Key Project Management Observations

I am missing one contact hour needed for PMP certification.  Where can I get my last contact hour?

Track down your local PMI chapter and attend an event that includes at least a 1 hour presentation. (i.e. not just a networking event.) This can count as your 1 remaining contact hour. Make sure that your attendance is recorded, and keep a copy of all handouts, presentation outlines etc.

As mentioned in our previous post, a new Project Management Professional (PMP)® examination will be released on 31 August 2011.  In the past, PMI has required candidates to track and report their hours of experience leading and directing projects for different tasks within each domain (Process Group).  On 31 August, PMI will update the PMP application to require candidates to track and report their hours only for each domain (Process Group).  Any candidates who have an application in progress at the time the change is made will have their experience hours migrated to the new application, so that no data is lost.

These changes are minor, should make the application process a little bit easier,  and shouldn’t cause an inconvenience for those candidates who are already into the application process.

As PMI transitions to a new PMP examination after August 31st,  they need to update the examination reporting processes. This means for a short period of time examination results will not be available immediately following the exam. There will be a 4–6 week period between taking the examination and receiving the results via email. A delay like this is necessary any time an exam changes, to validate the new examination structure. In particular, note the following details about the delivery of the examination results.

• Candidates who take the updated computer-based examination on or after 31 August will not receive immediate results at the Prometric testing center.
• Candidates taking the updated paper-based examination can also expect a delay in receiving their examination results.
• Once PMI validates the new examination structure (by mid-October) they will be able to resume providing individuals with immediate results at the Prometric testing center.
• Each PMP candidate will receive a communication to notify them when their results are available at PMI.org.
• All candidates can expect to receive their examination results by mid-October.

It’s a fact: today’s organizations are more likely to pursue PMI-certified project managers.  PMI credentials are valued by organizations for three major reasons:

• Recognition and Prestige. PMI credentials are used as a measure of competency when competing for new business opportunities. Because the credentials are global, an organization can enhance its reputation as an international player, which it might not otherwise have been able to accomplish.  For example: Global engineering firm CH2M HILL cites the Project Management Professional (PMP) credential and the PMBOK Guide as contributors to them winning the contract to enhance the Panama Canal. In 2014, Panama will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the opening with a newly completed third set of locks, expanding the canal’s size and capacity.
• The Power to Attract the Best of the Best. Certifications are indicative of an organization’s devotion to and investment in that profession. When there are more qualified people in the labor pool, such as in our current economy, companies can choose to hire only the most qualified individuals. Since 2003, Standish Group has been tracking the number of employers who require PMI certifications or their equivalent. Between 2003 and 2010, this figure has increased from 11% to 42%. In just this past year alone the figure has increased from 31% to 42%!
• A Way to Attract Younger Professionals. Organizations are examining how to capture Millenials (a.k.a. Generation Y: those born between 1982 and 2000) to build and propel corporate growth. Almost 3 out of 4 Millenials expect to seek a post-graduate degree or certification.

In general, PMI credentials increase an organization’s confidence that employees have a consistent understanding of project management. In turn, they increase customer confidence by showing that employees meet set standards and are consistent in their practice.

While credentials are only one element of a career development plan, they also help with retention by providing an opportunity for professional development, advancement and recognition.

Getting a project management certification is a commitment.  Make sure you choose the one that’s right for you – the one that best fits your current expertise and your future plans.  No one certificate is a pre-requisite for another, and you can apply for any one that matches your qualifications.  PMI’s main two certifications are:

Project Management Professional (PMP): This is the most globally-recognized and independently validated credential for professional project managers – perfect if you have demonstrated experience and competence in leading project teams.  If you’re an experienced project manager looking to solidify your skills, stand out to employers and maximize your earning potential, the PMP is the right choice for you.

Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM): This is a good entry-level certification if you’re new to project management or still figuring out your career path.  If you’re a less experienced project manager looking to demonstrate your commitment to project management, improve your ability to manage larger projects or earn additional responsibility, and stand out to potential employers, the CAPM is right for you.

PMI was the first organization to offer credentials specifically for project managers. Today, their certification program remains the global standard, and their certifications are a pre-requisite for a significant number of positions. Right now (based on PMI data):

• Approximately 20% of the worlds GDP is spent on projects.
• Approximately 20 million people practice project management.
• 80% of high performing projects use a credentialed project manager.
• There are over 400,000 PMI credential holders in 170 countries, compared with fewer than 10,000 in 1997, mostly in North America.

