Introduction
A significant amount of dedication and careful planning is required for passing the PMP® certification exam. No matter your experience or academic level, serious and effective exam preparation is a must. In addition, the new PMP exam pattern was updated at the start of 2021. The updated PMP® certification highlights the development of project management and makes adjustments to keep up with contemporary developments that are having a beneficial influence on how firms carry out projects.
Each PMP applicant must satisfy all the professional & educational requirements set by the PMI® to prepare for its exam. To be qualified to take the PMP® exam, one must also possess the necessary degree of project management expertise, experience, and knowledge. The following are the most important guidelines for passing the Project Management Professional (PMP®) exam if you have decided to pursue this degree. To learn more about the PMP and get certified, you can register in a PMP training and certification program.
What is PMP® Certification?
The Professional Management Certification, or PMP, is one of the highest-paying qualifications in the world. Your ability to manage complicated projects successfully is established by earning a PMP certification. Predictive, rapid, and hybrid techniques are included in its most recent interaction, which offers the best methodologies available right now. It suggests that the projects are carried out in accordance with high-quality project management standards, which are crucial in the cutthroat world of international commerce.
How To Take the PMP® Exam & What Are the Criteria For It?
The PMP® certification eligibility requirements are stringent since the PMP is the most coveted and well-recognized credential in the project management business globally. One must confirm that they meet the PMP® exam criteria as well as other fundamental PMP prerequisites before submitting an application for the PMP exam.
The following are the eligibility requirements for PMP® certification:
- High School Diploma
- 60 months of project management experience OR 7,500 hours of project leading and directing
- Project management education for 35 hours.
The applicants who have completed a four-year bachelor’s degree
- 36 months of project management experience OR 4,500 hours of project management.
- Project management training for 35 hours
If the candidate has a master’s or post-graduate degree:
- Experience in project management for 24 months.
- Education in project management for 35 hours.
How Long Should I Prepare For the PMP® Certification Exam?
For the PMP® exam, there is no defined study schedule. Each person has a different learning style, thus the time required to prepare for the PMP® exam varies. You will be required to elevate your understanding of the material in order to pass the examination. 110-150 hrs of self-study are needed for a PMP aspirant with enough experience & formal PMP® training, which may take 9-12 weeks.
A Few Suggestions to Get You Started for PMP® Exam Preparation
- Develop a Plan – A study plan serves as a route for your preparation. Clearly defining your objectives and making a plan for how to get there should come before you start studying. It is quite simple to become lost in the preparation without knowing where you are heading if a clear road map is not in place. While creating your strategy, there are a few key elements you must address. Time is the most crucial factor. Determine what works for you by estimating how many months you have available and how many hours you can devote. Set deadlines for yourself to finish the various assignments on the course. Study the sources you’ll need to use.
- PMP Exam Practice Questions – Since most PMP test questions are scenario-based, simply knowing the theory does not ensure that you will be able to use it in real-world settings. The practice questions are useful in this situation. Practice questions will assist you in recognizing the many types of questions as you read them and the capabilities you need to develop to answer them. Practice questions can be found online from a variety of sources. Before selecting a source, do your study on the content’s caliber and the source’s credibility.
- Exam Simulators & Mock Exams For the PMP – It is advised to take a mock test to see how prepared you are for the exam because it shows how you will perform on the actual one. You can evaluate the exam’s results after you take it and make improvements to the areas that require it. Additionally, you must complete a full-length mock test since doing so will assist you to get through the difficult work and trying experience of taking the test.
- Prioritization – There isn’t a universally effective method that can be used by everyone. What is good for one person may not function well for another. Understanding your skills and limitations as well as your preferred study methods is the best strategy to ace this exam. In your PMP® exams, experiment with several strategies until you find the one that works the best for you.
- Getting a Mentor to Help You Prepare For the PMP® – Getting advice from a coworker who took the test the previous year is never a bad idea, but studying with a PMI® Accredited Instructor will offer you the highest chance of success. The instructors are quite knowledgeable in the subject matter, and they can provide you with a full PMP® exam preparation.
- Strategies For Memorizing & Understanding – Simply memorizing material is not sufficient; instead, make an effort to comprehend topics thoroughly and study them with attention and concentration. To get the proper result, you must ensure that your calculations and formulae are accurate. Instead of just remembering the information, try to comprehend why certain procedures are performed, what each procedure entails when they are done, and more. It is advised that you evaluate your ability to recall information totally from memory by using a PMP® memorization quiz sheet.
