A Complete How to Guide for the PMP Aspirants

Disclaimer

I have made every effort to give you my best advice, tricks, and techniques. However, there is no

guarantee that you will pass the exam by utilizing the techniques or ideas mentioned in this

eBook.

Ideas and guidelines given in this eBook are for informational purposes only. Your level of

success depends on you, and how you plan your strategy and devote yourself to the exam

preparation. I am not responsible for any actions or damages caused by reading or applying

guidelines or techniques given in this eBook.

This eBook has many links to recommended sites, resources, and books that I consider useful for

the PMP Exam preparation. Before purchasing or downloading any product or service, you must

verify the suitability and integrity of the source. I do not take any responsibility regarding the

performance, effectiveness, applicability, content accuracy, current validity, or any other implied

or explicit purpose of any site, product, or book listed in this eBook.

Although I will try my best to keep this eBook updated and current, there is no guarantee that the

information and resources referred within this eBook will remain valid or updated.

For the most accurate, recent, and authenticated information about the PMP exam, please browse

www.pmi.org and read the PMP handbook.

If there is any conflict between the information given in this eBook and the PMP Handbook, you

should assume that the PMP Handbook to be correct.

This eBook is not intended as legal advice. The reader of this eBook assumes all responsibility

for the use of these materials and information.

Copyright © 2013 by PM Study Circle All rights reserved. You’re free to use material available in this eBook for your personal use as you

wish. However, no part of this eBook may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means

without the express permission from the author.

http://PMStudyCircle.com

fahad@pmstudycircle.com

PMP, PMBOK Guide, PMI and REP are registered trademarks of Project Management Institute

(PMI), USA.

Affiliate Disclosure

This report contains some affiliate links from which I may earn commission. However, this will

not affect your purchase price. If you are in doubt as to whether a particular link is such an

affiliate link, you should assume it is an affiliate link.

A Complete How to Guide for PMP Aspirants

If you want to become a PMP, you are preparing for the PMP, or you already hold the PMP

certification, this eBook is designed for you.

This eBook will guide you through every step, highlighting the procedure that will help you pass

the PMP certification exam.

…but wait, the valuable information you’re looking for doesn’t stop there! In this eBook, you

will discover how you can earn 60 PDUs and complete the CCR (Continuing Certification

Requirements) Cycle, so that your PMP credential could be renewed for an additional three

years.

Okay, let’s get started!

Eligibility

In order to apply for the PMP certification exam, you must fulfill these three requirements:

1. Education: You must hold a four year bachelor degree, or a diploma (or any equivalent)

in any discipline.

2. Experience: You must have a minimum number of hours of project management

experience. If you’re a degree holder, then you should have at least 4,500 hours (three

years), and if you’re a diploma holder, then you should have at least 7,500 hours (five

years) of experience in leading and directing projects.

3. Training: You are also required to attend a 35 hour training program for formal project

management education.

Ensure that you satisfy these requirements before applying for the PMP certification exam.

Collect Information

Next, you will have to collect all of the information available for your PMP exam preparation.

Visit www.pmi.org in your computer’s browser. Download the PMP Handbook and read it, one

word at a time.

Go to http://PMStudyCircle.com and browse the PMP FAQs. Here you will find many

Frequently Asked Questions that will help you out significantly.

(If you do not find the answer to your particular query, post it in the comment section, or send an

email. A valid answer will be found for you.)

Study Materials

Once you’re equipped with all of that valuable information, start collecting the study materials.

Your study materials may consist of reference books, slides, notes, videos, podcasts and exam

preparation software with question banks and simulated tests, etc.

It’s advisable that you buy any two good PMP Exam Preparation books. Some renowned books

are as follows:

Head First PMP

Rita Mulcahy

Kim Heldman

Andy Crowe

Pre-Study

Before you go any further, it is highly recommended that you to join the PMI membership

because it will help you tremendously in your preparation.

Some benefits of PMI membership are as follows:

You will get a discount on the PMP certification exam fee and this discount will

outweigh the membership cost you paid to PMI.

You can download the digital copy of the latest version of the PMBOK Guide

FREE of cost, along with the PMBOK Guide. You can freely download many

other standards and frameworks from the PMI site as well.

You will get discounts for many online courses and books available at the PMI

store.

You’ll get several magazines published by the PMI on a monthly and a quarterly

basis FREE of cost. Examples: PM Network, PMI Today, Project Management

Journal.

And much more…

I hope these benefits are enough to motivate you to get your PMI membership.

Anyway, back to the topic at hand.

Once you have collected all of the information, study materials, and joined the PMI, I highly

advise you to start your pre-study now.

