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By elroyking, April 29, 2010 8:25 am

Are you prepared to take the PMP exam? Do you know the formulas you might encounter on the test? Are you familiar with the PMI-isms that will surely be there? Are you kind-of not sure if you are ready to take the exam? There are a lot of study materials out there that can help you get ready for the exam, but if you want to know how ready you are to take the exam, I would suggest taking a number of PMP practice exams. You can get 75 free practice questions at PMI PMP Sample Exam Questions. These sample questions can give you an idea about how close you are to being ready to take the exam. There are a number of free exam questions on the internet, but so many of them are the same set of questions. The free questions are usually just hooks to get you to their web page. Instead of perusing the elusive free questions on the internet, I have found that some of the best exam questions are associated with a PMP Exam prep text. PMP Exam Prep, Sixth Edition: Rita’s Course in a Book for Passing the PMP Exam and Andy Crowe’s The PMP Exam: How to Pass on Your First Try texts have sample questions scattered throughout the text and an entire PMP exam at the back of the text. The advantages of the questions in the texts is that you can know where to do your review when you miss sample questions. Both Rita Mulcahy and Andy Crow have helped hundreds (maybe even thousands) of PMP candidates pass the PMP exam. They are great resources for the information on the test, and are very liberal with their practice questions.

The best preparation, in my opinion, however, is PMP exam simulation software. A simulation software is better than just practice questions because the software works much like the real exam. You take the questions on the computer in a random order type of fashion. Rita has a great PMP exam simulation software, PM Fastrack Exam Simulation Software for the PMP Exam: Version 6. With about 1600 sample questions it will prepare you very well for that PMP exam.

Passing the PMP exam and getting that PMP certification will spring board your career. The Project Management Professional credential is gaining in popularity and prestige because of the benefits that good project management bring to projects. Certified PMPs make on average 15% more than non-certified project managers. Projects managed under the PMI methodologies are much more successful than those that are not. So get your PMP training, get your PMP credential, and get your projects back on track.

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By elroyking, April 26, 2010 10:35 am

The Project Management Professional (PMP) exam is a four hour, 200 question grueling test. It is loosely based on the information found in the guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK guide, version 4 is the current version). However, many of the questions are situational and require application of the principles and methods described in the text. There are a lot of PMP study materials out there, but what most people really need is a good training program.

There are some very good PMP boot-camps or in-class trainings. I would recommend attending one. These can be very valuable, because meeting in-class away from work and other distractions can be one of the best ways to be able to focus on your training. In-class training, however, is very costly, usually requires travel, accommodations, and requires that you move at the pace of the class. If you aren’t catching on early in the class, the five day class may be wasted–because everything else builds on the principles taught in the first day or two.

The best alternative to an in-class training is an online training. The advantages of the online training is that you can move at your own pace. The curriculum is designed to help you assess where you stand at every juncture, so that you can determine if you need to review the current subjects further or go on to new subjects. The online training is flexible and can be tailored to fit your busy schedule. I would always suggest that you set specific hours every day, so that you form good study habits and make progress towards the goal of getting PMP trained and certified.

I would suggest the PMI Aproved, Online Training from Point Advantage. Being a PMI approved training means that you can get up to 52 contact hours (or PDUs) with the training. It also means that you are really studying the material that the PMI deems is important, including the unique PMI-isms that trip up most non-PMI trained test takers.

You need the edge that you can get with the Point Advantage training. They offer 11 online courses with 50 unique lessons for up to 52 category 3 PDUs. This is the training you are needing. Let Point Advantage guide you through your Project Management training and help you get PMP certified. You will be thankful that you did, and you will be pleased with the at-your-own-pace, professional, online training.

Do it today, don’t delay. Get trained, get certified, and get you projects back on track.

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By elroyking, April 24, 2010 8:18 am

The PMP credential is recognized internationally, and in the US. It is among the fastest growing professional certification, and was mentioned in CertCities Hottest Certifications. The role of project management is growing in importance as businesses are tighter with their money during these recessionary times. What seems to stop a number of people from realizing that goal of PMP certification is the PMP exam. About.com has characterized the exam as one of the most intense certification exams out there. So how does someone adequately prepare for the exam? They are going to need the best resources.

