FAQ on PMP Credential

The purpose of this page is to clarify the doubts of the PMP aspirants about matters relevant to the PMP certification process. Enough care is taken to reflect the latest developments in the PMP credential program. However, in case of discrepancy (which is very unlikely), between the information provided in this page and  http://www.pmi.org, the latter is to be considered.

PMP Exam 2005 count down

Key Dates to remember

29th August 2005 - final date to submit applications to test on 2004 examinations

24th September 2005 - final date to test on 2004 examination

30th september 2005 - first day to test on the 2005 examination

Why Become PMP Certified?

The following benefits are associated with becoming PMP certified:

• It demonstrates proof of professional achievement.

• It increases your marketability.

• It provides greater opportunity for advancement in your field.

• It raises customer confidence in you and your company’s services.

I am a very experienced project manager and I am very successful as a project manager. By going through the project management knowledge areas, everything seems very familiar to me. What will be the additional value add to me by becoming a PMP?

This is a very good question, which one of my colleagues asked me very recently.

When I watch some of the very experienced project managers in action, sometimes I get very disturbed. Most of them do not monitor critical paths, perform earned value analysis. If these two are not practiced  in projects, I am sure that it is the project which is managing them.

If you are an experienced project manager, who already know how to;

• initiate a project

• plan a project

• execute a project

• monitor and control a project

• close a project

in an internationally accepted manner, then I think, PMBOK will act as a good reference material for them, and PMP credential will act as an endorsement of the skills which they already have.

If you are a project manager, who is not very confident of the internationally accepted standards for initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling, and closing a project then a PMP credential  will give you the opportunity to learn globally accepted project management best practices along with the  the globally accepted PMP credential

What is the criteria for applying for PMP Credential?

If you are university degree holder;

4500 hours of  project management experience within project initiation, planning, execution, monitoring and controlling and closeout. This do not mandate, experience under the role of a 'project manager'. For example, a person involved in quality planning and tracking can count that experience also while reporting the 4500 hours of experience. However, the candidate should have at least  three years of project management experience, during the six year period, prior to applying.

The candidate should have received 35 hours of project management training and must include content on project scope, quality, human resources, communication, risk, procurement, integration and professional management. The candidate can count all the project management trainings received  prior to application and no time frame is stipulated for this.

If you are not a degree holder and holds a high school diploma or equivalent;

7500 hours of project management experience

five years of project management experience (non over lapping)

35 hours of project management education (coverage as in the degree holder's case)

Required supporting documents;

- educational background

- experience verification forms, meeting criteria above

- 35 hours of project management education, conforming to the criteria above

What is a Professional Development Unit (PDU)?

 The PDU is a measure of time spent in a structured learning activity. For formalized learning activities, the course content should be consistent with the knowledge areas and processes as outlined by the PMBOK^® Guide and involve appropriate expert resources. One (1) PDU is given for each hour of structured learning. Fractions of hours will be accepted in .25 increments. An activity or group of related activities must be a minimum of one full hour to be accepted. Ten minutes per each hour for breaks are permitted in programs that exceed one hour in length. Exceptions: Specified numbers of PDUs may also be earned for service to the profession and for specified professional activities.

 want to know what is Non-Overlapping Month in filling up the application form for PMP?

If  u have worked on more than one project during the same month / months , only one can be counted.
 

I have the required years of experience but I have not worked on the project closeout phase yet. Will this have any impact on the eligibility to apply for PMP?

It is perfectly all right. No where, PMI has mandated that, one has to work on all peoject management phases to qualify for the PMP exam. That means, If  you are a project planning expert and if  you have spent all your professional years in just planning projects after projects for the required eligibility period, still  you will qualify.

I am reding the PMBOK third edition but will appear for PMBOK 2000 based examination. Will that make any difference?

Not much of a difference

Can you recommend some very good reference material from the exam point of view? Will  the PMBOK guide third edition alone will help?

While preparing for the PMP examination, referring to 'Guide to PMBOK ' alone will not help and at the same time, there is no other authentic material apart from 'Guide to PMBOK' to act as a reference material. End to end understanding of PMBOK is very important and at the same time, there is no need to mug up things as most of the questions are not very direct.

There are several very good books (PMP exam centric) available in the market.

