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In the recent past, I managed many projects in the field of retail sales at Gazpromneft gas stations in the areas of loyalty, franchising, retail automation systems and many others, and now I lead the architectural sales direction developing the corporate IT landscape. In addition, I am fond of classical education, in particular, I defended my Ph.D. in technical sciences, I have Agile certificates - PSPO, PSM, SPS and many others, and I also study at Kingston University for an MBA degree. And I sincerely believe that the development of any specialist should be associated with the acquisition of new knowledge, and the more diverse it is, the better. Hello! I am Alexander Voinovsky, I can't be stopped - I continue to study. Below is an article on how to get a PMP certification.
No matter what industry you work in, a professional approach is essential for quality work and meeting deadlines, proper financial control and risk management. It is very important for achieving high results in work. As the study shows, over the next 10 years, the demand for project managers will grow faster than the need for other workers. By 2027, project managers in the seven project sectors are expected to increase by 33%, adding almost . Therefore, the study of project management standards is becoming increasingly popular. Of the IT project management standards, the most common is PMI PMBOK GUIDE. The popularity of PMBOK PMI is explained by the accessible representation of knowledge in project management and the active policy of PMI to support the standard. The PMI Certification Program offers a variety of programs for practitioners with varying levels of education and experience:
Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)
Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP)
Risk Management Professional (PMI-RMP)
PMI Scheduling Professional (PMI-SP)
Portfolio Management Professional (PfMP)
Program Management Professional (PgMP)
Project Management Professional (PMP)
PMI Professional in Business Analysis (PMI-PBA)
I recently completed my Project Management Professional (PMP) certification and would like to share my experience of preparing for and passing the exam, as well as the activities that await you after it.
The exam confirms knowledge of the PmBok project management standard. If you try to answer the question: how much does a certificate help with further employment, then you can drive in the word PMP on recruiting resources and you will immediately find a pool of vacancies in which a certificate is required or adds advantages in employment. For me personally, studying the standard made it possible to improve skills in the ability to work with stakeholders, in managing the scope of the project, schedule and cost, expand knowledge in the field of resource management, as well as work with risks correctly and build communications productively. In general, this knowledge helps to expand the competence of the project manager and, as a result, his competitiveness in the labor market.
Time to prepare for the exam
In my opinion for preparing for the exam is difficult. I asked colleagues who took the exam how long it took them to prepare - they usually took 2-3 weeks off before taking the exam to fully immerse themselves in this process. In my case, I did not have the opportunity to take a vacation, and I prepared every evening, spending a little more than a month on preparation.
What books to use for preparation?
1. Project Management Standard - PMI PMBoK 6th Edition. This is the most current version of the standard at the moment. It contains the most up-to-date information. When preparing for the exam, it is recommended to read it. The guide has grown by a third compared to the previous edition, and also received an Agile Practice Guide of 183 pages of information on agile methodologies. The new version contains many changes, including in terms of Agile. A lot of attention has been paid to flexible and adaptive methods, they have penetrated almost all management processes. Changes have been made to the names of the process part of the standard, and three new sections have been added: implementation of the response in the area of risk management, project knowledge management in the area of integration management, and resource control in the area of resource management. PMI has included a new section on defining the ever-expanding role of the project manager, it also mentions the PMI talent triangle containing leadership, strategic and technical project management skills. The project manager can now combine methodologies when implementing the project management processes described in the standard.
2. Really the main and main tool for preparing for the exam is the book "PMP Exam Prep: Rita's Course in a Book for Passing the PMP Exam" (by Rita Mulcahy Ninth Edition). It is the Ninth Edition - since only this book takes into account changes according to the 6th PmBok standard. I ordered a book from America, as it was not in Russia at the time of preparation. It describes areas of knowledge, methods and tools in a very accessible and high-quality manner, with notes on what you should pay special attention to. And an additional 400 sample questions to prepare for the exam. In my opinion and my colleagues, this book should be a key tool for preparing for the exam. Be sure to do the exercises in the text of the book, it really helps.
3. "Professional Project Management" (by Kim Heldman). Book in Russian. The book contains basic information. Initially, I tried to prepare for it, but after going through the training and studying Rita Mulcahy in detail, I realized that the material in it is rather weak and I used it only as a training tool for questions. The questions are rather superficial. How much? — You will understand after reading Rita Mulcahy. The structure of the narrative is made as situations from the life of the project manager and differs from the structure of the knowledge areas of the two books described above, which makes it difficult to study and memorize the material. But still, I recommend reading it at least once and not dismissing it as an exam preparation tool, if only because it contains test questions on which you can practice.
