Too Much Information?

Another Perspective on How to Prepare for the PMP Exam

Are you overwhelmed, thinking about how to prepare for your exam?  Flash cards, videos, online tests, transcender, text books, PMPBOK, etc.,?  I call it “information paralysis”! STOP!  You need to first assess your knowledge base to know what tools you should use.  Why pull out the jack hammer when a rubber mallet will work.  It is NOT a one size fits all.

In order to assess baseline of knowledge, I found the best tool to be the Transcender exam.  (Note:  this is your “initiate” phase.)  Take the test first but do not be discouraged at the results.  Use these results to map out your study strategy.  (Note: this is your “planning” phase.)

Next, based on the weakest and strongest knowledge areas, use the transcender exam tool that allows you to select only questions from these two knowledge areas. (Note: this is your “execute” phase.)  When doing these questions, check your answers as you move through each question.  Based on your response, use your tools to STUDY the materials.  I found that the transcender referenced the PMPBOK very nicely and it was the best source.  However, the Phillips book explains things better if you are stuck on a concept.

Based on your learning habits, create notes, flash cards, audio tapes, etc.,.  My method was to create a spreadsheet of what I needed to reinforce as well as highlighting the PMPBOK.

Make certain that you are tracking your progress with the test scores! (Note: this is your “monitor & control” phase.)  Once you are confident in these two areas, choose the next two knowledge areas and repeat the process – just like on a project! Retake the same exam you took to be pleasantly surprised at your results!

BEST KEPT SECRET – Personally for me, I mainly used the PMPBOK to study.  I found it easy to cross-reference the transcender exam questions to the PMPBOK.  I used the charts from each BOK area to learn the inputs, outputs and tools/techniques.  In fact, join PMI and then you get an electronic version free – download it to your Kindle for ease of use!

I should stress that knowing the BOK matrix is VERY IMPORTANT to help you in both studying and exam prep.  I again found the PMPBOK to be the best resource of information.

So, there you have it!  A process to eliminate the “information paralysis” and to focus on a methodology you can tailor to your study habits.  Next time, I will share what I would not have done and what I would have done differently to prepare for taking the exam.

Oh, almost forgot, you will need to go into the exam with confidence.  Your goal is to pass the exam. (Note: this is your “close” phase.)  You adopted a strategy, made a plan, executed the plan and  monitored your progress and controlled distractions.  Hmmmm, sounds like a project plan to me!

Cheryl Pavlacka, PMP

Note:  Cheryl is a certified Project Management Professional whom I had the pleasure of teaching in a PMP Certification prep class.  Transcender is an online certification preparation software application produced by KAPLAN IT Learning.

Will Any Road Get You There?

"If You Don't Know Where You're Going, Any Road Will Get You There." --The Cheshire Cat, Alice In Wonderland

But you know where you're going and this strategy will help to get you there.

Greetings PMP candidates! I hope that you’ve taken the first step towards earning the PMP certification.  Specifically I’m referring to a written plan.  The benefits of committing your study plan to a written document are so significant it is critical that you do so as soon as possible. Consider a few of the benefits of a written study plan:

1.   A written plan provides clarity. Writing down your plan forces you to think about how, when and where you will study for the PMP certification exam.

2.   It will motivate you to take action. Articulating your intention is important, but it is not enough. Writing down your plan and reviewing it regularly encourages you to take the next step.

3.   A written plan will help you overcome disruptions (PMBOK constraints). Every meaningful project or goal encounters disruption(s). From the moment you commit your plan to paper, you will begin to experience disruptions. I often describe this phenomenon as “life getting in the way”. If you focus on the disruption, it will only get stronger. The way to overcome it is to focus on the goal…PMP certification.

4.   It will enable you to track your progress. As you reach milestones (do you remember that term) you will be able to see how far you have come and how far you need to go. And don’t forget, a written plan provides opportunities to celebrate along the way toward attaining your goal, PMP certification. 

Okay, I know what you are thinking…why be so formal.  I have a plan “in my head”.  Ask yourself one question, would you manage an important project on the job using a plan that’s only “in your head”.  The obvious answer is NO! This plan is for an important project that will impact your career. It deserves the same if not MORE attention than a project on your job.

