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One of the secrets every aspirant discovers is that by mastering knowledge areas PMP^® exam can be conquered. Giovanni Ricohermoso from Manila, Philippines figured a formula for this, and used it to pass the exam recently.

Giovanni has been working in banking and financial industry for 14 years, with the last 6 years in Project Management.

In this week’s article, he shares strategies and study approach he used to get PMP^® certified.

Why PMP^®?!

I felt that as a Project Manager I must know the standards being used by best projects all over the world. With that, it will be easy for me to talk to other project managers using the same language.

Being a certified PMP^® helps me enhance my skills as a project manager and manage challenging projects efficiently.

Yes, I also considered other certifications but I found out that PMP^® is more holistic.

I will admit that this certification will open other opportunities but personally this will help me assess whether I’m running my current processes well and if we have right standards being followed.

The processes that I learned from PMP^® will truly help me correct the misses from any knowledge area in project management practices.

Since I have this certification now I already feel more confident about my ability to manage any challenging project going forward.

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

I started to read the PMBOK 6th Edition (soft-copy one gets as a PMI member), then I eventually bought the hard copy of the book.

Since I am not really fan of reading, I ordered PM Prepcast of OSP International with PMP^® Exam Simulator and their PMP^® formulas.

PM Prepcast is really helpful since all the training are on videos which you can watch anytime you want.

So my primary resource is the PM Prepcast from OSP International with PMBOK.

Also read: 5-Phase study plan that got me overall Above Target score, by Mohana Ekambaram, PMP

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

[continue reading…]

PMP^® test preparation, when done right, can lead to pleasant surprises, as Mohana Ekambaram discovered. Otherwise how would I explain his confidence to take up a test slot that appeared just couple of days ahead, when the plan had few weeks to the exam date?!

I’m going to have a sore throat this week, with so many YooHoo! shouts 😀 This is one of the special ones as Mohana took his PMP^® exam much ahead of his planned exam date and passed with 4 Above Target and 1 Target score, just like Syed did recently.

In this, one of the comprehensive PMP^® Lessons Learned interview, Mohana shares his 5-phase PMP^® test preparation plan and strategies in detail, wrapping up with his insightful study tips.

What made you consider PMP^® certification instead of any other?

The year is 2017.

My role had just transitioned towards program management.

Being from technical background I was looking for courses that could formalize my knowledge and help streamline my thoughts as a PM.

I started learning PMP^® content but didn’t continue till the logical end, but as a cheat, I took PSPO certification, which was more straightforward and provided some high-level agile overview.

Since then, I was feeling guilty about not completing PMP^® although I knew how crucial this is – both from knowledge perspective, as well as recognition stand point.

Now that you are PMP^® certified, how do you see it helping you?

I think PMP^® gives me the confidence to handle complex projects, understanding all aspects of projects.

The depth of knowledge cannot be compared to any course, or even practical experience.

It also helps to project myself among peers or outside my team.

Also read: Akanksha’s simple PMP exam study plan

What are the study resources you used for PMP^® test preparation?

One for each aspect of the study –

• PM Exam Last Mile program (ad) – the complete program
• Andy Crowe – ‘How to Pass PMP^®‘ (ad) – the book
• Udemy – Joseph Phillip (ad) – cheat for PMBOK
• PMP^® Test Simulator by Cornelius Fichtner (ad) – for additional practice tests

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

[continue reading…]

After passing her PMP^® test, in this post, Akanksha Jain explains how she went about preparing for it. Her insights are quite significant for PMP^® aspirants, the one I liked most is how studying every single day builds the compounging effect.

Akanksha has over 9 years of rich experience in IT field. She’s a winner of prestigious awards such as Chief Minister’s Bal Shri award. Bogging, singing, and writing poetry are some of her hobbies.

What made you take up PMP^®?

Having the letters “PMP” after my name has been one of my dream since I began my project management career.

When I used to see PMP^® certified project managers, it always motivated me to gain the knowledge needed to be a professional PM one day.

Finally, that day came recently when I passed my exam.

Also read: “This particular practice made the exam simpler for me“, shares Ashish after passing his PMP^® test.

How do you see PMP^® helping you now that you are certified?

PMP^® certification holds global recognition hence its value is way more than having any other certifications, in my view. PMP^® certification will definitely help me grow into project management world.

Also, this is a chance for me to keep updating myself with the latest development in the project management field.

I love the newfound confidence that I can manage any type of project in any industry because I understand the principles and I am equipped with the necessary tools now.

