I have recently passed my Project Management Institute (PMI) Project Management Professional (PMP) – (July 2011). In this article will explain how I went about applying for the examination, how I studied, the books I used and what I believed helped me pass the PMP Certification.

Why the PMP?
I have been working as a Project Manager for years in the UK and have attained the PRINCE2 (as well as the ISEB IS Project Manager and ISEB PPSO) Project Management qualifications. However my plan is to leave the UK and I wanted to obtain a more internationally focussed Project Management qualification.
The PMP is globally recognised and a when I did a quick check on job adverts for roles in North America and Asia, it seems having the PMP certification is high in demand for Project Managers Globally.

Applying for the PMP
Not just anyone can sit the PMP exam; you need to be a reasonably experienced PM. I would suggest planning to do the PMP exam after around three years experience as a Project Manager.
To apply for the PMP, you need to have either:
A four-year degree (bachelor’s or the global equivalent) and at least three years of project management experience, with 4,500 hours leading and directing projects and 35 hours of project management education.
OR
A secondary diploma (high school or the global equivalent) with at least five years of project management experience, with 7,500 hours leading and directing projects and 35 hours of project management education.
If you do not meet the PMP requirements, you may want to look at the Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM). CAPM is a certificate for someone earlier in their career who does not fulfil the criteria for PMP.

The PMP application process is pretty tricky. First you must create a new user account to start an on-line application (https://authentication.pmi.org/Default.aspx?r=certification.pmi.org/default.aspx&s=true). Once you have created an account you must follow the steps to fill in the on-line form. The form is very comprehensive and you will need to fill in a lot of information regarding your project management experience. My tip is to have a copy of your CV to hand when you fill in this form. One part of the form I found really difficult is to estimate the hours you have spent performing certain Project Management tasks. You cannot just fill in any old thing here to get to the examination stage, PMI audit 1 in every 10 applications to ensure they have been filled in correctly. A few years ago on a previous application my application was audited and I had to get referees who had worked with me to vouch for my experience.
This time around the major problem I had was in accurately estimating the amount of time I spent in hours for each project management task, split over a number of companies, so I devised the spreadsheet below to help me work out if my estimates made sense and added up. Luckily my estimates all made sense. The time I estimated to have spent on each project management task at each company, when totalled up, did not exceed the length of time I spent at that company; furthermore it seemed I had above the requirement for the minimum number of hours spent on these activities.
 

Studying For the PMP Exam
Once I had been approved to take the exam, I booked an exam date and started to study.
One thing to be said for the exam dates: I found this process to be simple; the PMI website takes you to the Prometric website – the company who administer the computer-based PMP exam. The good thing about the exam being administered through Prometric and being computer-based, means if you can find a test centre near you, you are likely to find a suitable date and time also (the exam is not restricted to any particular day) normally from my experience the times are 08.30am or 01.00pm, for the 4 hour exam.
For those taking the exam in the UK – I sat the exam at a Prometric centre in Leeds (King Street, near the train station) and in London (near Cannon Street Station). There seems to be a Prometric testing centre in most major cities and towns.
The reason I sat the exam twice, is because I failed the exam the first time around. I believe this was due to inadequate preparation.
For the PMP exam, I chose to self-study and not to use a training provider. There are excellent training providers offering one week courses for PMP for between £1100 – £2000. However my choice to self-study was based on the other exam and training commitments I had this year. Also on the fact that, as a contractor, one week on leave from a contract includes an opportunity cost of lack of earning for that week, as well as the cost of the training course. In the UK, unfortunately, there are not any training courses offered on weekends, like there is for PRINCE2 or MSP, perhaps the demand for PMP is not so high in the UK.
Below are the training materials I used to study for the PMP exam.
I recommend the following books for definite; these are the training materials I think were instrumental in me passing the PMP examination:
• Head First PMP: A Brain-Friendly Guide to Passing the Project Management Professional Exam – Jennifer Greene & Andrew Stellman (Around £39.95 Amazon)
• PM Fastrack Exam Simulation Software for the PMP Exam: CD ROM Version 6 – Rita Mulcahy (Around $269.00/£165.00 from http://www.rmcproject.com)
• Q & A’s for the PmBok Guide – Project Management Institute (Around £29.99 Amazon)

The following training materials are required for complete study also:
• PMP Exam Prep: Rapid Learning to Pass PMI’s PMP Exam-On Your First Try! – Rita Mulcahy (Around $56.00/£35.00 from http://www.rmcproject.com)
• A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge: PMBOK Guide – Project Management Institute (Around £25.00 Amazon)

The following training materials, I purchased, but did not use for study:
• PMP Project Management Professional Exam Study Guide: Includes Audio CD – Kim Heldman (Around £33.99 Amazon)
• Hot Topics Flashcards For Passing the PMP and CAPM Exam – Rita Mulcahy (Around $22.00/£13.50 from http://www.rmcproject.com)

My main study tasks were to read the Head First Book (I highly recommend this, as it explains the principles really clearly) and use the Rita Mulcahy exam simulation software PMP exam simulation, doing about 20 questions a night. I also found it really helpful to do a full 4 hour PMP exam simulation at the start of any study and at intervals of my study and the end to see how I progressed and how my score improved.