An example of a written plan schedule is in the Joseph Phillips Book - ALL-IN-ONE CAPM/PMP Project Management Certification Page 12.  Use it as a template, a starting point and create a plan that works for you. Remember that you need to commit to a designated time and location as well. So get busy and put pen to paper and don't stop until you have a plan.

I welcome you comments.

Ed Green, PMP

PS – Don’t forget to incorporate time to apply for the exam into your plan.

Where does this project manager go for help?

A practical matter is that all project managers will encounter a project that just doesn't go as planned.  What do you do when it's your turn in the barrel of project misfortune? You may gain some insight from this article originally posted on 12/15/2010 1:57 PM By Brian Munroe . 

Taken from the MTI Learning blog.  http://www.mtilearning.com/     Projects can run into trouble at any time and for any number of good reasons.  While I spend time coaching others, traveling to speaking engagements, and talking about troubled projects, I still actively manage a few key projects of my own for my clients.  I never want to be the guy on stage saying, “…back when I managed projects…..”  This does not lend itself to any kind of creditability.  Therefore, I actively manage projects. So one of the questions I get asked often is, “Brian, do your projects ever fall into trouble?”  The answer, “Yes they do.”  The difference is what I do about them and who’s advice I seek when the root cause is escaping me.  It does not matter who you are, when its your own project, often the simplest of solutions is hard to see because of the level of emotional involvement you have in that particular project.  Its your baby and you hate to see it in trouble. As ...

Read the rest of entry »

YOU MUST BE A PROJECT MANAGER

A man in a hot air balloon realized he was lost. He reduced altitude and spotted a woman below. He descended a bit more and shouted, “Excuse me, can you help me? I promised a friend I would meet him an hour ago, but I don’t know where I am.”

The woman below replied, “You’re in a hot air balloon hovering approximately 30 feet above the ground. You’re between 40 and 41 degrees north latitude and between 59 and 60 degrees west longitude.”

“You must be a project manager,” said the balloonist. “I am,” replied the woman, “How did you know?”

“Well,” answered the balloonist, “everything you told me is technically correct, but I’ve no idea what to make of your information, and the fact is I’m still lost. Frankly, you’ve not been much help at all. If anything, you’ve delayed my trip.”

 The woman below responded, “You must be in Senior Management.”

“I am,” replied the balloonist, “but how did you know?”

“Well,” said the woman, “you don’t know where you are or where you’re going. You have risen to where you are due to a large quantity of hot air. You made a promise which you’ve no idea how to keep, and you expect people beneath you to solve your problems. The fact is you are in exactly the same position you were in before we met, but now, somehow, it’s my fault.”

PMP EXAM PREPARATION

There are those times in life that getting to our destination just cannot happen fast enough. We’ve all heard the plaintive question (usually asked by children sitting in the back seat of a moving automobile), “are we there yet?”  You may find yourself asking the same question when it comes to being prepared to take the PMP Exam. Are we there yet? 

In my humble opinion, unless you’ve completed 35 hours of instructor led training, read the ALL-IN-ONE CAPM/PMP Project Management Certification Guide written by Joseph Phillips from cover to cover (cross referencing the PMBOK guide) and have successfully completed no less than twenty (20) hours of exam simulation testing (Transcender or other tools), you are probably NOT ready to take the exam. 

When it comes to exam preparation, there are no shortcuts.  This is one of the reasons I don’t refer to the tips I suggest as tricks.  Knowledge is king and it’s your job to thoroughly master the subject. It’s not good enough to ‘know what you don’t know”. You must “know what you know” thoroughly.  You are either ready or you are not. 

If you haven’t adequately prepared (see first paragraph), I advise you not to take the test.  Some things in life should not be rushed.  And there are things in life that cannot be rushed. Project Management Professional certification preparation falls into both categories.  Time must be allowed to internalize the subject matter.  You have to make it your own.

So don’t be too hard on yourself at this point.  Sit back and exhale.  Ah, doesn’t that feel better.  Make a plan and stick to it.  After all, you are the “project manager” of your life. Preparing for the PMP Exam is a project. Use the tools and techniques that you’ve been studying.  Build quality control and quality assurance into your plan. Don’t forget to add reserves for the unknown unknowns.  You know the drill…

"A project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service or result."