PMP study takes several weeks or even a few months.
This makes it prone to challenges such as assignment of an additional project, lack of time to study harder concepts, or even those moments of low confidence.
Exactly what happened to Brijesh.
And he waded his way through all the challenges with some smart work, mainly around planning his study.
He passed PMP last week with a perfect ‘Above Target’ score.
In this week’s PMP Lessons Learned article, he shares his exact study blueprint.
Brijesh has a Master’s degree in Computer Applications and a postgraduate diploma in Business Administration in Finance. He works for a UK-based investment bank as a Program Manager, managing IT deliveries.
Brijesh is an avid reader and also enjoys listening to audiobooks. To relax, he runs twice a day, whether rain or shine!
The biggest takeaway for me from this interview – his way of studying for the PMP exam naturally makes you a better project manager. That’s the brilliance of his ‘mindset shift’ approach!
Don’t miss it for anything.
👇 In a hurry? Watch this short video 👇
What made you take up PMP?
I am a Certified Scrum Master. For the last few years, I have been managing large IT projects.
There were several challenges that a project manager faces in day-to-day life, but struggles to find the right solutions.
Many PMs react to situations rather than proactively approaching the problems.
I wanted to take a methodical and structured approach while managing large/complex projects, rather than going for the trial-by-fire approach.
I realized that PMP preparation/certification would help me to drive these complex projects better. For this reason, I did not consider any other certification than PMP.
Now that you are certified, how do you see PMP helping you?
I think I started realizing several benefits while I was preparing for the PMP exam itself!
You mentioned once on a LinkedIn post that “It’s not about the PMP knowledge, but the journey which makes you a better PM”.
This is exactly what I experienced during my preparation.
My biggest challenge at work was to address everyday project execution challenges, such as –
- how to manage unreasonable customer expectations
- to identify and manage project risks better
- how to manage scope creep
I wanted to get a better hold on the constraints under which a project is executed – especially the iron triangle – Time, Cost, and Scope. I feel more confident in these areas now.
Stakeholder management is another big area for me.
I think PMP knowledge helps me now to better present the problem statements and to negotiate with stakeholders – such as to explain why something can’t be delivered, to help businesses to better prioritize using MoSCoW or other methods, and emphasize business value.
PMP knowledge has equipped me to negotiate such that it’s a win-win situation for everyone.
Also read:
- 5 PMP traps you must avoid while aiming for PMP this year
- How Jiteen passed PMP without touching the PMBOK book!
- Get your WHY and you will find PMP preparation DAMN easy!
- How to pass PMP exam while balancing hectic work and busy family
- 9 top tips for passing PMP exam, from my 9 yrs of my coaching experience
What is the core characteristic a PMP aspirant should have to prepare well?
I think the PMP is more of a mindset game.
Throughout the study, you must assume yourself as PM in situations where the concepts you are studying can go wrong.
That is, if you are studying the risk identification process, imagine what can go wrong while doing this, and what you would do.
This study approach not only prepares you for the exam (situational questions, remember?), it also gives you a plan of action while managing projects.
Which study resources did you use?
I used just what was needed for preparing efficiently, without overwhelm.
- Joseph Philip PMP prep course for the 35 contact hour certification. It covers the agile and hybrid parts as well.
- Rita Mulcahy book for any topic which I was not clear about, or where I was scoring less in mock exams.
- Agile Practice Guide provided by PMI.
- I referred to PMBOK for very selective topics and did not read the full book (primer here).
“PMBOK guide isn’t necessary for PMP prep, I did not use it”, said Jiteen, when asked about his study resources.
Just like for any mountaineer the most important summit is Mt Everest, I consider that for Project Managers it is PMP.
To pass PMP exam along with work and family is a challenge for many, and I loved how creatively Dana carved out time for study.
I was interested in learning better ways to implement various software projects. PMP pursuit seemed like a great choice to educate me on bettering myself as a project manager.
9 Tips For PMP Exam Prep, Based On Thousands Of PMP Exam Takers.
“Nail your WHY, PMP exam becomes easier”, was the one-liner secret to passing PMP exam that Lubin shared.
Upon some research, I discovered the Project Management Professional (PMP®)—which is the world’s leading project management certification in the field.