The PMBOK Guide

The PMI has an ambitious text where they have tried to document best project management practices. The text is called the Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge, or the PMBOK guide for short. A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge: (Pmbok Guide) (Paperback) is a required text to read and understand before taking the PMP exam. Although the PMP exam is a knowledge based test, it is designed around application of the best practices found in project management.

A Good Exam Prep Text

You are going to need a good PMP exam prep text to get you started on your exam preparation. I would suggest PMP Exam Prep, Sixth Edition: Rita’s Course in a Book for Passing the PMP Exam or Andy Crowe’s The PMP Exam: How to Pass on Your First Try. Both of these authors have had PMP texts out for years and have helped thousands of people reach that goal of PMP certification. I have recently been introduced to a less expensive text by O’RIELLY, called Head First PMP, Head First PMP: A Brain-Friendly Guide to Passing the Project Management Professional Exam. It presents the material in a more fun and exciting way. It is a lot more eclectic in style and composition, but has examples, graphics, stand out text, and other eye catching devices that highlight important concepts and make digesting the material easier for me. It is worth considering as you look at which text you want to buy. It also comes with a link to an online sample PMP test.

Flash Cards, the Memorization Tool of Choice

Everyone knows that a key to effective learning is repetition. I wish that I had perfect recall, that I could read a page once and recall it perfectly. I don’t. I don’t know anyone who does have perfect recall, but I have found that among the learning methods that work well for me, my favorite is flash cards. Flash cards allow me to distill the pertinent information into a concise sentence or two, and when they are mixed up, present the clues to the information in a random order like the PMP test will be. Do you expect that the PMP test will have all of the questions about scope, or time management in one compact area on the test? NO. You will be jumping between knowledge areas and concepts on almost every question. Flash cards let me prepare for the exam in the same way, in a way that will jump randomly around the PM body of knowledge. There is some value in making your own flash cards, the time it takes to write down pertinent information from the PMBOK® guide v. 4, will help cement those concepts in your mind. But purchasing a set of flash cards that may be more comprehensive than the ones you would make yourself is something to think about. There are two sets that I would recommend. The Hot Topics Flashcards For Passing the PMP and CAPM Exam s by Rita Mulcahy or the PM FLASHCARDS by Cornelius Fichtner, both are excellent resources and are comparable in number of cards and quality.

Learning On The Fly

You have heard of online classes, or classes on DVD, what about a course that conveniently goes with you on your iPod? It is a video course that can be watched or listened to any time. It gives you complete freedom as to when to plug into the course, and lets you enjoy learning while commuting or when waiting in line. This will be the PMP exam prep tool that will really make a difference in concept absorption and retention, because you can listen to it again and again. Cornelius Fichtner hosts the PM-PrepCast. He has helped a lot of people along the way to earning their PMP credentials, he has made the training more convenient than anyone else in the industry, and he is PMI approved for 35 contact hours from his training! Get your PMP exam preparation from a real pro, and rack up those contact hours to boot.

Nothing Compares to a Good PMP Exam Simulation Software

Taking a lot of practice exam questions will really get to that point of being ready to take the PMP exam. I think the best PMP example exam software is PM Fastrack Exam Simulation Software for the PMP Exam: Version 6. It contains about 1600 exam questions and can give you a pretty good random 200 example questions, which simulates the PMP exam exactly. There are other PMP practice questions to be found on the web, such as PMI PMP Sample Exam Questions. But you usually find them 15 or 20 at a time, and spend a lot of time finding similar free questions. Make the investment in your future with the best PMP Exam Simulation software here. It will be the key to really getting ready for the exam. You can use the questions that you get wrong as the primer for where to focus your study in coming up to speed and really being ready for the exam. Experience with a good simulated PMP exam software will do more to prepare not just for the questions on the PMP exam, but for the style and type of questions you will run into on the exam.

Schedule a Class or Get Your Training Online

There are a number of five day boot camps that you can attend, however, they will take time out of your busy schedule and will probably require some travel and hotel expense. The alternative to in-class training is online training. Point Advantage offers a PMI Aproved, Online Training course that is good for 35 contact hours and can be taken at a pace that is uniquely yours.

