PMP: Project Management Professional

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Hello All, Here below I want to summarize my PMP journey (2020 Year)  and share with you whom it may help in preparation.  

PMP Exam Study Resources >  I have divided PMP exam study resources into four parts:

1. Training Programs
2. Reference Books
3. Sample Questions
4. Other Resources 

Michael Jordan once said, “I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying”. I have failed my first attempt of PMP certification way back in April 2018. I was upset, disappointed and I thought of not going for another take.

One day; I was going through my LinkedIn post; and saw a mutual friend of mine in LinkedIn who had posted he passed PMP certification in his third attempt. This caught my attention and I sent him a DM; “How to Study for PMP certification”. Believe me I am going to give you all the same advise what he had told me which helped me to pass the PMP certification with flying colors on my 2^nd attempt ????

1)     Go through 35 Hours PDU – This will help you to refresh the concept of Project Management. Go for Weekend Classes; and make use of your Weekdays revising the concepts.

2)     Book the exam 1 month post the training. Students who give exam within 1 months has more success rate to clear the exam. The more you delay; more chances you may tend to forget the concepts you learned. You may be busy with other works and exam would be in queue forever.

3)     Exam Outline: 200 multiple choice questions to be completed within 4 hours. Out of 200 questions, 25 Questions contains no marks (In your exam you needs to answer all questions; you won’t be able to know those 25 questions). Grades  are given out as “Below Target”, “ Target” and “Above Target” on the 5 Process groups as depicted below:

Initiating: 13% of questions are asked from this domain; followed by

Planning: 24%

Executing: 31%

Monitoring and Controlling: 25%

Closing: 7%

4)     For any exam; you need to have a study plan. That’s my funda ????

è Take a printout of the 49 Processes across 5 Process Groups and 10 Knowledge Areas. You will be tested on the exam based on the 49 Processes. My advice to you all is Never memorize the Processes; just go through the same every day and understand the concepts. Example: Why Scope management is required; if you know WHY; then the ITTO’s is easy.

è Read once, PMBOK® Guide, Sixth Edition

è Read the Rita Mulcahy’s

o   PMP Exam Prep (Ninth Edition) - It is very well articulated and guide to successfully complete the PMP exam, and be a better Project Management Professional.

o   Hot Topics (Ninth Edition) – Flashcards; It is a portable reference to be used to improve test-taking speed and information retention. It is the best way to manage your study.

è Practice Test; you can refer

https://www.oliverlehmann.com/contents/free-downloads/200_PMP_Sample_Questions.pdf

Take the full length exam of Scott Payne, Andy Crowe and Jospeh Philips.

You can connect with me for any help linkedin.com/in/akhil-john90. Always remember, “Difficult roads always lead to beautiful destinations” . I Wish you all the best in your exam.

PMP Certification is one of the most coveted and prestigious certifications in the world. It entails a two step process:

(a) Application Submission- This included earned PDU's + Prior project management experience
(b) Application Acceptance- PMI reviews the application and accepts it. Post this, the exam can be scheduled. (excluding the scenario of Application entering the audit)

There is no thumb rule for a particular preparation methodology but I will describe what I followed. I will break it into sections for easier reference.

I. Preparation time period

I took 45 days to finish my preparation (excludes PDU's earned and time spent on application)

Weekdays: Studied for 4-5 Hours daily

Weekends: Studied for 8-9 Hours

II. Sources for Study & Reference

(a) 

III. MOCKS

Practicing questions based on Knowledge Areas and full length mocks is extremely crucial. This is a paper of time and accuracy. So, knowledge area questions solidify your concepts and mocks ensure you are within your time limits and accurate. 

I practiced atleast 4 full length mocks and purchased question banks on Udemy from 3-4 sources to get a maximum coverage on all type of questions. Also, I referred few videos listed above for questions.

Also, always TIME YOUR SELF.  Whether preparing or during mocks, keep the time factor in mind.

Have a single minded determination and focus.

This exam is not on memorization but your understanding and applicability in various situations.

