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The Path to the PMP (Part 8)
byQuality Management is a difficult knowledge area for people to connect with as they study for the PMP exam. Sadly, PMI also recognizes the weakness and includes plenty of questions to test your abilities.
Quality Management is a difficult knowledge area for people to connect with as they study for the PMP exam. Sadly, PMI also recognizes the weakness and includes plenty of questions to test your abilities.
Question: It appears to me there is an error in the Fifth Edition of the PMBOK Guide on how to figure a critical path, but perhaps I am wrong. Should I change my processes to comply, or keep on doing what I learned in earlier versions?
| A. | The PMBOK Guide is a recognized international standard. Follow it, even if it doesn’t make any sense. |
| B. | The field of project management is constantly changing and you may be behind in the latest ways to do things, so alter your project practices to comply with the most recent information. |
| C. | When common sense and your past training are at odds with a fresh version of the PMBOK Guide, stand your ground. You may be correct. |
| D. | The Project Management Institute will remove certifications from those people who refuse to follow the instructions provided in the PMBOK Guide. International consistency is key. |
The best part about Project Cost Management is that there are only three processes. And while the first two processes are light dumbbell lifting, the third throws some heavy barbell exercises your way. Are you prepared?
It is not often we get a chance to watch the growth of a new certification as it occurs. The PMI-ACP is the Project Management Institute’s (PMI) new Agile Certified Practitioner (ACP) credential. It was launched with a pilot program at the end of 2011 and then a formal launch in 2012. How popular will this new credential become?
As we continue our PMP workout, we look at the Project Time Management knowledge area--which involves six processes that interact with each other and are described as discrete and sequential, but in reality may overlap.
Studying the PMBOK Guide Fourth Edition to take your PMP exam? Not so fast...unless you're taking the exam soon, you'll have to be aware of some essential changes in store and take the Fifth Edition exam. This article outlines a possible approach to "upgrade" yourself, and since we all learn differently you should adjust this approach to your own needs.
Life gets really interesting when we start to extrapolate the brand identity concept into our project methodologies. What drives the decisions about what different organizations use? And is there any tangible benefit to choosing a “brand label” project execution approach?
To have transparency, an organization first needs consistent processes and common markers. Standards, frameworks and methodologies are implemented to generate consistency...but what's the difference between them?
In the journey to PMP fitness, you have taken three decisive steps. But many PMs have not had the opportunity to participate in a suite of courses where most knowledge areas are explored from a combined approach of PMI theory and real-world application. While this can put you at a real disadvantage, it’s still possible to be successful. In out latest installment, we cover Project Integration Management.
Question: My team seldom seems to be able to communicate effectively about project data and reports, even using the most specific common words. And we disagree on whose meaning is correct. How do we find a reputable source to rely on to clear up these misunderstandings?
| A. | Whichever team member has the most years with the organization should be allowed to define terms for the team to adopt. Defer to this person. |
| B. | The field of knowledge management is being used as a common foundation for defining terms for the project management field and beyond. |
| C. | Ask the person who has the most recent PMI certification, as those with older certifications may not understand today’s project management practices. |
| D. | The National Association of Project Management Dictionary should be the standard for all project managers, regardless of where they reside. |
Now that you have moved past making a commitment, you have hopefully completed the application. For those on board, it’s time to get serious about getting in PMP shape. As our series continues, read about the knowledge areas--and the areas of the PMBOK that are too often ignored.
Your application has been approved, and the easy parts of the PMBOK have been read at least once. Now the hard studying starts. As our series continues, our trusty trainer explores process groups and ITTOs.
Thinking of taking the Project Management Professional exam offered by PMI? Be sure you know when to schedule it as a new exam based on the fifth edition of A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge will be introduced this year.
Preparing for the PMP exam can be a lonely road. A good study group can help prepare you for the exam--and can make studying a lot more fun, too.
Question: I’m a busy PMP, and I hear there are some big changes to the PMBOK Guide, Fifth Edition. Since I don’t have time to go through 589 pages word by word, is there anything I really have to change to do my job effectively?
| A. | No. There is nothing that affects PMPs who are already certified, so go about your business as usual. |
| B. | There may be. It depends on the kind of work you do and the type of organization where you work. |
| C. | Yes. To maintain your PMP certification you must reflect each change to the PMBOK Guide in your daily work in order not to void your status. |
| D. | Change your work processes only insofar as you agree with each and every change that has been made. Otherwise, do what you have always done. |
Executives are often faced with hiring PMs without having a strong background in projects themselves. Here we provide a little insight for hiring managers by looking at organizational structure, project nature and the qualities of the manager.
Enough waiting! Let’s get this long-delayed PMP certification completed! With the holidays (and the excuses) now behind us, a bootcamp pro tries to whip your mind into shape. So where the heck do you start?
Once you begin to contemplate actually taking the PMP exam, there are several things you’ll need to consider besides just studying and prepping. Here are some tips for scheduling your exam--and for ensuring that you’re ready for the test.
What value does gaining a project management certification really give you? The salary surveys are relentless and seductively appealing, but statistics can be misleading. Like most things in life, the true value of certification is difficult to fully evaluate and will vary from person to person.
Many people believe agile methods and certifications are like oil and water. One is a context-sensitive, adaptive framework; the other is a prescriptive, rigor-based measurement model. Certifying agile methods is like trying to bar-code clouds--a misapplication of quantification in a domain that resists it. Yet if the research organizations are to be believed, there are a large group of people doing it. Here's the lowdown on what you should know.
If you are a certified PMP, you are well aware of the continuing education requirements to maintain your credential. There are a variety of ways to meet the continuing education requirements. But are you aware of the creative, free and fun ways to maintain your credential?
Congratulations! You've passed the PMP exam! But your work isn't finished...now you need to shift your focus to earning the 60 PDUs required to maintain that credential you worked so hard for. If you follow this six-step plan of attack, you'll be well on your way.
While a PMP credential is not a guarantee that a potential candidate will ultimately be successful in a role, one cannot conclude from that fact that the credential doesn't offer value. Recent research has also shattered that assertion.
You've studied hard, but a few nagging concerns keep creeping up. There are many myths related to the PMP exam and its process. In this article, we are going to bust six of the common ones.
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"A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on. " - Winston Churchill |