PMI’s two most popular certifications are the PMP (Project Management Professional) and CAPM (Certified Associate in Project Management). PMI credentials provide:

• Flexibility: PMI credentials are not based on one specific methodology, making them flexible and adaptable. Those who hold PMI credentials can easily transfer them between industries, market segments or geographic locations.
• Applicability: PMI continually conducts in-depth studies to ensure that the credentials actually reflect the current skills, knowledge and best practices needed to succeed in today’s business world.
• Commitment: PMI’s credential maintenance program requires credential holders to continually develop skills and stay current by requiring a specific number of professional development units (PDUs) for each credential.
• Earning Potential: Project Management Professional (PMP) credential holders earn up to 10% higher salaries than non-credential holders, according to the PMI Salary Survey — Sixth Edition, 2009.
• Instant Recognition: Tremendous marketability comes from the prestige of PMI credentials. PMI has provided project management certifications for over 25 years, and the PMP credential was the first one designed specifically for project managers.

One of the eligibility criteria for the CAPM certification requires a candidate to complete 23 hours of project management training. PMI is updating this requirement so that candidates have more time to log these educational hours during the application cycle. Starting now, instead of having to complete 23 hours of project management education at the time of application submission, they must agree to complete the 23 hours of education before they sit for their examination.

As my previous blog mentioned, on Saturday I answered all the sample questions in the Key Consulting binder, my first and only time to look at them.   I didn’t review any material prior to answering the questions, so that my responses would be indicative of what I knew about project management rather than what I just read in a book.   Since the questions were grouped by knowledge areas, the percentage of questions I missed in each category gave a clear indication of where I needed to focus my efforts in the time remaining (about 36 hours) until my exam.  There was cause to be concerned since the test doesn’t include an equal number of questions from each category; some of my weakest, like risk, are more heavily represented on the exam.  And to my chagrin, I didn’t do well with the HR questions, a section deemed to be on the easier side for most people.

Based on my not so great results with the simulated test questions on Saturday, I devised a strategy.

It was too late to change my appointment at the test center.  I’d take the exam and if I failed, I would continue to study for a few more weeks and try again.  This was hardly an ideal scenario, but knowing I had a Plan B for the very real possibility of not passing the first time took a little pressure off.

Recognizing I had a realistic option if I failed the first time allowed me to focus on a strategy for increasing my knowledge in a short time in the hopes of successfully passing on Monday.    College students call this cramming!

Beginning Saturday night, I read the chapters that were giving me trouble in Rita Mulcahy’s book for a second time.  On Sunday I devoted several consecutive hours to reading.   Why had I waited until the last minute to figure out how to calculate early and late starts and finishes on a network diagram?!  Feeling frustrated, I turned to the procurement chapter to read.  Procurement is one of my strong suits, but there were still lots of new terms and concepts I needed to review in order to be prepared.   I can’t sit still for hours at a time so when I needed to get up and walk around, I grabbed a pile of the flashcards I’d made with project management terms, definitions and formulas to go through.  Also, I put everything together I’d be taking to the test center in the morning.

After dinner on Sunday evening there were still a few earned value terms and formulas I hadn’t nailed down — yikes!  Since I’m a morning person, I was feeling tired.  I called it a day after reviewing some areas I’d highlighted in red ink in the book.

I woke up before 4 a.m. on Monday, the BIG day.  There was an hour and a half before I had to get ready to leave for the test center.   I whipped out the flash cards and turned to pages in the Rita Mulcahy book I’d marked with critical content.  By the time I was driving to the test center, I could verbalize every earned value formula.   I checked in at the test center, but before I  put my purse in a locker I sat down and went through all my flashcards one final time.

What were my impressions of the exam?  The questions were generally not as long and complicated as I expected.  A few, just a few, were downright easy to answer.  There were more acronyms used in questions and response choices than I expected, a couple of which I didn’t know.  The questions very much tested both your knowledge and your project management experience (since they so often ask what to do in a particular situation).   It was a hard test for me and I didn’t expect to pass, nor was I convinced I could do that much better if I studied for a few more weeks and took it again.

After finishing, you’re not kept in suspense.  Up pop the results on the computer screen.  I passed!

If you have experience working on larger projects in companies using formal project management, the test shouldn’t be as challenging as it was for me.  If you have more time to study for taking the exam, you’ll probably feel more prepared than I did.  If you’re like me, leading a busy life (with little time to devote to studying) and not having worked in an organization using formal project management (despite having managed many projects), I hope my experience demonstrates that you can successfully pass the PMP exam.

Yesterday I went through the sample exam questions in the binder from the prep course I took almost 2 months ago.  I feel good about the questions I could answer with confidence, while other choices were guesses — highlighting my knowledge gaps and/or my inability to correctly choose between what seemed to me to be tricky options.

Today I’ve singled out chapters to read for a second time in Rita Mulcahy’s PMP exam prep book, pages with vital information with which to become familiar and a few more formulas I haven’t committed to memory yet.

With that, let me get back to studying……