.

Kenneth Lewis has been serving in the United States Air Force for past 19 years in various capacities. He is a B.Sc. holder and is currently pursuing his MBA. With a keen focus on continuous learning, Kenneth also helps military members, project managers, and process improvement professionals bridge gaps between experience and opportunities.

When Kenneth passed his PMP® exam on first attempt, I knew his approach to preparation could be quite different.

Curious to know how he approached?

Kenneth shares his exact PMP® exam prep strategies and techniques in this ‘PMP® Lessons Learned’ article. Anyone seriously preparing for the exam would be hugely benefited by simply copying Kenneth’s approach to PMP® exam.

What event or experience triggered your desire to take up PMP exam?

I decided to take the PMP exam because I wanted to improve my ability to manage projects in general, but specifically to make me a better process improvement facilitator.

I did not do any research beforehand and was not aware about other project management certifications outside of PMI.

It wasn’t until I started studying that I learned that Prince was another widely adopted certification.

A PMP boot camp was offered at my place of employment and that’s how I became interested and involved.

How PMP may impact your work?

I am currently an active duty service member in the U.S. military.

I mention that because the PMP benefits me for professional development. However I don’t foresee major changes in my current profession.

It has benefited me as far as the mini projects I work on. For example, how I approach risk management and consider my stakeholders.

Also read: How Wayne Dunlop, US army veteran, aced PMP exam!

Which study resources did you use for the exam preparation?

[continue reading…]

PMP^® FAQ Corner!

The nuances of PMP^® content that will give you an upper hand during your exam.

Are you pulling your hair over that nagging PMP^® exam nuance you just can’t figure out? Thanks to our community members, we’ve started this PMP^® FAQ corner where I’ll be posting the PMP^® nuances, clarifications, and questions that our students ask and my answers, in this column.

In a real sense these are NOT frequently asked questions, but should be. By understanding these PMP^® topic nuances you will be better prepared not just for the exam, but to address situations in your project as well!

If you don’t find your question here, simply shoot an email to me at shiv(at)pmexamsmartnotes(dot)com

Chances are, your question is already covered in my popular study program, PMP^® Last Mile Prep Pro. If you are a student of this course just going through the relevant section there might clarify your doubt faster than the email turnaround. 🙂

Help a fellow PMP^® student, tweet this page now!

[sharable-quote tweet=”Preparing for PMP exam? Read these unique PMP questions and score more on your exam!” user=”pmexamsmartnote” url=”https://www.pmexamsmartnotes.com/faq”]

