Certification Insider
by Cornelius Fichtner
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.
Recent Posts
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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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:
A project manager takes over a challenging two-month project to design a new sports car using CAD/CAM software. In the first project team meeting the project manager assures the team that good performers will be rewarded. After working night and day for nearly the entire two months, the team finally completed the project. The project manager called in all of the team members to distribute rewards based on their performance during the project.
The project manager only awarded two team members with incentive bonuses out of the total of 60 people who worked on the project. A client who was at the post-project award function asked the project manager why only two team members were provided reward bonuses and not all team members. What did the project manager miss while defining rewards and recognition?
A.) When the project manager considered cultural differences to decide on the recognition, he did not realize that other resources might get offended.
B.) The project manager defined objectives for individuals based on the work they were supposed to perform.
C.) The project manager initially set the criteria for rewards that might have made the team over confident.
D.) The project manager made the targets unachievable to ensure excellence throughout the project.
Hint:
Team recognition should be based on individual tasks that are achievable and clear.
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 D
Explanation: The entire team worked night and day for two months and finally completed the project but only two members were rewarded. This implies that the targets were unachievable and that the expectations set by the project manager were unrealistic.
Reference: PMBOK Guide 4th Edition, page 234
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Posted on: October 14, 2011 08:33 AM
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 In Appendix G, the PMBOK Guide discusses Interpersonal Skills for the project manager. In the sense of a free PMP exam guide we are currently reviewing these one by one in our weekly PMP exam tip. Let’s talk culture and politics.
In today’s world, project managers operate in an environment that is more globally focused than in the past. This makes cultural diversity another important component of successfully navigating the corporate environment as a project manager. A good project manager must have the skills necessary to recognize and understand those cultural differences as well as the ability to factor them into the project plan.
Cultural differences can influence the decision making process or the speed in which the work is completed. It can also cause members to act without proper planning. Not recognizing cultural differences can then result in conflict and stress within the project which will further delay it. Understanding these cultural differences in a scenario context will also be tested on your PMP exam.
Furthermore it is important to recognize the politics involved in the project environment. Using political skills can help a project manager be very successful. However, more importantly, not recognizing the politics involved can create significant problems and roadblocks that could delay or completely derail a project.
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Posted on: October 12, 2011 04:50 AM
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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:
A project manager takes over a challenging two-month project to design a new sports car using CAD/CAM software. In the first project team meeting the project manager assures the team that good performers will be rewarded. After working night and day for nearly the entire two months, the team finally completed the project. The project manager called in all of the team members to distribute rewards based on their performance during the project.
The project manager only awarded two team members with incentive bonuses out of the total of 60 people who worked on the project. A client who was at the post-project award function asked the project manager why only two team members were provided reward bonuses and not allteam members. What did the project manager miss while defining rewards and recognition?
A.) When the project manager considered cultural differences to decide on the recognition, he did not realize that other resources might get offended.
B.) The project manager defined objectives for individuals based on the work they were supposed to perform.
C.) The project manager initially set the criteria for rewards that might have made the team over confident.
D.) The project manager made the targets unachievable to ensure excellence throughout the project.
Hint:
Team recognition should be based on individual tasks that are achievable and clear.
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 D
Explanation: The entire team worked night and day for two months and finally completed the project but only two members were rewarded. This implies that the targets were unachievable and that the expectations set by the project manager were unrealistic.
Reference: PMBOK Guide 4th Edition, page 234
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Posted on: October 07, 2011 10:17 AM
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|  In this episode of The Project Management Podcast we are going to review "The Manifesto for Agile Software Development". It is better known by the simpler name The Agile Manifesto.
The focus of our review of the manifesto is (of course) going to be on project management - in particular: what does the manifesto and it's 12 principles mean for our work as PMs in an Agile environment.
Let's learn from this video: http://bit.ly/oJ3Vgm
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Posted on: October 06, 2011 09:34 AM
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 In Appendix G, the PMBOK Guide discusses Interpersonal Skills for the project manager. We are currently reviewing these one by one in our weekly PMP exam tip. Let’s look at decision making.decision making techniques.
There are many skills that a successful project manager may develop and among them is good decision making abilities. There are four basic styles used to reach a decision. Project managers should be familiar with all four because at some point, decisions will have to be made from each style. The styles are consultation, consensus, command and random.
Clearly, it is always good to have effective skills in this area, but it becomes more important for a PMP because quite often other team members have to be involved in the decision making process.
Having a decision making model will facilitate this process. Since there are so many people involved in the project who may not agree on a decision, having a process to follow can be very helpful to gain consensus with the group.
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Posted on: October 05, 2011 08:55 AM
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"From the moment I picked your book up until I laid it down I was convulsed with laughter. Some day I intend to read it."
- Groucho Marx
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