.

UPDATE 25-March-2020: PearsonVUE is opening some of the test centers from 1-May-2020!

PearsonVue has announced that it will open some of the test centers to take PMP tests from 1-May-2020. Locations include few places in USA.

Considering the COVID related precautions they need to take, the need to maintain distance between two candidates, the test center capacity has practically reduced to 50%.

It is best that you reach out to the PearsonVUE test center that you are planning to take the exam in and find out the earliest time you can book your exam slot with them. Act quickly before the test slots fly away.

Free courses to learn during lock down

PMI: https://www.pmi.org/about/coronavirus-single-source-message/virtual-resource-hub

PMP Launchpad: Sign up here.

UPDATE 14-March-2020: PMP Exam Goes Online!

Yes! PMI announced today that PMP exam will be moved online, which means you can take the test from the comfort of your home, office, or even a hotel room.

Of course there are changes to the way exam is conducted (no scratch papers, a 10-min break, etc.) and I published a blog post to explain more about PMP online exam announcement.

UPDATE 27-Mar-2020: Online PMP exam soon!!

Sunil Prashara (President & CEO PMI) has announced that they are working on bringing PMP online exam mid April. You can take the PMP exam from the comfort of your home (or office)!

So, if you are getting closer to completing your prep or can manage with some focused study now, this is a great opportunity!

If you need help, simply book a free consult slot with me and I will help you get there > http://bit.ly/bookpmpcalls

UPDATE 18-Mar-2020: PMI extends new exam date from 1-July-2020 to 2-Jan-2021

PMI today stated that, “For all PMP candidates, we are extending access to the current PMP exam until 31 December 2020 and postponing the launch of the new PMP exam until 2 January 2021.”

Please note that in current scenario you’d like to postpone your exam, PMI offers a refund and/or no-penalty rescheduling option:

For candidates who already scheduled the exam but are unable to take it due to health restrictions or delayed with training, PMI will offer you to reschedule your exam and will automatically extend your exam eligibility until 18 January 2021. All paid fees will be eligible for a refund and you will be able to reschedule without accruing penalty fees. We are also actively exploring and expediting solutions to offer alternative PMP^® exam delivery options, and will share more information as it becomes available.

UPDATE 16-Mar-2020: PearsonVUE closes test centers in U.S. and Canada for one MONTH from today.

Image: update on PearsonVUE site posted on March 10, 2020

Dear friend, I know that you’re getting a lot of messages like this. I did want to take a moment to let you know that we’re thinking of you during these uncertain times.

While PearsonVue is making sure that their test centers are equipped with necessaries and have few additional checks for test takers (regular updates here, check if it is suspended in your country), please take a moment to assess your exam date based on prevailing conditions.

Please share this important update with friend/colleague preparing for PMP exam

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Many of you have asked me if PMI will push the new exam date in view of the current situation.

As of now PMI has offered an extension of exam eligibility period for those that have scheduled their exam and cannot take the exam due to the current scenario. Reschedule of exam allowed at no fee penalty.

But as of now no official word about pushing out the new exam dates.

If you reside outside of US and Canada, please call up your local PearsonVUE test center and find out the status.

If you read thus far you belong to one of two buckets –

1. You have scheduled your test either in next 30 days or beyond
2. You are yet to schedule your exam but definitely planning to take the test before new exam kicks in.

If you belong to bucket #1 you can reschedule your date without paying a penalty fee (PMI has waived it off).

You go ahead schedule for a date after March 16th & before 30th June.

If you belong to bucket #2, you have some time to arrive at a realistic exam date and then go schedule the exam.

If you are yet to submit your application, you can do that any time. I can help with this process to speed up.

One thing you must consider now: when PearsonVUE reopens their doors there will be TONs of people looking to schedule their test. Not just PMP test but all other tests that PearsonVUE conducts.

No matter what it decides in near future, this is not a time to take your foot off the pedal.

