PMP Certification
The PMP certification is highly popular and in demand. Therefore, it is natural that so many professionals want to achieve the PMP certification, whether they have project management experience or not. The challenge is that there are hundreds of groups on social media site and many of them are questionable in what they post, share, or advocate. Consequently, there is much misleading stuff out in the market that confuses the PMP aspirants. Further, the wrong advice often results in significantly increasing the PMP preparation time.
How to achieve the PMP Certification?
Then how to achieve the PMP certification, while learning real project management, in the shortest time possible?
Read on …
Let us start by saying: if you are studying for the PMP, and you are solving more than 1000 questions; you are likely doing it WRONG!
Then, what is the right way?
PMP Preparation
Apparently, there is no single right way. The PMP preparation time is a function of the PMP aspirant knowledge, real-world experience, English comprehension, intelligence, among other factors.
Well, first the bad news. Many professionals probably worked on projects but in a technical capacity, not a project management role. For those professionals, unfortunately, the program we propose below, might not be enough for you. First, you will have to learn project management. Consequently, you might have to depend on a great deal of memorization since you might lack the understanding and know-how.
For those who do have some experience, the good news is the program mentioned next.
PMP Success
The following is our proposed program and what we think is a great approach that we have been following for more than a decade. Since ten seems like a nice number, let us call this PMP Preparation Program, the #10_Steps_to_PMP_Success.
Step 1
Make sure you have three years of experience in a project management role; this is a PMI requirement but unfortunately many bypasses it and no one is genuinely If you do not have enough experience, then consider postponing or take an excellent workshop on the fundamentals of project management. We are biased toward methodology courses but if your goal is the PMP then a course on the PMBOK Guide but with a focus on the knowledge and how to apply it rather than exam prep.
Step 2
Read the Annex of the PMBOK® Guide 5th edition, (if you are trying for the exam before 26 March 2018). Read Part 2 of the guide 6th edition, if you are targeting post 26 March. This section is the ANSI standard. Read it thoroughly, understand it, identify areas you do not fully understand, and study them in Part 1, the guide part.
Step 3
Study the exam prep materials, with a focus on those things you do not do at work. What we mean here, read, imagine, think, do the exercises (not exam questions), and if you still do not understand, seek professional help; or take an exam prep course. As you study, identify your gaps and write them down on a sheet of paper to review later.
Step 4
Do practice exams as you study per chapter, but no more than 20-30 questions per chapter. Assuming you are using a system like what we mention next, this would lead to 240-360 questions.
Step 5
Once done with the book (we prefer RMC Learning Solutions– Rita’s PMP Exam Prep System) then do one full practice exam – 200Q.
Step 6
Identify your overall score and weak areas from the practice exam.
Step 7
If you scored well but not enough (above 60%), go back over the book and focus on your weak areas. If you did not score well (below 60%), then go through the whole book, AGAIN.
Step 8
The above should get what you need. Therefore, a week or two before the real exam, do the full practice exam again. Another 200 questions.
Step 9
Go over your gaps and weak spot; only!
Step 10
Take the exam; the real one!
The above program is about 640 to 760 exam questions only.
In closing, this is the approach we propose on how to achieve the PMP certification.
What do you think?
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