IV. KEY POINTERS

• No need to memorize ITTO. Understand it.
• You should be aware of all the Tools and Techniques and their applicability
• No need to make a brain dump during exam. It will waste your time.
• Try to visualize the topics process group wise rather than knowledge area wise. That would help you to get your questions correct
• Finally, always remain motivated. This is a great learning experience.

I hope all the points I have listed will help the aspirants to kick off their preparation effectively and efficiently.

Good Luck to all!!

I got my PMP certificate back in 2006, but I believe the preparation for it hasn't changed much, so I can share it with the ones interested. Basically I read the PMBOK Guide 3 times, read the Rita Mulcahy's book 3 times, and performed simulate tests until my approval percentage reached around 85%. In the real test, I was approved in my first attempt.

I`m not an academic and never was a good student. Just hard work, dedication, supportive family, and my own money on the line.
I did not attend a boot camp and invested less than 400 USD  (not including the 405 USD PMI member exam fee)
Once the application to take the exam was approved, this is how I prepared for 54 days (3/8-5/1) and passed the exam on 5/2.

1) https://ricardo-vargas.com/pmbok6-processes-flow/  Learning these processes first will set the foundation for the rest of the preparation journey. I watched Ricardo`s video and used his free tools. Yes,  print and then play around with the cut/paste processes as he suggest. This took me a couple of hours for three days.  

2) pmmasterprep.com  Overwhelmed with the amount of resources out there, I was fortunate to find a reddit post mentioning a podcast by Scott Payne. I listened to all the episodes in one evening. I purchased the PM Masterprep book because style resonated with me. (More below)

3) project-management-prepcast.com  Prepcast Simulator and 110 Formula Questions.  The simulator is a must.  Purchased the questions later because it was a waste of time searching the the internet for EVM and math problems.

4) praizion.com  I discovered Phill C. Akinwale on youtube and his free videos are gold, especially the mainline.  I watched his mainline video everyday. Then at 1.5x speed as the weeks progressed. You can draw out your own ITTOs, but to save time, I purchased his PMP Exam Key Techniques and Outputs E-Book. 

5) A lot of Pomodoros. Google it.

Study Plan:

• I dedicated 2-4 hrs each day (not in one sitting) and more on the weekend.  Maintain a log.
  
  
• I highly recommend listening to Scott Payne`s PM Master prep podcasts before starting anything. One episode suggested to go through his book in three waves which would knock off 40% study time. You can apply that strategy to any PMP prep book.  I learned everything in three weeks.  Write the EVM template once a day at the beginning until you have it memorized because this will save a lot of time when you actually start practicing EVM problems. Eventually, I purchased his exam simulator and flashcards (to save time) because he earned my trust.
  
  For each process group:
• Read a section in PM Master prep book + listened to the same in his Audible. 
• Reviewed his Flashcards for that process group. 
• Complete a process exam in the simulator, kept an error log, reviewed weak areas, repeat.

ITTOs

•  I printed Praizion`s Exam Key Techniques and Outputs E-Book and went through it once a day and added the Inputs myself. 

Did I read the PMBOK?
There were suggestions to read it.  However, I did not due to time constraints and felt that I plenty of resources.  Passing the two Prepcast exams on the first try was enough for me not to change or add anything.  

Simulator and Official Exam Experience

I passed 4 x Full length Prepcast practice exams on the first try during the weeks leading up to the exam. 

However, the official exam grounded me very quickly because the questions were so vague and did not get one EVM question!  Time management is the MOST important factor to pass this four hour beast.  I was in panic mode because time was running out. Check out Scott`s exam day podcast episodes on how to get momentum going.  On game day, I did not follow that advice and spent too much time on the first 90 questions.  Rushed the final 110 questions in 90 minutes by picking out key words and eliminating obvious wrong answers.  

PMI  postponed the last day to take current version`s exam to the end of 2020 from the end of June.  But, I decided to keep going because online proctoring is not available in Japan and wanted to be done with this because of the exam cancellation/rescheduling stories worldwide!  Actually, two weeks prior to my date, Pearson cancelled on me at one test center but I was so lucky to find a different test center -Shinjuku- for the same date. 

