Project Management

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PMP certification failure . . . a success story

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Bennett Weidemann AI Solutions Architect/Evangelist| Consultant San Antonio, Tx, United States
The pursuit of the coveted PMP certification can be as varied as the weather. Project Management is so diversified, it amazes me how many different souls in our world are out there leading the charge to improving their businesses, controlling risk, and ensuring quality deliverables. I stumbled into PM on accident, no really! I had no idea how in-demand the Project Management world had become . . . or that it even existed.

It took me all three times to pass the exam . . . and what a struggle it was! If there's anyone out there that has all but given up, let me encourage you to stick with it. If I've learned one thing in life, it's that failure can be an amazing motivator.

I attended a typical PMP boot camp, learned a ton, got audited, failed the first test, studied, studied, studied, and failed the second test. Then I had a moment of clarity. The test is in a vacuum, and the real world is not.To me, PM is really about the risk, the quality, and how do you control and change it with your team.

The test wants to know how are you going to deal with these things when it all goest wrong? Bottom line: 1. Immerse yourself in the PM world - the terms, the language, the process groups and the knowledge areas. 2. Master the areas of risk, quality, and integrated change control 3. Simulate the 4 hour test many times to get your head in the game. This is what got me over the finish line!

I'm curious to know if there's anyone in the two-time failure club that has a word of encouragement?
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Walter Macias Ingeniero Electrónico en Automatización y Control| Corporación Nacional de Electricidad CNEL EP Guayaquil, Ecuador
I have heard that it is a complicated test, in this year I plan to take it. After reading your anecdote you inspire me not to faint in the attempt
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1 reply by Yousaf Khan
Sep 17, 2019 8:55 AM
Yousaf Khan
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So not rely on the PMBOK alone as it's not a teaching document. I suggest the Exam Prep book by Riya Mulcahy which frames the exam perfectly to enable you to think PMP. The PMI framework is the best practices in a very mature PM organization (OPM4-5). Since most orgs do not perform at this level, many have difficulty answering questions from their past experiences.
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Bharatkumar Unercat FOUNDER AND CEO| A2Z STRATEGY SAATHI Mumbai, India
Very well articulated Bennett.
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Tamer Zeyad Sadiq Assistant Cost Manager| Turner & Townsend Riyadh, Ar Riyad, Saudi Arabia
Very good
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Drew Craig Sr. Agile & Product Coach| Vanguard Philadelphia, Pa, United States
Inspirational. It is one of our biggest challenges to see the opportunity that lies in the shadows of failure. The internal growth and confidence gained from this experience will carry you through future challenges. Kudos!
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Amitabh Pathak Head of Business Operations| BVS Trans Tech India
Congrats Bennett, truly inspirational
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Thomas Walenta Global Project Economy Expert Hackenheim, Germany
Great post Bennett, showing that leading positively is something you already know. I was lucky not to fail my PMP exam back in 1997, though it had 400 questions to be answered in 8 hours, and I remember having thought not to have passed.

But I failed several times in my career and learned from it. Perseverance, resilience and patience are competencies I learned, they are even more important than processes and techniques. The exam is handled best as you say it: immerse yourself, start swimming.
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Eduard Hernandez
Community Champion
Product Operations Program Manager Barcelona, Cataluña, Spain
Congratulations on your achievement. We have a saying in Spanish that goes "a la tercera va la vencida", meaning the third attempt is the successful one. Good job!
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1 reply by Joshua Render
Apr 14, 2019 10:53 AM
Joshua Render
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In the U.S. we have a similar phrase "The third time is the charm"
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Tarik Chougua Project Manager| CEPEO Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Congratulations and bravo for keeping trying and perseverance. Like you I progress from my failures more than my successes. More weird, I think successes makes me become more lazy and too confident.
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Joshua Render Product Owner| Cognizant Harrisville, Ny, United States
Apr 14, 2019 10:18 AM
Replying to Eduard Hernandez
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Congratulations on your achievement. We have a saying in Spanish that goes "a la tercera va la vencida", meaning the third attempt is the successful one. Good job!
In the U.S. we have a similar phrase "The third time is the charm"
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Rami Kaibni
Community Champion
Senior Projects Manager | Field & Marten Associates New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada
Great job and advise Bennett. Never give up.
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