Study Tips & Resources

*Throughout this presentation, we reference and recognize the following trademarks, service marks, and copyrights of the Project Management Institute (PMI): PMP®, PgMP®, PMI®, PMBOK®, CAPM®

Presented by Project Masters Inc.

© 2016 Project Masters, Inc. 2

Not knowing yourself will lead to confusion and wasting much time in hit and miss situations • To know yourself:

– Be aware of your strengths, weaknesses, likes and dislikes (Use SWOT & Pareto)

– Observe and be aware of your moods, reactions and responses to what is happening around you (stress & distractions)

– Become aware of how these moods and emotions affect your state of mind

– Examine how you interact with others (Literally this is what it is all about – how you respond to different situations)

– Observe how your environment affects you (test env)

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PMP Exam Prep: Study Materials

• Andy Crowe’s & Rita Mulchay’s

• Rita’s Game

• PMBOK 5th edition

• Rita Mulcahy’s PMP Exam Prep

• CAPM/PMP Project Management Certification Exam Guide, 3rd Edition

• Project Masters PMP/CAPM Certification Program Class Manual

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PMP Exam Prep: Study Materials

• Hand Written Notes Tracking “Terms & Concepts” that I really hadn’t grasped

– Lag, Lead, Buffers, Feeders, EAC (Variants), etc

• Skillport.com – Corporate Sponsored “E-Learning” Site

• Kim Helderman’s PMP Exam Study Guide – Downloaded Audio Only

• Project Master’s Test site (mindedgeonline)

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List of Resources - Books

• PMP® Exam Prep, Eighth Edition - Updated: Rita's Course in a Book for Passing the PMP® Exam

– Aug 1, 2015 by Rita Mulcahy

– Paperback

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List of Resources - Books

• PMP® Exam Simplified: Updated for 2016 Exam (PMP® Exam Prep Series) (Volume 4)

– Jan 4, 2016 by Aileen Ellis PMP®

– Paperback

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List of Resources - Books

• PMP®: Project Management Professional Exam Study Guide: Updated for the 2015 Exam

– Dec 14, 2015 by Kim Heldman

– Paperback

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Original PMP Preparations & LL

• Rita’s questions are tougher, tougher is better…

– study not what you got wrong, but Why you got it wrong – what was your thought process

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Set a schedule to Pass the PMP Exam

1. Find out where and when you can take the exam

2. Dry run / Assessment – Can you Pass the Test Exercises (use Project Masters online 200 question exam)

3. Schedule Your Exam if score higher them 85%

4. Give yourself no more them 2 month to study after taking the class

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PMP Exam Prep: Application Submission

• Online PMP Exam Application

– Takes about 20 minutes to complete the online form

– You do not need to be a member of PMI to apply for or take the exam, but it does cost more

– Submitted your

– received an email approving Your application

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PMP Exam Prep: After the Boot Camp

• Participated in the Project Masters Monday Night Webinars

– Hosted by April Wennerberg

– Great way to review

– Great forum for asking questions and getting clarification

– Take and Graded the Practice Exam provided at the end of class

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PMP Exam Prep: Rotated between…

• read the PMBOK 5th Edition nearly cover to cover, for the first time – (nearly – I skipped the credits and other minor items) – Focused on those areas where the Pre-Test said I was weak… – Rotated – reading a chapter in the PMBOK and then all of the

corresponding materials in: · Boot Camp Notes & Handouts · CAPM/PMP · Rita’s Tests

– Focus on the unique perspectives and either read for confirmation or glossed over the common content once I was comfortable with the information

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PMP Exam Prep: Time to Cram!

• Used one pre-test to help me focus (Plan, Do, Check, Act)…

– Check % on Exams to this point

– Know yourself– what was contributing to your error rate?

