PMP is one of the top project management certification exams in the industry.
The reasons are simple: both pull and push.
1. Most project managers are not trained
They learn their PM skills on the job.
Typically, in the Information Technology domain at least, a good techie is made to be a Team Lead. Simply because she understands technology and so can manage things and help the team deliver. With the same logic, she is promoted to Project Manager.
And from there she pretty much picks up PM skills on the job.
Then she feels that she needs some sort of formal education.
After some research, she finds that PMP is a comprehensive certification exam, that covers both predictive and agile. And to top it the hybrid models as well.
2. Industry loves PMPs.
To the extent that, according to PMI’s Salary survey (here, here, and here for the latest 3 surveys) project managers with PMP have consistently been earning 16-25% more than non-PMP counterparts.
Considering the fact that most organizations do not have internal project management skill-building programs, they find it easy to hire people from outside. And someone with PMP certification comes in with the guarantee that she has the necessary knowledge required to run projects.
Then during interviews, they will validate the candidates for their skills, experience, and temperament, etc.
But the PMP exam is considered to be a tough nut to crack.
And I agree.
I’ve been helping project managers pass PMP since 2013.
And I have realized that there are a few fundamental areas that you need to get right first.
With that, you will find PMP preparation much, much easier.
This is a new series I’m writing to help you prepare well. And even enjoy the prep journey.
In this first part, we will look at the top 5 tips.
Before you dig in, I would recommend you,
- Get your fav beverage (it’s coffee for me as I write this post)
- Share this post using the social share buttons floating on this page, and help someone somewhere
Let’s dive in!
Grab my free PMP course to supercharge your PMP study!
👉 PMP Exam Made Easy, Tip #1: Include PMBOK and APG as part of your study resources
Yes, it’s smart to include PMBOK and the Agile Practice Guide as part of your study resources.
Some of this may sound counterintuitive.
Let me explain:
- Most questions on your exam can be traced back to a page in these books
- Whether PMI accepts or not, these cover most of the exam content
I’m not suggesting you keep PMBOK as your primary study resource.
In fact, I would highly recommend you DO NOT. Unless you love this book.
If you start your prep with PMBOK,
- you may get false starts
- you may feel discouraged
- you may not see much progress
Out of a few thousand PMPs I’ve worked with or interviewed, only a handful (single digit) have used only the PMBOK for their preparation.
Yes, I heard what you said,
“PMBOK puts me to sleep”.
It did that to me too. 🙂
The solution is: divide and conquer.
How?
Ankita Ghag works in the IT sector as a Data Analyst.
Since I have been handling projects in my current company, I wanted to take PMP to enhance my knowledge of project management and build essential skills to handle projects efficiently.
PMP certification takes a lot from you.
I’m Markus. I have a Post Graduate Diploma in Project Management.
Prakash is one of my most successful students, considering how he achieved the PMP Above Target score even with a crazy work schedule as a CXO. Notwithstanding an unexpected injury and surgery.
RenukaPrasad works as a Project Manager in the IT industry. He’s a cricket buff (and an awesome player) and likes to see places.
I have taken up PMP because of the knowledge I get to practice and build my skills. Which, in turn, gives me career growth to be an authoritative voice in Project Management.