Project management professional -study guide by Kim Heldman, PMP

The project management Question and answer book by Michael W.Newell, PMP  and Marina N. Grashina, PMP

PMP Exam Prep By Rita Mulcahy

are some of them. I will suggest you to rely on the 'Guide to project management body of knowledge, third edition' to understand the concepts, and to use any of the above mentioned books, to get a hang of the exam. Once you register as a member at  PMBOKdistilled.com you will get access to simulation tests, which will help you to get a feel of how the real test will be. Sound understanding of the concepts as defined in the PMBOK guide as well as some practice in answering sample questions will help you to prepare well for the PMP credential. My sincere advise is to read the PMBOK guide end to end three times and to do the exercises in one of the above books, three times end to end... and that should do the trick!

What are the major changes in the 'Guide to PMBOK third edition?. Is it totally different from PMBOK  guide 2000?

I will say that 'Guide to the PMBOK third edition' is more reader friendly than the earlier versions. The third edition is is structured to give more emphasis to the process groups. Chapter 3 is renamed as 'Project management processes for a project'  is extensively revised and is moved to a new chapter titled 'The standard for project management of a project'.  In the third edition, seven processes have been added, thirteen renamed and two deleted. The terms 'facilitating processes' and 'core processes' are no more used. The project management processes are still grouped under;

- initiating process group

- planning process group

- executing process group

- monitoring and controlling process group

- closing process group

To make it clearer - if you have done your preparation well using the 'Guide to PMBOK third edition' and write the exam based on PMBOK guide 2000, your probability of success will remain the same, if not more! I think, that explains it better.

What is an REP (registered education provider)?

Registered Education Providers (REPs) are organizations approved by PMI to offer project management training for Professional Development Units. Currently there are over 1000 organizations from 55 countries in the PMI registry.  The criteria for becoming and maintaining an REP status are;

• Must be a legal entity

• Must have offered project management training for at least one year

• Must submit at least one sample course for review

• Must have a PMP review the content of each course submitted into the REP database

• Must show evidence of appropriate course selection, design and delivery

• Must show evidence that content of courses is substantially consistent with PMI standards or is clearly noted as offering an alternate theory

• Must show evidence of instructor qualifications appropriate to topics taught

• Must use PMP certified instructor to deliver PMP exam preparation courses

• Must make accurate representations of course objectives

• Must be reviewed by a designated PMI reviewer before acceptance as an REP and once every three years thereafter

Recently I attended a 5 day program (40, hours) , covering the PMBOK, focused on software project management. The program is offered by a  private limited company,  the instructor is a PMP but the company is not a REP. Is this sufficient for the  35 PDUs required for PMP application. Is it necessary that I should do the preparatory program, only with an REP?

I can inform you that if the course content of the class you attended is based on one of the knowledge areas, process areas or sub-process areas of  "A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge," it will satisfy the 35 hour education requirement." For every hour that you are in a classroom environment and it deals with project management then you can claim one "Contact" hour.

To calculate "contact" hours all you must do is take the hours that you are in a classroom environment dealing with project management and subtract any time not devoted to project management from the time.  This includes lunches, breaks, and time not devoted to an aspect of project management.  For example, if you are in a twelve (12) week course that meet for three hours a week, and the course deals entirely with project management then you would receive 36 "Contact" hours.  It does not matter where you have taken the course, just as long as the course is in a classroom environment and dealing with a project management topic.

Is it compulsory that one need to undergo a closed room, classroom session to gain the necessary contact hours?

The answer is 'No'.  As per the PMP credential hand book (freely downloadable from www.pmi.org ) , it is not necessary that one has to undergo a class room training for gaining the necessary contact hours (35) for applying for PMP credential examination.

The stipulation is that, one has to undergo a structured, instructor lead program. It can be a work shop, distance learning etc, but has to be instructor lead. Activities like reading books are not considered for awarding contact hours.

Should I take the 2004 test or should I wait for the 2005 test?

This depends on your current preparedness level. If you are already prepared for the 2004 test, I suggest you to go and take the 2004 test, before 24th September. For that you will have to apply before 29th August 2004. Two months is enough time to prepare and pass the exam.