· Adjust your approach to how you view the questions and answers

· Look for common errors in your thought process

· Adjust your pace

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PMP Practice Test and Analysis Prioritized

% of Questions on PMP Exam Area Score What if Scenario

7. Project Communications Management 13 of 13 100% 0 100% 0 100%

VI. Cross-cutting Knowledge and Skills 12 of 13 92% 0.5 96% 0 92%

3. Project Time Management 20 of 22 91% 1 95% 0 91%

1. Project Integration Management 21 of 25 84% 2 92% 0 84%

II. Planning 67 of 82 82% 7.5 91% 0 82% 24%

III. Executing 26 of 33 79% 3.5 89% 0 79% 30%

4. Project Cost Management 11 of 14 79% 1.5 89% 0 79%

2. Project Scope Management 12 of 16 75% 2 88% 2 88%

5. Project Quality Management 13 of 18 72% 2.5 86% 2.5 86%

I. Initiating 18 of 25 72% 3.5 86% 3.5 86% 13%

8. Project Risk Management 12 of 17 71% 2.5 85% 2.5 85%

6. Project HR Management 12 of 18 67% 3 83% 3 83%

10. Project Stakeholder Management 7 of 11 64% 2 82% 2 82%

IV. Monitoring and Controlling 21 of 34 62% 6.5 81% 6.5 81% 25%

V. Closing 8 of 13 62% 2.5 81% 2.5 81% 8%

9. Project Procurement Management 16 of 27 59% 5.5 80% 5.5 80%

Total Score 76% 88% 85%

Used Pareto Analysis to Prioritize My Results

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PMP Exam Prep: Cramming

• I continually captured and studied any term I read, heard or recalled that I couldn’t quickly explain – Reviewing the Glossaries might be another way to attach this

· unless of course it isn’t shown there! · I think context is more important (no context in glossaries)

• Audio to & from work (Net time) • Used Pre-test to Prioritize • Don’t go after hard formulas! Go after what provides the highest ROI (QA for

me) • Goal is to Win, NOT to be Perfect

– How much effort to expend learning when and how to use the correct EAC or TCPI formula, versus understanding more QA concepts, garnering me a higher score

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PMP Exam Prep: Notes on “study sheets”

• Watch out for errors in Study Sheets

• If you think it is wrong – it could be –

• Vet the materials, it could be a 4th to 5th edition issue, or just be incorrect, or just not consistent in the terms you have seen elsewhere

• Bottom line you need to be confident in your source materials

• NO SECOND Guessing!

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PMP Exam Prep: Exam Day

• The Morning of the Exam – Exam scheduled at 8:00 am – Got plenty of sleep the night before, and the night before that

(key) – Got up 2 hours before the exam

· 30 minute drive to Prometrics · Light Breakfast – No desire to take a restroom break · Received lots of support and confidence from my wife

– Got to Prometrics 40 minutes before exam time – Used The Restroom – They let me start early – as soon as I walked in

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PMP Exam Prep:

• Signed in

– Assigned a locker

– Put contents of pockets into locker

– Scanned with Metal Detector

– Nothing, not even your eye glasses wipe goes in with you

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PMP Exam Prep: During the Exam

• I used the 15 Min orientation session to write down my notes – you can’t write anything on your blank sheets until you start the orientation session

• Started to stress out as I wrote down the processes… – I knew I had two wrong, which increased the stress level as I began the

test – Once one of the questions triggered the correct processes to write down

on my hint sheet, I took a few breaths, calmed down and reduced my stress level

– This was clearly visible in the number of questions I marked for review, as I had a higher number of them early in the test

• I practiced the same method we use in pre-game warm ups – Start with the easier ones (layups), don’t go for the three point shot just

yet – Get some confidence, it will have a snowball affect in the correct

direction, reducing the stress, making the test easier.

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PMP Exam Prep: During the Exam • Kept track of my time

– 50 questions an hour, 25 a half hour (50 @ :53, 100 @ 1:46, 150 @, 2:39, etc)

– Tried to get to 50 with at least 7 minutes left in the hour (regardless of how many I marked).

– Left me with plenty of time to review any marked questions • Most of the questions I answered in less than 30 seconds

– Read Questions Carefully • No question took me longer than 1 minute and 30 seconds to answer

– I probably marked around 20 question to review or that I hadn’t answered before.

• Finished the test in 3 hours and 33 minutes (before reviewing) • I reviewed and answered the questions and finished the exam with 10

seconds to spare (I languished on a few questions that were very long, one that I eventually thought was a completely trick question – I still haven’t figured it out yet…)

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Immediately After the PMP Exam

• Prometrics required you take a “short” survey about your experience at Prometrics

– 10 or so questions

• After the survey, you are told you passed the PMP Certification Exam & how you rated

– Proficient in all areas but …

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ITTO Inputs – Tools & Tips - Outputs

• Study this. Memorize as much as possible or at least really know it

• Think about what is a document vs. a process

– I & O – documents

– T & T – processes

• Lessons Learned – Understand the flow from one processes output in another knowledge area processes input.

