My first formal education on Project Management first started when I took a module on Project Management with the University of Adelaide here:
http://adelaide-mba-in-singapore.blogspot.sg/2011/03/applied-project-management-1-2101-2003.html
4 years since my formal education, I finally took my PMP exams on the 12th Jan 2015 (Mon), just 7.5 weeks after my CSCP exams.
Delays after delays in taking the exams
I have been planning to take my PMP exams since 2010, but it got delayed several times due to my MBA studies (2010-2012), overseas postings (2013) and CSCP (2014). As I had a job transition in 2014, I made an aspiration to sign up for PMP and work towards achieving it. I applied for the eligibility to take the exams in Feb 2014, which allows me up to a year to take the register for the exams. It cost me S$700 for PMI member and PMP exams (it's cheaper to sign up to be PMI member first and apply for the exams). I happen to have a 2 months CSCP course between mid-March till mid-May, and thereafter I decided to be certified in CSCP first since the memory is fresh, before going for the PMP. But the vast knowledge base of CSCP resulted in me delaying my start date of the PMP from end-November 2014. By then, I only have 2 months left to study before I begin my month long business travels.
Preparation for the exams
My first exposure to PMI PMP was in early-2010 when I stumble upon the PMBOK. I printed the entire 4th edition of the PMBOK out and begin studying through it. It was awfully dry and I did not have structured project management experience, which makes learning even more difficult. Next came in early-2011 when I completed an Applied Project Management course with the University of Adelaide. The many assignments involve planning and thinking through on how to do proper project planning. I changed company in mid-2011 and begin to have a bit of exposure of using standard templates for project management. As I'm planning on a career switch in early-2014, I aspire to achieve the PMP to help in my career transition. I consulted a few friends and online on the best way to get started on PMP study. Two options were available to me: Sign up for a 5-day PMP refresher course and pay S$1,500 for it or buy books from Amazon which costs around S$350. Since attending the 5-day PMP refresher course is no guarantee I will pass the exams, and I have received formal education previously, the next best approach is actually self study. Amazon has this promotion which allows free delivery of books above US$125 to Singapore. So I went for this approach.
I ordered the following books:
1) PMBOK by PMI
2) PMP Exams Prep by Scordo Christopher
3) PMP Exam by Andy Crowe
4) PMP Exam Prep by Rita Mulcahy
You may ask why do I order PMBOK since I can download for free from PMI. The reason is I like to read printed texts compare to reading from a tablet or computer. Personally I will prefer to borrow books from the library as I do not want the books to be sitting around in my house after I have finished using it. But most of the PMP books in the library covers up to version 4 of the PMBOK. There are very few books that cover until version 5. That is why I decided to order them from Amazon.
In my new company, there is a very structured project management process, which also helps me to understand PMBOK concurrently.
Studying Process
I began sorting through my PMP books on the 21st Nov 2014, immediately after my CSCP exams. The first book I read was Rita PMP Exam Prep. I'm no good in reading 'wordy' books and it took me 3 weeks to complete Rita book. It is compounded by the fact that I was slightly busy with my work. Andy's book is quite straight forward and I completed it in 1 week. Thankfully, there are 2 x 4 days holiday in Singapore during the Christmas and New Year period, where I start to spend substantially more time working through the exercises in Rita's book and Scordo's PMP Exams Prep. I also revised through PMBOK concurrently. I felt the 1,000 questions in Scordo's PMP and Rita+Andy's exercises help a lot in the preparation.
The week before my PMP exams, I have completed all the theory revisions and going all out through the exercises. I completed 2 x 50 questions of Scordo's PMP Exams Prep in the evening of each day. I have to admit it is really very exhausting.
As I just completed my CSCP exams, there's a certain focus and momentum towards certification exams, and I sustain it throughout for my PMP exams. That may explain the shorter time period.
Exams Day
My official exams time is 8.30am to 12.30pm. I used the same strategy as my CSCP. I will provide an answer which I think best answer the question, but if I'm uncertain on it, I will still leave an answer but put a 'mark' on it so I can revise through it again towards the end. By 11.30pm, I have completed all the questions. After 3 hours, I'm already feeling very exhausted. Next I spent the next 45mins running through the 'mark' questions and thinking through again. And once that's done, I clicked submit and wait for the results...
My results:
And I pass!!
They are:
Initiation: Moderately Proficient
Planning: Proficient
Execution: Proficient
Monitor and Control: Proficient
Close: Proficient
And I'm now PMP-certified.