Video materials and mobile applications for preparation
Youtube has a lot of materials on project management, both for preparing for the exam, and materials that reveal the nuances of the project management standard. They are convenient to use to listen in transport to consolidate the material. Not all the materials presented below are created according to the latest standard, but I repeat, for a better understanding of the areas of knowledge and project management, they will definitely come in handy for you:
I personally did not use foreign videos, since I consider reading books and domestic materials sufficient to understand the project management standard and prepare for the exam, but if you suddenly want to, then there is a huge amount of materials on the PMP tag on the network. You can use mobile applications - this is very convenient for constant training, according to recommendations on the Internet, two of them are called the most useful and high-quality: и .
Stages of preparation for the exam
There is no universal preparation method - each of us chooses our own path, but if we try to systematize the approach, it looks like this:
1. Get trained in project activities in one of the educational institutions. This is required in order to be admitted to the exam.
2. Study the PMBoK 6th standard in a group in class or at home. This will take you at least two to three weeks.
Be sure to learn all the inputs and outputs of the processes or understand them very well
Be sure to learn all the formulas
3. Study Rita's Course. Read the whole theory and solve the examples of all the tests in the book. Do not forget that this book is in English, and this will slow down the study of the material.
4. Study videos on the Internet and read additional literature. This will help you dive deeper into the study of the subject area.
5. Practice on tests in various sources to consolidate the material and improve practice.
As I already said, you need to lay down about a month to prepare for the exam and study the listed materials until you can understand the areas of knowledge in the standard well. If you can explain each section, with formulas and processes, then you are ready and it is time to move on to the exam, but before that you will need to apply for admission to it.
Applying for an exam and auditing an application with PMI
To apply you need to register on the site and fill out the form. Submit an application - indicate your project experience in the context of hours, areas of assignments and work performed, information about taking courses, as well as information about your education. Requirements for passing certification will depend on education:
Without higher education
- 7,500 hours of project management or participation (60 calendar months)
- 35 hours of project manager training or CAPM certification
With higher education
- 4,500 hours of project management or participation (36 calendar months)
- 35 hours of project manager training or CAPM certification
You can choose any type of course, from teaching in classrooms with a teacher, to online courses on the Internet, but they must be registered PMI providers (Registered Education Providers).
The submitted application will be checked and within a certain period of time you will receive an answer that you are admitted to the exam. In some cases, applications are audited for compliance with the data you submitted. The selection of audit questionnaires is random. If your profile is selected for audit, you will receive an information letter by mail with the need to confirm information on training, project activities and work experience specified by you. To pass the audit, you fill out a template form with information confirming the reliability of practical experience with your supervisor's visa at the time of the project. You also attach a copy of the diploma and its translation in English, documents received as a result of training with points. Everything must be mailed to PMI. After some time, you will receive a letter about the successful completion of the audit, after which you will receive an e-mail with a code to access the exam. The exam can be taken 3 days after that, but no later than one year. We proceed to payment.
Payment for the exam and choosing a place to pass
The cost of the first exam for the PMP degree for PMI members will be $405, and for non-PMI members $555, so you save money by paying for PMI membership. Membership in PMI is not required to be certified for the PMP degree. PMI membership costs $129 per year.
Check the site for the exam location:. In Russia, an electronic exam can be taken in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Vladivostok, Krasnodar, Nizhny Novgorod, Rostov-on-Don, Omsk, Khabarovsk, Tula, Yekaterinburg, Saratov, Kaliningrad, etc.
The candidate must go to the test center website and choose the date and time of the exam. The PMP exam is taken from Monday to Saturday inclusive, twice a day (morning and afternoon).
I registered a month in advance, but there were few free convenient dates for registration in my city. The exam can be taken in English or Russian. In the exam, if a question in Russian looks incomprehensible, you can read it in English. Personally, I recommend taking it in your native language. Many acquaintances said that it is necessary to pass in English, but I passed in Russian and switched to English, probably no more than 10 times. If suddenly your plans have changed, then the exam can be canceled or rescheduled if you have already registered. To do this, you must contact Pearson VUE 48 hours before the exam.