Get Certified And Get Your Project Under Control

What ever resources you decide to go with, do yourself a favor and invest in yourself. It will be worth getting the credential, and the PMI training will make your projects better quality and more successful. Just get trained, get PMP certified, and get your projects back on track.

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By elroyking, April 22, 2010 8:24 am

The Project Management Institute (PMI) is a non-profit organization devoted to growing the field of project management and producing standards and best practices that will benefit projects in all disciplines. As a method for promoting project management, they have undertaken an ambitious project to document those best practices. The culmination of this work can be found in the A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge: (Pmbok Guide) (Paperback). The PMI also created the Project Management Professional (PMP®) credential. The PMP credential is recognized internationally, and in the US. It is among the fastest growing professional certification, and was mentioned in CertCities Hottest Certifications. Acquiring the certification shows competency in project management, and can put a PMP above other project managers in their field. The truth is, as the Standish Group International reports, that up to 75% of all IT projects fail. They fail to come in at or under budget, fail to complete on time, or may fail altogether and be canceled. They also discovered the root cause of the failures–project management. No one wants to be part of a failed project, so learning the Project Management best practices as espoused by the PMI can only increase the chances of success for your projects. Employers have become more money conscious in recent years due to the recessive business environment, however, they are focusing on the most efficient use of resources, and realizing that better project management can help them do that.

How does a person become PMP certified.? There are some hefty pre-requisites, thousands of hours of project management experience and 35 hours of Project Management training, but the big hurdle for most project managers is the PMP exam.

The PMP exam consists of 200 questions and a four hour time limit. 25 of those questions are beta questions and are not scored against the final test core. The exam has been characterized by about.com as one of the most intense certification exams out there. The exam, although based on the PMBOK guide, is more application based rather than knowledge based. Although you need to get the PMBOK guide and trudge through its dry pages two or more times, you won’t pass the exam with reading that text alone.

Exam Helps

You will need a good study text to help you prepare for the exam. PMP Exam Prep, Sixth Edition: Rita’s Course in a Book for Passing the PMP Exam is a good text, or Andy Crowe’s The PMP Exam: How to Pass on Your First Try are both great texts. They cover the material well, each has its own approach to what to study and how to study for the exam. If you want a more exciting text, with more pictures and devices to help you spot important concepts try Head First PMP: A Brain-Friendly Guide to Passing the Project Management Professional Exam.

Enhance your study with study aids

Texts are great resources, they are wordy and self contained, but I find other devices to be more effective at helping me memorize and assimilate difficult material. I have been very successful studying for tests with flash cards. Making your own flash cards from the material in the text can be a useful activity. Sometimes just writing the material on the cards gives you just what you need to learn the material, but it might be nice to have a different perspective on what is important to learn. If you want some flash cards designed by a professional for learning the right concepts, consider PM FLASHCARDS, or Rita Mulcahy’s Hot Topics Flashcards For Passing the PMP and CAPM Exam s.

Consider a class

If you get a text and it isn’t really gelling, consider a class. There are a number of five day boot camps that explore the topics very thoroughly. But, taking a week out of your busy schedule is often difficult, and the cost of those classes can be prohibitive. I would suggest a more flexible, less expensive alternative, that is a PMI Aproved, Online Training.

PMP sample exam software

Finally, but among the most important things to do, is take a lot of PMP practice exam questions. You can find a number of free PMI PMP Sample Exam Questions, however, most of them are the same 15-20 questions designed to hook you into buying their sample exam. I would suggest, instead of the free ones, a good sample exam simulation software such as PM Fastrack Exam Simulation Software for the PMP Exam: Version 6. There are some real benefits to taking the questions on the computer in a way that is similar to the real exam. This sofware has about 1600 sample exam questions that can be taken in a number of ways to help you prepare for taking the real exam.

Oh, just a note, if you pick up the Head First PMP text, it has a link to a free 200 question online PMP exam.

What ever resources you finally decide on, the important part is getting the training and applying the principles. Good project management will enhance any project, and will lead to more success and satisfaction from managing those project. Just get trained, get PMP certified, and get your project back on track!

