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PMP® certification - some tips for prospective candidates
Introduction
The Project Management Professional (PMP®) certification, offered by the Project Management Institute (PMI®), is perhaps the best known project management (PM) certification in the market. There are several other certification programmes in the marketplace - Projects in Controlled Environments 2 (PRINCE2) and International Project Management Association (IPMA), for example. There is much discussion and debate on the value of one certification versus the other, or indeed the value of certifications at all. I don't intend to wade into that discussion here, except to note that PM certification does not make a competent project manager. However, other things being equal, many employers prefer to hire candidates holding certifications over those who do not. Given this, many project managers like to go in for certification. Among those who do, the PMP credential is very popular because it seems to have better acceptance worldwide. The other programmes tend to be better known in certain parts of the world than others. IPMA, for instance, is very popular in Europe but not so well known elsewhere. At this point I should disclose that I'm a PMP, so my opinion on the matter might be considered somewhat biased!
The present article discusses the PMP application process, exam preparation and test taking.
Application Process
The application process for the PMP credential is quite involved. The somewhat onerous eligibility requirements, which are described in the Credential Handbook, include extensive PM experience and a minimum of 35 hours of PM education. Both these requirements have to be documented in the application form, with references required for the former. Note that the PMI audits 10% of all PMP applications, so it is important to be absolutely accurate in documenting experience. A candidate is permitted to sit the exam only after satisfying the aforementioned requirements. Once a candidate's application is approved and the application fee paid (USD 405 for PMI members and USD 555 for non-members at the time of writing), the PMI sends out a notification (via email) with details on how to schedule the exam. The exam can be taken at Prometric testing sites, in one of two formats - computer or paper based. The latter is an option only for those who are not within 300 km / two hour driving distance of a computer-based testing centre. Finally, I should also mention prospective PMPs also must agree to support and adhere to the PMI professional code of ethics.
Preparing for the test
Self Study
The PMP exam is primarily based on the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK®). However, be warned that other items from general project management literature and practice are also fair game. This does sound somewhat vague and unfair - but that's the way it is. Bottom line - you will see stuff from outside the PMBOK in the exam. Having said that, I should hasten to add that you'll be fine if you focus your efforts on the PMBOK **and** one of the many PMP exam guides in the market. Some possibilities for the latter include books by PMP Exam Prep (5th ed), The PMP Exam: How to Pass On Your First Try and PMP In Depth. Note that I do not endorse any particular guide. Please make your own evaluations before purchase. The reviews on Amazon are a good indicator of popularity (which, one hopes, correlates to quality - but that is an assumption!) . For the overly curious (or masochistic), there is also a PMP Exam Specification which is a "blueprint for the PMP Exam" (Disclaimer: I am neither overly curious nor am I a masochist).
It is also important to work through some practice questions before you sit the exam. The more the better. There are some free sample questions floating around cyberspace - see Oliver Lehmann's site, Indicareer and PM Prepare. The PMI also has a small set of sample questions . Note that many free sample question sites focus on theory straight out of the PMBOK. Be warned though, that the exam will contain many scenario based questions. If your budget runs to it, you may want to purchase practice tests - search the web for possibilities. But the usual warning applies - caveat emptor!
Preparation Course
If you are fortunate to have spare cash (or an employer with a generous training budget) you may want to consider going to a PMP exam prep course. There are countless offerings out there so I won't even begin to list them. Just one pointer: you may want to consider using a PMI Registered Education Provider (REP). REPs are organisations approved by PMI to deliver PM education courses. This is not necessarily a guarantee of quality, I admit, but it does ensure that your exam preparation course is delivered by a PMP certified instructor. Further, it assures you that the organization has satisfied PMI's REP criteria (listed in the link above) at the time of review. Incidentally, I used a Sydney-based REP for my exam prep, and was very happy with the quality of instruction provided.
Most exam prep courses will give you ample opportunities for mock quizzes and exams through the course. Be sure to go through all questions at least twice. First time around to identify deficiencies in your knowledge and then to make sure you've covered them off (after you've done so, of course).
