate. One Contact Hour is equivalent to 60 minutes of relevant project management instruction. You must complete all 35 hours prior to submitting your PMP Certification application. In order to be "relevant," the training must cover one or more of the following:
- Project Quality
- Project Scope
- Project Schedule
- Project Budget
- Project Communications
- Project Risk
- Project Procurement
- Project Integration Management
Accumulating and Tracking Your Contact Hours:
Contact Hours are earned by attending Project Management relevant instruction. Unlike the Project Management Experience hours, there is no specified time period prior to your PMP application in which you had to complete your 35 Contact Hours. Any class you took at any age could be counted as Contact Hour so long as it had some project management practices
For example, if your company provided training to use their project management software such as MS Project, Primavera, QTask, or Prolog, you could claim Contact Hours.
Ideally, it is easier to track Contact Hours accumulated from "Project Management" focused instruction. However, any course that includes some project management instruction, the time spent specifically on project management concepts and practices, is eligible, even if it was not the main theme of the course.
Remember that anything on your PMP Exam Application is subject to audit. So, it is a good practice to only include training for which you are prepared to submit proof. As you accumulate training, document the training's relevance by retaining copies of the course syllabus, class catalog page and other materials. For each course claimed, also document your successful completion by retaining copies of certificates, exam results, and/or class transcripts.
Contact Hours Education Providers:
Training is available in many formats. The course work might be presented in live classes, workshops or webinars. They might also include prerecorded podcasts or video.
In the PMP Handbook, the Project Management Institute (PMI) suggests that Contact Hours be obtained from one of the following types of education providers:
- PMI Registered Education Providers (R.E.P.s)*
- PMI component organizations *
- Employer/company-sponsored programs
- Training companies or consultants (e.g., training schools)
- Distance-learning companies which include end-of-course assessments
- University/college academic and continuing education programs
Preapproved Sources:
Contact Hour eligible training courses are preapproved when they are provided by PMI R.E.P.s, PMI components organizations (e.g. local PMI chapters, specific interest groups), or PMI itself.
However, there are caveats. For example, PMI chapter meetings are not Contact Hours. Only the portion of the meeting that conducts a learning activity can be counted toward Contact Hours.
Basically, any resource offering relevant subject matter qualifies so long as it's not "self-directed learning." For example, reading books, watching instructional videos or sessions with coaches or mentors, are not eligible as Contact Hours.
Contact Hour programs:
PMP Prep Workshops are offered in a mix of timelines, media and sources. Most PMI Chapters and many training companies offer instructor-led PMP Exam workshops. There is a variety of self study programs which are delivered via the internet, DVD and Podcast. What most of these courses have in common is that they are specifically designed to give you the best preparation for your PMP Exam as well as your 35 Contact Hours in one offering.
Online PMP Exam Prep Classes with Contact Hours:
Here is probably the most important tip for you when it comes to earning your pre-exam Contact Hours online: If you take an online class, live or prerecorded, the provider must give you an "End of course assessment" exam before they give you the certificate for the hours. If they don't test you then any certificate or other proof of completion is worthless for your PMP Exam.
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Manage The Time During Your PMP Exam
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 Manage your time properly when answering questions during the PMP Exam.
Watch this video we have prepared for you: http://bit.ly/jo79vd
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Sample PMP Exam Question
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Activity / Duration / Predecessor 
A / 2 / Start
B / 4 / A,E
C / 6 / A
D / 3 / B,C
E / 7 / Start
F / 2 / E
What is the critical path?
A. Start-A-B-D-End
B. Start-E-F-End
C. Start-A-C-D-End
D. Start-E-B-D-End
Hint: Use PDM to calculate.
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Exam Tip: Dress right for your PMP Exam |
 After weeks of studies and training, you are now ready to take your PMP exam. You have invested enough effort and prepared yourself for the exam day on a positive note. But having a positive attitude towards your exam is just one half of the story. You also need to feel right on D-day.
It is important that you are comfortable and relaxed. One of the things that you can do to achieve this is by making sure that you dress right for your PMP exam. Feeling good in your clothes helps a lot to keep you focused on the task ahead. For this exam you not only want to be prepared but also relaxed and comfortable. Just imagine how distracting a scratchy clothing tag in your neck would feel during a 4 hour, stressful exam!
So dress comfortably and dress in layers. That way you can easily take off a layer if the room is too warm. And bring a sweater or light jacket that you can put on should the room be too cool for you. Remember, if you are comfortable and your clothing is just right for the temperature, chances are you will feel better and the right answers to the exam questions might just naturally come out.
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Solution
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The correct answer is: D
Reference: PMBOK4 - pg:138
Explanation: The critical path of the data given is Start-E-B-D-End. Hence choice D is correct, while rest of the choices are incorrect.
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Lessons Learned from Shivprakash Iyer
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Officially a PMP Now!
I started my PMP journey in mid March 2011 when I purchased THE PM PREPCAST to obtain the required 35 contact hours to satisfy application requirements. I must say that stumbling upon Cornelius Fichtner's website was the wisest thing I did in my PMP certification journey. I found the PREPCAST material to be well-designed, well-presented, and focused on delivering key concepts to the experienced project manager as well as the mid-level project management professional. Kudos to Cornelius and his team for introducing this top-class product into the PMP exam prep market space.
My Journey to PMP
I first began with THE PM PREPCAST and downloaded it onto my iPod. I used to listen to it at all times except those when I had to sleep or bathe or perform professional duties. I took the contact hours test on the PM PREPCAST website exactly 2 weeks from the day I purchased it and successfully obtained the certificate. I immediately began the PMI application process of capturing work experience related information in a very neat spreadsheet tool I obtained from a friend who had used it for his PMP application. I was cleared to register for the PMP exam within a matter of 3 days from submitting my application to PMI. I scheduled the exam for May 23rd 2011.
I obtained a copy of Rita Mulcahy's PMP Exam prep, 6th edition and meticulously read through each chapter once. I took all the practice tests at the end of each chapter. I finished the last chapter 3 days before the PMP exam and took two free full length online tests (Headfirst and PMStudy) two days before the exam date. I did not do anything a day before or on the day of the exam.
I highly recommend taking at least two online exams and then carefully going through the answers you got wrong with the explanations for the correct answer. This helped me a lot in the actual exam as I immediately recognized several similarly worded questions that I got wrong in the practice test and understood the right answer to be able to confidently choose the correct answer on the actual PMP test.
I took 2 hrs and 57 minutes to finish the test and was delighted to see the "CONGRATULATIONS" message pop up on the screen after I clicked "End Exam"! phew... what a relief.
Summary
Stay calm, stay focused and be confident in your abilities and preparation for the exam. My personal opinion is that 90% of the exam will test your real world experience in project management and the remaining is based on equations, theories, etc.
And finally, please don't forget to thank your family and friends who have supported your absence from their lives during your preparation phase. They ought to be appreciated and compensated (with a lovely dinner) for their sacrifice!
Good luck and many thanks once again to THE PM PREPCAST for aiding my preparation towards PMP Certification.
For more tips from successful PMP's click here. |
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