If you are just starting your preparations, then my suggestion is to start the preparation with PMBOK third edition. What is the point in going with a knowledge base, which is being replaced with a fresh set immediately. There is not much of a difference in subject areas between PMBOK third edition and the earlier version, except that PMBOK third edition has more clarity and some more best practices are incorporated. Start your preparations, based on PMBOK third edition, by around 25th August 2005 take stock of your confidence level and if you are confident,  go ahead and apply for the 2004 test, before 29th August 2005 and take the test before 30th September.

In case you are not very confident about your preparedness for the exam by around 25th August 2005, don't worry. Your preparation is not wasted, since it is based on the third edition. It is only a matter of some more preparation, before you attempt the 2005 examination.

If I take the PMP 2004 test and fail in it, will there be opportunities for re-take of PMP 2004 examination, or will I have to prepare for PMP 2005 for retakes?

Applications to take the current PMP examination (referred to as the “2004 Examination” for purposes of this communication) will be accepted until 29 August 2005. Candidates submitting applications after 29 August 2005 will take the 2005 Examination.

Candidates who do not receive a passing score on the 2004 Examination will be permitted to re-take the 2004 examination for the period of one year from the date of their last attempt; these will be the only candidates permitted to take the 2004 Examination after the release of the 2005 Examination.

 

How much time did you spend for preparing for PMP examination?

80 to 90 hours, including 35 hours of  project management training

 
When will the revised examination (test 2005) come into effect?

Friday 30th September 2005. This will introduce several changes to the PMP exam format, testing policy and overall application process. All changes to the testing policy and overall application process will be effective from 30th August, 2005, which is precisely one month before the launch of the new examination. In a nutshell, the application processing steps will change from 30th August 2005 and the new exam will be launched on 30th September 2005.

Will there be any changes to the education and experience requirements for applying for PMP?

The change is only in the application format. One may have to provide more detailed information about their project experiences. Please note that, the hours required to meet the project management education and the project management experience requirements for the PMP will remain the same.

What are the main changes to the main application process?

PMI is strengthening the application process to build upon the credential’s rigor and make the process more customer-centric. Changes include:

• A new and improved online application. To be released with the introduction of the new examination, this easy-to-use system will enable users to view their status throughout the credentialing process.

• Collection of project contact information. Applicants will be required to provide contact information for each project that is submitted as part of the application. During the application evaluation review period and if an application is selected for audit, PMI will contact manager(s) indicated on the application to validate the documented experience.

• Evaluation period. All applications submitted will go through an enhanced review process.

• Instant audit notification. Applicants selected for audit will be notified electronically. Automated follow-up reminder notifications will be issued to candidates electronically throughout the audit process.

• One-year eligibility period. All candidates will be given one year to take the examination. This one-year eligibility period begins when a candidate's application is approved.

• Limit on the number of times candidates will be permitted to test. Candidates will have three opportunities to take and pass the PMP examination within their one-year eligibility period. If candidates do not succeed on the third attempt, candidates will have to wait one year from their third unsuccessful attempt before being permitted to test again.

What is the format of the revised PMP examination?

The Revised PMP Credential Examination will Test Knowledge in the Following Six Domains

Initiating the Project……11%
Tasks

• Conduct Project Selection Methods

• Define Scope

• Document Project Risks, Assumptions, and Constraints

• Identify and Perform Stakeholder Analysis

• Develop Project Charter

• Obtain Project Charter Approval

Planning the Project……23%
Tasks

• Define and Record Requirements, Constraints and Assumptions

• Identify Project Team and Define Roles and Responsibilities

• Create the WBS

• Develop Change Management Plan

• Identify Risks and Define Risk Strategies

• Obtain Plan Approval

• Conduct Kick-off Meeting

Executing the project ......27%

Tasks

• Execute Tasks Defined in Project Plan

• Ensure Common Understanding and Set Expectations

• Implement the Procurement of Project Resources

• Manage Resource Allocation

• Implement Quality Management Plan

• Implement Approved Changes

• Implement Approved Actions and Workarounds

• Improve Team Performance

Monitoring and Controlling the Project……21%
Tasks

• Measure Project Performance

• Verify and Manage Changes to the Project

• Ensure Project Deliverables Conform to Quality Standards

• Monitor all Risks

Closing the Project……9%
Tasks

• Obtain Final Acceptance for the Project

• Obtain Financial, Legal, and Administrative Closure

• Release Project Resources

• Identify, Document and Communicate Lessons Learned

• Create and Distribute Final Project Report

• Archive and Retain Project Records

• Measure Customer Satisfaction

Professional and Social Responsibility……9%
Tasks

• Ensure Individual Integrity

• Contribute to the Project Management Knowledge Base

• Enhance Personal Professional Competence

• Promote Interaction Among Stakeholders

Total……100%

Is there any official  new examination guidelines released by PMI?

