How to Pass the PMP Exam

My free eBook the PMP Exam Master Class which you can download from www.pm-mentor.com contains much more details about what you will need and how to prepare for the PMP test.

Study Resources
You will need at least the following study resources.

The PMBOK® Guide - Third Edition is obviously the basis of your study but it cannot be your only resource - it does not cover the entire exam, the material is dry, impersonal and difficult to digest (almost like a dictionary), a tool in your learning of a language, but it can never be the only one.

You can order the PMBOK® Guide from www.pmi.org . When you join PMI (which I strongly encourage and recommend) you will get your own copy free of charge. You can also order it from www.amazon.com just do a search for PMBOK® Third Edition from the Amazon home page.

Exam Study Guide
You will need a good study guide that covers all knowledge areas and process groups. A good study guide will help you to make sense of the PMBOK® and focus your attention on the important aspects to study.

Exam Preparation Questions
You will need lots of good quality questions. Again make sure the questions cover all exam topics and the 11 knowledge areas in detail.

Please note: When you sign up for my PMP course at www.pm-mentor.com you will get the following:

1. Comprehensive Exam Study Guide
2. 1,400 Exam Preparation Questions with explanations
3. Flashcards - a summary of all the important concepts
4. Brain Dumps -all the information which you have to memorize for the exam.
5. Certificate of Education - covering the required 35 Hours of Education.
6. Exam Readiness Indicator - this will tell you when you are reday to sit the exam

How much time do I need to prepare for the exam?

In general (if you genuinely have the required experience) it should take you no more than 200 hours and no less than 40 hours to prepare for this exam. However preparation time differs and depends on skills and experience as well as learning styles.

The factors which influence your preparation time varies i.e. study resources, prior knowledge and experience, free time available to study, self discipline and learning style.

Set realistic expectations for yourself. If you have a fulltime day job and/or family commitments it might be difficult to spend more than 10 hours per week on studies. I suggest you set aside 10 to 20 weeks to get yourself prepared if you will be studying on your own.

What Method?

Different people have different learning styles. The following are however common to all styles:

• You and your books have to be together in the same place at the same time!
• Repetition works for every learning style.
• There are a number of formulas, rules, procedures which you have to memorize.
• My Exam Readiness Indicator will tell you when you are reday to sit the exam.

Over the years I have developed the PM-Mentor Study Method which has worked best for all of our students. This method places less stress on the students and allow them to work through the material in a structured and planned fashion, acknowledging the fact that almost all of them have to do this part time (after hours).

After all they are all project managers!

See the PM-Mentor Exam Master Class for a detailed discussion of our unique study method.

A Study Group

Many people find it beneficial to form a study group with 1 or more people (usually not more than 5). The study group will then meet once or twice per week for 1-2 hours.

It is very important to note that study groups don't work for all people all the time. It must be managed properly therefore it is strongly recommended that a study group coordinator is appointed to manage the activities rules etc within the group.

It is also important to note that study group members sometimes find it very easy to share copy righted information with each other. Read the professional responsibility area of the study guide very carefully before you start a group.

Study groups enable you to study together and the "peer pressure" would help people to focus on their preparation and motivate them to keep up with the rest.

Make sure you have solid commitments from your fellow study group members because many people enrolling for a study group never sit the exam. Many of the "dropouts" could just be so afraid that they will fail the exam they rather give up.

Doing it this way (in stead of attending an expensive class room course) can save you and/or your company a lot of time and money.

The PM-Mentor Study Materials are ideally suited and affordable for a study group environment. Please visit http://www.pm-mentor.com/ for more information.

PMP Exam - Contents by Process Groups

At http://www.pm-mentor.com/ you will find a comprehensive study guide, 1,400 questions and other materials that covers all the exam topics below in detail.

Initiating the Project - 11% - 19/200

1. Conducting project selection methods
2. Defining the scope
3. Documenting project risks, assumptions, and constraints
4. Identifying and performing stakeholder analysis
5. Developing the project charter
6. Obtaining project charter approval

Planning the Project - 23% - 40/200

1. Defining and recording requirements, constraints, and assumptions
2. Identifying the project team and defining the roles and responsibilities
3. Creating the WBS
4. Developing the change management plan
5. Identifying risks and defining risk strategies
6. Obtaining plan approval
7. Conducting the kick-off meeting

Executing the Project - 27% - 47/200

1. Executing the tasks defined in the project plan
2. Ensuring common understanding and set expectations
3. Implementing the procurement of project resources
4. Managing resource allocation
5. Implementing the quality management plan
6. Implementing the approved changes
7. Implementing the approved actions and workarounds
8. Improving the team performance

Monitor $ Control the Project - 21% - 37/200

1. Measuring project performance
2. Verifying and managing changes to the project
3. Ensuring project deliverables conform to quality standards
4. Monitoring all possible risks

Closing the Project - 9% - 16/200

1. Obtaining final acceptance for the project
2. Obtaining financial, legal, and administrative closure
3. Releasing project resources
4. Identifying, documenting, and communicating "lessons learned"
5. Creating and distributing the final report
6. Archiving and retaining project records
7. Measuring customer satisfaction

Professional Responsibility - 9% - 16/200

1. Ensuring individual integrity
2. Contributing to the project management knowledge base
3. Enhancing personal professional competence
4. Promoting interaction among stakeholders

PMP Exam - Overview

www.pm-mentor.com contains much more details about what to expect on the PMP test, the types of questions and tips on how to answer those questions. Below is some background information.

Expect to be Surprised
Candidates study hard and diligently and practiced with many practice exam questions but still they get out of the exam room and say they were surprised by the difficulty. Even if this was an open book exam it would make no difference - it would still be very hard to pass.

