PMP Preparation – How Do I Begin?

There are so many blogs; so many advice on the net, one tends to get confused and scared.   

Here is how I would plan to prepare for PMP exam:

1. Understand Question % Process Group Wise
2. Build on your strengths
3. Follow what others have done right
4. Be confident
5. Pass the exam!!

Understand Question % Process Group Wise

Do you know PMI advises and guides you on the process group weightage, as well as have few question sample (Really ?? ). You can find the document here:  

PMP Exam Prep by PMI      

What you can find here is: 

a.       PMP Credential handbook –  Helps you navigate through the overall Process starting from applying for exam, pay examination  and selecting the pro-metric center.

b.      PMP Examination Content outline – This is utmost important of all. Going through this book gives you a fair idea of which process groups are most important. I suggest you to have a good look at the Table to draw some inferences, Example

Executing process group  constitute of 30%  of PMP Questions in Exam,  and have only lesser process then planning and executing, which leads to the fact that if you are well versed with Executing process groups then you are prepared for majority of questions (I plan to publish a detailed post later on this)

c.       PMP Sample Questions – You would not find many, but whatever no of questions PMI have posted here would help you gain insight as what is the pattern, How PMI wants you to think.

d.      Link to PMI eReads and reference – There are many books here.  

Build on your strengths

Few people are really good at maths few are not!! This is just one strength which I described. Ensure that if you are good in let’s say procurement then prepare so well that you do not leave any doubts or uncertainty  in procurement management Knowledge area.  Set aside few topics as per your knowledge and interest where you would not loose even a a single question.  What worked for me was all questions on CPM, PERT, Communication Channels and EVM – Very simple formulas and good straight questions (Though I’m really bad at maths J).

Follow what others have done right

While I was preparing for the PMP Exam, I was part of aspiring PMP forums, groups, blogs etc –

It Helps!!

There is lot of noise, however you can clearly see few mark key prominent messages for success. 

What I could collect was:

a.       Read PMBOK at least twice – It’s know about your knowledge on the subject, its also about the key terminology which PMBOK uses. There could be 2 questions in exam from one single sentence of PMBOK (You bet..)

b.      Do Mock Tests – As many as possible!!   Just a caution – There are whole lot of questions which are wrong/as per PMBOK3  or just incomplete. Do not get worked up, Instead look at:

a.       How the answers are arrived at.   

b.      How do you work with scenario driven questions

c.       How do you work with Except questions

d.      How do you work with logical sequence of process questions

e.      How do you work with finding the most appropriate answer of the given lot (using elimination technique)

You can find a good source of questions here, which I compiled myself.

https://www.udemy.com/pmp-in-21-days-practice-tests/#/

The course can be availed at reduced price by using the coupon code PMPQuestions20

Be Confident

One of the core message is that PMBOK  expect a Project Manager to behave in certain way , confident, proficient, ethical and having leadership qualities.  Be That PM!!

Once you wear the confident Project Managers Hat - who knows how to run projects and can align his/her thought process with PMBOK processes – you are good. 

Ensure that you understand EACH Process – WHY, When the processes are invoked, what are key Tools and techniques of each process group. Example –

a.       All process in monitoring and controlling would have a technique “Variance Analysis”  which make sense because this is the process group where you as PM analyse the discrepancies/deviations or variances from Planned vs Actual.

b.      All Process in executing process group will give Work Performance Information (WPI) since this is the process group where all the actual work happens and the team reports the progress as WPI.

Pass the exam!!

That’s easy!!  Once you have basics covered – you are set for success.

All the best!!

 Please do let me know if you need more specifics on any topic or reach out to me to share your  feedback .