What is the best way to study for this exam? Studied the quiz questions and content from the classes and wasn't able to pass the test. Any recommendations? Any Resources? Saving Changes...
I'm a PMP holder, 20+ years around low-voltage and construction, trying to decide whether the PMI-CP test is worth pursuing.
I'm looking at the PMI official exam content outline ("ECO") document and am extremely concerned about the real-world applicability of the current certification. The comments here, about how the test is not a fair reflection of construction, make me even more concerned.
My immediate concerns:
--Little on project validation or close-out. I'm aware that the PMP contains a titanic struggle about how much close-out should be emphasized, but the ECO has only implied coverage. Every construction project I've ever dealt with has had to be obsessed about validation or close-out, because that's how people get paid and how projects avoid risk. The term "Retainage" revolves around this. There is no discussion of governance around ensuring that subs are doing what they're supposed to be doing, confirming what done means, external testing (common on the big projects), etc.
--Lack of standards-based de facto frameworks per common practices. The larger the project, the more that CSI standards should or must be followed, often accompanied by a best practices/project handbook. While there will be variations--I can't speak to non-US projects--the standards are an essential part of defining how you're going to build stuff. Only an implicit reference appears here.
--Working with stakeholders the way they want to be worked with. Arguably implicit in several places, but critical. If, e.g., BigCorp will use ProCore and HugeContractor insists on Primavera, the PMI-CP credential holder is going to spend a LOT of time on moving data between them, and neither is going to budge.
--Zero discussion of AHJ requirements, even implicitly. If you don't design or build to the Authority Having Jurisdiction, your project will be stuck in endless delays, legalities, lawsuits, overruns, and may well never get built. Ditto for local codes (Fire, Electrical), as interpreted by said AHJ(s). The larger the project, the more likely that you're going to have multiple AHJs to satisfy or deconflict. I'd argue this is Task One, directly part of the Risk Prioritization Process, and should be black-letter for requirements definition.
--Recognition of project channels, akin to adapability/customization in the PMP. It's a rare project where the practitioner is hired before the first design set is built, before the geotechnical consultant gets hired, or before the architect turns out twelve concepts in Charette. You, the presumed PMI-CP holder, will be parachuted into a project already in progress and must weigh the competing priorities, work with little or no authority, and recognize that sharp personalities and hardhats come with the job. The rather insular PMI-CP approach isn't going to win you much traction unless you have authority from above.
--Specific recognition of process and supply chain risks. The bigger the project, the more likely that left-handed widget so beloved by the design crew isn't going to be in good supply. Yes, the PMI-CP isn't the same as the PMP, which has slowly accepted these risks are a fact of life, but there's only an implicit hint that this is going to be a likely issue.
--Reliance on LIPD, IFOA, Obeya, etc. Those won't hunt in most real-world projects. "Recognize the common pitfalls of Obeya" isn't the same as "Expect that your proposal to impose Obeya on Architects and GCs will likely meet with laughter unless you're paying the bill". The ECO provides zero explicit options other than the word "Appropriately". See also Primavera vs. Procore vs. everyone else.
--Zero emphasis on real-world validation. If you're not putting on PPE and looking around, you're relying on second- or third-hand data on whether the fire riser was installed in a two-hour soffit, whether the right slump concrete is being poured, whether the window glass is installed right side in, just to name a few real-world things from the last year. That goes directly to risk management, too, since the person with the best documentation wins.
--Legal documentation. Closely related to risk management is the requirement to preserve all records both to avoid litigation, or if need be to pursue it. This isn't even mentioned in the ECO, other than implicitly, e.g., claim reduction.
--Waterfall nature of construction. Nearly all projects that move dirt follow the same set of steps, in the same order. Construction is fundamentally different from software. True, "Agile" only appears in Strategy and Scope Management, but the recognition of "atoms not bits" isn't strong enough in the ECO, in my opinion.
What does everyone else think? Saving Changes...
Nesrin NatfajiContract Admin| NoneMelbourne, VIC, Australia
Mar 20, 2025 11:35 PM
Replying to Nesrin Natfaji
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This is my second time failing the exam within two months. All the online mock tests I took to prepare were not similar to the actual exam. I'm not sure how I will pass it. I paid AUD 3,200 for the training session, but it didn’t help. Any suggestion?
I passed the exam in May this year! Can you imagine?! I am currently ranked 7th in Australia among those who have earned this certificate. It is a milestone in my professional career! All the best for those who are planning to get this certificate.
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1 reply by anonymous
Jul 08, 2025 1:56 AM
anonymous
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Congratulations Nesrin
A well deserved pass.
Saving Changes...
Anonymous
Jul 08, 2025 1:39 AM
Replying to Nesrin Natfaji
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I passed the exam in May this year! Can you imagine?! I am currently ranked 7th in Australia among those who have earned this certificate. It is a milestone in my professional career! All the best for those who are planning to get this certificate.
Congratulations Nesrin
A well deserved pass.
Saving Changes...
S M Aeyaz Uddin AhmedHead of Asset Management| Grameenphone Limited (A subsidiary of Telenor Group)Dhaka, Bangladesh
Hi Lauren, I have completed my PMI-CP in one go back in September last year with above target in 3 modules (which is the highest). I am taking sessions in my community on PMI-CP. I would love to help you out if you can form a group by taking a session by sharing my experience. You may reach me out in: [email protected] Saving Changes...
Michael SalleseSenior Construction Consultant| O'Connell & Lawrence, Inc.Forest Hill, Md, United States
Nesrin, congratulations on passing the exam and achieving your PMI-CP. Saving Changes...