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By elroyking, April 20, 2010 8:10 am

Let’s face it, there are a lot of ways to study and prepare for the PMP exam. What you want are the best ways to increase retention and to recognize the patterns that lead success in answering specific questions on the PMP exam. The PMP certification exam is a four hour ordeal that is characterized by about.com as one of the most intense certification exams out there. The exam is designed to weed out those who really don’t have a clear grasp of how to apply the principles, methods, and processes outlined by the PMI. The exam isn’t about memorizing the material in the PMBOK guide, but is about how to apply the principles and methodologies found in their compendium of best Project Management practices found in the PMBOK guide. To start with, you will need to acquire your own copy of A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge: (Pmbok Guide) (Paperback). You will want to get it here, rather than off of the retail shelves, you can save a significant number of dollars. Read through the PMBOK guide at least twice, even though it is dry and may be difficult at times, it gives you an insight into the thinking of the Project Management Institute, the author of the PMP Exam.

But realize that the exam is more about application than about knowing the details presented in the PMBOK guide, you will need a great PMP Exam Prep text. I would suggest PMP Exam Prep, Sixth Edition: Rita’s Course in a Book for Passing the PMP Exam or Andy Crowe’s The PMP Exam: How to Pass on Your First Try. Both of these authors have had PMP texts out for years and have helped thousands of people reach that goal of PMP certification. I have recently been introduced to a less expensive text by O’RIELLY, called Head First PMP, Head First PMP: A Brain-Friendly Guide to Passing the Project Management Professional Exam. It presents the material in a more fun and exciting way. It is a lot more eclectic in style and composition, but has examples, graphics, stand out text, and other eye catching devices that highlight important concepts and make digesting the material easier for me. It is worth considering as you look at which text you want to buy. It also comes with a link to an online sample PMP test.

Sometimes the difficult part about preparing for this exam, is that the sample PMP exam questions that you might take in the back of each chapter of the texts, are segmented and associated with a certain knowledge area or process group. Knowing which knowledge area these questions are associated with can be a big advantage to answering the questions correctly. Often an applicant feels they are ready for the exam, then immediately after sitting down and starting on it, the first several questions seem unanswerable. The test taker immediately panics, and really can’t seem to concentrate on the rest of the test. What you need to do is take a deep breath, mark the question for review later, and continue on to the next question.

Remember how the PMBOK guide is so process oriented? Most questions are related to a specific process found in the PMBOK guide. When you come back to the questions–ask yourself, which process am I in? Which process should come next? Which processes have already been done to get to this point. This point of reference will ground you and help you choose the BEST answer for the question. Take the time to re-read the question. What is it really asking? Is there information in the question that isn’t needed. Menatally scratch out that information. The best preparation for this type of mentally jumping from one knowledge area to the other, and from one process group to another is in getting your questions from PMP Exam Simulation Software. I think the best PMP example exam software is PM Fastrack Exam Simulation Software for the PMP Exam: Version 6. It contains about 1600 exam questions and can give you a pretty good random 200 example questions, which simulates the PMP exam exactly. There are other PMP practice questions to be found on the web, such as PMI PMP Sample Exam Questions. But you usually find them 15 or 20 at a time, and spend a lot of time finding similar free questions. Make the investment in your future with the best PMP Exam Simulation software here. It will be the key to really getting ready for the exam. You can use the questions that you get wrong as the primer for where to focus your study in coming up to speed and really being ready for the exam. Experience with a good simulated PMP exam software will do more to prepare not just for the questions on the PMP exam, but for the style and type of questions you will run into on the exam. Get ready for that exam, get certified, and start running your projects with the principles taught by the PMI. Your projects will be more successful and you will be surprised at how much more satisfaction you will get out of really running a project instead of having the project run you.