Project Management Professional (PMP^®) Examination Specification, to be available for purchase at PMI’s Online Bookstore early 3^rd Quarter 2005. This publication will detail how the updated PMP credential examination was built, and provide the most up-to-date global information on the maturity of the project management profession with respect to the credential.
 

What is the revised criteria for passing the new examination?

To pass the PMP examination, candidates must answer a minimum of 141 of the 175 scored questions correctly. It is possible to fail one or more of the Domains, yet still pass the exam (the chart above demonstrates the total percentage of what each domain is worth on the new examination). While attending the test, the candidate will have to take 200 questions out of which 25 questions will be in the beta stage, and will not be counted for pass/fail determination.

How much time PMI take to process applications?

Official announcement is 14 working days from the date of receipt of application. Actuallt it works much faster than that, if it is an online application.

Are there any concessions for PMI members for appearing for PMP credential?

Memebers need to pay only USD 405 where as non members pay USD 555. The difference is almost same as the membership fees for a year and along with the membership, you get access to PMI's site covering the 'wisdom centre'. If you are a member, you will receive additional monthly publications from PMI, which are of real value and depicts the latest in project management. Members get additional discounts at PMI events. The smartest thing is to get the membership, before applying for PMP.

From where can I get additional information on the PMP examination?

email your queries to pmpquestions@pmi.org

for expert guidance email prologicon

What is the focus of the three modules of PMdistilled?

The PMPessentials module is focused at imparting the basic project management fundamentals knowledge online. The PMPface2face module's focus is in imparting the core project management focus by taking the participant through the project management life cycles of  initiation, planning, execution, monitoring and control and close out. The PMPexam readiness modules prepares the candidate for the real exam by making him/her take knowledge area wise tests and the PMP simulation tests.

How are the contact hours distributed?

Upon successful completion of the PMPessentials module, the candidates are awarded two contact hours credit. On successful completion of the PMPface2face module the candidates are awarded 24 contact hours credit and upon successful completion of the PMP exam readiness module, the candidates are awarded with 12 contact hours credit. 

What is the successful completion criteria of PMP exam readiness module?

For all knowledge area wise tests and the PMP simulation test, the candidate will have to score 80% atleast once. Candidates are allowed to take these tests multiple times, and this module is available to them for 3 months from the first transaction.

Every knowledge area is supported by online lectures and reference material.

On which version of PMBOK is PMdistilled based?

PMBOK third edition

Is it delivered by PMPs?

All our instructors are PMPs and have atleast eight year's experience in the industry.

Are you planning for any other PDU earning activities for already PMP certified professionals?

We are planning some very exciting activities, and will release them in 2005 itself. Until then would like to keep them confidential.

How is PMdistilled priced?

The pricing of contact programs vary from country to country and is determined by our partners. For all other products, it is centrally priced (single price world over)

Are you planning for a complete online PMP training program?

Yes. We will be ready with a complete online PMP preparatory training program by 01-Jan-2006.

How do I become a training partner of PMdistilled?

If you are already a PMP certified trainer and want to deliver the complete PMdistilled package in your area of operation, you can licence out the complete package. The first training program in your location will be delivered by us in your presence. The second training program you will deliver in our presence, in your location. Subject to performance, the third training program onwards, you will deliver independently. The financials need to be discussed. If interested, shoot an email to  sales@prologicon.com

If you are a training institute, wanting to deliver PMdistilled program in your region, all the above mentioned steps holds good. Till we train your trainer, we will be delivering the program.

If you are a corporate, wanting to adopt our learning system for training your project managers, again the same conditions apply.

What are the different types of tests available in the test engine?

We have

simulation tests, covering the entire PMBOK

knowledge area wise tests

lesson wise tests

How do you maintain, newness of the test database?

We add 25 additional questions every month.