The Project Management Professional (PMP) certification exam requires significant diligence, effort, and time. It’s a test requiring extensive preparation spanning many weeks to months to gain a better chance of passing. The course materials to cover are in abundance, and you need to do your best to absorb it all. The following are five tips to aid you in getting ready for your PMP training for the upcoming exam.
1. Familiarize Yourself with the PMBOK Guide
The PMP certification test largely bases its questions from the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) Guide. Use this to your advantage to help you create a roadmap of the learning materials you need. Create a study plan of one knowledge area for each study week. You can use the guide as you go along with learning how to become a good project manager through online courses like Edwel Programs.
Don’t just memorize each item found on the PMBOK Guide. Familiarize yourself with the topics and put the subject matters into concepts that can help you focus on understanding them. Familiarization is critical for any PMP examinee as the questions on the exam will test how well you can apply these ideas. The guide contains the right information to help you arrive at the best possible answer.
2. Check and Complete the Prerequisites for the PMP Certification Exam
Even if you have the knowledge and skills to become a good project manager, you can’t take the exam without completing a set of prerequisites. These requirements are:
● A bachelor’s degree or global equivalent
● At least 4,500 hours spent directing and leading business projects
● A minimum of 36 months of distinct, non-overlapping PMP experience
● At least 35 contact hours of formal PMP education
If you don’t have a bachelor’s degree or a global equivalent, you can still take the PMP certification test. It will require more hours spent on formal education and experience to become eligible to take the exam. These conditions are:
● A holder of a high-school diploma, associate’s degree, or a global equivalent
● A minimum of 60 months of distinct, non-overlapping PMP experience
● At least 7,500 hours spent directing and leading business projects
● At least 35 contact hours of formal PMP education
Qualifying for these requirements is one way you can begin to avoid project management pitfalls in the future. You’d gain the discipline and motivation to complete projects with confidence and diligence.
3. Take Advantage of a Good PMP Prep Book
The PMBOK Guide may not be enough to give you additional knowledge as you’re training to become a certified project manager. A good PMP prep book will help you understand and create solutions for challenges to deal with the inputs, tools and techniques, and outputs (ITTOs) of each step for every business project.
The prep book should also help you get acquainted with the basics of project management. The material enables you to familiarize yourself with complex problems to properly give you an idea of what might appear on the exam.
4. Practice with Mock Tests
Taking PMP mock tests helps you gauge your readiness for the upcoming exam. While there are no significant repercussions to failing mock tests, you’ll identify gaps in your project management knowledge for each error you make. Review the results and add focus to the areas where you need to improve.
You can take mock tests per section or try to complete one with all the areas of the PMP certification exam. Complete sections to see and focus on specific areas of improvement. A full-length mock test will allow you to estimate the time you need to complete the entire exam. It might be a mentally straining experience, but you can prepare yourself for what’s to come during the test.
5. Put Together a Study Group
Form a study group with friends, relatives, and colleagues who have the same goal of becoming a certified PMP. If you don’t know anyone with an identical objective, you can check out local meet-ups in your area. Social media groups can help you look for people who may be willing to squeeze you in as part of their assembly in studying for the PMP exam.
Several benefits await budding project managers who study with groups, such as:
● Gain immediate help on areas you’re currently struggling with.
● Boost your confidence when you help someone with their PMP-related struggles.
● Breaks the monotony of studying alone.
● Creates motivation for each other.
Think like a certified project manager while preparing for the exam to help you think of project management strategies to use in specific exam questions. The idea is to put yourself in the shoes of a certified PMP to help you gain determination, motivation, and focus as you study to become a good project manager.