I’m calling it pre-study because you don’t know about anything as of yet, and you don’t have

your 35 contact hours.

It is extremely important for you to start with pre-study because once you study the subject; you

will get a much better idea about the various project management concepts and PMP

methodologies.

Start with any good PMP exam reference book and complete it. Then, read the PMBOK Guide. I

recommend not starting with the PMBOK Guide because it tends to be a very dry and juiceless

read. That being said, if you start your studies with the PMBOK Guide, I’m afraid you may lose

interest entirely.

“Start with any PMP reference book. Then, read the PMBOK Guide.”

In my exam preparation, I made a grave mistake…And I don’t want you to repeat my mistake.

When I started my preparation for the PMP exam, I collected some information and joined the

training program. However, before joining the training program, I didn’t read any reference

books or the PMBOK Guide. This was my biggest mistake.

During the training, there were several topics which were new to me. Many of my classmates

were discussing those topics, and I was sitting silently listening to them. It was an embarrassing

situation for me, and I certainly don’t want you to go through the same experience.

I wished that I had studied a reference book or the PMBOK Guide at least once.

That being said, I suggest you read any good PMP exam reference book, and the PMBOK Guide

before starting the 35 contact hours training program.

Training Program

Now, it’s time to commence the 35 contact hours of the Training Program.

Nowadays, you will see different types of training program providers, who provide training for

the 35 contact hours. However, there are two types of training providers who have proven to be

more popular than the rest:

Classroom Training Providers

Online Training Providers

Classroom Training Providers: In this type of training model, you will have class for a few

days, and upon completion of training program, you will get a certificate of attendance.

Benefits of Classroom Training Programs:

The sessions are interactive.

You’ll complete the course in short time span.

You will get the chance to meet with cross-industry professionals.

Drawbacks of Classroom Training Programs:

It is very costly.

These programs are usually held in large cities. If you don’t live there, you may

have to travel.

The seats are limited.

The schedule is fixed. You have to make time as per their schedule.

Online Training Providers: These days, online training program are becoming more popular

because of their flexibility and ease of use.

Benefits of Online Training Programs:

They are much cheaper than the classroom training programs.

You can join them at any time from any place in the world.

There is no seat limitation.

You have enough time to complete the course.

Drawbacks of Online Training Programs:

The sessions are not very interactive.

Responses to your questions may be late.

Since these programs provide you with enough time to complete it, you may feel

lazy and may not take full advantage of it.

Here are a few renowned & affordable online PMP 35 contact hours training program providers:

PM Prepcast ($179.99 USD)

Whizlabs ($174.95 USD)

Simplilearn ($75.00 USD)

It’s all about the type of training program and it’s up to you which training program you choose

for yourself. However, beware: try to get your contact hours from the PMI approved REP only.

There are many benefits of getting the contact hours from the PMI approved REPs:

Their course content is in line with the PMBOK Guide. It is reviewed and

approved by the PMI.

In case of an audit, you will not be required to submit the course content because

you already attended a pre-approved course. It will save you a lot of headaches.

Apply for the Exam

You have two options to apply for the PMP certification exam. The first option is in paper form,

and the second one is online.

The information required in both formats is the same, but processing for the online method is

much quicker than the paper method. Therefore, I recommend you go with the online option.

The application form is categorized into three sections. The information required in each section

is as follows:

In the first section, you have to fill in general information.

In the second section, you have to fill in your project management experience.

In the third section, you will be required to provide details of your 35 contact

hours training program.

You have the option to fill in this form over a course of many sessions. You can fill in part of the

form and save it. Then, when you have time, you can go back to complete it. * Please note: Once

you start the process, you must complete it within 90 days.

Fill in the form completely, and submit to PMI.

PMI takes at least one week to review the application. Once your application is reviewed and

approved, PMI will send you an email with instructions on how to proceed further. Now you may

proceed with making the payment.

PMI Audit

When you make the payment, there is a chance that you may be selected for an audit.

It’s not just you…Almost every PMP aspirant who applies for this exam has the audit phobia,

and they are scared about what could happen if he is selected to be audited.

Believe me, a PMI audit is nothing that you should worry about. I have never seen a single

candidate fail it.

During the audit process, PMI will ask you to provide them with some documentation; e.g.

photocopies of your education certificates, experience certificates, and the 35 contact hours

program.

Send them these documents via mail and you are done.

PMI may also contact your previous bosses, so be sure to inform them about your audit process.

In one week’s time, PMI will inform you of your audit outcome. If PMI is satisfied with your

documents, they will send you an email containing a code. You can now go to the Prometric site

and schedule the exam with this code.