Finally, your local PMI chapter may offer prep courses for PMP candidates. The classes are normally led by PMP certified professionals and the costs are generally quite reasonable. PMI members also get a decent discount. If you are in the Sydney area, do check out the Sydney PMI Chapter site for further details. Else check out your nearest PMI chapter.
The test
Be sure to arrive at the testing centre at least 15 minutes before the start of the exam. You will want to familiarise yourself with the centre (location of the restrooms, among other things) before you sign in. Candidates aren't allowed to take anything apart from a calculator into the testing room (no books, notes, computers, mobiles etc.). I even had to leave my keys etc in a locker. The testing supervisor will also provide you with scratch paper and a pencil (for all those formula dumps and numerical questions). As it happened I forgot my calculator, but the testing centre provided me one. That was my experience; your mileage may vary - don't count on the centre providing you one. You will need a government issued photo ID (driver's licence or passport, for example) to verify your identity. Be sure the name you have registered with matches that on your ID exactly. Apparently, there have been cases where entry has been denied because of a mismatch. After signing in, you will be shown to your seat and the supervisor will start the test. You have a 15 minute familiarisation session with the exam interface. If you are like me though, you'll spend no more than a minute on this before moving on to the exam. One important point to note is that you can mark a question for review later. You will want to do this if you can't settle on an answer within a minute of reading a question.
Your clock starts ticking down the allotted 4 hours once you begin the exam proper. The PMP exam is a test of endurance. This is what my course instructor continually emphasised, and it really turned out to be so. Four hours concentrating on a computer screen is no cakewalk. I was mentally exhausted at the end of it, but nicely so because I passed without passing out (sorry, couldn't resist that one). You are allowed to step out of the testing room for a short break (bio or otherwise), but the clock keeps ticking while you are out.
And so on to the content. The exam consists of 200 questions of which only 175 are scored. The remaining 25 randomly placed items are potential future test questions that are being statistically tested. The questions in the exam cover all groups (Initiating, Planning, Executing, Controlling & Monitoring and Closing) along with some questions on Professional Responsibility (code of ethics). As one might expect, the lion's share of questions are from Planning, Executing and Controlling & Monitoring (a little over 70% in all). The remainder is shared, roughly equally, between Initiation, Closing and Professional Responsibility.
Expect many scenario based questions. These questions describe a project management scenario and will ask you to make a decision on a course of action. The answer will list four possible answers. After eliminating the patently incorrect answers, you will generally be left with more than one potentially correct answer. In these cases always use the PMBOK as your guide in selecting the correct answer. Choose the most correct answer as per the PMBOK and you won't go wrong. Note that this may not always coincide with what you would do in real life. Last word on scenario-based questions: expect lots of ambiguity in these questions (incomplete information, for example), but this should be a familiar situation to you as a project manager. When was the last time you could put off a decision until ALL relevant information was at hand? In my case the answer is - never. Enough said.
In addition to the uncertainty-laden, scenario based questions, you will also see a number of straightforward questions straight out of the PMBOK and the exam guides. These may, for instance, be questions on specific project management processes, expansion of abbreviations (what's PERT?) or numerical / semi-numerical questions on Earned Value, Critical Path and Contracts. It is important that you nail these to counterbalance those that you get wrong from the scenario based lot. Besides, they are easy to get right if you've done your homework.
In my opinion, the time allotted for the exam is more than enough. I took about 3.5 hours to finish the exam. This included an exhaustive (and exhausting) review of the questions I'd marked the first time round. There is ample time to take a bio break or a five minute breather. So, use it if you need it. You will need to sign out when leaving and sign in again when you re-enter the testing area.
Finally, once you are done with your answers and review (or if you've just had enough!) you submit the exam. As I remember it, there's a prompt that warns you that submission is irrevocable, or something to that effect. Click OK, and your fate is sealed, insofar as your current examination experience is concerned. The computer whirs and chugs for a few interminable seconds before congratulating you on passing the exam. In a parallel universe, you may have failed; but that, hopefully, doesn't happen here.
Good luck!
Note: PMI®, PMP® and PMBOK® are internationally registered trademarks of the Project Management Institute.
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