Will take a break from studying as I will be away for business trip the next one month till the start of the week-long Chinese New Year holidays.
http://adelaide-mba-in-singapore.blogspot.sg/2011/03/applied-project-management-1-2101-2003.html
4 years since my formal education, I finally took my PMP exams on the 12th Jan 2015 (Mon), just 7.5 weeks after my CSCP exams.
Delays after delays in taking the exams
I have been planning to take my PMP exams since 2010, but it got delayed several times due to my MBA studies (2010-2012), overseas postings (2013) and CSCP (2014). As I had a job transition in 2014, I made an aspiration to sign up for PMP and work towards achieving it. I applied for the eligibility to take the exams in Feb 2014, which allows me up to a year to take the register for the exams. It cost me S$700 for PMI member and PMP exams (it's cheaper to sign up to be PMI member first and apply for the exams). I happen to have a 2 months CSCP course between mid-March till mid-May, and thereafter I decided to be certified in CSCP first since the memory is fresh, before going for the PMP. But the vast knowledge base of CSCP resulted in me delaying my start date of the PMP from end-November 2014. By then, I only have 2 months left to study before I begin my month long business travels.
Preparation for the exams
My first exposure to PMI PMP was in early-2010 when I stumble upon the PMBOK. I printed the entire 4th edition of the PMBOK out and begin studying through it. It was awfully dry and I did not have structured project management experience, which makes learning even more difficult. Next came in early-2011 when I completed an Applied Project Management course with the University of Adelaide. The many assignments involve planning and thinking through on how to do proper project planning. I changed company in mid-2011 and begin to have a bit of exposure of using standard templates for project management. As I'm planning on a career switch in early-2014, I aspire to achieve the PMP to help in my career transition. I consulted a few friends and online on the best way to get started on PMP study. Two options were available to me: Sign up for a 5-day PMP refresher course and pay S$1,500 for it or buy books from Amazon which costs around S$350. Since attending the 5-day PMP refresher course is no guarantee I will pass the exams, and I have received formal education previously, the next best approach is actually self study. Amazon has this promotion which allows free delivery of books above US$125 to Singapore. So I went for this approach.
I ordered the following books:
1) PMBOK by PMI
2) PMP Exams Prep by Scordo Christopher
3) PMP Exam by Andy Crowe
4) PMP Exam Prep by Rita Mulcahy
You may ask why do I order PMBOK since I can download for free from PMI. The reason is I like to read printed texts compare to reading from a tablet or computer. Personally I will prefer to borrow books from the library as I do not want the books to be sitting around in my house after I have finished using it. But most of the PMP books in the library covers up to version 4 of the PMBOK. There are very few books that cover until version 5. That is why I decided to order them from Amazon.
In my new company, there is a very structured project management process, which also helps me to understand PMBOK concurrently.
Studying Process
I began sorting through my PMP books on the 21st Nov 2014, immediately after my CSCP exams. The first book I read was Rita PMP Exam Prep. I'm no good in reading 'wordy' books and it took me 3 weeks to complete Rita book. It is compounded by the fact that I was slightly busy with my work. Andy's book is quite straight forward and I completed it in 1 week. Thankfully, there are 2 x 4 days holiday in Singapore during the Christmas and New Year period, where I start to spend substantially more time working through the exercises in Rita's book and Scordo's PMP Exams Prep. I also revised through PMBOK concurrently. I felt the 1,000 questions in Scordo's PMP and Rita+Andy's exercises help a lot in the preparation.
The week before my PMP exams, I have completed all the theory revisions and going all out through the exercises. I completed 2 x 50 questions of Scordo's PMP Exams Prep in the evening of each day. I have to admit it is really very exhausting.
As I just completed my CSCP exams, there's a certain focus and momentum towards certification exams, and I sustain it throughout for my PMP exams. That may explain the shorter time period.
Exams Day
My official exams time is 8.30am to 12.30pm. I used the same strategy as my CSCP. I will provide an answer which I think best answer the question, but if I'm uncertain on it, I will still leave an answer but put a 'mark' on it so I can revise through it again towards the end. By 11.30pm, I have completed all the questions. After 3 hours, I'm already feeling very exhausted. Next I spent the next 45mins running through the 'mark' questions and thinking through again. And once that's done, I clicked submit and wait for the results...
My results:
And I pass!!
They are:
Initiation: Moderately Proficient
Planning: Proficient
Execution: Proficient
Monitor and Control: Proficient
Close: Proficient
And I'm now PMP-certified.
Will take a break from studying as I will be away for business trip the next one month till the start of the week-long Chinese New Year holidays.