I posted on 3rd March 2020 that I passed my PMP. First of all apologies for being so late with this post. And most importantly would like to thank my nentor in this journey. Mr. Shriram, (Shrilearning) have been the great trainer/mentor during this hardest journey. Yes you read it right. For me it was the toughest challenge I had taken for myself. I am a BA graduate. Passed ib 2004. Since then never touched a book. Very bad in studies. However due to the corporate demand in job to upskill myself I chose PMP training as my goal in 2016. Attended 4 days workshop but never continued studies. Mr. Shriram was not there then may be the reason, i got distracted. But this it was need of an hour for me to be successful in the work i m doing. It was not just passing the PMP,  however implementing the same at my daily work. And I saw a add pops up of Shrilearning on PMP program. And Mr.Shriram and Rahul from Shrilearning institute were just there to help me then and there.

They provided me a 40 days study plan. Amazingly it works. Due to high workload and personal challenges I was getting deviated but Mr. Shriram kept on following up and brought me back on track. The content, practice exams provided by Shrilearning are just great. Just follow Mr.Shriram and you have your PMP in hand.

Here are my lessons learned and some recommendations.

1. If you don’t already know, check out the requirements to take the test on PMI.org under certifications.
2. Read PMBOK 6th edition
3. Read PMI Code of Ethics
4. Review material from at least one other source - Rita M , Kim Heldman, Head First PMP.

I struggled to absorb much by just reading and the video lessons by Varun Anand and Sandra mitchell really helped. Plus the PMBOK does not include all material that could be on the test. The other reference materials will include additional details, which definately Mr. Shriram will guide you with or use Google.

I took an online exam prep class from Plural sight. My friend Nitin garg was another important person in my PMP journey, who helped me with exam Stimulators. We read and reviewed the PMBOK and an online portal was provided to review material along with practice exams.  I lost some momentum around the holidays, but got back on track 3rd week of Feb, I took planned leave for teo weeks, thanks for my Manager and Organisation for being supportive. I took many, many quizzes - their exam simulator questions seemed close to the ones I remember from the test. It provides an explanation of the question and why the correct answer is right and the other answers are wrong. I reviewed every question and all answers, whether I got the question right or wrong. I learned when I was wrong and reinforced knowledge for ones I had correct. I also made a chart for all 49 processes. It included the definition, inputs, tools & techniques and outputs. I read these over and over many times. I downloaded the ITTO sheet in my mind by writng it everyday until my exam. Also played the Rita's process game twice.  Additionally, I reviewed free YouTube videos by Aileen Ellis. She does a good job of breaking down the questions.

I recommend you review one other source besides PMBOK to reinforce material and gain additional info not in PMBOK. Get a good exam simulator and take  practice exam to see how you do. You also need to see if you can complete 200 questions in  4 hours.

Above all recommendation and guidance was from Mr. Shriram and Nitin Garg. I just followed them and success was with me.

Once again would like to Thank Shrilearning Institute for guiding me to get my PMP.

This was my 1st certification in project management area. Started off my career as a developer, realized the joy in analyzing data and before I knew, was promoted to managing projects. Team, Clients, Schedule, Budget, Work Plan - was reliant on my manager for most of these, what defined my success early were my strengths with requirements analysis, solution architecture, business understanding and educated guess :) If you are like me, this certification will be tough to crack. Hopefully by sharing my experience I am able to help a few.

To get things started, I enrolled in a self-study group with my company where I led 2 knowledge areas. From there, I started and stopped my preparation twice going through PMBOK, training materials prepared by my company, online tutorials etc. In Jan 2017 finally decided to complete the exam, cannot really say this was my New Year's Resolution though. My company recommended ordering Head First PMP book, which remain untouched until my colleague mentioned that as a great resource. I recall Head First from Java certifications, and decided to start with that. Was very much able to relate to the tasks I perform, especially with the way they had put together the materials and examples. I started implementing some of the themes in my project - WBS, planning, estimation techniques, risk assessments, control processes like forecasting, reserves, logs etc. I was able to schedule my exam soon, took a couple of weeks off where I breezed through the topics, prepared a cross table of the knowledge areas, process groups, inputs, outputs and tools & techniques. I was doing pretty well, may be 90%, with the mock exams at the end of the book. Online mock exams were not as successful, but I decided to spend the last few days doing a revision. I recall the day before the exam I was watching the IPL final where my hometown boys, Mumbai Indians, won narrowly. I did well in my exam the next day :)

