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Shambhavi Mishra is a student of my PMP^® study course, and passed her PMP^® exam on the last day of earlier version of PMP^® exam! Shambhavi is an IT project manager working at Astellas Pharmaceuticals handling global projects.  She has 11+yrs of rich experience, loves cooking, and lives with her lovely family on the suburbs of Chicago, USA.

In this article Shambhavi explains exactly how she passed her PMP^® exam.

What made you take up PMP^®?

Being an IT project manager managing global projects I had heard about PMI and PMP certification through my co-workers and all PMPs that I have known, said that this has changed their perspective for projects, communications and stakeholders.

I discussed the opportunity with my manager, and he suggested I should try for PMP. I did not consider any other certifications.

Now that you are certified, how would you think this will help you going forward?

My core expectation was to learn how to handle projects better and efficiently.

Studying through the various knowledge areas, I learnt so much that I could apply on my current projects. For me, communication with stakeholders is very critical as I have a global stakeholder base. I am looking to understand the cultural differences and how-to tailor project needs to fit the project objectives.

Before being PMP, I used to struggle with Risks and how to handle them but with PMP, I am confident I will be able to manage project risks in a better way going forward.

Which study resources did you consider, and eventually used for the exam preparation?

I had a few different resources, I used PMBOK for initial reading and understanding.

Next, I bought another online resource to help with the 35-hour training and question bank for each knowledge area. A month before my test, I got to know about Shiv and his PMP study resources.

I signed up for his PM Exam Last Mile videos & mind maps and I owe my certification to Shiv’s mind maps for each knowledge area. I wish I had known sooner about Shiv’s training courses. [continue reading…]

“It was a close call as I prepared to pass the PMP exam in the last week of Dec”, said Peter Hua, “and the biggest learning I had from the first attempt is that I should align my preparation to 3 very important things”.

Peter lives in Canada and helps a global IT company deliver its products and services to its major clients in the Financial, Retail, Hospitality and IT sectors – to keep commerce running in a world that never stops.

His education background is in Finance/Administration and Computer Science from The University of Western Ontario. When he isn’t working, you’ll find Peter enjoying quality time with his wife and four kids who keep him on his toes. He is an avid basketball fan, volleyball and tennis enthusiast and enjoys music and reading books.

Pete being part of my PM Exam Last Mile prep program, our weekly calls were quite enjoyable. I learnt quite a bit about time management from him on these calls!

Would you like to pass the PMP exam following the best practices from an exam topper?

This ‘PMP Lessons Learned’ article could easily be the most comprehensive one you would come across, and is filled with tons of tactical as well as strategic approaches you can use for the new exam effectively! Don’t miss the 8 tips he shares at the end of this article.

This is a deep one, so get a pen and paper to note down few study gems that resonate with you.

Let us jump right in!

What made you take up PMP? Did you consider any other certification exams?

To further my personal and professional development.

I had completed a PMP preparation course back in 2015 to obtain the initial education requirements. With growing family priorities and project commitments at the time, certification pursuit was pushed to the back burner.

Fast forward, a new decade was upon us and another project being delivered was winding down, a renewed sense of focus emerged to obtain certification.

I was informed that the exam content was also going to change – which added an extra incentive to make achieving PMP a priority.

Prepared for PMP in 2020 and want to take it now? Take this booster course (discounted till 19 January)

What was the core benefit you expected from PMP certification and how do you see PMP helping you henceforth?

Increased knowledge of project management (PM) best practices and adding new skills within my PM tool kit to apply on future projects.

Going forward, I’d anticipate that the certification would add and enhance existing professional credibility with clients, along with future opportunities for advancement and growth.

Will continuously build on and sharpen my current PM skillset with PMP and expand on other complementary skills and interests.

Which study resources did you use to pass the PMP exam?

