Business Construction Management Engineering Project Management

How to Prepare for PMP Certification Exam

PMP prepare

Passing the PMP test requires a significant level of effort and comprehensive preparation. Regardless of your experience or education, serious and thorough exam preparation is essential.

People with more than a decade of project management experience have previously failed simply because they misunderstood the difference between being a successful project manager and passing the PMP exam. Most successful PMP candidates spend 35 hours or more preparing for the exam, so allow ample time for preparation before taking the exam.

What is PMP certification?

Project Management Professional (PMP) certification is an industry-recognized credential for project managers. PMP illustrates the experience, education, skills and competencies needed to lead and direct projects. PMP is the most sought-after credential administered by the Project Management Institute (PMI), USA.

Project Management Professionals are imperative in every field of industry. Demand is made in terms of skills requirements that vary between different industries and geographies. As per the 2014 PMI survey report, there will be tremendous opportunities for project management practitioners. As companies recruit people from a range of cultural backgrounds, the need for project managers with a standard set of skills is growing.

Project managers will be expected to conduct system reorganization tasks, turn the strategic vision into tangible objectives and ensure successful and negotiated results, while balancing various project constraints.

Decide Whether PMP Is Right For You

If you’re joining a PMP preparation post, most probably, you’ve chosen to get ready for PMP certification. And you’re looking for ways to prepare for the PMP exam. In any case, I wanted to highlight if the preparation for PMP is right for you.

PMP certification is, of course, one of the most prestigious certifications for project management. However, PMP may not be the perfect match for you. There are other certifications for project management such as Prince2.

In some cases especially if you are in the UK or Europe, the certification of Prince2 might be a better certification to get first. You should read the contrast of Prince2 vs PMP to better understand the certification of Prince2 and PMP.

After checking other project management certification alternatives, you need to be confident that studying for the PMP exam is appropriate for you. The preparation of PMP requires significant investment both in terms of the budget and in terms of time. Therefore, make sure that the preparation for the PMP certification exam is right for you.

How to Get Your PMP Certification?

It is a commitment to earn your PMP certification, that’s why it is valuable. Do you have experience in real-world project management that has contributed to the success? Great—you’ve finished the toughest part of it. Before applying, make sure you meet the following set of PMP Certification requirements:

  • A four-year degree
  • 36 months leading projects
  • 35 hours of project management education/training or CAPM® Certification

— OR —

  • A high school diploma or an associate’s degree (or global equivalent)
  • 60 months leading projects
  • 35 hours of project management education/training or CAPM® Certification

Learn more about the PMP Certification Requirements

Choose the Best PMP Training

There is not a single best” training for PMP. Although some PMP candidates choose to study from a PMP book, the PMP training courses are more useful to some others. Although some PMP candidates prefer PMP training courses in the classroom, some prefer PMP training courses online. You need to see all the PMP training options available and choose the right PMP training option for you.

Since 2010, there has been a certain change in the majority of PMP candidates opting for online PMP training options. In addition, PMP candidates opt for online PMP training options, compared to other PMP candidates who chose offline methods, score better in the PMP exam. The primary reason for this is that online PMP materials are flexible, accessible, and students can study at their own pace.

When choosing your PMP preparation course, be careful if the PMP training is updated on the basis of the latest PMBOK content. Another thing you need to check is their latest student reviews. Make sure that their preparation meets the 35-hour project management requirements of the PMP exam and that they have successful PMP students.

Recommended PMP Online Training:

Enroll Now for PMP® Certification Exam Training
Special Discount !!! 90% off on PMP Certification

Come up with a study plan

You should start treating your PMP® certification as a project and prepare a studying plan which covers all the activities that would help you to be PMP certified. But the core element in your plan is to have a well-defined study plan. You should break your study sessions into smaller chunks and prepare a study plan which includes timelines to read PMBOK®, practice mock tests, study different materials, etc.

Review the latest edition of PMBOK Guide and self-study books

Regardless of whatever reference material you need to concentrate on to plan for your PMP confirmation exam, the PMPBOK Guide is the suggested study material for all the PMP hopefuls. Page number 61 of the guide contains a table that shows the relationship between 13 Knowledge Areas and 5 Process Groups with 47 processes. It further clarifies how these are pertinent to extend the board.

As a candidate, you should be intensive with this table and draw this table on a bit of paper shortly while showing up for your exam. The equivalent can be utilized as a kind of perspective in addressing the 200 exam questions. Other than the PMBOK® Guide, you can likewise survey other examination guides distributed by trustworthy preparing associations.

Utilize the PMP Materials

After enrolling in the PMP training course, follow the lectures carefully. If training materials for PMP include handouts, make your own notes on the handouts in order to remember important concepts. These notes would be crucial if you’ve learned a lot during your training and if you’ve needed to remember past topics.

At the end of each section of the PMP Knowledge Field, make sure you understand all the specifics of the topic. If there are end-of-section quizzes or tests, make sure you score more than 70% of each quiz. The PMP passing score answers 61% of the questions correctly. However, make sure you score more than 70% in order to be confident about the PMP exam.

When your PMP training is complete, go through your notes to note important PMP topics before you have completed your PMP test. If you feel like you have not understood the information area well, go through the PMP materials again. To make the best use of your PMP materials, you can learn more about the PMP study plan.

Prepare for PMP Exam With Sample PMP Questions

Choosing the optimum PMP preparation and understanding of PMP content is essential to the success of the PMP exam. There’s no question about this. However, practicing with a number of types of PMP issues is as relevant as enrolling in comprehensive PMP training. When you see various types of PMP questions, you would be more confident to sit on the PMP exam as well.

There are a variety of sample PMP questions on the site. Be careful about PMP questions you can see if they are up to date based on the most recent PMBOK updates. Solving real-like PMP questions will build your confidence in the PMP exam. When you sit down for a real PMP test, you’ll feel like you’ve had the same exam before.

When practicing with a sample of PMP questions, take notes for the incorrect answers. If you make too many errors about questions coming from a different area of knowledge, repeat the lectures. Write down notes for the wrong answers you’ve given and go through them while you’re going through your notes as well.

Recommended PMP Q & A:

100 PMP Questions and Answers

The Bottom Line

At the point when you start with your preparation for the PMP certification exam, you should remember that attaining the PMP certification shows your commitment to the profession of project management and demonstrates your credibility to earn more as well as raising the value of your resume above the non-certified professionals. Remembering these focuses will clearly assist you with abstaining from getting debilitate during your certification process.