As they say, every crisis brings with it some opportunity.

Considering the fact that majority of us are working from home, this is a great opportunity to carve in a couple of study hours every day and prepare for your test much, much better.

We are still a good number of weeks away from the new exam and even by starting now you can pass the exam without rushing into it.

And I am here to help.

To further enable you to make use of this opportunity window I am offering a 25% on all my PMP courses with immediate effect.

• Click here to get PMP Fast Lane Pass at 25% off (ideal if your exam is nearing and you need a video crash course covering entire content).
  
• Click here to get into PM Exam Last Mile Prep program at 25% off
  

I am opening up the one-on-one weekly coaching calls with me ($497 bonus) to the students of BOTH these courses/

If you have any questions, let me know.

Stay safe,

Shiv Shenoy

Situation is uncertain out there, but you can utilize this opportunity to prepare for your test with confidence. When all the Corona scare ends, you would have come out of it a winner, in more ways than one.

Let us fight this together.

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“The basic premise of clearing PMP® exam is that the project management concepts should be clear”, says Pratik Patil after passing his PMP exam.

Pratik Patil works as a Senior Business Analyst working in Financial Technology sector. With 8+ years of experience Pratik has a blend of rich tech and management experience.

In this short interview Pratik shares his approach to the PMP® exam, wrapping it up with few insights he’d like to share with PMP aspirants.

What made you take up PMP®?

PMP® certification is best in industry and recognized worldwide. I decided to take up PMP® to learn and implement best practices of Project Management in my organization.

Earlier I did think about CSM certification, but then I prioritized PMP® ahead of it. I think that PMP covers all aspects of project management and thus comprehensive than other certifications.

What benefit do you expect now that you are certified?

My primary expectation is that I will be able to implement relevant processes of Project Management in my projects.

Project Management is a vast field and one does not get to work on all aspects (knowledge areas, in PMI terms) in a single project.

However, now I feel more confident about my abilities to take up any kind of project, because I know what to expect and how to proceed when faced with challenges on the job.

What were the study resources you used?

I used PMBOK guide as the primary resource for my PMP® exam study.

Apart from this I took up 10-12 mocks tests from Udemy and Knowledge Hut.

Overall I would have solved about 3000-4000 mock questions during my preparation.

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

The basic premise of clearing PMP exam is that the project management concepts should be clear. [continue reading…]

“Every aspirant is worried about PMP ITTO questions, but preparing for ITTOs will help you much more than just answering ITTO questions”, reveals Divya Dias during her post-exam interview.

Divya works as a Senior Technical Project Manager in IT sector, and has over 14 years of rich experience. One of the most active members of PMESN community, she aced her PMP exam recently with a perfect ‘Above Target’ score in all 5 domains.

In this interview Divya shares her approach, strategies, and the issues she faced and how she overcame them.

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

I recently moved into project management role from Quality Assurance and was looking for a way to get the right education. When I researched ways of getting it, nothing really came close to PMP certification.

This was like none other in terms of both depth of knowledge and credibility. I realized that the only way to get a PMP certification was to actually EARN it by working at it methodically. This made it all the more challenging and appealing.

With PMP certification now what would you expect?

My primary objective of taking up PMP was a self validation of my knowledge and to get a well-rounded project management education. Other perks like recognition and better opportunities come with it but they weren’t the drivers for me.

It’s been a fortnight since I saw those golden words on my screen post my exams. I feel much more confident at work now.

Although we use Agile methodology at work, there are a lot of tips and learning from PMP that I can still implement at work. Even simple lessons on ethics and responsibilities are so handy and helpful.

The PMP prep journey in itself had a lot of teachings that I have applied to my personal life as well. To be more disciplined and manage time better, to name a few.

Also read: How Shannon Webster, a US Air Force veteran prepared for her PMP exam and passed on first attempt.

Which study resources did you use for the preparation?

PMBOK was my first study material.

