Project Management Professional (PMP)
Project Management Professional (PMP)
Project Management Professional (PMP) is a credential offered by the Project Management Institute (PMI).[1]
This article describes my efforts to earn a PMP certification.
Contents
Description
Project Management Professional (PMP)[2][3][4] is a credential offered by the Project Management Institute (PMI).[5][6] Troy Hamilton, Maureen Vance, and Philip Maygar took the class and passed the exam each on the first try. Maureen added the questions were tricky. An attempt to make people fail so they must pay another test fee. Like all education in this country, this is for-profit.
PMI institute[7]
PMI Application
Submitted on March 24, 2015 and accepted. Waiting on UCF payment. Cost $169.00
PMI Application Completed
PMI Application Blank
Need a PO for $169.00 for PMI membership.
PMP Application
PMP Application was submitted on March 18, 2015. Accepted on March 23, 2015. The one year clock starts ticking.
PMP Certification
Credential Requirements
Continuous Credential Requirements
To maintain the PMP qualification, 60 Professional Development Units (PDU)s must be earned over a three-year cycle, from activities such as research, published articles, speeches, or being engaged in full-time project management.
New Horizons
Main Article: New Horizons PMI Membership and PMP Exam Instructions
New Horizons will assist with the PMI application and pay for the membership's first year.
New Horizons Contacts
Andrew Warrner - UCF Account Manager
awarrner@nhorlando.com
(407) 210-4204
Jennifer Risinger
Student Services Manager
New Horizons Computer Learning Center
jenniferr@nhorlando.com
(407) 210-4204
New Horizons
1221 Lee Road
Orlando, FL 32810-5855
(407) 210-4200
info.orlando@newhorizons.com
Map to New Horizons
Source Material
All-In-One CAPM/PMP Project Management Certification, by Joseph Phillips, 3rd Ed. (c) 2014. Exam Guide and reference recommended by Maureen Vance.
PM Formulas (PMP exam prep)[8] by Alexandre Petrov. Pro version is $3.99.
PM Sheet (PMP Exam Prep)[9] by Alexandre Petrov. Pro version is $6.99.
CBTnuggets.com[10] IT training videos
RMC Project Management, Inc.[11] Online and contact PMP training and courses.
Crosswind Learning[12] online and contact Project Management courses.
Project Management Institute (PMI)[13]
Books
Rita Mulcahy's PMP Exam Prep (Textbook) This version does not have the software, only the demonstration version, I'll have to hack that.
Class
New Horizons[14]
New Horizons Student Site[15]
Took the class between November 17-21, 2014 with Steven J. Kopischke
Access code NCFKMXM6IS
Account: Jesse.Dooley
Password: c_Markazi_Ring7
Completion Certificate
New Horizons 2014 Schedule
New Horizon Student Training Guide 5th pdf
New Horizon Student Training Guide 5th epub
PMI Membership and Exam Instructions
New Horizon epub tips
New Horizons[16] PMP Class
Class New Horizons offers a good contact class. Cost: $2,495.00, UCF gets a discount. Took the class between November 17-21, 2014 with Steven J. Kopischke. Rate him 5 of 5.
Notes from the class
New Horizons Class material, soft copy
Slides used in the class
Outline
Chapter 1 Getting Started with Project Management
Chapter 2 Project Management and the Organization
Chapter 3 Working with Project Management Processes
Chapter 4 Initiating a Project
Chapter 5 Planning a Project
Chapter 6 Planning for Project Time Management
Chapter 7 Planning Project Budget, Quality, and Communications
Chapter 8 Planning for Risk, Procurement, and Stakeholder Management
Chapter 9 Executing a Project
Chapter 10 Managing Project Work, Scope, Schedules, and Cost
Chapter 11 Controlling the Project
Chapter 12 Closing a Project
Software
Web Sites
PMP Exam
Taking the Exam
Fee:
Computer Based (Member) $405
Computer Based (Non-Member) $555
Passing Grade
A passing score is not published so use 70% as passing for the practice exams. That's higher than the 61% Mulcahy and the New Horizons class agree on.
Syllabus
The PMP exam is based on the PMP Examination Specification[17], which describes tasks out of five performance domains:
- Initiating the project (13%)
- Planning the project (24%)
- Executing the project (30%)
- Monitoring and controlling the project (25%)
- Closing the project (8%)
The exam consists of 200 multiple choice questions, four choices per question, written against this specification. Twenty-five of the 200 questions on the exam are "sample" questions used to fine-tune the degree of difficulty and precision of the exam and as such are not counted for or against a test taker. These questions are placed randomly throughout the exam. The test taker is only graded on their proficiency on 175 questions. The numbers in parentheses describe the percentage of questions for each domain. There is no penalty for answering a question incorrectly. Passing the Exam requires a passing grade, whatever that is, for each performance domain.
Each question is multiple-choice with four possible answers.
The test is computerized.
At the exam. Nothing but clothing is allowed into the exam room, a locker with a key is provided.
Two blank 8.5x11 pages and two sharpened pencils are provided.
Length: 4 hours. Break time is subtracted from the 4 hours.
Allowed 15 minutes to prepare before starting the test. This time can be used to brain-dump onto the blank pages mentioned above.
Reviewing answers and changing them is allowed within the time limit.
The test software include a simple calculator.
Exam Parts
Exam Strategy
First Readthrough
- answer the easy ones first
- DO NOT ANSWER QUESTIONS THAT ASK FOR MATH!
Second Readthrough
- Do the math questions
Third Readthrough
- Do the hard questions skipped in the First and Second Readthroughs
Stop and breathe deeply for 5 minutes to dissipate the adrenaline.
Fourth Readthrough
- Go through the ? and - questions.
After the exam ingest rum in great quantities.
Questions
Situational Questions
Questions with multiple correct answers - Given four correct answers choose the FIRST thing to do NEXT?
Questions with extraneous information - You don't need all the information to answer the question. Just the central idea.
Questions using made-up terms - Terms must come from the project management course.
Questions where understanding is important - Follow the bouncing dollar.
Questions with a new approach to a known topic - How does the new idea fit into a given system?
Questions with more than one item in each choice - Eliminate choices with a dramatic or implausible item.
Excessively wordy questions - Reduce the verbiage into understandable English.
Matrix Organization - Personnel answer to multiple managers and each manager has a different responsibility.
Characteristic Questions
Each question will offer the correct answer and the three most popular wrong answers.
Testing Center
Prometric[18] provides proctored testing for the PMP Exam. Their closest center is:
0080: Orlando - Maitland
2301 LUCIEN WAY
SUITE 150
MAITLAND, FL 32751
Phone: 407-875-8118
Practice Exams
- Total Seminar's PMP Practice Exam Obtained from New Horizons
- Rita Mulcahy 8th PMP Practice Exam
- MeasureUp[19]
Internal Links
Parent Article: Main_Page