It is a very good idea to work through as many practice questions as you can lay your hands on. However be aware that very few if any of those will be on your exam - they are merely part of the preparation tools. They are intended to help reinforce critical concepts, terms and definitions and prepare you for the manner in which questions are asked.

Remember on the exam day you are not tested on your mastery of practice questions. You are tested on your ability to demonstrate a deeper understanding of modern project management methodology and principals.So expect to be surprised on exam day.

200 Multiple Choice Questions

• 200 Multiple Choice Questions in 4 hours.


• One question and 4 possible answers -select only one.
  
• 4 hours to complete the exam in other words 1 minute 12 seconds per question.
  
• 25 questions not taken into consideration to calculate your final score.
  
• But you don't know which questions are not scored.
  
• You must correctly answer 106/175 questions or 60.6% to pass.
  
• Correct answers are counted as 1 point.
  
• Incorrect answers are counted as 0 - no negative marking
  
• There is no penalty for incorrect answers.

Therefore you MUST answer all questions you have a 25% chance of getting it right!

Difficult but Do-Able

Many experienced project managers believe their experience will carry them through the exam, they are wrong. You need a combination of experience, knowledge dedication and self discipline to pass. If you are not prepared you will find the exam environment and process intimidating and very stressful.

• 106/175 or 60.6% is not easy to achieve don't make that mistake!


• You need to be thoroughly prepared. It is do-able if you are prepared.


• Many candidates are genuinely shaken by the experience.


• 30% of candiadtes fail on their first attempt.


• The most common reason for failure is inadequate preparation.


• Success rate increases dramatically to 85% with preparation.


• Ironically more than 90% of candidates who re-take the exam achieve a passing score!

PMP Verification - Exam Aplication - Part 1

From www.pm-mentor.com you can download a free PMP Exam Master Class eBook which contains a detailed discussion of the exam application process with templates which could be used to create the required experience verification before completing the application.

If you meet the criteria noted before you can proceed with your application to PMI to take the PMP test.

The exam application is completed online

• During the application you will be required to provide contact information for each project undertaken by you.


• In case your application is selected for audit, PMI will contact manager(s) whose names are indicated on the application, to validate the documented experience.


• All applications will go through a review process.


• The applicants, who are chosen for audit, will be notified through an e-mail from PMI.


• Follow-up reminder e-mail notifications are used throughout the audit process.


• Applicants have 1 year to take the exam from the date when the application is approved.


• If approved the applicant need to contact the nearest Prometric center in his/her city and book a desired date for their PMP test.


• Visit this site to get the contact information www.prometric.com/PMI/default.htm


• Candidates can take and retake the exam up to three times within the one year of eligibility.


• If the applicant fails the exam after the third attempt, there is a waiting period of one year before he/she are permitted to retake the exam.

Do you qualify to sit the PMP exam?

In order to qualify to sit the exam you need to fulfill the prerequisites of one of the following:

If you hold a Degree - For applicants with a Baccalaureate/global equivalent university degree;

1. a minimum of 3 years (36 months) unique and non overlapping professional project management experience,


2. of which 4,500 hours must have been spent leading and directing project tasks,


3. The 3 years must have been gained over the past eight years prior to the exam application


4. 35 hours of project management education.

OR

If you don't hold a Degree - For candidates with a High school diploma or Associates Degree /global equivalent secondary school diploma;

1. a minimum of 5 years (60 months) unique and non overlapping professional project management experience,


2. of which 7,500 hours must have been spent leading and directing project tasks


3. The 5 years must have been gained over the past eight years prior to the exam application


4. 35 hours of project management education.

PMI says: Within the total hours of project management experience, experience in all five-process groups is required. However, on a single project, you do not need to have experience in all five-process groups.

Also please note that:

1. "Unique and non overlapping"- means that you cannot claim double time if you were working on 2 projects at the same time!


2. The 3/5 years experience does not have to be continuous but means that you should demonstrate 3/5 years of experience over a period of 8 years prior to the date of your application.

You can download the PMP Credential Handbook from the link below. It contains all the details you need.

http://www.pmi.org/CareerDevelopment/Pages/Obtaining-Credential.aspx

The Value of PMP Certification

Ranked no 4 out of the 10 hottest certifications

PMP® has reached the No. 4 position in CertCities 10 Hottest Certifications for 2006. (Source: Certcities).

The PMP® qualification:

• Demonstrates that you have a solid foundation of experience and education in project management.


• Is used by companies as a screening tool to fill their Project Management positions.


• Demonstrates that you know the best project management practices and methodologies on the face of the earth.

The PMP® credential received ISO 17024 accreditation:

• It raises the status of holders of the PMP® qualification globally


• It is an indicator of competence and capability of PMP® qualified project managers


• And assures that PMP® certification is recognized in the global business community

PMI says: "Top executives report that project management is becoming increasingly important to their companies, and that project managers can improve business performance in any industry. From agriculture to healthcare, urban development to travel and tourism, government to real estate, organizations are realizing the importance of project management."

Microsoft says: "We were in need of an internationally recognized project management certification that would support the professional development of our Services personnel," said Joe Austin, Chief Operating Officer, Microsoft Services. "PMI's credentials parallel our own ongoing commitment to quality aimed at customer, partner and employee satisfaction."

Whizlabs says: "Employers are willing to pay more money for a PMP® certified professional"

The PMP® Community is Growing by the Day

The Project Management Professional (PMP®) qualification from PMI (Project Management Institute) is regarded as the most recognized and respected project management certification in the world. In 2007 PMI already had more than 260,000 members (December 07) in over 171 countries.

I am told that in December 07 more than 4,767 New PMPs passed their exams and that about 53,000 new PMPs were added to the ranks in 2007.