Costs
If you want to get an idea how much it will cost to get the adequate training materials and pay for the exam.
The testing fee will cost $555.00/£340.00
If you would like to purchase all the books I listed above they will cost around £350.00
This totals around £700.00 required to obtain this qualification, not including the hard work and study required to pass this exam.

Passing Your PMP Exam
In the actual exam, remember it is a Computer-based exam held at a testing centre, where there may be many other exams of different topics, starting and ending at different times. Below are my tips to help give you the best chance of passing the PMP exam:
• Use the ear plugs provided, to help you concentrate (remember other candidates are taking shorter examinations and so will be coming and going throughout your exam).
• Eat and drink well before the exam (it is a four hour exam and no food or drink is allowed)
• Use the tutorial, to settle into the environment and get used to the software and calm down
• Write the formulas you know on the scratch paper as soon as you can (after tutorial)
• Use the scratch paper
• Look out for words like NOT, LEAST, MOST, LEAST LIKELY, BEST, in questions, as these can trick you, it is easy to miss the question is asking for the LEAST LIKELY, when you see the MOST LIKELY answer in the multiple choice.

Good Luck!!

Steve

http://www.contractorprojectmanager.com

When starting out in Project Management there are two immediate priorities on one’s radar.

1. To gain as much on the job experience as possible
2. To obtain professional qualifications which will aid in development

Professional qualifications go hand in hand with the experience you will gain whilst in a project role. Most likely, these qualifications will act as a prerequisite into the job itself and will offer a structured, consistent framework, from which you can manage projects of any size.

For individuals wishing to build their project knowledge from scratch, the APM Introductory Certificate Qualification offers solid grounding in terms of understanding the project lifecycle, roles, responsibilities and logical checkpoints. The information presented is simplistic and easy to pick up, even if you have had no prior knowledge or experience within a project environment.

This article endeavours to provide a brief insight into the APM Introductory Certificate Qualification along with a series of useful tips to aid in your success.

Exam Preparation

Let’s get down to the finer details shall we? First port of call is to do your research on the qualification and the impending examination.

The assessment is split down into the eight key principles of project management;
• Planning and scheduling
• Communications
• Quality management
• Teamwork
• Resource management
• Risk management
• Handover
• Review
These principles are derived from the APM Body of Knowledge 5th edition which can be purchased either directly from the APM bookstore (http://www.apm-training.com/apm-book-store.asp) or if you are looking for a cheaper alternative (http://www.amazon.co.uk/) is a great source for second hand books.

Revising these topics is a fairly painless process as the content is well written, detailed and provides plenty of examples for you to relate back to in the exam.

One key learning I took from revising for this examination was to pay particular attention to the stakeholder structure. Becoming familiar with how APM structures its ‘project people’ will allow you to logically think through various other questions in the exam for example; who owns what documentation and which parties need to be involved in key decisions.

The exam itself is an hour long and consists of 60 multiple choice questions. A minute per question at first sounds taxing, but bear in mind some questions will be easier to answer than others and will take seconds to instinctively answer.

For those of you who have had no previous exposure to projects I would recommend studying for around 20 -30 hours before the examination just to get yourself comfortable with how projects are structured, the links between stakeholders and what outcomes are expected.

For those individuals who have previously worked in a project environment, my recommendation would be to revise anywhere between 10 – 20 hours as most of the material will already be familiar ground. Most of the learning will come from memorising the specific APM ‘lingo’ as this may differ to what is used in your working environment.

Once the core revision has been completed and you are comfortable that all the knowledge is in place to tackle the exam, I would recommend testing yourself on the various sample papers/exams that are available online at (http://www.apm-training.com/apm-downloads.asp). This will allow you to hone your skills at answering the multiple choice questions at pace and becoming familiar with the amount of time you have to complete the exam, along with the style and structure of the questioning.

Wrap up

Going for the APM Introductory Certificate is a widely recommended stepping stone on the road to becoming a successful and experienced Project Manager. From here you can begin to explore many avenues of Project Management Qualifications including the APMP and Prince 2 paths.

Good Luck!

