PMP Exam Tips
Introduction
According to www.pmi.org, PMP is a Gold standard of Project Management Certification.
This certification is highly reputed in the project management field. The certification validates your techniques and competence in managing the projects efficiently. It validates your understanding of the concepts of project management and how you apply it to projects.
It is the top most Industry recognized certification for project managers. The PMBOK is the body of knowledge offered by project management institute. PMBOK details how to approach and manage projects efficiently.
Many companies set the PMP as the standard requirement for recruiting project managers.
Global Recognition
PMP certification is recognized globally, which makes it marketable in any location around the world. PMP certification is applicable to any industry. It is not restricted to any one sector. The processes mentioned in PKBOK apply to any methodology. The corporations can use any framework or methodology and the project manager can implement the PMP processes without any difficulty.
Earning Potential
It increases your earning potential. PMP certified can demand a salary of 20% more than thenon-certified.
Benefits of hiring a certified PMP
Employers can benefit significantly by hiring PMP certified project managers. More projects are completed on time and within budget, according to a survey performed by pmi.org
Exam qualification
Who can apply?
Experienced Project Managers
Who worked on projects
Who are responsible for the Project Success
Who has collaborated and lead cross-functional team members
Who has managed the projects schedule, budget and resources
Who has experience in applying a methodology to projects
Who has the knowledge of project requirements and deliverables
Certification Types from PMI
Follow the links to get more information from www.pmi.org
Project Management Professional (PMP)®
Portfolio Management Professional (PfMP)®
PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP)®
PMI Professional in Business Analysis (PMI-PBA)®
Program Management Professional (PgMP)®
Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)®
PMI Risk Management Professional (PMI-RMP)®
PMI Scheduling Professional (PMI-SP)®
PMP Exam
When to schedule the exam?
Once you completed the application, you have only one year to complete the exam. So it is better to schedule your exam as early as possible.
Select Exam Location and Time
If you want to a specific location and date for your exam, it is better to search early before your deadline is up. Usually people start searching for exam center at least 3 months early.
First you have to pay for the exam. If you have not paid, you cannot schedule for the exam.
Application – 90 days deadline.
Once you open the application, you have only 90 days to complete it. Otherwise you have to redo the application process from the beginning.
Exam – One-year deadline. (Eligibility Period)
The date of approval of your application is very important. You have only one year to pass the exam. So give enough time to prepare and write the exam. If you have to retake the exam, then it also must be finished within that one-year timeframe. You are allowed to take the exam up to 3 times for that year. So plan well for all the possibilities.
How many times you can
re-take exam?
Only 3 times you can write the exam in one
year eligibility period.
Application Completion Tips
Gather the following information before starting to fill the application.
As per PMI, following are the instructions from PMI (as per their verbage)
- Contact information — email, address, phone number
- Education attained — school attended, level of education attained, degree date
- Domain experience — details of the projects, programs, portfolios you’ve worked on including qualifying hours, dates of employment, role, organization details, reference, and experience summary
- Domain education — names of courses completed, institutions attended, dates, qualifying hours
How to prepare?
- Take online or in class exam preparation course.
- Form a study group with your colleagues or friends.
- Write few mockup exams
- Sitting for 4 hours in an exam is very tedious. Take mock up exams for 4 hours and prepare for the real exam.
- Some of the UDemy courses gives 35 PDUs, when you take their course. This can be used for Eligibility to write the exam.
| PMP Certification Fees | |
| Exam Fees | |
| Non Members | $555 |
| Members | $405 |
| Membership Fees per year | $129 |
| One time application fee | $10 |
| Student Membership fees per year | $32 |
| Retiree Membership fees per year | $65 |
| Group Memberships | Discounts available |
PMP Certification Exam eligibility requirements
| Eligibility requirements | Project Management Experience | Hours experience – Leading a Project | Project Management Education (Hours) |
| Four Year Degree | 3 Years | 4500 hours | 35 contact hours |
| High School Diploma/ Associate Degree | 5 Years | 7500 hours | 35 contact hours |
PMP application process
- You have to register in the www.pmi.org
- You can go to certification.pmi.org to submit your PMP application.
How many are PMP certified?
PMP certification Maintenance
PMI demands regular growth for the project managers.
You have to acquire 60 professional PDUs, every three years to maintain the certification.
Who are REPs?
They are Registered Education Providers (R.E.P) of PMI. They offer Project Management Training for PMI’s project management certifications.
PMP Exam Question pattern
The questions are approximately in the following pattern. All the phases will be covered in the exam. You have to get pass mark from the total 200 questions. No minimum requirement for each phases.
| PMP Certification Exam Details | |
| No of Questions | 200 |
| Question Type | Multiple Choice Questions |
| Closed Book | |
| No Reference Allowed | |
| Sample questions to fine-tune degree of difficulty | 25 |
| Maximum Hours allowed | 4 Hours |
| No | Exam questions from Project Phases |
| 1 | Initiation (13%) |
| 2 | Planning (24%) |
| 3 | Execution (31%) |
| 4 | Monitoring and controlling (25%) |
| 5 | Closing (7%) |
What are PDUs
PDUs are Professional Development Units. PMI demands certain PDUs as qualification for writing exams and maintaining the certification status.
These are one-hour blocks.
It can be spent on Learning, teaching others or volunteering.
PDUs are accumulated over a three-year time.
PDUs are required to maintain your certification status with PMI.
What is the significance of PDUs?
PMI.org gives the PMP certification. In order for you to appear in the exam or maintaining the certification, there are minimum PDUs required.
