When you’re in Rome and need directions, ask a Roman. If you’re taking the Project
Management Professional (PMP)® exam and want directions on how to prepare to earn
the prestigious and lucrative designation, look to the Project Management Institute
(PMI) for a simple and productive road map. That’s why PMI, the not-for-profit organization
that developed the certification exam, is the source for our top 5 tips for PMP exam prep.
First, There Are Some Things You Need to Know
PMI’s revised PMP exam was set to go live July 1, 2020, with June 30 being the final day to take the old exam. People taking the new test should know:
- Changes to the PMP exam largely affect project domains or groups in the test.
- The old test addresses five project performance domains or groups: initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling, and closing.
- The new test has three domains. Process is one, and the other two are people and business environment.
- Process accounts for 50 percent of the new test. The people domain accounts for 42 percent, and business environment accounts for 8 percent.
- Roughly half of the new questions are about Agile and Hybrid methodologies. The rest involve predictive project management approaches.
- The new test is harder and longer.
So, is the PMP certification worth all the work? USF lists three ways it can pay off:
- PMP certification literally does pays off, with people who earn the status typically seeing an average salary increase of up to 22 percent.
- The designation can boost job security, considering that the workplace will need nearly 88 million people in PM-oriented jobs by 2027.
- Having the knowledge necessary to successfully finish projects in a timely fashion
will position you to secure coveted assignments.
PMP Exam Guidance Is the Best Path to Certification
You probably know exactly why you should become a certified project manager. Here
are our five tips on how you can make that happen. They’re straight from PMI, from
a webpage labeled PMP Exam Guidance that also has great links to useful information and downloads.
5. Get Your Hands on the PMP Handbook
The Project Management Professional Handbook is the first of three things PMI advises you to review. It has a wealth of information,
from costs and exam policies and procedures to scheduling.
4. Study the Correct PMP Exam Content Outline
As of this writing, changes to the exam were pending. Those taking the test on or
before June 30, 2020, should review this PMP exam content. Those taking the exam on or after July 1, 2020, should review this exam content outline.
3. Check Out PMP Exam Sample Questions
PMI provides access to a couple of sample questions, and Registered Education Providers such as USF can give you an edge here. USF test prep includes PMP test-taking techniques and sample test questions.
2. Study the PMBOK Guide
The North Star for people looking to ace the PMP exam is the PMBOK Guide, aka A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge. The PMBOK Guide – Sixth Edition is the correct text for those taking the old or new test. A new edition, the seventh,
tentatively is scheduled for release in 2023.
1. Take a PMP Prep Course
PMI advises test takers to sign up for a PMP exam prep course offered by PMI chapters or an accredited provider, which the institute calls Registered Education Providers.
PMI warns that “on average, successful PMP candidates will spend 35 hours or more
to prepare, so make sure you leave yourself plenty of preparation time before you
take the exam.”
USF Is a Registered Education Provider for PMI
USF’s Office of Corporate Training and Professional Education is accredited as a Registered Education Provider for the Project Management Institute. As such, it offers an accelerated five-day course that meets educational requirements needed to sit for the PMP certification exam.
Contact CTPE advisor Lisa Orr at 813-974-5565 for more information, or get complete program details online now.