the 1-2 week boot camp courses that so many companies offer is the perfect tool for getting you ready to take the test. First, go online and complete your application for the PMP, this takes several hours by itself and you want to make sure you have everything in and meet the hours requirements before signing up for a class. You will need the education hours from the class to complete your application. Before signing up for the course I would make sure there you don’t wait several months between the class and your test. I recommend you take the class and do nothing but study for 3 weeks straight, take the practice tests, and take the exam no more than 1 month after the class. The longer you wait, the harder it is to remember the content of the class and the test isn’t easy. When you get in for the test, take the prep time to dump all your formulas and anything else you can remember onto your scratch paper. I would also recommend bringing a snack and budgeting time for a short break in the middle of the test.

PMP methodology is outdated vs. newer Agile frameworks.  Having a PMP certification is most useful when seeking a new employer (recruiters will differentiate on it), but will be of limited value when seeking an internal promotion or pay raise (assuming you are already a project manager) because your employer has better ways of knowing if you are a good project manager or not (your actual performance).

The PMP, when I got it back in 2011 was a best to apply for.  They requested detailed information on each and every project I had ever worked on, broken down into excruciating details by hours on each individual phase.  The application itself was extremely tedious.  The good thing is that few applications are actually audited, which means that you can use the best of your memory and won't be challenged on it unless audited.  The examp preparation itself was standard - get a book or a class to run through the material, do a lot of rote memorization, take some practice tests, and go for the exam. 

If your employer utilizes an Agile framework, forget about the PMP and get an Agile certification instead.    

Let me start off by saying PMP is not an easy exam. You have to be committed to sit for the exam. PMP doesn’t only test your knowledge, but also your ability to use that knowledge in different practical situations. I did not rush it and from start to finish(including exam end) finished the process in 2months. If you are also looking to become a certified Project Management Professional, follow the below steps to learn how to get PMP certification:

1. Readings: First things first, read the PMBOK at least twice. I also read Rita Mulcahy's book twice and then solve the chapter end questions and note all of your mistakes. Then go the chapter again and rectify the issue.
2. Be Eligible: The criteria should be easy for you if you have project management experience. PMP certification exam needs a bachelor’s degree with 4,500 hours of project management experience and those who don’t have a bachelor’s degree need to have 7,500 hours of experience. Additionally, individuals need to attend 35 hours of the PMP certification training program to earn required contact hours. You can attend online PMP courses or in-person PMP Bootcamp to earn contact hours.
3. Application: To register, you have to visit and fill the PMP Application Form on http://www.pmi.org. Once your application has been approved, you can book an exam on the most suitable date.
4. Online Study Materials: There are a ton of materials available online. You can enroll in the course as suggested above. You should go for self-paced online training which will save a lot of time and you can use the prep material anytime, anywhere. Find some good practice tests and get accustomed to the way in which the questions test you and practice timing yourself to finish all 200 questions at least with 30 minutes or more to spare. Once you’re scoring consistently around the 75% mark on quality simulation test, you can consider yourself ready for the PMP Exam.
5. Strategy for Preparation: You need to prepare daily for a minimum of 2-3hrs. Consistency is the key so find a time that you can commit to for most days and stick with it. I would strongly suggest write down key-points from the sections you have prepared everyday and especially those you found difficulty with so that you can revisit them. You also need to memorize the formulas. Once you get into your routine, do no break it. Finally take the exam. One day before the exam, I went through all of my notes again and nothing on the day of the exam. Prior to the exam, there is a short tutorial explaining using the computer and the software. You would have 4 hours for 200 questions, a little more than a minute for each question. Do not leave any question. - unanswered and incorrect means the same. Use the elimination technique. So if you eliminate 2 choices. Mark one of the other two. You would still have 50% chance of getting it correct.

Good Luck !

Cheers,

Zack