Gold mine: Project Management Professional Certification


Review By: Alisha Sethi


Certified


Yes

Expiry Month


8

Expiry Year


2023

Time taken to Prepare


45 Days

Resources Used

  • Books, Youtube videos, e-portals-knowledge sharing, professional groups on social sites, purchased courses

Detailed Review Of Preparation

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) 

SourcesSyllabus CoveredComments
PMBOKRead the book thrice- All topics (This is the Bible of Project Management)-DO NOT SKIP THISExtremely helpful for conceptual understanding. Exam is based on PMBOK
Rita MulcahyRead Risk Management & Stakeholder Management/Attempted all questions at the end of all chapters and read tips & tricks in between
You can read the whole book if you have time in hand
Youtube videos by Aileen Ellis, Izenbridge, PMPwithRayReferred to their videos in case of any specific doubts in a topic or where more clarity was required. Practiced Questions from these videos(Especially the situational questions)Do not waste your time watching all videos. If the concept is clear, skip the videos
Mocks by Tridib RoyI purchased Tridib Roy's mocks at Udemy and there were a set of 6 mocks (33/ 50/100/200) format. They are really good and give you accurate understanding of your level of preparationI attempted all of them twice to get my concepts correct
Social Media Joined PMP specific groups on Facebook where a lot of knowledge sharing happens w.r.t. questions/sources/content etc.DO NOT OVER INDULGE but surely you must be a part of the few groups to gauge your preparation and seek guidance

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!!









 

Benefits From Certification

  • Pay Hike
  • Promotion
  • My Job Needed It
  • Knowledge is Power