You need 35 PDUs to qualify to write the PMP exam. Also you need to acquire 60 PDUs, every three years, to maintain the PMP credentials.
It is part of the PMI’s continuing certification requirements program (CCR).
PDU is acquired by attending project management training. As a general rule, if you attended 1 hour of the training, you will get 1 PDU.
How to get PDUs ?
There are two types of renewals available in PMI with limitations on PDUs required are as below
- Education – 35 minimum
- Giving Back to the Profession – 25 maximum
Under Education, PMI Talent Triangle consists of the following three items:
- Technical – 8 minimum
- Leadership – 8 minimum
- Strategic Skills – 8 minimum
All the above three items have a minimum PDU requirement with a total of 35 PDUs for Education
Following PDUs are the limitation under each category
Giving Back – 25 maximum
Work as a Practitioner – 8 maximum
Other Giving Back – 20 maximum
Sample Dashboard
Once you become member and have access to your dashboard, you will see a similar dashboard for your PDU completion.
Sample image is given below
How many PDU’s you can get by reading a book?
You can learn by reading relevant books that suits your certification.
PMI.org mentions that you can read books, articles, whitepapers or blogs.
This will help you to be acquainted with latest knowledge on
your certification and it will help you to support your professional
development.
Structured discussions
PMI.org encourages you to take part in ‘lunch and learn’ sessions in your work place where you can learn from your peers or mentors. This type of learning which comes through interaction with others.
Volunteer
You can volunteer in the community activities. You can support the pmi.org by volunteering in their programs. I used to volunteer in a non-profit organization, which is also recommended by PMI.
Share Knowledge
You can share your knowledge with others. You can mentor other project managers. You can volunteer to teach in a local community schools.
Presentation
You
can give presentation to a group and share your knowledge. You can speak in a
local PMI chapter. You can give presentation in a professional conference. You can conduct ‘lunch and learn’sessions at your office to
benefit others.
Content Creation
You can create new content and share your knowledge. You can write a book, blog , articles, presentations or webinar for the public. You can post it social media or YouTube channel.
Easy ways to earn PDUs
- Read a book on Technical, Strategic, Leadership
- Take online courses for PDUs
- Volunteer your time with leadership activities to help the community
How to acquire 60 PDUs ?
PDUs are contact hours
PMI provides training to get the PDUs. There are other companies and institutions, who provide PDUs at a reasonable cost.
Cost of PDUs:
I have seen online a bundle of 45-60 PDUs costing from $199 to $399.
When you buy these courses online, there will be time limitation to access the courses. It may be 90 days available for you to access the link.
How to get FREE PDUs?
You can go to YouTube and search for online lectures and courses that you can listen and learn. These free online courses also qualify to get the PDUs.
How to keep record of the courses for future audit?
Keep an excel spreadsheet with date and time you took the courses. Add the link to the course, title of the course and the PDUs requested. When auditing comes up you can send this file for the proof.
How to prepare for the exam?
Phases
Knowledge areas
Input and output parameters
How many hours of preparation needed?
You can start with a 1-hour
preparation per day and increase it slowly to 2-3 hours on a daily basis.
First finish the PMBOK material. This is the hard part. Take enough notes and review the notes daily. There are a lot memorization needed during the preparation. You have to be comfortable with PMP lingo.
After finishing the PMBOK material, you may want to try to practice the exam with practice tests. There are few books with practice exam in the market. The more practice the more helpful.
How long will be the preparation?
It took about 3 months for me to
finish the PMBOK. I studied 1hour per
day and 4hrs on weekends.
Depending on your schedule and grasping, it may take anywhere from 2 months to 6 months to prepare for the exam.
How to take mock exam or prep exam?
You can google for ‘pmp prep exam’ and will get free questions for preparation.
What are the tricks?
There are no tricks. You have to completely understand the PMBOK
material and take mock exams. Group
study helps a lot since you get ideas from different people. The classroom preparation helps since your
interaction with others contribute to your learning.
How does the PMP certificate looks like?
What is the book cost?
I have seen PMP exam preparation book cost ranging from $50 onwards.
PMP training cost?
It ranges from $350, online courses to around $5000 in class training.
It depends on which type of class you are comfortable in learning.
Any price you pay is worth the money when you get the PMP certificate.
UDemy courses are offered from $12 onwards (during Sale).
Some of the UDemy courses also gives 35 PDUs that you can use for your application eligibility.
The PMI Talent Triangle®
Skills in the following three areas are required
- Technical Project
Management
- Leadership
- Strategic and Business Management
These three skills are collectively known as Talent Triangle.
Article on Job Growth
Project Management Job Growth and Talent Gap 2017–2027
Cite: Reference: PMI (2017). Project Management Job Growth and Talent Gap 2017–2027.
There is an uprising demand for PMP certified individuals. Also there is a talent gap and many organizations find it difficult to fill the gap.
The following article will give a detailed information on the demand and how organizations are handling it.
https://www.pmi.org/learning/careers/job-growth
Project Management Online Courses
There are online courses recommended and provided by project management institute.
These courses help to prepare for project management certifications.
Also they can be used to maintain the certification by getting PDUs
Since they are online courses, the aspirant will be able to take at their own convenience.
The courses provide PDUs (Professional Development Unit) for the student.
Conclusion
Project Management Professional (PMP) is a highly valuable certificate to possess for a project manager. It’s worth to go through the pain of getting it. Good Luck.
Fantastic
Nice article
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