- Formulas to Learn For the PMP® Exam – Formula-based problems that require more than merely adding or subtracting values can be present on the PMP exam. To get the appropriate result, you must ensure that your calculations and formulae are accurate. In order to be able to go back to formulae, charts, and other material throughout the PMP exam, you should utilize part of your time and paper at the beginning of the exam when you take it.
- Process your Anxiety How to Prepare for Your PMP® Exam – Exam anxiety is a typical aspect of taking the exam procedure. The most important thing is to not allow it to get to you. To ease the anxiety both before & during the PMP® exam, pay close attention to grasping the PMP® study material completely. Most crucial, keep in mind to maintain your confidence during the exam no matter what occurs. Prepare extensively, practice taking the test and answering the questions, and make a time management strategy to make the most of your time in order to reduce exam stress.
How to Prepare for Your PMP® Exam?
- Review the PMP Examination Content Outline – The PMP test subject overview booklet is a highly useful and reliable source of information. So reviewing the paper thoroughly is essential if you want to perform well on the exam. It is divided into questions in accordance with the Process syllabus. In accordance with PMI’s Role Delineation Study, it also lists the tasks, abilities, and knowledge required. This aids in familiarizing oneself with the topic matter for academic purposes.
- Enroll in a formal study course offered by accredited Registered Education Providers (R.E.P.s) – Organizations that have been given permission by PMI to offer project management training are known as Registered Education Providers. These programs offer best practices and specially created PMP study resources to help you get ready for the PMP Exam. They provide you with a head start in understanding different project management concepts, vocabulary, formulas, and other crucial inputs required to prepare for the PMP test. That’s why it is good to enroll in such programs.
- Prepare a Timetable For the Study Plan – Create a schedule that includes every task that must be completed to earn your PMP® certification. The study plan is a crucial sub plan that is part of this overall strategy. Divide your study sessions into manageable parts and create a study schedule that includes deadlines for reading the PMBoK, taking practice exams, studying for specific subjects, etc.
- Review the Latest Edition of the PMBOK® Guide & Self-Study Books Published by Other Reputable Training Organizations – A crucial resource for exam preparation is the PMBOK® Guide. No matter which additional training materials you choose to use, it is advised that you read the PMBoK Guide. Focus on page 61 of the PMBOK® Guide, which offers a table outlining the connections between the 13 Knowledge Areas, 5 Process Groups, and 47 Processes, and how they relate to project management. Many PMP candidates know this table by heart. You might wish to go through other study guides that R.E.Ps and other respectable training organizations have produced in addition to the PMBOK® Guide.
- Solve Mock Tests Before Going For the Exam – When determining your exam preparedness, mock tests are frequently a very useful predictor. You can evaluate the exam’s results after you’ve taken it and make any necessary improvements by doing so. Additionally, you must do a full-length mock test since doing so will assist you get through the difficult work and trying exam-taking experience.
- Form a Study Group – Creating a study group is also essential since it allows one to break up the monotony of studying alone. Check out the meetups in your area, and if none are listed, start your own. By asking group members for aid with a problem you’re having, you may obtain guidance with the concepts you find challenging to grasp while also boosting your confidence in the process. Sharing project management experiences with others may be highly beneficial in navigating the fairly tough scenario-based questions that make up the PMP® exam
What to Expect From the Questions Asked?
You will answer 200 questions on the PMP test. This will include questions with complicated situations, formula-based questions, knowledge-based questions, limited situational questions, and interpretive questions.
- Situational Question – The situational questions will test your capacity to recognize pertinent information and disregard irrelevant information. You could think more than one of the possible answers is correct since the response choices seem to be vague.
- Formula-Based Question – Calculating a median or earned value is the subject of the formula-based questions. A list of formulae should be put down someplace, and you should remember them so you can use them when necessary.
- Knowledge-Based Questions – The knowledge-based questions will put you to the test on the facts, which are often those contained in the PMBOK® Guide.
- Interpretational Questions – Your ability to evaluate a circumstance or scenario will be put to the test by the interpretational questions.
Conclusion
The PMP® exam is challenging, and you must put in a lot of effort to pass it. The majority of qualified PMP® candidates spend 35 hours or more studying for the test. Use the assistance of your instructors and others who have passed the exam to comprehend the crucial subject areas that you must master to succeed.
For more solid preparation and a successful career in this field, you can join PMP training and certification from KnowledgeHut.