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Saksham Bahati is a Software Test Lead leading a team of four with around 9+ years of experience. He is a B.Tech, MBA grad with extensive experience with managing teams.

With a focus on continuous upskilling Saksham got certified in CTAE and CTFL, and in order to enhance his knowledge of all-round project management, he took up PMP exam and passed it just a few weeks ago.

In this post Saksham shares the exact steps he took to his PMP goal.

Your previous two certifications are in Testing domain. Why a project management certificate now?

Yes, I got myself certified in ISTQB certified – CTFL exactly an year ago, and then ISTQB Certified Agile Tester (CATE) at the beginning of this year.

I had the momentum on my side and I was thinking of enhancing my current role of Test Lead to a complete team management role. For this I needed a solid education to understand project management nuances, and grow into a techno-managerial sort of a role.

PMP is a very well-respected and suitable certification in this regard. This is a highly reputed certification among the professionals. Hence the choice.

What was the core benefit you expected from PMP certification?

The primary benefit that I expected from PMP is yet to materialize, I’m certified just couple of weeks back. I am quite confident to have made significant progress with this certification.

I saw PMP certification as prestigious one and after studying very hard for it and attaining it I feel all the more humbled. My respect for the process and credential has grown even more.

Which study resources did you consider for the preparation?

Here are the resources I used for my prep –

• PMBOK guide – used as primary resource
• Joseph Phillips PMP training program – to go through iteration
• ‘Get PMP Now’ LinkedIn group (click to join) – for daily questions and support

[continue reading…]

Hello!

Yes, It’s possible to pass PMP exam in 6 weeks. Click to discover how..

Several years ago, I took my PMP® exam on 31st December.

It was a 2pm exam slot.

As I was traveling to the test center I was thinking to myself, “well, today is 31st December. If I passed the exam, I’ll have one more reason to celebrate tonight. And if I didn’t…”

The optimist in me said, “If I didn’t pass, I’ll know exactly what my New Year resolution is going to be. AND I’ll have had a head start!”.

Well, either way I would have something to gain.

I came out of the exam hall at 6.10 pm.

I remember the feelings so vividly.

The first feeling was that of relief. As if a heavy load was lifted off my shoulders.

Well, it was close to 3 years since I had initially ‘decided’ to take up PMP®.

So relief it had to be. 🙂

Then the feeling of hope and excitement about things that were in front of me.

A true New Year.

And the celebration that night, was something I’ll remember for a long long time.

As I was recalling this experience over this past weekend, it got me thinking.

“Why don’t I create such an opportunity for my readers, my students?”

The weekend was productively spent in coming up with an approach, a strategy, and a spreadsheet based 11-week tracking plan.

So here’s my challenge to you today –

The average time taken for PMP prep is 6 weeks. I will give you a proven 4-wkstudy plan, a smart and brain-friendly study program, and rock-solid support all the way till you pass the exam. Are you willing to take these and pass your PMP exam before the calendar turns 1st January, 2020?

1st Jan 2020 would be a morning to remember.

It would be like starting the year with the New Year resolution already fulfilled!

[easy-tweet tweet=”Take this PMP challenge and pass your PMP® exam before 2019 ends!” hashtags=”GetPMPIn2019, PMPchallenge”]

If you are up to the challenge, here’s how to go about it.

• Step 1: Click to sign up for PMP Last Mile Prep Program. You can watch the 3 hour free training videos to sample the mind-map based training (35+hrs of video training plus another 16+hrs of training resources).
• Step 2: I’ve added a Module-Zero, just for this challenge. It has the study plan (flexible enough to adjust for your needs) and ways to track the progress. And all the information and instructions to get going. Download it, and let’s begin.
• Step 3: Join the exclusive student support group to get help all the way till you have PMP certificate in your hands (link provided inside module-zero).

That’s it!

It probably won’t get simpler and surer than this.

Yes, It’s possible to pass PMP exam under 6 weeks. Click to discover how..

Who can take up this challenge?

