Certification Insider

Preparing to take and pass the PMP® Exam is an intense, complex, and sometimes even an expensive venture. So, why wouldn’t you want access to a variety of free exam resources located conveniently in one place? That is what you can expect when you sign up for The Free PM PrepCast.

Just go to http://www.pm-prepcast.com/free and sign up to receive all of these valuable free exam tools and resources in one convenient location:
 

•  75 minutes of free training from The PM PrepCast. Check out these four sample videos and get introduced to the basics of the PMP exam, learn about Project Integration Management and find out how to select the best answer on sample questions.

•   Five PMP® Exam Worksheets and Checklists to help you best complete the PMP® Exam application. The worksheets are designed to help you complete the complex Experience Verification and Contact Hour sections of the online PMP application.

•   A free eBook, The Short Guide to Becoming A PMP, which details the eight steps to consider when preparing to take the PMP® Exam to ensure you learn what you need to know in order to best prepare for the PMP® Exam.

•   Over 15 PMP® Exam Tip videos covering such topics as “Manage the Time During Your PMP Exam,” “Exam Time management and Question Styles,” and “Assess Your PMP Exam Readiness with Free Sample Exams” to help you get ready for the PMP® Exam and exam day.

•   75 PMP® Exam eFlashCards that can be downloaded to a portable medial player (iPod, iPhone, Blackberry, Treo, Smart Phone, etc.) for convenient studying anytime and anywhere.

•   Interviews with successful PMPs that will provide you with insight from those who have already passed the exam and are working in the project management field.

With all of the free resources available as part of The Free PM PrepCast membership how could you afford to pass up the opportunity to simplify your application process and take advantage of the many exam preparation resources and tools?

In addition to these priceless resources and tools mentioned will also receive the weekly PMP Exam Tips Newsletter that will contain even more free resources, tools, and tips to keep you on track in your effort to pass the PMP® Exam.

You are only a moment away to access to these free and valuable resources. Go to http://www.pm-prepcast.com/free and sign up for your free account to get on your way to earning your PMP Certification.

One of the more important steps in preparing for the PMP exam is to schedule you exam date as soon as you meet all the eligibility requirements. This will give you a specific date toward which you can work. Now you have deadline - a big red "X" on your calendar - and this will motivate you in your studies. If you don't have the date scheduled you can always find excuses for not studying and delaying things. But having the date in your mind and calendar will drive you to study regularly.

Now that you see your exam approaching, here are a few good study activities:

Read the PMBOK. Read it twice. Because the PMP exam is largely based on the PMBOK contents, it makes sense to know what it says. However, the PMP exam requires far more than just recounting facts. You can’t just memorize the PMBOK and pass the exam. You must understand how each of the Pod MBOK’s processes, along with their inputs, outputs, and tools and techniques would be applied in real live project situations. So a good way to enhance your studies is to apply the concepts you learn from the PMBOK Guide on your projects right away.

Next, read the PMI Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct, and as with the PMBOK, read it at least twice. Think of project scenarios for each topic that will be more meaningful and help you remember the concepts as you study the Code. Learn how each section in the Code is different and why each one is necessary for the project management profession.

And lastly, don't forget to discuss project management topics with others to really learn the material. Find a local or online study group and meet with them as you study for the exam.

The following PMP® exam sample question is taken from the Free PMP Exam Simulator at http://free.pm-exam-simulator.com - The answer is at the very bottom:

Which of the following statements regarding WBS templates is incorrect?

A.) They are always present in Organizational Process Assets.
B.) They provide a starting point for WBS creation.
C.) They may help determine the appropriate level of detail required.
D.) They enhance cross-project WBS consistency.

 

Hint:

WBS templates can help you create your project WBS.


All our questions are updated to the latest PMBOK® Guide standard. Stop by at http://free.pm-exam-simulator.com and try the PMP Exam Simulator free for 3 days. We also offer 110 free questions at http://www.free-pm-exam-questions.com. We are a PMI Registered Education Provider.

 

ANSWER AND EXPLANATION:

The correct answer is A
Explanation: WBS Templates can be found in Organizational Process Assets but we cannot say they will always be available.
Reference: PMI Practice Standard for WBS 2nd Edition, page 29

In this week's PMP Exam Prep video: http://bit.ly/ING8Vv we are going to review when the PMBOK Guide 5th Edition will MOST LIKELY be released, what this means for the PMP Exam and what version of study materials you should be using for the exam.

A project management plan is a formal, approved document that defines how the project is executed, monitored and controlled. It may be summary or detailed and may be composed of one or more subsidiary management plans and other planning documents. The objective of a project management plan is to define the approach to be used by the Project team to deliver the intended project management scope of the project. The project manager creates the project management plan following input from the project team and key stakeholders. The plan should be agreed and approved by at least the project team and its key stakeholders.

[On a side note: In many organizations the term "project management plan" and "project schedule" are often used interchangeably. If this is the case in your organization, then please make sure that you understand that for the PMP Exam, these are two distinctly different documents. We will discuss the project schedule in next week's tip.]

The PMBOK Guide 4th Edition also defines Develop Project Management Plan as the process of documenting the actions necessary to define, prepare, integrate, and coordinate all subsidiary plans. The project management plan defines how the project is executed, monitored and controlled, and closed. The project management plan content will vary depending upon the application area and complexity of the project. The project management plan is developed through a series of integrated processes until project closure. This process results in a project management plan that is progressively elaborated by updates and controlled and approved through the Perform Integrated Change Control process.

The project management plan typically covers topics used in the project execution system and includes the following main aspects:

•   Scope Management
•   Schedule Management
•   Financial Management
•   Quality Management
•   Resource Management
•   Communications management
•   Project Change Management
•   Risk Management
•   Procurement Management

It is good practice and mostly required by large consulting and professional project management firms, to have a formally agreed and version controlled project management plan approved in the early stages of the project, and applied throughout the project. Project planning is part of project management, which relates to the use of schedules such as Gantt charts to plan and subsequently report progress within the project environment.

Get a full load of the definition and examples of the Develop Project Management Plan process in the Project Management Body of Knowledge Guide (PMBOK Guide) Fourth Edition, 4.2 to 4.2.3