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By elroyking, April 18, 2010 8:03 am

If you really want to be ready for the PMP exam, you need to take a number of practice exams. I have a lot of study material that has sample exam questions at the end of the chapters. That is how it should be, however, do you think that the PMP exam is going to have the questions neatly organized into chapters or topics? No Way! The PMP exam bounces around and puts questions that relate to each other far apart. Practice exams do the same thing, they try to simulate the PMP exam and deliver questions like the exam might have on it. There is some awesome software that simulates the PMP exam and has about 1600 question, it is the PM Fastrack Exam Simulation Software for the PMP Exam: Version 6. This is the Cadillac of the exam simulation software. The questions come from the extensive coverage of the PMP processes and Project Management knowledge of Rita Mulcahy. She has been influential in getting thousands of people PMP certified. Her PMP prep course is widely recognized, PMP Exam Prep, Sixth Edition: Rita’s Course in a Book for Passing the PMP Exam. However, her material is quite pricey (Worth the cost, however, please consider it as an excellent source). But, if you are like me, and need good training at a lower cost, Head First Labs by O’REILLY has and excellent text, Head First PMP: A Brain-Friendly Guide to Passing the Project Management Professional Exam. What I like the most about this text is that it fun and exciting. It presents the material with examples and stand out notes that help me find what is important, and visually remember it. And best of all, there is a link in the text to a FREE online PMP Practice Exam! It doesn’t have as many questions as Rita’s practice exam, but it comes with the text–and if you get the text here or by clicking the graphic below, you will save a ton over buying it from the retail shelves or even from O’REILLY directly. Do yourself a favor, get the training material you want and need, and get the practice exam for free. Let the folks at Head First guide you on that journey to getting certified.

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By elroyking, April 16, 2010 8:09 am

You worked hard to get your PMP or PgMP, celebrate that certification, but now you need to think about re-certification. Over the course of three years, each credentialed PMP or PgMP will need to re-certify by completing 60 Professional Development Units (PDUs), each unit consists of 1 hour of professional development activities. The re-certification requirement is spelled out by the PMI in their Continuing Certification Requirements (CCR) Program. The PMI publishes a number of ways to get those PDUs. Here is a way to get your PDUs from the convenience of your iPod or MP3 player. It is called the PDU Podcast™. The PDU Podcast delivers at least 1 PDU per month. The PDU podcast is PMI Registered Education Provider (R.E.P.) and therefore the PDU Podcast™ offers “Category 3″ PDUs. There is no limit to how many PDUs you can earn in this category. This is the perfect way to acquire those PDUs and keep your certification current. The PDU podcast gets experts on Project Management topics as the guest lecturers, so it is the latest information by the experts in the field. You won’t get better training, and to get it from the convenience of your iPod on your own schedule is just icing on the cake.

Check out the PDU Podcast.

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By elroyking, April 14, 2010 7:50 am

If you are ready to take a PMP course there are a few things to keep in mind. Do you have the required 35 hour of project management “contact hours”? If you are counting on the class to fill those hours, make sure it is long enough and will count towards those 35 hours of training.

Next you want to make sure it will cover the concepts that will be on the exam. If you are going to spend the time and money on a PMP class, make sure it is a class approved by the PMI.

In class courses offer something that remote or online classes cannot. There is the physical aspects of being in class, not having the common distractions around, and only having the test preparation to do at that time. There is also the class atmosphere that provides some feeling of unity. There is a community of people surrounding you that will be taking this test as well, and they are all behind you. The hard part about in-class training is finding one in your area that will fit around your schedule.

The online selection offers you some advantages over the in-class options. With the online courses, the learning is self-paced. I have been in a number of classes where the material was presented too fast for me. I felt like I was drinking from a fire hydrant, and in the end, what I came out of the class with was an overall feeling of frustration. The online course lets you go back and visit the classes time and time again. The cost is better in most cases as well. Point advantage has a great online course, check it out at PMI Aproved, Online Training

The PMP exam has been characterized by About.com as one of the most intense exams out there. Even after taking the class, I would give myself some time to get the concepts down before sitting for the exam. A good exam simulation software should help you know where you need to concentrate your studying. Rita Mulcahy has a good simulation software package. PMP Exam Prep, Sixth Edition: Rita’s Course in a Book for Passing the PMP Exam.

Passing the PMP exam and getting certified will make a huge difference on your resume and with the credibility you have as a project manager. Most certified project managers make 15-30% more than non-certified PMs. The effort is worth it, and the training will make a ton of difference on your projects.

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By elroyking, April 12, 2010 9:36 am

The Project Management Professional (PMP®) Certification involves a long and difficult exam. About.com characterizes the exam as one of the most intense exams around. So what are you going to do to get ready for the exam? The following are my suggestions, and some tricks and tips about the exam itself.

