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Here is an overworked and actualized overview about the most popular and most relevant study materials you are able to use for your PMP Exam Preparation.
You have to decide which of those materials fits your learning preferences and behaviors best; with this overview we want to support your decision:
1. PMI's Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide)
PMBoK® Guide is the essential PMP exam preparation tool. About 75% of the exam questions are based on the content out of the PMBoK® Guide! It’s the foundation that everything else is built on. This is per defintion the most popular study material, simply because it is mandatory and every PMP aspirant has to study it (not only read!)! Remember that PMI members get a free PDF copy of the PMBoK® Guide!
But look, the PMBoK® Guide isn't a book which you can (nor you should) just read from cover to cover (well, of course you can, but you will not like it this way, trust us). Furthermore you have to study und fully understand it's contents like all the Knowledge Areas, Process Groups, the 47 projectmanagement processes and how they are interrelated and inderdependent. Don't worry, you will ... for sure.
2. PMP Preparation Books
These are also known as PMP exam study guids and you should use them in addition and complementary to the PMBoK® Guide. They cover the same materials (and mostly structured in the same way) as the PMBoK® Guide, but in more accessible language. They often explain the concepts in ways that are easier to understand and to learn. They also cover some topics which are NOT explained in the PMBoK® Guide but nethertheless content of the PMP exam.
Our recommendation for you is, to use at least one but better two of the available prep books out there. Every author has it's own approach and you have to decide which one fits you best. So try to have a sample reading before you buy some.
Our experience is, that Rita's and Head First PMP as a double would be a good choice. Rita's has a more scientific approach while Head FIrst is more for the creatice thinkers out there. But finaly it is your choice - of course ...
Here are our Prep Book recommendations (in no particular order):
3. PMP Exam Courses - live or online?!
Training courses come in many varieties. You could attend a course online or live in a classroom. You could study at your own pace (self-study) or with an instructor. You could choose a boot-camp (most often 3 to 5 days) or to study over many weeks. Look for a PMP exam course that will give you the required 35 contact hours!
Regarding the differences between "contact hours" and "PDU's" and how to obtain those 35 "contact hours" which are requirement for PMP application please refer also to our complete guide: "The Complete Guide to PMP 35 Contact Hours of Project Management Education"!
We will provide you more guiding about the pro's and con's regarding the different course options. But if you already know that you are the type of guy for self-studying and self-paced learning, well than we could recommend you the “PMP PrepCast” by Cornelius Fichtner”, cause we have used this one for PMP preparation by our self.
It is a fully prerecorded (nearly 140 video and audio lessons!), self-paced online training course which also provides you the 35 contact hour certificate, which you will need for your PMP application.
You may have a look here:? “PMP PrepCast” by Cornelius Fichtner”
To get a glimpse of what you could await, there is a free version available: ? Free Prep Cast
4. PMP Exam Simulators and sample questions
With the help of professionell Online PMP Exam Simulators and/or sample questions/mock exams, you are be able to shine a light on your weaker areas. Taking sample exams via an exam simulator will help you assess your readiness for the real exma. You can find a ton of free questions online, but you have to be cautios about the ressources of that questions. Yes, theire is good free stuff out theire, but this is rare. A lot of the free available sample stuff is often of bad quality or even missguiding or just wrong.
Free questions are also often done in a way that the real exam never would. For instance: theire are often answering options like "all of the above/none of the above". You will never find this type of answer in the real eaxam. So, please be aware of that ind of questions!
We would strongly recommend to invest some bucks and sign up for a professionally created simulator from a PMI Registered Education Provider (R.E.P.).
We know and recommend the exam simulator by Cornelius Fichtner and our friends from the prepcast crew which provides you ? 1.800 high quality PMP questions and which gives you ? high flexibility in how to train your questions up to max. ? 9 fully timed exam simulations, each with ? 200 individual questions.
You may have a look here: ? PM Exam Simulator Full Version
To get an idea of what you can expect, please use ?the free/trial version to try out: ? PM Exam Simulator FREE version
5. PMP Podcasts
Podcasts can be in audio or video format. A PMP podcast is very easy to carry around with you and has the benefit that you can listen to or watch it wherever you are. Some of these are so elaborate that they actually fall into PMI’s Category F (“distance learning”) for PMP Exam preparation courses and even offer 35 contact hours.
6. PMP Flashcards
Flash cards allow you to study and memorize the concepts that you need to know for the exam. You can make your own and carry them with you at all times, so you can test yourself in spare moments. Another alternative is electronic cards that you can use on your mobile phone or tablet and care withyou where ever you go.