I opted for the following 3 resources:

1. PM Exam Last Mile Prep (Shiv Shenoy) – access to accountability calls & mind-map videos
2. PM PrepCast Exam Simulator (Cornelius Fichtner) – high positive reviews on exam simulator
3. PMBOK (PMI) – by default (majority of exam questions originate from here)

Note – aside from above, lots of other great resources to help you (from Rita Mulcahy, SimpliLearn, GreyhoundCampus, your local PMI chapter, Aileen Ellis, Phil Akinwale, to name a few).

Do your research (read reviews, ask friends/colleagues who have gone through PMP journey for input on resources used). Take into consideration your own preferred learning style (visual, audio, text, combination, etc.) and then choose your resources.

There are lots of PMP material and various education providers on the market. Sometimes, you may gather too much information and get into an analysis paralysis state.

My recommendation is to pick one or two resources and a mentor (helps you move forward removing blocks on the way) to complement PMBOK – based on your learning style – and move forward.

You may also like: This week’s discounts on study resources to pass the PMP exam!

How did you approach the exam and what was your study plan?

I followed a 7-week study plan from Last Mile Prep Program; took exam on day 50. [continue reading…]

This week I have a special student of mine sharing his PMP preparation journey and insights.

James Betha has had very interesting PMP journey and I do believe that if you are preparing for the new exam, there is SO much you can gain from James’s experience.

As a project manager, James has operated as the cornerstone of working partnerships, being the liaison between organizations and their stakeholders to provide solutions that ultimately benefit everyone involved.

James has been handling Communication Resources & Support project for the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, Division of STD Prevention for over 4 years. He has more than 25 years of experience in audiovisual, multimedia technology, and technical communications support.

What made you take up PMP?

I was inspired to achieve PMP through a coworker and friend who had already achieved his PMP while working with a previous company.

I had just become a project manager for my company when I met him. He shared with me the benefits of having a PMP and the process he took to achieve it.

At the time I did not qualify to take the exam, but our conversations sparked my interest. And I never considered any other project manager certification.

How would you see PMP benefiting you going forward?

I am sure that the core benefit that most project managers expect from PMP is increased opportunity for professional advancement, which is good.

But my situation was a little different.

After being out of the workforce for over 4 years, while being the primary and full time caregiver for my extremely ill wife, my expected core benefit of PMP is to increase my opportunities and options to return to the workforce as a project manager. Proving that even with a 4-year gap in employment I still possessed the knowledge, skills, and competencies to be a valuable asset as a project manager.

Preparing for New 2021 exam? Use this gold-standard PMP Simulator to prepare with confidence!

Which study resources did you use for the exam preparation?

Originally, I considered taking one of several project management workshops or boot camps offered at some of the local universities.

Most which were pretty expensive, and yet limited. But after searching for resources online I discovered the “PM Exam LAST MILE Prep Program”.

This PM exam prep resource allowed me the flexibility and time to prepare for the exam at my pace, even with a chaotic home schedule.

Plus, it was an all-inclusive program with tons of study content, best practices, and exam strategies, all organized in various on-demand modules.

Not to mention the one-on-one exam prep and strategy sessions with the instructor (Shiv Shenoy) that turned out to be invaluable.

Also read: Abhijeet’s PMP preparation experience and delightful insights!

I understand your journey wasn’t void of challenges?

Of course. And I’m sure your readers would benefit from my experiences.

First, I would tell other PMP aspirants NOT to take the approach that I initially took preparing for the exam. [continue reading…]

I have been fortunate to be able to work with fine individuals working in Defence of their countries (India and USA) and help them pass PMP exam. Last week one of my students, Abhijeet Sarkar, passed his PMP exam. I have been amazed by his organized approach and absolute commitment to the PMP studies, and it is my privilege to bring to you his exam experience & strategies, this week.

Don’t miss his study tips at the end of this article.

Abhijeet is from Pune and employed with the Department of Defence in Operations role. His hobbies include playing football & listening to music.

As you are working with Defence, what made you take up PMP?

My job profile demands core operations strategy and sometimes aimed at achieving critical tasks. So upskilling this with PMP was a default choice for me.

PMP is the only practical knowledge source that bridges the gap between a project and operations. Because of this I decided to understand the domain with a lens eye.

