Project management career writeup

8/7/2019 Project management career writeup

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All you need to know about the PMP Exams!!

Someone asked me the other day about details on the PMP Exam Certifications.I decided toshare this writeup jobbermans readership!

What is PMP certification and why get it?

PMP stands for Project Management Professional. PMP certification is offered by PMI (ProjectManagement Institute) and those that obtain this certification demonstrate a proficient level of

project management leadership skills. PMP certification is widely recognized by major companies and government agencies worldwide as the standard qualification for the role of

project managers resulting in certificate holders commanding higher salaries than the others.According to the PMI website, as of May 2009, there are more than a quarter million certified

professionals around the world. Many companies require their project managers to hold thiscertification and is growing in popularity every day. It is instrumental to getting major projectespecially public sector projects for some companies

Ten Steps to get PMP certification

1. Make sure you meet the criteria set by PMI before deciding to apply for the PMP certification by visiting www.pmi.orga. You should have documents to prove that you had at least 35 contact hours of formaleducation in project management

b. If you have a Bachelor's degree, document at least three calendar years experience in projectmanagement during which at least 4,500 hours were spent leading and directing project tasks.

Note that experience in all the five recognized project management process groups is required.The five process groups are Initiation, Planning, Executing, Monitoring & Control and Closing.

If you do not have a Bachelor's degree, applicants must have a minimum five years professional project management experience, during which at least 7,500 hours are spent leading anddirecting project tasks, within the past eight years from the time of application. Make sure to readthe PMP Handbook published by PMI for more details. Note that you will have to provide thecontact information of your manager or supervisor. If PMI chooses to audit your application,they will contact your manager for verification.

2. Become a member of the PMIAs of May 2009, the annual membership dues are $129. PMI members get a discount on thePMP examination fee that is bigger than the annual membership fees so it financially make senseto become a PMI member if you are planning to take the PMP exam that year. You may not want

to renew it the following year if you decide you don't want it anymore. In addition to thediscount, you also get an electronic copy of PMBOK guide (reading this book is essential to prepare well for the exam) and networking opportunities within the PMI community.

Do not forget to check your local PMI chapter there is one in Lagos Nigeria. Explore about their activities, courses and meetings and decide if you want to become a member of the local PMIchapter. Some chapters provide PMP preparation courses and seminars which you will find veryuseful. It is a great opportunity to meet new and experienced PMPs in person and learn from
http://ritetracpm.blogspot.com/2009/10/all-you-need-to-know-about-pmp-exams.htmlhttp://ritetracpm.blogspot.com/2009/10/all-you-need-to-know-about-pmp-exams.html


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them. You will also meet people who are preparing for the PMP exam and you can form a studygroup and share knowledge.

3. Apply online for PMP certification at PMI (www.pmi.org)a. You will be filling in all the details that are mentioned in above steps (1a) and (1b) along with

your personal information, educational qualification, etc. b. PMP Examination fees: $405 for PMI members. $555 for non-members. You can use your credit card to pay for this.Make sure the application is complete. Do not forget to attach your resume. Once you apply, itmay take up to 2 weeks for your application to get approved by PMI. If you apply online, the

processing time is only 5 business days.

4. Start preparing for the exam. Read the PMP Handbook again and understand all the rules.Start reading on the internet about PMP exam, experiences of recent successful PMPs, lessonslearnt during the process, etc. Join various forums dedicated to PMP examination on the internetand browse through and ask questions. You can learn a lot from other successful PMPs and those

who are in the same boat as you.5. Schedule a date for PMP examination: If your application is approved, instructions will besent to you from PMI and you can schedule a date for your exam. You may not get a dateimmediately. So, schedule the exam date well in advance. Once your application is approved,you have one-year eligibility period in which to pass the PMP exam. During this eligibility

period, you may take the examination up to three times because candidates may not pass theexam on their first attempt. There is a $150 re-examination fee. If you fail three times in a year,you must wait one year to reapply.

6. Exam preparation: Prepare rigorously for the exam. It may take anywhere from 3 to 6 monthson average to prepare for the examination. I know some extreme cases where a person spent just3 weeks preparing full-time and passed the exam.

Study Materials for PMP Exams

a. The PMBOK (Project Management Body of Knowledge) guide. It looks like about 75% of thequestions on the PMP exam come from the PMBOK guide. So, make sure you study this guideagain and again. However, understand that the PMBOK guide is so dry that it is raw text materialonly with no interesting examples and is difficult to understand. There are well written books andaudio tapes I am listing below to understand the concepts given in the guide in an interestingway.

b. PMP Audio workshop: If you are commuting a lot or traveling for a long time, audio booksare a great way to use the time effectively. I suggest PMP Prepcast as it has a lot of positivefeedback from many successful PMPs. Hot Topics Flashcards for Passing the PMP and CAPMExams (Audio CD) by Rita Mulcahy

c. The PMP Exam: How to Pass On Your First Try (Test Prep series) by Andy Crowe - Greatfirst book to read to get an idea of the PMP exams


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d. Head First PMP: A Brain-Friendly Guide to Passing PMP Exam by Andrew Stellman andJennifer Greene--------------------------------------------------------

7. model exams and take them as if they are real exams conducted by PMP. If you get 80% of thequestion right, you should be ready for the actual PMP exam.

8. Take the exam: The PMP exam is 4 hours long.200 Questions.Pass cutoff percentage is 61%.Make sure you are fresh and relaxed on the day of the PMP exam. This means that you will needa good night's sleep the previous night. Have a good breakfast and drive to the testing center early. Do not forget to take your ID with you.

9.If you require training for your exams and you live in Abuja and the Northern Regions.Please contact me on : [email protected]

10. If you need study materials and dumps specially packaged to help you pass your exams inone sitting also contact us on: [email protected]

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Project management career writeup