We are often asked the question by potential students “Will PRINCE2 training enhance my project management career prospects?” There is a very simple answer to this – Yes!

Most people considering PRINCE2 qualifications do so for career and/or personal development reasons. In the current economic climate, this is often driven by a change of job or career direction, sometimes not by choice. There is strong evidence that indicates that having up to date PRINCE2 qualifications could be the difference between being selected for a new position, whether you have years of project management experience or not. It could, in certain cases, be the difference between selected to stay in your current position or being released.

Over the past few years, PRINCE2 has become the recognised international standard for project management and many advertised positions now state PRINCE2 qualifications as a prerequisite, without which an application may be rejected. As an example, a recent query on the UK website ITJOBSWATCH (April 2010) indicated that over 60% of permanent IT project management jobs on the site now include PRINCE2 qualifications as a requirement.

However, PRINCE2 is a generic project management method and its use is not restricted to the IT sector. After a relatively slow start following its launch in 1996, the demand for PRINCE2 qualifications has surged in recent years. This is due to organisations across all industry sectors recognising the benefits of implementing a structured approach to project management and its effects on delivering projects. This has, not surprisingly, led to a surge in demand for PRINCE2 qualified staff.

Having originated in the UK Public Sector, the method is understandably widely used there. It is the standard method for project management across the Public Sector. PRINCE2 is used by all Central Government departments such as the Department for Children, Schools and Families, the Home Office and the department for Business Innovation and Skills. It is also used across the National Health Service and the Local Government sectors, some examples being Manchester City Council and Norfolk County Council, both long-term users of the method. Consequently, project management positions in the public sector are likely to demand PRINCE2 qualifications.

The growth in demand for PRINCE2 qualifications though has not been driven entirely by the Public Sector. There has been very significant growth in recent years through the adoption of the method by many other organisations. Some of these represent suppliers to the public sector, where having PRINCE2 trained staff is a requirement for bidding for work on Government contracts and these suppliers are likely to require PRINCE2 qualifications for project management positions. However, PRINCE2 is currently being used very widely across all industry sectors in the United Kingdom, including Banking, Construction, Engineering, Transport, Utilities, IT and Telecommunications.

Despite its UK roots, demand for the qualifications has also surged internationally. The latest figures from APMG (the examiners of PRINCE2) indicate that over 400,000 students worldwide have successfully passed examinations in PRINCE2. To fulfil this demand there are over 175 accredited training organisations internationally. The PRINCE2 manual is currently available in 9 languages and examinations are available in English, Dutch, German, French, Italian, Danish, Polish, Spanish and Chinese in 89 countries worldwide.
The United Nations adopted PRINCE2 for the UN Development Programme a number of years ago and has implemented PRINCE2 internally in 150 countries. There is also growing interest from the USA where they have started to recognise the benefits of using the PRINCE2 method alongside their existing standard for project management, the Project Management Institute Body of Knowledge (PMI/PMBOK).

From UK Public Sector beginnings, PRINCE2 has become the international standard for project management and PRINCE2 qualifications are now in demand worldwide. Having up to date PRINCE2 qualifications could be a passport a new position or even to an international career in project management.

This article was written by Ian Rosser on behalf of AFA. AFA deliver are accredited by the APM Group to deliver PRINCE2 Training Courses. Assisting you to deliver change whether at the personal, team, project, programme portfolio or organisational level.

I decided to put together some information on the training and certification available for Project Managers.

The following gives some idea of approximate cost and the length of training, perhaps therefore the time needed out of your schedule.

Name of Qualification	Level	Organisation	Training Duration	Approximate Cost *	Training Providers
PRINCE2	Basic	OGC	1 week	£1750
PRINCE2	Basic / Intermediate	OGC	Various	Various	http://www.afaprojects.com/ resources_prince2.asp
PRINCE2	Intermediate	OGC	Various	Various	http://www.tpgacademy.com
CAPM	Intermediate	PMI	3 days	Various	www.xpertise.co.uk www.seeklearning.co.uk
PMP	Intermediate	PMI	1 week	£1500
APM – Introductory Certificate in Project Management	Basic	APM	2 days	£150	http://www.ilxgroup.com/ http://www.pmprofessional.co.uk www.sterialearningservices.co.uk www.quanta.co.uk www.qa-iq.com
APMP	Intermediate	APM	5 days	£300	www.tpgacademy.com http://www.pmprofessional.co.uk www.parity.net/training www.hemsleyfraser.co.uk
APMP Practitioner Qualification	Advanced	APM	2.5 days	£2500	http://www.ilxgroup.com/ http://www.pmprofessional.co.uk
Foundation Certificate in IS Project Management	Basic	ISEB	3 days	£150	www.parity.net/training www.qa-iq.com www.sterialearningservices.co.uk
Certificate in IS Project Management	Intermediate	ISEB	5 days	£2000	www.ilxgroup.com www.parity.net/training www.qa-iq.com www.sterialearningservices.co.uk
ISEB Certificate in Programme and Project Support Office Essentials	Basic	ISEB	4 days	£150	www.ilxgroup.com www.sterialearningservices.co.uk www.parity.net/training
Advanced Certificate in Programme and Project Support Office	Intermediate	ISEB	5 days	£2000	www.ilxgroup.com www.parity.net/training www.sterialearningservices.co.uk

