Have a PMP? Get in here

I'm studying to sit for the PMP in October. Any particular methods(s) and/or suggestions to help in prep for the exam?

I have the usual:

• PMBOK
• Flash cards
• Rita Mulcahy stuff
• Skillsoft CBTs

I've been told by several peeps, thus far, to think like the PMBOK is written. Any additional assistance would be much appreciated.

Study groups. Get with peers. I learned a lot just going to the local chapter mixers and talking with the other members.

There are also the PMP boot camps that work well too. I'm doing that. I have it scheduled the week before I am to take the test.

For some reason when I read the thread title, I thought this was going to be about Parallel Motion Protractors.

Then I saw PMBOK and knew I was way off base. Good luck on the test.

I did the week long class to get ready for the test but didn't take the test. (Some leadership training stuff... )

The one thing that I remember was to throw out what you know and replace it with what the PMBOK tells you. And for situational questions: don't blame, just take action. Always take action.

That's better than my misreading. I added an I..... seriously wondering what a thread about 70s Cadillacs was doing on GRM...

I can't help, I have no idea the subject.

In aircraft articles they use acronyms all the time assuming you know what it means. Writing Tech Manuals for the Army, I used the words the first time the reader saw it, but acronyms thereafter.

What's PMP? Or did you drop an i ?

Project Manager Professional, IIRC.

I was about to say start watching Superfly, Dolamite, and the Mack.

Anyway, good luck.

The PM Prepcast was the most valuable resource when I took the test. I listened to it in the car on the way to work. Although the guy's voice became more annoying over time, I learned a ton for not a lot of $$$.

https://www.project-management-prepcast.com/pmp-exam

I never read the PMBOK itself, but did read Rita's book. I also attended a 4 week long class that met all day on Saturday that was sponsored by my local PMI chapter.

The key to a successful test is having a good brain dump sheet to start from. If you can get that right, it makes the rest of the test much easier.

I thought I was back in corporate hell and being pressured to do my mid-year Performance Management Process (PMP). Twice a year we had to justify our existence by applying metrics to things that couldn't really be measured and were usually wildly out of our control.

Which lead to almost every employee resorting to sandbagging their accomplishments in order to do well on their end of year review. Meeting or barely exceeding your set goals was rewarded, but setting lofty goals and missing them meant a swift kick in the nuts.

Good luck on the Project Manager path. All the glory without the work, and if the project fails you get to blame the team. I know corporations with entire floors of PMs. The smart ones attach themselves to projects that get them in front of the higher executives, which can end up getting them promoted up & out of PM.

I worked with one of those project managers once. He would always say "The first thing they teach you in project manager school is..." I was writing SQL. There was a spec for the SQL to be written for the database. The data structure was all wrong. The data didn't fit what they had spec'ed out. I told this guy that and after about 5 emails back and forth (him in Toronto, me in Arkansas), he finally emails "I don't care if it's wrong, you code it the way it's written!" So I did. And forwarded his email all up the food chain to the EVP level, who told me on the phone "If that EVER happens again, let me know immediately." After it blew up and they asked me to just fix it, I told my boss that I was never, ever, going to work with that guy again and they could fire me, I didn't care. My boss said that everyone else on the team had already told him that. That guy went away. A year or so later, I get a request to work with this guy and there's that name again. I started in with "no chance in hell..." and immediately got "No, no, it's a different guy. Same name, different middle initial. Really, different guy..."

So, umm, good luck and all that, and listen to the people actually doing the work.

Shhhhh Slefain, That's exactly what I'm doing.

But in all seriousness, if the organization doesn't hold the project manager responsible for the success or failure of the projects they are leading then that is an organizational shortfall but that is a different subject all together.

Strike_Zero wrote: I'm studying to sit for the PMP in October. Any particular methods(s) and/or suggestions to help in prep for the exam? I have the usual: - PMBOK - Flash cards - Rita Mulcahy stuff - Skillsoft CBTs I've been told by several peeps, thus far, to think like the PMBOK is written. Any additional assistance would be much appreciated.

You got it

In reply to dj06482:

Thanks!!

In reply to slefain:

That close to the plan. No matter how well I perform, the mgrs above my mgr only see a title (Sys Engr). That and most other opportunities in my area have PMP as a requirement (see other thread of education vs the job).

In reply to Dr. Hess:

While I'm come from a technical background, I don't know or pretend to know everything. The team and their collective knowledge/experience was essential in achieving success in past projects I managed. Trust me I won't make that mistake of dismissing the knowledge of the team . . .

In reply to Flight Serivce:

Thanks!!

Appleseed wrote: I was about to say start watching Superfly, Dolamite, and the Mack. Anyway, good luck.

I was thinking purple fur hat and a leather trench coat. Otherwise I got nothin'

Good luck though!!

It's Friday . . . walked out as a normal dude . . . Came back as a PMP!!

You need a new outfit then....

Congrats! Time for a nice cold one to start the weekend and celebrate.

In reply to mblommel:

Thanks! I needed a good laugh!!

In reply to bmw88rider:

Man yea!! Now I have some time actually work some cars . . .

Good Job

Just one question, did you Gant chart your study plan?

In reply to Strike_Zero:

I wrote my PMP in August. I did all the things you did, plus I took a 5 day boot camp the week before my exam. The one I took was delivered from the PMI and I think it helped me clear my head before the exam.

Also, learn all the formulas. It really helps to know them by heart, it reduces your stress during the exam.

If you have any questions, feel free to PM me.

Good luck

In reply to Flight Service:

What if I said yes . . .

In reply to eastpark:

I decided to bypass the Rita material, made my own notes and flashcards from the PMBOK, and went throught a 2 month cohort (Skillsoft CBTs + Live and recorded sessions) my company sponsors. It paid off VERY well.

I took 3hr 58min 30sec to take the exam. This dork is throughly whipped . . . Where's my 2nd beer??

You can now start calling anyone you disagree with, "FOO!" or "SUCKA."