Here are the PMP questions and link to their answers –

1. Where Work Performance Data, Information and Report are generated (ie. Inputs and Outputs) and how they pass between processes?
2. Where Change Requests, Approved Change Requests Validated Changes and Change Logs are generated and how they pass between processes?
3. Where the Change Log and Issue Logs are generated and how they pass between processes?
4. Where the Quality Metrics, Quality Checklists, Quality Control Measurements and Process Improvement Plan are generated and how they pass between processes?
5. What are the differences between Manage Communications and Manage Stakeholders Engagement?
6. What are the differences between Monitor Communications and Monitor Stakeholders Engagement?
7. Is Estimate Activity Resources done before Determine Budget?
8. If a project is shutdown midway, does the project manager execute Close Project or Phase process or Validate Scope process?
9. When the Identify Stakeholders process is executed there is just one other process done – Develop Project Charter. Why does then the Project Management Plan is expected as inputs to Identify Stakeholders process?
10. Could you help with the difference between OPM and PMO in terms of their primary objectives?
11. Can you explain the difference between WBS and Requirements traceability matrix in detail.
12. What is the difference between Schedule Baseline and Project Schedule?
13. PMBOK mentions management reserves is not included in the schedule baselines but it is part of overall project duration estimates. It also mentions, depending on contract terms, use of management reserves may require a change to schedule baseline..
    Can I get some help on understanding why it would need a change to the baseline if it’s not part of it?
14. Looking for Budget overrun scenario clarification –
    When you find that your project will have cost overrun at the end of the project, and your sponsor made it it clear that he doesn’t want to spend more money, what would be the next best option to choose between fast tracking and reduce scope? PMBOK does mention that fast track has cost impact. In some references I had, find fast tracking as the option while some say reduce scope. Which one is the right option.
15. Does the BAC remain constant throughout the project or does it change as a outcome of monitoring and controlling?
16. What is the difference between Risk register and Risk Report?
17. Is a change request raised whenever a defect is found?
18. Settling procurement claims is done as part of ‘Control procurements’ process group or ‘Close project or phase’ process group?
19. Disciplinary actions for the project team are recorded in the resource management plan. If the options on the exam questions includes team management plan and resource management plan, what should be selected?
20. When a project is terminated, which process is used to confirm status of the project deliverables officially?
21. Is it true that only Integration Management is specific to PMs and they can delegate all other KAs to others in the team?
22. When exactly (which PG/KA/process) does the PM ‘tailors’ the processes needed for the project?
23. Why do we need Scope baseline as an input for Estimate Activity Resources process, because we are already having Activity list and Activity attributes that are derived from Scope baseline?
24. Can a work package be deleted from WBS (technically we can in IT projects) according to PMBOK?
25. Questions about WAS (Work authorization system)
26. Once a Project Charter is signed can it be changed with a Change Request?
27. What are the differences between a change management plan and a config management plan? How are they related? When do we refer to change management plan and when do we refer to config management plan? What are the list of activities that we perform under change management and under Config management?
28. I’m still confused with Lead and Lag. Can you help with a simple example or something?
29. In the context of Develop Team process, what is the difference between Employee Development Plan Records and Training Requirements? Also, what is the difference between Skill Assessments and Personnel Assessments?
30. If CPI < 1, and I use TCPI = (BAC-EV)/ (EAC-AC), Which EAC formula should I use?
31. If a key seller on a project goes out of business during my project is that an unknown unknown? out of the scope of the project. Management Reserves
32. Performance measurement baseline is output of which knowledge area process?!
33. could you please give us examples of Predictive, Iterative, Incremental, Agile/adaptive, Hybrid?
34. What is configuration management and configuration repositories?
35. How does Centralized/Functional and Multi-divisional /Decentralized organizational structure differ?
36. I usually get confuse with OPA’s and EEF. How do I remember these?
37. How is steering committee different from Project sponsor?
38. Can you please elaborate on Parametric vs Analogous estimations?
39. Can you please explain Hierarchical Breakdown in decomposition and its use in agile approach?
40. I’m not clear about Rolling Wave Planning, can you elaborate in context of Agile
41. What is 100% rule?
42. What is difference between Risk Appetite and Risk Tolerance?
43. I understand that the change request should be submitted than it should be analyzed. Or is it the other way around?
44. What is the main difference between Schedule Baseline and Project Schedule?
45. Am I correct when I say Inspection and Audit can be performed by both seller and buyer?
46. PMBOK states “The buyer may be the owner of the final product, a subcontractor, the acquiring organization, a service requestor, or the purchaser.” How can buyer be subcontractor?
47. Where can I read more about the configuration management plan. Not sure I still get that.
48. Change request, if approved by Customer, is it still mandatory that Sponsor also should approve?
49. Can you clarify ‘Atypical’ and ‘Typical’ as in EAC calculation please?
50. Please explain about Work Shadowing & Reverse Shadowing in Knowledge Management
51. Is performance appraisal done in Develop Team but tracking the performance measurement is in Manage team?
52. In CPIF buyer is giving an incentive fee if certain criteria is met which I feel is the same in CPAF but called as award fee so where is the difference?
53. How would a project manager gain situational power?
54. So is really a cost of quality all cost to deliver and fix issues?

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1. Where Work Performance Data, Information and Report are generated (ie. Inputs and Outputs) and how they pass between processes?

The state change logic is: data when analyzed in context becomes information, and information is represented in terms of reports (visual/tabular etc), which is used to take decisions on the project.

[continue reading…]

Vikrant passed his PMP exam recently. When I interviewed him to learn about his PMP® exam prep strategies, I found that it was a mix of traditional wisdom and some common-sense based quick decisions that helped him achieve PMP certification.

Vikrant Huddar is a competent professional with 10+ years of experience in Project Management, Piping engineering, Quality and Team Leadership. He is skilled in handling activities pertaining to piping engineering, project management.

Here’s the interview excerpts where he outlines every small detail of how he went about preparing for one of the toughest certification exams he faced.

Oh by the way, many people have been asking about the experience at PearsonVUE exam center, and you may want to read question#8 to know about what to expect.