Apart from this I signed up for the PM Exam Last Mile prep program. The mind maps and mnemonics strategy proved to be very useful. In addition I also invested in PM-Simulator mocks (ad) .

I did a reading of Rita’s book (ad) initially along with the practice exams and it was very useful.

I had heard horror stories about PMBOK and dreaded it but it didn’t take too long for me to fall in love with the PMBOK guide! But I found it so well written and simple. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the PMBOK and this helped me prepare for PMP ITTO based questions.

Can you talk us through your prep approach and study plan?

As a full-time working mom with a toddler, I didn’t have the luxury of taking my time. [continue reading…]

“I wanted to have a thorough understanding of the PMBOK knowledge areas so I could easily visualize and apply the processes”, says Shannon Webster in a post-PMP® interview. Shannon is a United States Air Force veteran, who enjoys seeing people succeed. She has served in the Air Force since she was 17 and will be transitioning to the private sector. She’s been happily married for the past 18 years and they have a very active 10-year old son.

What made you take up PMP?

Throughout the past 21 years that I’ve served as an Active Duty service-member in the United States Air Force, I’ve gained a wealth of experience in various fields, one being Project Management. After deciding to retire from the military, I wanted to find a way to translate my past experience into an easily identifiable civilian certification.

Having been exposed to numerous project management opportunities, PMP® was the logical path for me to pursue.

I also considered taking the Professional Human Resources (PHR) certification through Human Resources Certification Institute (HRCI) since my Master’s degree is in HR. But I found a passion in project management and helping people (and companies) achieve their maximum potential.

What core benefit would you expect now that you are a certified PMP®?

The core benefit I expected from achieving my PMP® certification is legitimacy.

When changing career paths or venturing from federal work to the private sector, having some form of legitimacy could open doors.

I’m hopeful my PMP® certification will show potential employers that I’m a dedicated. It will also help me demonstrate that I’m a passionate professional who is eager to accept challenges and will persevere until it’s successfully completed.

Which study resources did you use for the exam?

In preparation for the exam, I utilized material from PM-ProLearn and the Project Management Book of Knowledge (PMBOK®).

PM-ProLearn instructors provided a 5-day live instructional course that facilitated information sharing between a diverse group of candidates. PM-ProLearn mapped out processes and provided tips to focus our study efforts in hopes of passing the exam.

Also read: PMI answers – This is how much of salary a non-PMP® project manager is losing out on.

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

I began my preparation by memorizing the PMBOK knowledge areas, processes and their process groups, and numerous mathematical formulas for Earned Value Management (EVM).

A strong foundation to build my knowledge from was essential, so I analyzed each process’s inputs, tools/techniques and outputs (ITTOs) to find similarities and differences between them.

The more I understood the fundamentals of PM, the easier it was for me to apply the techniques. [continue reading…]

Updated on 9-Aug-2021 for a new perspective in “What does PMBOK-7 mean for you, the exam taker?” section.

PMI has released PMBOK guide version 7! Currently (as of the first week of August 2021) this is available in the English version only, and will be available in other languages soon.

“The dawn of a new era!”, you might exclaim, as you understand the changes in the PMBOK-7 edition.

I’m almost inclined to call this PMBOK-007, because like Mr.Bond this guide has been completely unexpected this time, or unorthodox, compared to all the previous versions AND lean and mean, just like him (I was initially shaken, if not stirred). The new version about 1/10th the size of the previous version.

Member of PMI? Download PMBOK-7 for free from here, if not, check it out on Amazon here (kindle version or paperback).

If you follow the genesis of the PMBOK^® guide and the approach and structure of it over the years, what PMBOK 7th edition brings to the table is completely different from what it built upon in the previous 6 editions.

In order to appreciate how useful this is going to be for your own growth, we must take a quick look at how PMBOK has evolved over the years.

This is an exhaustive guide, so make sure you have your favorite drink to enjoy with, and a paper and pen to take some notes.