In this economic climate it is worth doing anything possible to improve how the CV looks and to differentiate yourself to look more professional than the next contractor to get a contract…

Many of my colleagues have been out of contract for some time and getting an APM or PMP member status is a quick and cheap way of improving the CV, that doesn’t require the time and cash and study that a new qualification would require.

The added bonus of joining a Project Management professional body is to increase your network to increase chances of getting a contract. In a difficult market, what contracts do exisit, go to those contractors who have worked with the hiring manager or team members before and then to those recommended via a network as opposed to “random” applications via Jobserve etc..

Below I have written all the info. I know regarding the Project Management professional bodies – this may help you understand the costs and admin. required to join. Enjoy:

Professional Bodies

There are two professional bodies for Project Managers and also other relevant professional bodies many Project Managers may be part of. The advantage of joining a professional body is:

• It looks good on the CV
• Discounts on training and exams
• Networking with other Project Managers
• “Free” seminars and talks
• “Free” Newsletters and publications
• Advice and back up from the “voice” of the profession when required

The Professional Contractors Group (PCG)

Before I mention more specific Project Management professional groups it may be worth mentioning the PCG. Joining this organisation shows you are professional contractor and is a source of advice and tools on many contractor issues, such as IR35 information, professional indemnity insurance etc.

Joining the PCG was peace of mind for me, I know as a member I can pick up the phone and ask advice on anything, also there are online forums, free legal and tax help lines and contract examples and templates as well as benefits, such as dispute insurance, PAYE audit cover, Jury service insurance and discounts on products.

For more details, please see – http://www.pcg.org.uk/cms/index.php

APM

This is the European specific project management professional body. Membership of APM provides the support and resources of a large, well-known professional body, as well as a clear professional qualification path, training and four levels of membership:

• Student
• Associate (less than five years experience)
• Full member (MAPM) (five years plus)
• Fellow (FAPM) (five years + contributions to the profession)

The APM offers support and focus of knowledge and training for the Project Management profession, as well as events, such as the APM Conference and talks on topics, such as Risk Management, Business Case, Scheduling, etc. As well as offering comprehensive PM qualifications (see previous pages for APM qualifications). Membership costs are as follows:

For more details, please see –

http://www.apm.org.uk/page.asp?categoryID=3&subCategoryID=22&pageID=0

PMI

The PMI is a worldwide professional body. Although US biased in my opinion, membership to this professional body is recognised throughout the world and shows a commitment to the Project Management Profession.

Benefits to membership, as well as being recognised as being part of this famous organisation, include; Knowledge sharing and networking opportunities through PMI communities (you can join a local chapter where there are meetings and events). PMI also offers certification, famously the CAPM, PMP and PgMP.

Membership costs $129.00 (approximately £75.00) per year.

For more details, please see –http://www.pmi.org/GetInvolved/Pages/The-Benefits-and-Types-of-Membership.aspx

BCS

Any Project Manager who deals with IT or manages IT projects may want to join the BCS. The BCS is the professional body for all things IT.

BCS membership provides industry recognition of IT skills and experience and is the pathway to Chartered IT Professional Status (CITP), this is useful as an IT professional (I have obtained this) and is recognised worldwide, apparently especially helping if moving to Australia to work in IT!

The BCS have a Project Management group called PROMS-G – the Project Management Specialist Group, which provides a forum to enable the exchange of information, skills, techniques and methods, which will enhance the professional status of project management within IT and related industries. PROMS-G also creates and distributes the publication “Project Manager Today” on a monthly basis, which is a good publication. The BCS has membership grades, based on experience:

For more details, please see –http://www.bcs.org/server.php?show=nav.00100e003

IIBA

The International Institute of Business Analysis – is a worthwhile organisation for Business Analysis skills.

Normally outside of the scope of Project Managers, however, I am wary that BA skills are prevalent in PM roles and manyProject Management roles are split BA/PM roles, as were many of mine.

Therefore I thought this organisation was at least worth a mention here. For more details, please see: http://www.theiiba.org//AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home.