However, if PMI finds some discrepancy in your documentation, they may ask you for further

clarification.

Once you’re selected for an audit, you have 90 days to complete it.

Schedule the Exam

* Please note: This is a very important step! You must schedule your exam within three months’

time, as soon as your application gets approved.

You may be unable to seriously focus on your studies until you schedule your exam. Once you

schedule your exam, the clock will start ticking and you will start your test preparation seriously,

aggressively, passionately and punctually.

Exam Preparation

No one can tell you how you should prepare for your exam and you should not follow the study

blueprint of any other person. You must plan your strategy according to your own needs and

suitability and stick with it. Otherwise, you won’t be able to enjoy your reading and may feel like

it’s a burden.

Some people say that early morning is best time to study. I have never studied in the morning.

Honestly, I tried many times, but failed miserably. I find it very difficult to wake up early in the

morning. I used to study in the evening and then through the late night.

You’re free to follow your own style. If you’re comfortable with early morning studies, go with

it. Otherwise, don’t force yourself.

Now, comes creating your study plan. I’m not going to dictate to you the exact procedure, but I’ll

try to guide you in such a way that no corner is left unturned, and you will be able to study more

efficiently.

Okay, here is the Strategic Study Plan:

Pick any good PMP exam reference book, and read it thoroughly from cover to cover. Once you

read it, go through the PMBOK Guide. Try to understand the concepts and logic behind the each

process. Pay attention to process flow. Visualize the relation among the Input, Tools &

Techniques and Output (ITTOs) and process flow.

Refer to the manuals, notes, and the slides, which you have collected or you have been given by

your training provider.

Repeat this process as many times as necessary until you are comfortable with it. Try to read the

PMBOK Guide at least three times. It will give you a better understanding about the process

flow and ITTOs.

Solve the questions given at the end of each chapter of your reference books.

Now you’re ready for next stage…

Try to purchase any good sample question bank from any well-known source. Some good

resources are as follows:

PMP Question Bank ($5.00 USD)

PM Exam Simulator by OSP International ($89.99 USD)

Whizlabs PMP Exam Simulator ($124.95 USD)

PM Perfect Practice Exam ($59.00 USD)

These packages contain enough practice questions. Attempt them and find your weak areas and

then work on improving them. Then attempt the simulated tests, and see where you are ranking.

Change your focus to account for any issues, if required.

On several PMP exam forums, I see that many PMP aspirants are desperately seeking sample

PMP questions and study materials. Believe me, if you have the materials suggested by me in

this eBook, you won’t have any difficulty passing the exam.

Attempting too many questions and mock tests will waste your time, demoralize you and most

importantly, it is not needed at all.

Try to solve questions available from authentic and reliable sources only.

The PMP exam is based on the PMBOK Guide. Therefore, read it as many times as you can.

Prometric Center

Try to reach the Prometric Center half an hour before the scheduled test time. This will give you

enough time to complete the formalities. If you don’t know the location of the exam center, visit

it one day before and find the correct location.

It will take 10 to 15 minutes to complete the formalities, and then you will be allowed to enter

the test room.

The Exam

Once you click the start button, you will be immediately familiarized with all display options and

how to use them - e.g. how to select an answer, how to use a calculator, etc.

Time allotted for this session is 15 minutes, though you may complete it sooner and start the

exam.

I suggest that you should not end this session very early. Utilize the full 15 minutes.

Go through the awareness session quickly, and use any remaining time to write down some

important and critical formulas or concepts that you find difficult to remember. You can use the

paper provided by the prometric staff.

After you complete your familiarization session, your test will begin.

You have to attempt 200 questions in four hours (1.2 minutes per question). I assure you that if

you’re well prepared, four hours is sufficient to answer 200 questions.

I have seen in many forums and blogs that people who passed their PMP exam on average (most

of them) took two and half to three hours to complete the test. The remaining time they utilize to

review answers.

During the test, you’re allowed to take the breaks, but there is no concession in time. Your clock

will be continuously ticking; therefore take only a short break.

During my exam I took two breaks to freshen myself.

Take your time, complete the exam, and submit the answers.

After you submit your answers, you will be taken to a survey. After completing the survey, your

result will be displayed.

“I hope you see the congratulatory message!”

Please note that in the PMP exam there is no negative marking. Therefore, it is in your best

interest to attempt all questions. For few questions you will be clueless about the answers, so

select your best guess in this case. The point is: never leave any question unanswered.

If you pass the test, hopefully within 24 hours you will get an email from the PMI and your name

will be added to the PMI registry. You will receive your certificate within eight weeks of passing

the exam.

Before moving further, let us summarize all the important steps once again:

Check your eligibility.