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Practice Tests

• Books • Websites

– PM Exam Lessons learned · http://pmexamlessonslearned.com/pmp/list-best-free-pmp-certification-online-preparation-

study-resources/#.VNeul_nF9Fw – PMP Bank – A Compilation of tips and questions from a PMP Professional

· https://sites.google.com/site/pmpbank/pmpquestionbank – Oliver Lehman – Free Prep Questions

· http://www.oliverlehmann.com/contents/free-downloads/175_PMP_Sample_Questions.pdf - PDF

· http://www.oliverlehmann.com/pmp-self-test/75-free-questions.htm – timed online test – PMI Glossary Definitions

· http://www.cram.com/flashcards/test/pmi-glossary-definitions-312229 – PreparePM

· http://www.preparepm.com/mock1.html – AboutTech – 20 PMP Practice Questions

· http://certification.about.com/od/projectmanagement/a/pmp_test_whiz.htm • April’s Practice tests from Study Group • Repeat

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List of Resources - Websites

• List of Best FREE PMP Certification Online Preparation and Study Resources – http://pmexamlessonslearned.com/pmp/list-best-free-pmp-

certification-online-preparation-study-resources/#.VNF5UmjF9Fx

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Suggestions

• Take Exam within 2 months from completing training.

• There may be more than one correct answer. – A lot of tasks follow, what is the BEST thing to do

NEXT (immediately next)? • Watch the time but try no to focus on it.

– At 50 and 100 questions, are you approximately 1 hour and 2 hours into the test time?

• Get it scheduled - Now you have a deadline.

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Practice Your Mind Dump

PMP Study Group

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EVM

CV = EV – AC SV = EV – PV

CPI = EV / AC

SPI = EV / PV

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EAC

EAC = AC +Bottom Up ETC

- Original estimate flowed

EAC = BAC / Cumulative CPI

- No variance from original BAC

EAC = AC + (BAC − EV) - Variance will not continue

- One time occurrence

EAC = AC + [(BAC − EV) / (Cumulative CPI * Cumulative SPI)]

- Current Variance are expected to continue into the future

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EVM

TCPI = (BAC − EV) / (BAC − AC) - Divides work remaining by the remaining money to do it

ETC = EAC − AC - From today to project completion

VAC = BAC − EAC

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Equations

PERT

• AD = (O + (4*M) + P) / 6

• SD = (P − O) / 6

Communication

• CC = N(N−1)/2

Risk

• EMV or RS = P x I (Probability x Impact)

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ES — EF

D

— —

LS F LF

—

Critical Path

FP = Duration

BP = Duration =

Float

=

Float

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Initiating

Project Integration- Develop Project Charter

Project StakeholderManagement- Identify Stakeholders

Planning

Project Integration- Develop Project Management Plan

Project Stakeholder Management- Plan Stakeholder Management

Project Scope- Plan Scope Management- Collect Requirements- Define Scope- Create WBS

Project Time- Plan Schedule Management- Define Activities- Sequence Activities- Estimate Activity Resources- Estimate Activity Durations- Develop Schedule

Project Cost- Plan Cost Management- Estimate Costs- Determine Budget

Project Quality- Plan Quality Management

Project Human Resource- Plan Human Resource Management

ProjectCommunications- Plan Communications Management

Project Risk- Plan Risk Management- Identify Risks- Perform Qualitative Risk Analysis- Perform Quantitative Risk Analysis- Plan Risk Responses

Project Procurement- Plan Procurements

Executing

Project Integration- Direct and Manage Project Execution

Project Stakeholder Management- Manage Stakeholder Engagement

Project Quality- Perform Quality Assurance

Project Human Resource- Acquire Project Team- Develop Project Team- Manage Project Team

ProjectCommunications- Manage Communication

ProjectProcurement- Conduct Procurements

Monitoring& Controlling

Project Integration- Monitor and Control Project Work

- Perform Integrated Change Control

Project Stakeholder Management- Control Stakeholder Engagement

Project Scope- Validate Scope- Control Scope

Project Time- Control Schedule

Project Cost- Control Costs

Project Quality- Control Quality

ManageCommunications- Control Communication

Project Risk- Control Risks

ProjectProcurement- Control Procurements

Closing

Project Integration- Close Project or Phase

Project Procurement- Close Procurements

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awennerberg@projmasters.com 410-772-6316 x111

Thank You!