Certainly now after being successfully certified, the knowledge of cost, budget, risk, quality is so deep compartmentalized in my brain that I’m just ready to commit to my organization saying that, “Hey is there a really risky and critical mission? I am the best guy to deal it!”

Also read: PMP online training is the best way to prepare, Srinivas shares his PMP success strategy

Which study resources did you consider, and eventually used for the exam preparation?

I had a false start with Udemy course during lock down and view personal and professional commitment could not follow it.

Then I got a breather in the month of October and called Shiv Shenoy for rescue. Based on the conversation I signed up for his PM Exam Last Mile prep program and immediately got hooked to the mind maps based video learning.

I took prints of all the processes and dovetailed it with combining Last Mile course and cover to cover of PMBOK reading.

For practicing and perfecting the art of taking test I subscribed to Cornelius’ simulator.

How did you approach the exam and what was your study plan?

I followed a strict 7-week study plan from the Last Mile program.

I followed it to the hilt, even when there were days I felt things didn’t go as per the plan.

There were days when I studied for 12 hrs to finish the day’s commitment. On an average I spent about 6 hrs per day at least 4 days in a week, including Sunday.

Also read: Manish ends his 11 certification marathon of 2020 with PMP & shares his strategies

You have been part of the PM Exam Last Mile prep program (thank you!). Could you please share how it helped you?

Subscribing to PM Exam Last Mile was THE best decision I made, I would say.

The mind maps not only helped me to divide parts of my brain for easier understanding, but also expedited the process of application and correlation of Process Groups and Knowledge Areas, how information gets transformed into project artifacts, and so on.

I never did learning of ITTOs but was very sure the difference between Confirming (Closed Phase), Obtaining (Scope) and Verifying (Quality) deliverable.

30 days prior my exam I knew 49 processes inside out. Thanks to the ‘Frame’ method I had it lit up on my wall which helped. A lot.

Did you face any challenges along the way?

[continue reading…]

This week I am sharing the exam experience of another student from PM Exam Last Mile prep program. “PMP training online is the best way to prepare for this marathon of a test”, Srinivas says. He passed PMP with Above Target score last Friday.

Srinivas Reddy has been working in IT industry for decade and a half after completing his M.Tech in Computer Science and Engineering. In his free time Srinivas loves to play cricket.

What made you take up PMP?

I have been working in IT and leading and managing software projects for many years now. It has been my goal for the past few years to enhance my professional career.

I thought of achieving PMP certification in 2017 but not able to accomplish this because of my work issues.

As I came to know that PMP exam is going to change from turn of the year I decided to get certified before that happens. This time I was serious about it and achieved my goal.

Srinivas passed with overall Above Target score.

In the past I have completed CSM, CSPO and Oracle certifications, and PMP would only make me a well rounded project manager, hence the choice.

Which study resources did you use?

I enjoy studying at my own pace and I’d like to wrap my study around work schedule. Thus for PMP training online was my first choice. Hence, no books!

I have used the following material –

• PMBOK guide (did you know that most of the exam questions can be traced back to PMBOK)
• Udemy PMP Exam Prep Seminar by Joseph Phillips (I signed up for 35hr cert),
• PM Exam Last Mile Prep program by Shiv Shenoy (the mind map based videos and other modules to fast track),
• PMP® Exam Secret Strategies course – part of ‘Last Mile’ program (these strategies helped me cut down on time and prep efforts)
• PMP exam simulator by Cornelius Fichtner (excellent way to experience exam conditions & practice time management)

Also read: How troubled times helped me pass PMP exam, says Manish

Can you please share how did you go about PMP training online?

I used 7-week PMP study plan template from PM Exam Last Mile prep program. Thankfully I was able to stick through pretty much all the steps and did not have to make many changes.

I would download and open the mind maps for each knowledge area and then follow along the video training. The thing I enjoyed is that the videos explain the processes while creating the mind map. These mind maps are very helpful to understand each process and the concepts involved. [continue reading…]