Project Management

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Cornelius Fichtner help you with your PMP Exam Prep (https://www.project-management-prepcast.com) as well as earn free PDUs (www.pm-podcast.com/pdu). Passing the PMP Exam is tough, but keeping your PMP Certification alive is just as challenging. Preparing for the exam requires an in-depth study of the PMBOK Guide and dedicated study discipline. And once you are PMP certified, then you are required to earn 60 Professional Development Units (PDUs) every 3 years to keep your certification alive. Let me help you make this journey easier with tips and tricks on how to prepare for and pass the exam as well as efficiently earning your PDUs once you are certified.

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Episode 549: How to Bring Clarity to Chaotic Projects

Episode 548: From Project Delivery to Value: How Project Managers Create Real Business Impact

Episode 546: The Real Reason Project Requirements Keep Changing

Episode 544: The Four Pillars of Project Success

Episode 543: Catch Project Trouble Early and Protect Your Delivery

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PMP Exam Tip - Don't use too many PMP Exam Prep Books

Categories: PMP Exam Tip

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What usually happens is that students preparing for the PMP exam try to go through too many PMP Exam Prep books or on-line courses thinking that they will be able to absorb everything that they watch and read. That is far from the truth. Too many books will in fact confuse you. Usually, one good exam prep book and one course is enough to complement the PMBOK Guide. Reading the PMBOK Guide is of course a must for any PMP student and no exam prep book is a substitute for it. And don't forget to read the the PMBOK Guide Glossary. As boring as that may seem, you'll really get to know and understand the terminology you need for the exam.

There are topics on the exam that are not mentioned in the PMBOK Guide, but still make regular appearance on the exam. Many popular exam prep books cover these topics. But PMI adds new topics on an ongoing basis so it's difficult to know what lies ahead on your own exam. To be able to overcome this, it is wise to learn from others. Try to read PMP online forums where exam passers are more than willing to share their experiences in taking the exam. Read their lessons learned to hear what topics may appear. This can be an essential part of your preparation, but don't get carried away. Spending a few minutes daily, reviewing and commenting on posts is usually sufficient.

So instead of muddling your brains with too many prep books, choose the one you like best to complement your PMBOK studies to ensure a successful exam.

Posted on: February 08, 2012 08:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Free PMP Exam Sample Question

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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:



Cultural resistance is the root cause of quality issues according to whom?

A.) Deming
B.) Malcolm Baldridge
C.) Juran
D.) Shelby
 

Hint:

Juran is credited for adding human dimensions to quality management.


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 C
Explanation: Juran says the cultural resistance or resistance to change is the primary reason for quality problems.
Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_M._Juran

Posted on: January 21, 2012 11:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Recommended PMP Exam Prep Video:PMP Exam Overview Part 2

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This video:http://bit.ly/zsmAEQ is part 2 of 4 PMP Exam Overview that provides an overview of the Project Management Professional (PMP) exam. It's value to you and the process you will have to go through to become PMP® certified. We look at the prerequisites for taking the exam, the cost and the fact that once passed you will have to continue to maintain your certification by gaining PDUs.

Posted on: January 19, 2012 05:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

PMP Exam Tip: The PMP Exam Is Largely Based On The PMBOK Guide

Categories: PMP Exam Tip

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Remember that even though the PMP Exam is largely based on the PMI's PMBOK Guide you should not only know all of the concepts from here, but you must be able to analyze and answer the situational exam questions with a combination of practical project management knowledge and with what the PMBOK Guide says. Generally speaking, going against PMI principles is never a good option. At least not during the PMP Exam. It is also better to choose the ethical option even though they may seem to be the tougher choice.

Here is what to expect on the exam: The PMP Certification Exam consists of 200 Multiple Choice Questions, which must be answered within 4 hours. These questions are randomly generated from a question database which has many hundred questions. Out of 200 questions answered, 25 questions are pre-test questions which will not be used for scoring. These pre-test questions are randomly inserted by the computer into your exam with the idea of evaluating whether these will be used as "real" questions in future exams. This is a normal and valid way to test new questions on actual exam takers and see how they respond. But because you don't know which ones are the pre-test questions it is important to answer all the 200 questions to the best of your ability.

Since 25 out of 200 questions are not used for scoring, effectively, 175 questions are used for scoring on the exam. However, PMI does not release a "passing score", so we don't know how many questions must be answered correctly in order to pass. After the exam you will be given an examination report on which you can see the areas where you were Proficient, Moderately Proficient and Below Proficient. It also tells you whether you passed or failed.

So the problem is this: If we don't know how many questions you have to answer correctly in order to pass the exam, how can you prepare? My recommendation is that you answer as many sample questions as you possibly can before you take the exam and gain your confidence. Only by taking many mock exams can you raise your understanding. By doing this you will come to a point where you will feel ready and know that you are ready. This is the point where your studies and practice exams will have given you the level of understanding and confidence and you will answer all PMP Certification Exam questions correctly by applying both your practical experience from being a PM and the theoretical know how from reading the PMBOK Guide.

Posted on: January 18, 2012 02:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Free PMP Exam Sample Question

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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:



You are managing a hardware design project in India with locally trained engineers but your client is based in the U.S. You are unable to meet your client face-to-face and you cannot talk to your client on the phone because of the different time zones. Instructions are sent via email but there is a communication breakdown and your team fails to understand the messages. What is causing this issue?

A.) Poor message encoding
B.) Poor message decoding
C.) Noise
D.) Medium
 

Hint:

We are faced with a language problem between native and non-native English speakers.


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 C
Explanation: This is an example of noise. The PMBOK Guide defines noise as "Anything that interferes with the transmission and understanding of the message (e.g. distance, unfamiliar technology, or lack of background information)". In this case the "noise" is the fact that your team members who are local to India do not speak English as well as your customer. This interferes with the understanding of the message.
Reference: PMBOK Guide 4th Edition, page 255

Posted on: January 15, 2012 08:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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