The exam is knowledge based, but has a lot of situational questions. The exam is designed to catch those who don’t have the project management experience using the Project Management Institute’s (PMI®) methodologies. It has answers that include common mistakes that inexperienced project managers would make.

The PMI puts out a text, called the Guide to The Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® guide). The text is full of project management information, but it is dry and pretty skimpy on the examples and application. I would suggest starting with the PMBOK guide, or at least using it as part of your preparation material. Amazon sells it for quite a bit less than you can get it on the store shelves A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge: (Pmbok Guide) (Paperback). Read through the PMBOK guide at least twice before you take the test, but know that you will not be able to pass the test just knowing know all of the material in the PMBOK guide. The test requires application of the principles, and because the PMBOK guide doesn’t really have many examples or applications you are going to have to get that material some where else.

After the PMBOK guide itself, I would recommend a good PMP Exam Prep text. I think the best ones are PMP Exam Prep, Sixth Edition: Rita’s Course in a Book for Passing the PMP Exam or The PMP Exam: How to Pass on Your First Try

However, PMP Certification For Dummies by Peter Nathan and Gerald Everett Jones does an amazing job of presenting the material as a first time text or a beginner text. What I really like about it is that it does not assume that you know anything to start with and explains everything from the beginning. It isn’t as detailed as Rita’s Mulcahy’s or Andy Crowe’s texts, but it covers the fundamentals better. It also comes with a three hundred question sample exam software.

Of course the next aide to getting certified is sample exam software. Taking a lot of sample questions will really help you. Getting them on the computer kind of in the same way the real exam would give them to you would be a great plus. Rita has practice exam software with 1600 practice questions on it, PM Fastrack Exam Simulation Software for the PMP Exam: Version 6. I would highly recommend her software.

I learn best with flash cards. The two sets of flash cards that I think are the best are PM FLASHCARDS and Hot Topics Flashcards For Passing the PMP and CAPM Exam s.

I think that a good text, some sample test software and some flash cards are the best way to get ready for that test, but be aware that there are a lot of other resources also.

If you have the time and resources an in class training, a boot camp, or an online training would help pretty much anyone.

I have a training that I can take with me anywhere. It is on a pod cast. .

What ever resources you get, just get trained. The PMP training looks good on your resume, but can make big differences to your project. Get trained, pass the exam, and get your projects back on track.

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By elroyking, April 7, 2010 8:11 am

Get Ready For The PMP Exam

The PMP® Certification Exam conducted by the Project Management Institute (PMI)® is a very rigorous test. About.com claims that it is one of the most intensive exams available. What makes it difficult is that, although it is a knowledge based test it is very situational in focus, and intended to test concept application rather than principle knowledge. There are a couple of requirements to being able to take the test, depending on your education, you will need 35 hours of classroom or online training, and 4500 to 7500 hours of project management experience. If those requirements are too stiff, there is a certification, called the CAPM that requires only 23 hours of classroom education and only 2500 hours of project participation (rather than project management). The exam is a four hour ordeal with 200 questions. The questions range across all of the nine knowledge areas and five process groups covered in the PMBOK® guide.

Preparing for the PMP exam should include a number of resources. There are several PMP Exam Preparation books out there including a popular text by Rita Mulcahy, PMP Exam Prep, Sixth Edition: Rita’s Course in a Book for Passing the PMP Exam.

If you have the time and resources, I would recommend an in-class or online course, such as Point Advantage PMI Aproved, Online Training.

But, what I have found really helps people get ready for the exam is sample test questions, or PMP Sample Exams. Study the practice questions to see what you appear to know and are getting right, and where the holes are with the ones that you are getting wrong.

Here are the best resources that I have found for sample questions:

About 1350 exam questions and a program that administers them randomly. PM Fastrack Exam Simulation Software for the PMP Exam: Version 6

PMI PMP Sample Exam Questions from Agilitek

Or, for a text and sample exam for less than you would pay for just the text or just the sample exam questions:

PMP Certification For Dummies by Peter Nathan and Gerald Everett Jones

What ever resource you go with, get that PMP Credential. Research by Global Knowledge shows that certified project managers make 15-30% more, and that projects run using PMI project methodologies have a higher percentage of being successful. Get the training that you need and get your projects back on track.

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