Don’t Miss PMI’s official infographic showing the difference in PMBOK 7th version in this article.

Also, consider helping people in your network by sharing this article socially.

[easy-tweet tweet=”PMBOK® 7th Edition – EVERYTHING you wanted to know. Download free PMBOK®-7 primer guide now.” hashtags=”#pmbok7edition #pmbok7″]

Let’s jump right in!

In this primer guide, you will discover –

• A brief history of PMBOK^®
• Why does PMBOK^® change?
• What are the fundamental aspects influencing PMBOK^® 7th edition?
• Changes between PMBOK^®-6 and PMBOK^®-7 in a nut-shell
• What is Standards Plus™?
• What does PMBOK^®-7 mean for you, the exam taker?
• What does PMBOK 7th edition mean for you, PMP^® credential holder?
• In Summary
• Download this PMBOK^®-7 primer

Get your favorite drink, let us get started. This is going to be interesting, and you are in for some surprise!

Don’t miss Cornelius’ PMBOK®-7 edition based podcast episode and a downloadable version of this PMBOK-7 Primer Guide as you read through this article.

A brief history of PMBOK^® guide

It all began way back in the Summer of 69 🙂 when The Project Management Institute (PMI) was founded by Ned Engman, James Snyder, Susan Gallagher, Eric Jenett, and J Gordon Davis.

In 1975 PMI described its objectives as “to foster recognition of the need for professionalism in project management; provide a forum for the free exchange of project management problems, solutions and applications; coordinate industrial and academic research efforts; develop common terminology and techniques to improve communications; provide an interface between users and suppliers of hardware and software systems, and to provide guidelines for instruction and career development in the field of project management.” [res]

That’s quite a mouthful.

And PMI has stood true to this objective ever since, and has been instrumental in bringing order and guidance to the project management practices.

In the 1980s though efforts had begun to standardize project management practices, procedures, and approaches, and put them together as a reference for project managers to consider.

That is the genesis of ‘A Guide to Project Management Body of Knowledge’ (a.k.a. PMBOK guide), which so far has undergone 6 editions.

The first version of PMBOK® was released in 1996.

Although the efforts to put together processes and guidelines to treat project management as a profession began in 1981, and a rough draft of ‘The Project Management Body of Knowledge’ was published in 1987. It had 8 sections, with 5-6 pages in each.

The updated version came to be known as PMBOK Edition 1 in the year 1996. This edition was an extended version of a white paper titled “Ethics, Standards, and Accreditation Committee Final Report“, which was published in the year 1983.

PMBOK® edition 2, in 2000.

While this edition corrected errors in 1st edition, it also included newer practices being evolved in the world of project management.

Remember, while some level of Agile project management efforts (RAD, UP, XP, DSDM, FDD etc) were going on during this time, it wouldn’t be until 6th edition that some amount of Agile guidelines would make their way into PMBOK.

9 knowledge areas, 39 processes, 211 pages.

PMBOK® edition 3, 2004.

By now you probably have noticed the pattern – a newer version every 4 years. Sounds sensible right, especially with project management as a profession slowing gathering recognition and being looked at as a skill to be developed.

PMI too began to standardize the process of basing information in PMBOK as “generally recognized as good practice used on most of the projects most of the time”.

Here, “Generally recognized” meaning that the knowledge and practices described are applicable to most projects most of the time, and there is consensus about their value and usefulness. “Good practice” meaning that there is general agreement that the application of the knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques can enhance the chances of success for many projects.

As you can imagine, PMBOK began to be accepted and used by many professionals to guide their thinking and action on their projects.

Process count jumped to 44.

PMBOK® edition 4, released in 2008.

One could say this edition gave birth to the current (6th edition) structure of PMBOK®. The 6 constraints – Scope, Schedule, Budget, Quality, Resources, and Risk – were introduced in this edition. [continue reading…]