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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Date
 We recently received the following question from a PMP Exam Student:
“There's some confusion in my head with regards to some of the network diagram calculations. I'm lead to believe there are actually two methods to calculate ES, LF, ES etc etc
The first method adds or subtracts 1 where applicable. This assumes that the start activity has ES, EF, LS and LF as 1. The second method assumes the start activity has zeros for all values thereby not having to add or subtract 1 to any of the formulas.
Is there any indication in the exam that would lead me into knowing which "method" is being utilised so that I can apply the right formula?”
I answered that he is correct. there are indeed 2 approaches:
- First approach: You calculate the network diagram starting on day 0
- Second approach: You calculate the network diagram starting on day 1
I personally use the second approach, because when my sponsor tells me, that my project starts on the first day of September, then that is September 1 and not September 0. This is also the way that all modern scheduling tools seem to work. You schedule your project based on a calendar start date and not "on day 0".
That is why there is a slight difference between the calculations (you have to add/subtract 1 from the results in the 2nd approach). However, don't worry about this for the exam too much. The way that the question is formulated you should be able to identify how to go about this. Also: I understand that in most cases when you have to calculate this, it is the end result that is important and not how you got there.
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Posted on: August 10, 2011 05:25 AM
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| The PMP Exam is changing on August 31st 2011. If you are taking the exam on or after this date, then your 200 questions will be based on the new PMP Exam Content Outline. To learn more about the detailed changes to the exam, please read my article “The PMP Exam Changes on 31 August 2011. What This Means For You”.
In addition to what you can find in that article, PMI recently announced the following: If you are taking the PMP Exam on or after 31 August 2011, then - for a limited time only - PMI will not immediately tell you if you have passed or failed your exam.
Let me explain: If you take your PMP Exam today, then “pass” or “fail” will immediately be displayed on your screen and printed on your examination report. But because PMI is changing the exam, they require some time to validate the new structure. They also need to make sure that the percentage of people passing/failing the new exam is in line with the percentages of the old exam. In this way, they can make certain that the new exam is just as fair as the old exam. And all of this means that in the first 4-6 weeks after the new exam is in place, they cannot immediately give you your result. You will have to wait.
Here is PMI’s original statement on this:
“As we transition to the new examination, PMI must update its examination reporting processes. This means for a short period of time examination results will not be available immediately following the examination. There will be a 4-6 week period between taking the examination and receiving the results via email. We know this will be disappointing to candidates, but please let them know the delay is necessary any time an exam changes to validate the new examination structure.”
Here is what this means for you as a PMP candidate:
- If you are taking the computer-based PMP exam on or after 31 August you will not receive immediate results (pass/fail) at the Prometric testing center.
- If you are taking the paper-based examination there will also be a delay in receiving your examination results.
- PMI will notify you (via email) when your results are available at PMI.org.
PMI expects that the new examination structure is validated by mid-October. Once this has happened, exam takers will once again receive their results immediately at the Prometric testing center.
Here are my recommendations for those planning to take the exam between 31 August 2011 and about mid-October:
** Don’t be disappointed: If you are planning to take your PMP Exam between August 31 and mid-October, then don’t be disappointed that you won’t receive your results immediately.
** Smile: Yes! Smile with the knowledge that you are helping PMI to assess the new exam. You have just done a great service to PMI and all other PMP exam takers coming after you. Thank you.
** Be patient: Even though PMI says that you should receive your results within 4-6 weeks we are all project managers and we know about deadlines. Allow PMI to do their due diligence and ensure that the new exam structure works.
** Reschedule: If you cannot take the suspense of having to wait for up to six weeks, then reschedule your exam for around the end of October 2011.
** Don’t leave without a receipt: After you have taken your PMP exam at the Prometric test center you will very likely still receive a printed document. It confirms that you have taken the exam but won’t have your result. Don’t leave without it.
My final recommendation to all PMP candidates is that you should simply relax. If your scheduled exam falls into this “no immediate results” window and you cannot change it… take it easy. There is nothing you can do about it. PMI is doing everything to ensure that the new exam works for you and everyone else. And this process is just part of that. Stay positive and focus your energy on your studies.
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Posted on: August 06, 2011 11:24 PM
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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:
The team members follow what the project manager tells them because they fear that
the manager has the authority to provide negative feedback in their appraisal. Which of
the following types of power describe this situation?
A) Referent Power
B) Formal Power
C) Technical Power
D) Coercive Power
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.
The Correct Answer is D.
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Posted on: August 06, 2011 05:32 AM
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|  This FREE video will give an overview of how you can determine your eligibility to take the PMP Certification Exam with regards to your training and experience. It covers PMI's requirements such as educational background, project management experience and project management education for you to be able to take the exam.
Watch from here:http://bit.ly/oLk1tn
Enjoy!
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Posted on: August 05, 2011 09:51 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:
You are the project manager of a dress manufacturing company. You have been asked to estimate for a project that requires you to create 500 shirts. You know from experience that since the time required by a person to create a shirt is 8 hours, the total effort required would be 4000 person hours. Which estimation technique are you using here?
A) Analogous
B) Bottom up
C) Three point
D) Parametric
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.
The Correct Answer is D
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Posted on: July 30, 2011 12:44 AM
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If we do not succeed, then we run the risk of failure.
- Dan Quayle
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