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Taking the PMP Exam: Just another Project

February 8, 2008 | Author: PM Hut | Filed under: Certification, PMP

Taking the PMP Exam: Just another Project
By Gloria C. Brown - Global Knowledge

Are you a busy project or program manager who wants to obtain the PMP (Project Management Professional) certification from PMI® (the Project Management Institute) but you’re worried about passing the exam or clueless about how to even approach it? Earning the prestigious PMP may be easier than you think.

Although you take standardized exams infrequently, you successfully manage projects every day. So, think of taking the exam as another “project” and manage it as you would any other project, with the added benefit of reinforcing many of the concepts on the exam. Do what you do with every project - apply the project management methodology process groups to your exam preparation: initiate, plan; execute; monitor and control; then close and celebrate!

Initiate

At the beginning of each project, you identify a business problem to be solved or a business opportunity to be exploited. You “initiate” the project. Follow the same process in deciding to become a PMP: analyze your personal and/or professional situation to determine if certification makes sense. Just as a project sponsor signs the project charter to authorize a project, as the sponsor of this project, you should officially commit your time and effort. Take ownership of “your” project. But deciding to become a PMP is merely the first step in obtaining the certification.

Plan

As with other projects, follow initiating with planning - decide “how” to accomplish your primary objective. Build a work-breakdown schedule (WBS) to identify the tasks and resources needed to accomplish your goal. The primary task is to take and pass the PMP exam, but there are other key tasks. Initially, you may want to join PMI, which will allow you to save a substantial amount of money on the cost of the application. Other preliminary tasks include documenting your project management experience, completing the application, obtaining the required validation, studying for the exam, and scheduling the exam.

Execute

As you work toward your goal, “execute” the tasks on your WBS. Research the many options for preparing for an exam like this. Register for a formal class; participate in online study sessions; study by yourself; take practice tests that simulate the actual exam; or any combination of such tasks. As with any other project, during execution is when you do the actual work and expend the most time, energy and effort. Take this project seriously!

Since a project has a defined beginning and end, establish a schedule for this project, too. In particular, set the date for the final deliverable - a passed exam - and begin working toward that end. Work your way through PMI’s Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide®) and other study materials. Approach the tasks in sequence. Learn the process groups, knowledge areas, and the 44 key processes. Practice using the earned value formulas and know how to interpret the results of your calculations. Understand and apply concepts in situational questions. As you’re doing all this, measure your progress toward reaching your goal.

Monitor & Control

Check your progress with “monitoring and controlling.” As you practice on tests that are very similar to the standardized exam, check your answers. Work to achieve a score of 70% or better on each practice exam. At least once during your preparations, check your internal schedule and stamina. Sit for a four-hour practice test of 200 questions; then, check your answers. Successfully doing this will allay your fear of not being able to finish the exam on time. And when you think you’re ready, schedule the exam.

Close

Finally, take the certification exam to “close” this project. Arrive at the testing center early enough to allow yourself to settle in before taking the exam. Use the blank paper supplied by the testing center to complete a “brain dump.” Write down the key concepts that are crammed into your head. The earned value formulas; the chart of process groups; contract types and matching procurement documents are some of the concepts you may want to capture. Doing this will provide you with an allowed “cheat sheet,” and it will reinforce that you really do know the material.

Then, just before taking the test, take the online tutorial to learn how to mark answers that you want to revisit before submitting your answers and how to display graphics that may be referenced in the questions. You are allotted 15 minutes for the tutorial, but it seldom takes that long. So, use part of this time to complete your “brain dump.”

Remember your success with the practice tests and your real-world experiences as you “think like PMI” to answer the questions. Pace yourself as you did in with the 200 question practice tests. Remember to breathe! When you complete the exam, the answers will be checked, and your results will be displayed in approximately 30 seconds - perhaps the longest 30 seconds of your life.

Celebrate

Then, do what you normally do when you successfully complete projects - celebrate! Do something special for yourself - something that you planned ahead of time. Smile to indicate that you planned, executed, and completed another successful project. This one you did for yourself! And, look back and realize that it wasn’t as hard as you initially thought!

About the Author

Gloria C. Brown lives in Atlanta and teaches PMP Exam Prep Boot Camp and professional skills classes for Global Knowledge. She holds Master’s degrees in Education and Business (Decision Sciences). To provide classroom examples, she draws upon her 30+ years as a teacher, an IT project manager, and a project management consultant. The suggestions in this article are those she gives students who are preparing to the take the PMP exam.

This article was originally published in Global Knowledge’s Business Brief e-newsletter. Global Knowledge delivers comprehensive hands-on project management, business process, and professional skills training. Visit our online Knowledge Center at www.globalknowledge.com/business for free white papers, webinars, and more.

© Copyright 2008, Global Knowledge. All rights reserved.

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