Read on…

1. What event or experience triggered your desire to take up PMP® exam?

I came to know PMP® certification exam while surfing the internet. Then I visited PMI website to understand more about the exam.

When I read the details and possible implications of this certification on my career, that motivated me take up PMP®.

I became convinced that PMP® will not just help me work better as a project manager, it may open up growth opportunities for me as well.

2. Now that you are PMP® certified, what changes would you foresee in near future?

After earning PMP® certification now I’m certain to get good career opportunity in project management field. PMP® has been a major boost to feel good about my standing as a project manager.

Now my approach towards situations or problems has changed.

I find myself looking at high level picture, looking to understand the end objective/result needed. Also, I tend to see who are most affected in each project situation and who may influence my way to achieve my project objectives.

So I am applying PMP® philosophy to deal with day-to-day problems on my project.

Also read: The secrets of PMP self-study, shared by an ‘accidental PM’!

3. Which study resources did you use for the exam preparation?

I read PMBOK 3-4 times, I concentrated on understanding every single word given in PMBOK.

The other book I banked on was Rita Mulcahy book – which I studied 3 times.

Few YouTubes videos also helped where I faced difficulty.

Then I took 4 full mock tests from Cornelius.

Also, PMExamSmartNotes blog’s study group on LinkedIn and the Facebook community helped me and motivated a lot. Every single question posted there was helping me take one step ahead with confidence. [continue reading…]

Kevin Ball worked in the automotive manufacturing industry for over 25 years as a technical leader in the IT department supporting the plant floor. He traveled the globe either deploying new or upgraded computer systems at the the assembly plants. He’s been on every continent except the Antarctica.

Kevin became an ‘accidental project manager’ during this time as the deployments / releases needed to be lead by a project manager.

He is happily married with 5 children, 3 grown children and 2 adopted children. Born in Canada and transferred to the United States where he lives today. He enjoys helping people and learning about different cultures and different ways of thinking.

In this post Kevin lays bare how exactly he went about preparing for his PMP® self-study.

Even if you don’t have time to read through Kevin’s gem of an experience, don’t miss his study tips at the end of this post.

What triggered your desire to take up PMP® exam?

Well, I had been an ‘accidental’ project manager for the past 10+ years and when GM laid me off (along with 4,600 other people).

I felt I should become PMP® certified in order to separate myself from others when looking for a new job.

Did you consider any other project management certifications?

I received my PMI-CAPM® certification back in 2012. I was thinking this might help me either get a promotion, move into another area of work or get a raise.

While GM did not ‘recognize’ my CAPM® certification it certainly helped me in my day to day job and, in retrospect, helped me prepare for the PMP® certification as well.

Also read: Here’s what’s changing in PMP exam in 2019!

Now that you are PMP® certified, how may this impact your work?

While it does not fully portrait all my skills and experiences, I am hoping the PMP® certification will help potential employers / recruiters consider me when checking out my resume and LinkedIn profile.

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

I tool self-study approach to my PMP® exam.

I had great success with Rita Mulcahy study resources for my CAPM® certification exam and I went back to Rita for my PMP®. [continue reading…]

As I listened to Olamide’s circumstances I got goosebumps. Hers is an inspirational PMP® prep journey of how one can reach their goal if only they are firmly committed to it.

Olamide Adekoya works as a project manager for a global software Consulting company. She is a M.Sc. in Business IT management and has been in project management for about 5 years. Prior to that time, she worked in senior management roles for over 7 years in a multinational financial organization.

It would be an understatement to say that she had one of the busiest time during her exam preparation. If you are wondering at the title of this post, well, wait till you read this completely.

1. What triggered your desire to take up PMP® exam?

After moving into project management from retail management a few years ago, it has always been my big desire to get a reputable PM certification. At a point in time, I was stuck between doing PRINCE2 or PMP®.

The turning point came when a colleague from my previous job encouraged me to take the PMP® due to its complete coverage of project management knowledge and the worldwide recognition, among other benefits.

2. How may PMP® credential impact your work?

The main reason for taking the PMP® is for career progression.

It is my hope that the new certification will enable me to make positive progress in my career.

3. What study resources did you consider, and eventually used for the exam preparation?

Hmmm, before I answer this question, I would like to thank you hugely because you made the process very easy for me. [continue reading…]