Which study resources did you consider for your exam preparation?

I started going through Udemy course which gave me basic knowledge about what is PMP^® all about. Then I went through PMBOK to understand all the processes and their use.

I didn’t go through Rita’s book (ad) but tried some questions from the book to test my knowledge after getting prepared from PMBOK.

Also I used Udemy mocks, random mocks, Andy Crow questions etc (find more resources here).

Also read: How to gain confidence to face your PMP^® exam? Learn from first-hand experience of Marc Montana here.

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

The study approach depends on each individual so I would suggest creating own study plan, and sticking to the time of the day you feel fresh and energized.

Early into the study process I realized that studying every day is very much needed. [continue reading…]

Another YooHoo! moment for me this week 🙂 and another article that shares some of the best PMP^® exam practice from a fresh Project Management Professional.

Ashish Gupta passed his exam on the first attempt. He is sharing very crucial insights into the exam. I was, to be honest, surprised by his new type of brain dump but then realized that it was indeed a unique perspective.

Ashish works in IT industry and has a rich 12 years of experience. A B. Tech and MBA, he started his career as a Business Analyst and then moved to management role.

In this article Ashish shares a PMP^® exam practice that he found to be the most effective.

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

I came to know about the PMP^® first time in the year 2014 when one of my colleagues has cleared the same. Since then I was fascinated to take this exam. After discussing and researching PMP^® in more detail, however, I was able to make up my mind to take on PMP^® in early 2020 only because of eligibility and time availability requirements.

Before PMP^® I earned agile certifications (CSM & CSPO) as I wanted to get them done with and then dedicate more time for PMP^®, being one of the complex certifications to attempt.

Achieving PMP^® was a milestone of my larger career goal, I was well aware of its benefits in terms of knowledge, benchmark, and higher earnings.

Also read: How I gained confidence to pass the PMP^® exam

Which study resources did use for the exam preparation?

After doing research into study resources I chose Shiv Shenoy’s ‘PM Exam Last Mile Program’ to understand the PMP^® exam content in a very simple way.

Another study material I have chosen is Rita Mulchay (#ad) and then of course the PMBOK^® guide as well.

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

The COVID situation helped me plan well for the preparation as I was working from home. The time otherwise would have been spent in commute to and from work gave me 3 additional hours – which I dedicated for PMP^® study.

I worked with Shiv to create a custom study plan for 11-weeks and strictly followed the plan.

Here is a PMP^® exam practice that I consider helped me the most. You can call this the agile approach to studying for PMP^®. [continue reading…]

Marc Motana chose to prepare for the PMP^® exam after weighing it against PRINCE2. Marc is a New York based project manager well-versed in Traditional as well as Agile methodologies. He is a specialist in project delivery balancing the constraints.

‘Confidence is key to passing the PMP^® exam’, he said when asked about a one-liner mantra for PMP^® success. Not just that, he also shared how to get that invaluable confidence as you prepare for the exam, in this article.

Marc shares why he took up PMP^® and how he planned his study and passed the exam in 8 weeks.

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

I decided to prepare for the PMP^® exam since it was a widely regarded certification not only in my organization but also in my industry. Ever since I finished graduate school, obtaining the PMP^® was my goal.

That was 5 years ago. The reason that I decided to jump on this now is that my current organization provided me with the added incentive of reimbursing my exam fee if I passed the exam. I also considered PRINCE2, but PMP^® was my main goal.

I expect that obtaining a PMP^® certification would be opening doors for career paths in project and program management. Furthermore, I expect that since the PMP^® certification is internationally recognized, networking with other PMs is a great benefit to gain.

Also read: Srija shares how PMP^® got her 20% higher offer as soon as she passed the exam.

Which study resources did you consider?

In order to build a foundation I decided to prepare for the PMP^® exam using Joseph Phillips’ online prep course through Udemy.

I then used Andy Crowe’s book, “How To Pass the PMP On Your First Try”(ad). This was critical as it really showed me how the processes flow together.

In order to get a feel of the exam and manage my time on the test mock tests were essential. For this I used multiple sources for mock exams (simplilearn, pmprep simulator, etc.) for practice once a week.

Overall it took my about 8 weeks for the preparation of the exam thoroughly.

I approached the study plan methodically by using the above sources for 1 month, and then working on mock exams every week until I scored an average 80% consistently.

Was your PMP^® journey a smooth sail?

We both know smooth sailing is a rarity. 🙂 [continue reading…]