Procedure and conditions for certification
When all the procedures have been completed, the material has been studied, it is time for the exam itself. It is important not to forget your passport, it will be required when registering for the exam. You must arrive at the testing center 15 minutes before the scheduled time. And if you are late for the exam by more than 15 minutes, you will be denied admission. You are photographed, you leave your signature on a special tablet, the procedure is explained to you, and so on. Before they are allowed to sit down at the computer with the examination program, the certification center employee will ask you to show your pockets and check if there are any cheat sheets.
Personal items are not allowed in the testing room (bags, books, notes, phones, watches and wallets, etc.). For all this, there are boxes with a key. You will have a whiteboard and a marker for taking notes. Personally, I was asked not to write anything before the exam. You will be seated at a separate computer and given earplugs, which really helps to concentrate. The entire exam is filmed on video, so I do not advise you to write off.
The exam consists of 200 questions. You only need to choose one correct answer. The exam takes 4 hours (in fact, you will have little free time). The questions are grouped into the following areas: initiation 13%, planning 24%, execution 31%, control 25%, and project completion 7%.
In the process of passing the exam, it is possible to mark questions in order to return to them later. I marked somewhere between 20-30 questions, this gave me the opportunity to think about them again at the end of the exam. Also, while reviewing the tagged question, I found two questions where I forgot to select any answer at all. So be sure to do a final review at the end. From about 50 questions, you start to get really tired and nervous, this is normal.
The result of the exam will be two scenarios:
- If they passed, they will write on the screen PASS. Based on the results of the exam, you will be printed out the result (this is not a certificate, but be sure to keep the paper). In it, you will see the status, as well as performance by domains in the following classification: Above target, Target, Below Target, Needs Improvement.
- If they didn’t pass, then they will write on the screen FAIL. You can retake the exam three times during the year. If you fail the exam on the third try, you will have to wait a year since the last failed attempt to get permission to take the test again.
The exam results are not updated in your PMI account immediately, you will have to wait a while, in my case it was more than a week, after which you will have the status updated and you will be able to download the electronic version of the certificate. The original certificate will be sent to you by mail in a month.
Status renewal
The Project Management Professional (PMP) certificate is valid for three years from the date of passing the exam and after this period it will be necessary to renew it by obtaining 60 PDUs (Professional Development Units) according to the following scheme:
Education
The first category of tools for earning a PDU includes learning activities that increase knowledge in one of the skill areas of the PMI talent triangle: technical competencies, leadership competencies, or competencies in business management and strategy.
Courses and trainings
Studying in courses full-time or online, accreditation is important
Organizational sessions
Participation in educational sessions or activities aimed at development in areas of the PMI talent triangle.
Digital Media / Webinars
Self-study online or through webinars, podcasts, or interactive videos.
Reading
Independent study of information materials, non-fiction books, articles, white papers or blogs
Informal learning
Activities include mentoring, group discussions, meetings and training sessions, or other structured discussions.
Contribution to the development of the profession
The second category includes activities that allow you to share your knowledge and skills and apply them as a means to promote the development of the profession.
Professional activity
Work in a certified role on a project.
Content Creation
Events that allow sharing knowledge and skills, applying them as a means to promote the development of the profession. For example, writing books, articles, white papers or blogs, creating webinars or presentations.
speech
Preparation of presentations for specialized conferences, speeches that relate to your certification
Dissemination of knowledge
Dissemination of professional knowledge for the training and development of others.
Volunteering
Activities related to your certification that contribute to the development of knowledge or practice in the profession.
To credit a PDU, you must fill out a form in your account on the PMI website. Events held or attended prior to certification do not count toward PDUs. The cost of renewing your certification will be $60 if you are a PMI member and $150 if you are not. If you fail to meet the certification renewal requirements, your status will be suspended.
Standard and Exam Update
The standard is updated and developed from time to time. The content of the materials and the exam itself are changing. In July 2020, the PMI Project Management Institute plans to change the Project Management Professional (PMP) exam.
In the updated exam, the questions will be divided into three areas:
- People. This will test knowledge and skills in effective project team management.
- Processes. This area focuses on the technical aspects of project management.
- business environment. Here we consider the relationship between projects and the strategy of the organization.
You can read more about these changes at the link:
That's all. I hope that in the article I managed to reveal as much as possible the nuances of activities related to the Project Management Professional (PMP) certification.
Source: habr.com