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Henok Berehanu Senafikew passed his PMP exam recently and we got chatting. I loved how simple his study plan for PMP exam was. As you would expect I asked if I could interview him. And here is Henok’s perspective of PMP exam prep. Henok lives in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. He works for Honeywell as a Deputy Construction Manager for Airport project.

Let us find out how Henok went about preparing for his exam.

What made you take up PMP exam?

Few years ago I began working as a Deputy Construction Manager in my company, and project management is part of my job profile. I needed a well rounded education in project management. Looking around for various certifications PMP certification came across as the most comprehensive one.

I was already aware of PMP through my colleagues before, so I discussed with them in detail before deciding on PMP.

How may PMP impact your work now?

Since I work on projects, it is good that I have PMP. I have gained enormous insights into various aspects of PMP during my studies – such as scope, schedule, and cost management.

In terms of impact, I can already see that I am able to perform much better at work. I can see areas where PMP after my name can have an impact and sure when the time comes the certification aspect will come in handy.

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“Study plan for PMP exam is a must”, says Pam Matalone, who recently got her PMP certification. I’m truly amazed by the insights she has shared in this post along with the exact study process she used to prepare for the exam.

Pam has over 30 years of experience in the IT industry. She began her IT career learning desktop computers in the 1980s and was encouraged by her boss to obtain her bachelors degree in Computer Information Systems.

This allowed her to grow into a developer and eventually land into a project management role. Pam enjoys facilitating and coaching teams to see them move into high performing teams.

With that…

What made you take up PMP certification?

I have done project management for a long time and held various level of positions. Several years ago I made the choice to step down from a senior leadership position.

I had acquired my Scrum Master certification and wanted to get back into working directly with the project teams.

Four years ago I was hired as a Project Manager and I told myself that if I really wanted to pursue my PMP, now was the time.

How would this PMP impact your work?

The PMP allows me the opportunity to network with other project manager in my industry and gives me the flexibility to pursue opportunities that will keep me actively learning and growing.

I am looking at increasing my skills and obtaining Lean Six Sigma training in the near future.

Also read: Varalakshmi swears by mock tests, and reveals what she did to pass her PMP earlier this month.

Which PMP study materials did you use?

I researched boot camps, self-study options, and community college courses.
I came across PM PrepCast by Cornelius Fichtner and it had excellent reviews.

The choice was clear – self-study with a video course.

Thus I invested in the PM PrepCast, which included the Exam Simulator as well. Later I got Rita Mulcahy’s book apart from using PMBOK guide as reference.

I also used articles from your blog PMExamSmartNotes for my studies.

10 days. 10 modules. 10X confidence boost. Give your PMP exam prep a boost to land your goal. Priced at $27, you get this course for FREE for a limited time.  *** Click to sign up today. ***

Can you share your study plan for PMP?

[continue reading…]

Varalakshmi realized early that the key to success is attempting sample PMP exam questions. Her systematic approach to PMP exam is worth emulating.

When I asked if she can share it with PMESN readers, she was more than willing. Do NOT miss her study tips from the last section.

Varalakshmi has over 12 years of experience in project management. She worked as a Project Engineer for project management team with BAE SYSTEMS (Defense and Aerospace). She has been a part of major license build programmes successfully building over 99 trainer aircrafts onsite.

What made you go for PMP certification?

PMP was recommended my manager while I was looking for a certification as a part of growth development section in Annual PDR (Personal Development Review), and that it would help me grow in my career.

I did look at others but chose PMP since it has a global recognition and was well suited for my work and Project management experience. I am planning for PMI-ACP as well sometime soon.

How may PMP impact your work going forward?

My approach is now more systematic and organized towards projects. I try to learn and use capabilities defined in PMI’s Talent Triangle in best way possible.

Just like a project manager keeps the Business Case for completing the projects successfully, I find myself keeping all the process groups, knowledge areas in mind and balance constraints at my work.

While I was preparing for PMP exam my job winded down with no projects. Hence I am looking for good opportunity that will help me utilize all the skills gained.

Also read: A cool technique to reduce overall PMP exam study effort!

What were your chosen study resources?

I initially started with Head First PMP then switched to Rita Mulcahy after few pages, then PMBOK of course. [continue reading…]