Hello

Until Next Time,
Cornelius Fichtner, PMP
President, OSP International LLC

Written by project management expert Kim Heldman, PMP: Project Management Professional Exam Study Guide (Disclosure: Compensated Affiliate) is an excellent book that will guide project managers on their way to the PMP Exam. It provides comprehensive coverage of the exam objectives, essential PMP topics, concepts, and key terms.

Your benefits are:

• Prepare you to take the PMP Exam and the CAPM Exam both offered by PMI. It covers all essential procedures and concepts from PMBOK Guide, 4th Edition.
• Uses real-world scenarios and How This Applies to Your Current Project sidebars to fully illustrate concepts.
• Includes CD with testing software, practice exams, electronic flashcards, and over two hours of audio review.
• Serves as a valuable go-to book to keep on hand -- even after the exam.

You might have various concerns regarding the PMP exam such as your designation, size of the organization and benefits of PMP certification in career development. Well, then here I am to address some of your concerns and help you develop an in-depth understanding about how the PMP certification can be beneficial for you.

YES! You can take the PMP exam even if your title is not project manager. To take the exam you need to have the appropriate authority and responsibility rather than the designation: The PMP certification is a credential for those who lead and direct project teams.

A professional with a PMP certification is recognized worldwide to handle projects with diligence and constructive approach. It certifies your expertise in project understanding, time management, risk management, quality control, leadership, budgeting, communication, documentation and integration. All of these skills add value to the organization.

If your role in the current organization involves project management and you have proficiency in handling projects and team related issues then you should definitely go for the PMP certification. It provides you with a strong foundation to effectively manage projects. The idea is not to concentrate on the title but on your responsibilities.

Even if your title is not anything close to a project manager, as long as your role involves handling different processes of a project you can go ahead with the PMP certification to be a an even more successful project manager.

According to Foote Partners LLC, an IT workforce research company, projects managed by people who are not PMP certified project managers have only 25% success rate in contrast to 75% success rate of projects handled by PMP certified managers.

The PMP certification offers immense benefits for you as well as your employer. As a general rule, holders of the PMP certificate have higher salaries, receive more job promotions and better job prospects. A PMP credential gives you the most sought after appreciation and visibility within your organization. Hence, your prospects of growth in your current job and getting a new job increase manifold after being a certified PMP.

Employers who hire PMPs are much more confident about the core competencies of their employees in project management. As a PMP you will be responsible for all aspects of a project such as demonstrating knowledge, understanding and leadership to deliver the project within time constraints, resources, scope and budget. Your role will not only be to lead and direct the project but also oversee project team members.

Here is another area where you can see the importance of role over title: On your application for the PMP certification you need to select one of the following roles:

Project Contributor
Supervisor
Manager
Project Leader
Project Manager
Educator
Consultant
Administrator
Other

So, you are not really asked for the TITLE, you are actually asked for your ROLE. If your role is not included among the options provided, then select 'Other'.

Here are some more eligibility criteria for the PMP certification:

If you have a bachelor's degree you must show a minimum of 4500 hours of project management experience or a minimum of 7500 years of experience otherwise. The experience should span across all the five process groups of initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling as well as closing. However, you do not need to have experience in every process group in every project that you have worked on.

You might have joined some projects midway or left some in the middle. All of those projects can be taken into account. However, some experience in all the process groups on any of your projects is required.

You also need to complete at least 35 hours of project management education. This is officially called "35 contact hours". You will be required to put in the start date, end date, name of the course provider as well as name of the training course when filling in the application form. Pretty much any training that relates to the 9 knowledge areas of the PMBOK® Guide qualifies.

So does your role meet these criteria? Then go ahead and become a certified PMP! It is a step ahead towards enhancing your career and increasing your professional growth. Put yourself in the limelight, and maximize your earning potential without any further delay!

All our questions are updated to the latest PMBOK Guide standard. Stop by at http://free.pm-exam-simulator.com and try the PMP Exam Simulator free for 3 days.

We also offer 110 free questions at http://www.free-pm-exam-questions.com. We are a PMI Registered Education Provider.

One of the more important steps in preparing for the PMP exam is to schedule you exam date as soon as you meet all the eligibility requirements. This will give you a specific date toward which you can work. Now you have deadline - a big red "X" on your calendar - and this will motivate you in your studies. If you don't have the date scheduled you can always find excuses for not studying and delaying things. But having the date in your mind and calendar will drive you to study regularly.

Now that you see your exam approaching, here are a few good study activities:

Read the PMBOK. Read it twice. Because the PMP exam is largely based on the PMBOK contents, it makes sense to know what it says. However, the PMP exam requires far more than just recounting facts. You can't just memorize the PMBOK and pass the exam. You must understand how each of the Pod MBOK's processes, along with their inputs, outputs, and tools and techniques would be applied in real live project situations. So a good way to enhance your studies is to apply the concepts you learn from the PMBOK Guide on your projects right away.

Next, read the PMI Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct, and as with the PMBOK, read it at least twice. Think of project scenarios for each topic that will be more meaningful and help you remember the concepts as you study the Code. Learn how each section in the Code is different and why each one is necessary for the project management profession.

And lastly, don't forget to discuss project management topics with others to really learn the material. Find a local or online study group and meet with them as you study for the exam.

Explanation: WBS Templates can be found in Organizational Process Assets but we cannot say they will always be available.

Reference: PMI Practice Standard for WBS 2nd Edition, page 29

I passed my PMP exam last Thursday and I can not be happier!!! As a comparison, I studied a lot and was a bit nervous a while back when completing a GMAT in preparation for getting my MBA, but the PMP exam preparation and anxiousness was way more! Wow did I study like never before - but it was WELL worth it! I do give a big shout-out to Cornelius and the PM Prepcast as a big reason for my success!! I hope success to all of you about to take the exam! I hope what I give you next can be of use.

Regarding how I studied, lessons learned, and what I would do differently if I was to do it over again, I have a list:

5) Cornelius recommends it and so do I - take the FULL day and night before the exam OFF!! I used the night before and the morning of the exam to just reflect on the high level framework of the PMBOK and what it means to be a Project Manager. I also spent time envisioning the "Congratulations" on the computer monitor. And Cornelius is right, the wait from the time you hit finished to the time it tells you the results seemed like FOREVER!! My heart was pounding! I was in a happy daze the rest of the evening.

6) Finally, do use a brain dump sheet. I memorized the EV formulas and Table 3-1 in the PMBOK and wrote these down prior to the exam. Prior to the exam there is a tutorial - take it. You can get through it in about 3 mins, but the count down timer allows 15 mins. Use this time to do the brain dump. I only took 2 short breaks, because I ended up using all 4 hours. I thought I would finish the 200 questions in 2 hours, given this was my pace in the practice exams. I was quite surprised when I was a couple minutes short of an hour after 50 questions! This was due to me reading each question and answers at least twice, mostly I did 3 times. I also completed the questions that needed math/calculations at the time I got them, rather than go back to them at the end. This was because I liked these questions the best, and knew I could do them quickly.

How about you? Did you recently pass the PMP exam? Care to share your experience?

Simply click the "new thread" button here: http://bit.ly/9clxBE to let us know.