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10 Steps to Becoming a PMP - Part III

February 14, 2008 | Author: PM Hut | Filed under: Certification, PMP

10 Steps to Becoming a PMP - Part III (#3 in the series 10 Steps to Becoming a PMP)
By Cornelius Fichtner, PMP

Step 7: Take an In-Person PMP Workshop.

PMI chapters, universities, colleges and training companies offer a number of in-person PMP workshops around the world. They usually last from 2-6 days. Some of them require that you study for yourself in addition to the course and others don’t. Some companies even offer a passing guarantee. But don’t be fooled. This guarantee is just marketing and their risk is very low. After all - would you intentionally fail the exam, just so that you can take their course again?

In any case, taking an in-person course combined with your own studies is probably the best way to go. If you are lucky, then your employer may offer to pay for such a course. If you have to pay for it yourself, then look into the course that is offered by your local PMI chapter because they are usually very affordable.

Just like the audio courses and books, the classroom training will help you understand the PMBOK® Guide. The benefit here is that you will have an instructor and other students to help you understand particularly difficult sections like earned value or risk from the PMBOK® Guide. Don’t be shy to ask questions.

Step 8: Answer as many Sample Questions as you can.

You get what you pay for. Free is good to get an idea, but you will have to pay for “real” questions in a book, as a CD or online. The benefit of buying a book is that you can go down to your local bookshop and take some time to look through the questions in the books before you decide which one to buy. The benefit of buying your sample tests as a CD or online is that they usually come in some form of an exam simulation. That way you can get used to answering your questions on the computer. We offer links to over 30 free and commercial sample tests in the PMP resources section of our website at http://www.pmprepcast.com.

As you make your way through all the free samples that you find online two things will happen: First you will get used to answering exam questions, which is good. And second you will begin to disagree with some of the suggested answers, which is even better. By disagreeing and then opening up your study materials to review you will learn even more. Therefore, even the worst exam sample question that you can find can teach you how to pass the exam. It’s all a matter of your personal attitude and knowing that even a bad question can take you further.

Also important: Keep track of your score. As time goes by, you will notice that you are more and more able to answer questions correctly. If you keep your score, then you can see where you are. Here is rule of thumb for you: if you consistently answer 85% of the questions correctly, then you are ready to take the exam.

Cornelius Fichtner, PMP is the host of The Project Management Podcast™ at www.thepmpodcast.com and The Project Management PrepCast™, the first true PMP® Podcast at www.pmprepcast.com. Cornelius worked as a Project Manager in his native Switzerland, in Germany and in the USA for the last 17 years. He received his PMP credential in April 2004. He has led projects for a management consulting company, a national retailer and an internet startup company. Currently, Cornelius works as a project manager for one of the oldest financial service providers in the USA. His passions are project management methodologies, PMOs and helping others pass the PMP Exam. In addition to hosting the PrepCast™, he is an instructor for the PMP Workshop and the 2007 Chair of his local PMI chapter. He currently lives in Silverado, California, USA with his wife and their two computers.

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