7. PMP Apps for your mobile phones and/or tablets
We recommend (for instance) the question trainer by the well known Oliver F. Lehmann, one of the best apps out there; just klick on the picture to get there.
8. PMP Formulas
There are a lot of math and related formulas involved in PMP exam preparation. To know and understand them could be critical for your exam success! Study guides for PMP formulas are a precision tool. They will help you review, learn and understand the formulas required for the exam in a way that makes it easier to recall them under pressure (e.g. for your brain dump sheet).
Our recommendation would be the PMP Exam Formular Guide by the prepcast-crew. With this guide, you will receive not only a comprehenisve list of all exam formulars, but also a description of the conceptual context, several examples and last but not least a detailed result interpretation for each and every single formula!
You will find the full version here: ? Formular Study Guide
9. PMP Exam lessons learned
Don’t underestimate what you can learn from others. Talking to colleagues who already have their PMP certification can be an invaluable resource. If you can’t talk to anyone, read what others have to say about how they studied, what they studied and what their experience was like.
To read was others have to say could also be very valuable for creating your very own study plan!
You could also get a mentor to help you prepare, and learn from his or her experiences too.
You can find a ton of lessons learned from successfull exam takers here: ? lessons learned
If you are searching for mentoring, than hte "study coach" could be a great option for you: ? study coach
additional readings:
? Creating your PMP study Plan - the complete guide!
This is the spirit level of the toolkit, helping you stay centered and motivated. Tap into your colleagues at your local PMI Chapter. They may have a study group that you could join. At a minimum, you’ll be able to talk to PMPs about how they managed their journey to PMP certification.
The Power of Membership!
As a member of PMI and PMI Chapter, you are recognized as someone who is:
- Serious about professional and personal development
- Enthusiastic about good practices in project management
- Dedicated to practicing the profession in an ethical manner
Additionally, you have access to (for instance):
- Monthly Networking Events
- Discount pricing to Monthly Dinner Meetings
- Discount pricing to Lunch N Learns
- Discount pricing to spring and fall Professional Development Series
To become a member of aPMI Chapter, you must first become a member of the Project Management Institute. As you fill out the main PMI membership application, you will be asked if you wish to join a local chapter. Simply select a local Chapter which fits you (there is no limitation; there is an extra fee for joining PMI Chapters).
Once you've submitted your membership, the Chapter will receive an updated roster and you will be added to the PMI Chapter email notifications along with other relevant communications regarding your chapter membership.
You will find that your chapter membership gives you an instant connection to a large group of local project managers which can provide valuable insight and networking opportunities.
A brain dump sheet is a way to recall information under exam conditions. It’s a personal study tool that you can shape to fit the way you study best. Create a sheet of paper with all the key information (e.g. the most important formula or the overview-table 3-1 from PMBoK Guide pg. 61) on and then practice writing it out until it’s second nature. Then you simply have to do that in the exam and all the key information will be at your fingertips!
additional readings:
? The Secret Of Creating Your PMP Brain Dump
12. PMP forums, groups and websites
There is lots of information on internet forums – and many of them are free. Chat to other pmp aspirants and students about how their exam preparation is going, or ask advice from seasoned PMPs.
Join the PrepCast-Forum with lots of experienced already PMP’s and also a lots of aspirants who are in same situation like you!
You may also contribute to our forum/community on pm.plus!
We also recommend to join the worlds biggest and most active LinkedIn group regarding PMP: "I want to be a PMP" - hosted and moderated by the well known and most respected Oliver F. Lehmann!
You may also consider to become a member of the biggest projectmanagement community overall: projectmanagement.com !
As a PMI Member (if so) you have already access to the premiun membership on pm.com ( just login there with your PMI credentials) and you have instant access of hundreds and thousands of pm related articles, templates, presentations and webinars. And not at least you join a community with more than 500.000 fellow PM's.!
Whatever tools you choose, it is important to study regularly. Try to spend some time on your PMP studies every day. The study materials you buy should reflect the fact that you’ll be using them on a daily basis, so that might influence what you invest in. Tools like electronic versions of flash cards, books and guides are very portable and can be used whenever you have a spare moment.
Finally, studying for your PMP is a difficult job! Choose PMP prep materials that you enjoy using and that fits your learning preferences best!
That will make your revision more enjoyable and the PMP credential an achievable target.
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This article is an overworked, actualized and expanded version of the original one, posted by the prep-cast crew.
This version is first published here: http://projectmanagement.plus/en/ressources/the-12-most-popular-pmp-study-materials
Read it on projectmanagement.plus to gain additional informations and recommended further readings.
Posted on: November 06, 2015 08:13 AM |
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