Top 5 Specific Preparation plan for PMP Exam

One good Study Plan for PMP that I often recommend to my students is as follows.

Quickly enroll in a PMP Exam Preparation Workshop in your city. You can most certainly find one, and you can look up our PMP Training Directory if you need assistance. PMI has local chapters in major cities in almost each country, so you can ask the local PMI chapter for assistance, recommendations or suggestions of upcoming PMP boot-camps.PMP Training These boot-camps may be 4 day or 5 day in length, are are quite intensive. Some companies even run them on weekends, so you don't have to take leave from your busy project schedule. Another alternative to Classroom Training is to Study Online for your PMP Exam. Yes, you can do this now, and study at your own time and convenience. Using Online PMP Exam Preparation Classes, you can also get the 35 PDUs or Contact hours, and they are considered valid for the PMP Exam. 1

2 Assess the gap in your knowledge: After you've attended the PMP Exam Preparation training of usually 35 contact hours ( a pre-requisite of PMI before you can take the exam), you will realize how big is the gap in your knowledge and the PMI's project management framework. You should ask questions such as: * In which knowledge areas do I have the least knowledge? * In which kind of organization types have I never worked at? * What kind of HR theories do I follow, and which are new to me? * What kind of professional and social ethics are the norm in my company and my country? * Is there a significant difference in my understanding and the best practices? With the answers, you will be able to assess the amount of study you need to do, and how close or far you are from the PMP Certification exam.

Filling up the PMP Certification Application Form: The next thing you should do is to fill up your PMP Certification application at the PMI website. It generally gets approved within a week, if not audited, and you can then straight away take the Code given to you to schedule your exam at the Prometric website. In Singapore, there are now 2 Prometric centers, and it takes at least 6 to 8 weeks before you can get a free slot for the exam. This is a boon in disguise, because you DO need atleast 6-8 weeks of earnest study time, to fill the knowledge gap, and prepare for the PMP exam properly. After all, you do want to pass it in your first attempt. It isn't cheap and you are probably stealing time away from your family, so get it right the first time. 3

4 Firm up Your Study Plan in earnest: Once you know your PMP certification exam date, you can then work backwards to today, and calculate the amount of days you have left at hand. This is all you have now, so use it wisely.PMP certification A good study plan is to ensure you have enough time to read, understand, and try your hand at mock PMP exam questions. Get the PMP Exam Preparation Books, and start reading. You can also start with the PMBOK Guide, but it not a very easy read, and is commonly known as the remedy to cure insomnia. If you can't sleep, start reading any chapter, and within a couple of pages, you might be fast asleep. My recommendation is to read Rita Mulchahy's PMP Exam Prep Book, 6th Edition, which aligns to the PMBOK Guide Fourth edition. By the way, both books are easily available at Amazon or your nearest bookstore.

5 Suggested PMP Exam Study Plan: Assuming that you have atlest 6 weeks before the exam, spend the time as follows First Round of Basic Study - Rita's PMP Exam Prep Book * 2 Days for Project Management Framework * 18 Days for the 9 Knowledge Areas (2 days each) * 2 Days for Professional & Social Responsibility For each day of study, read the base material, and create a mind map or write the key points on 4 by 6 index cards. You must attempt a few mock exam questions from each knowledge area, as you finish reading it. This will give you an idea of the kind of questions that come in the PMP exam.

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