Collect all information regarding the PMP certification exam.

Collect study materials (e.g. books, notes, manuals and slides, etc.)

Join the PMI membership.

Start reading the PMP exam reference books.

Go through the PMBOK Guide.

Attend a 35 contact hours training program for formal project management education.

Apply for the PMP exam and schedule it.

Start preparing rigorously.

Attempt the exam and pass it.

Come to PM Study Circle and share your lessons learned.

If You Failed

Don’t worry if you failed in your first attempt. You still have two more attempts to pass the

exam. I have seen a survey (I don’t remember where I saw it) which says that the chances for

passing the PMP exam on the second time increases drastically. Therefore, you now have a

higher probability of passing the exam than you did on the first attempt.

The PMP exam is not as tough as many people think. Most people who failed the exam blame

their poor preparation for their failure. I believe that if you follow the guidelines given in this

eBook and prepare accordingly, passing the PMP exam will not be difficult for you.

If You Passed

Congratulations!!!

Continue reading…

Bonus Section: 60 PDUs

The beauty of PMP certification is that it encourages you to keep yourself updated with new

skills, participate in various project management activities, and help the community.

PMI encourages this practice by incorporating a CCR cycle clause. Under the CCR Cycle you

have to earn 60 professional development units (PDU) within three years, and report to PMI. If

you do so, your credential will be further renewed for three years. Otherwise, you may have to

take the PMP exam again to retain this credential.

There are many categories under which you can earn these PDUs - e.g. by participating in

webinars and PMI’s local chapter meetings, self-directed learning, continuing education, and

giving back to community, etc.

Earning PDUs

Although there are various ways and hundreds of resources to earn the PDUs but I’m going to

give you few free and paid resources that will help you to achieve your target.

Free resources: Here you can find categories A, B, C & F PDUs.

Category-A & B

Corped Group: They have about 45 recorded webinars, and some are scheduled. By

attending or watching the recorded webinars you claim about 30 category A PDUs.

Browse Corped Group’s Webinars

IAG Consulting: Here you can earn 12 PDUs. I enquired about the category of these

webinars to IAG Consulting and they said that it is category 2 (old classification),

however I believe that now they are under category B.

Browse IAG Consulting’s Webcasts

PMI Communities: PMI also provides you many opportunities to earn the PDUs by

participating with their activities. The easiest way is to join their various communities

and attend their webinars to earn category A PDUs.

Browse PMI Communities

Category-C

Category-C is for Self Directed Learning. It is the easiest category to earn PDUs. To earn PDUs

under this category, you have to read, listen or watch something related to project management.

To earn PDUs under this category, I suggest that you buy or borrow any project management

related book and read it. Once you complete the reading, you can claim the PDUs.

In this category, you can earn 30 PDUs.

Category-F

If you’re working as a professional in project management, you can claim 15 PDUs per CCR

cycle or 5 PDUs per year.

I believe that above links are more than adequate to provide you the required 60 PDUs to

complete the CCR cycle.

Paid PDUs: If you want to gain a lot of PDUs in one shot, or are interested in learning new

skills, you may opt for the paid option.

Here I’m going to list few paid resources for you.

Six Sigma Green Belt – Online Training Course 30 PDUs @ 99.99 USD

This course consists of seven full length audio-video chapters based on the ASQBOK, with three full

length practice tests.

Click here for more details

Six Sigma Black Belt – Online Training Course 30 PDUs @ 124.99 USD

This course consist of six full length audio-video chapters based on ASQBOK with two full length practice

tests.

Click here for more details

Microsoft® SharePoint 2010 – Online Training Course 30 PDUs @ 85 USD

This program has 10 modules covering advanced techniques in MS SharePoint 2010. Access is for one

year.

Click here for more details

Microsoft Project 2007 & 2010 – Online Training Course 30 PDUs @ 115 USD

This program has 15 modules covering advanced techniques in MS Project 2007 & 2010. Access is for

one year.

Click here for more details

Microsoft® Excel 2010 – Online Training Course 20 PDUs @ 60 USD

In this course you will get 4 modules for beginners, intermediate and advanced levels. Access is for one

year.

Click here for more details

Online PRINCE2® Foundation Preparation – Standard Course 30 PDUs @ 114.99

This course is APMG-UK accredited e-learning courseware and it contains 13 full-length audio-video

chapters and 2 PRINCE2 foundation simulation tests.

Click here for more details

Agile and Scrum Training for Professionals – Online Training Course 14 PDUs @ 59.99 USD

Here, you will get 10 full length audio video chapters with downloadable eBook for offline reference.

Click here for more details

Thank you for reading this eBook.