PMP EXAM PREPARATION

NAME: Michelle T Machisa

MONTH: Sept

YEAR: 2013

WEEK 1
Source - Andy Crowe, How to Pass on your first try, 4th Edition. Chapter2 - Foundational Terms and Concepts. Chapter3 - Process Framework. Chapters 2 lays the roadmap for your understanding of the Project Management concepts put forth by PMI and simplified by Andy Crowe. Read Chapter 2 multiple times over the week to understand the Key facts and getting familiar with the jargons related to the types of Organizations and various Roles. Do this till you've grasped the basics to building a strong foundation. Chapter 3 gives an overview of what to expect in the coming chapters, segregated by process groups (As you read the book, this statement will make more sense). At this time, just breeze through this chapter, and remember that the "Knowledge Areas by Process Groups" matrix which is part of this chapter will be the most important practice reference for processes over the coming weeks. I say this because you will be using this matrix over and over again every single day, by downloading it on paper on your own, for increased memory retention, till you can map each of the 42 process to the specific Knowledge Area and Process Group. At the beginning of Week 2 (what better day than a Monday), catch up with your Study group to discuss Chapters 2 and 3, and discuss answers to the questions at the end of the chapters.

WEEK 2
Source - Andy Crowe, How to Pass on your first try, 4th Edition. Chapter4 - Project Integration Management. As the name suggests, this is not a discrete Knowledge area as per PMI, rather a "collection" of the principles and processes that will be applied in the subsequent Knowledge Areas to follow. The content may be a little hard to absorb in the beginning, within this Knowledge Area given your first encounter with "Processes" And "Inputs, Tools and Techniques" and "Outputs" (will be collectively referred to as "ITTO" henceforth). As lo ng as you can familiarize yourselves with the concepts that have been explained within each of the 6 processes that should be good enough. This chapter will be worth revisiting and will make a lot more sense when you are done with the rest of the Knowledge Areas, to see how the pieces fit together. Areas to Focus: This Knowledge forms the core of the PMP content defined by PMI, and the more you learn about this (especially the Planning and Monitor and control process groups), the more comfortable you will be in applying the processes and their concepts defined in this Knowledge Area to processes within all other Knowledge Areas. You will find questions in this chapter a little hard to begin, and end up with quite a few wrong answers when you practice from Rita's question bank eventually, but do not despair, try to solve and revisit as many questions as possible from this Knowledge Area. This is your introduction (and opportunity) to don the hat of a Project Manager and think the way PMI attempts to test you. At the beginning of week 3 (Monday again), catch up with your Study group. 1 of the 3 members will present this Knowledge Area for the first 30 minutes. Discuss concepts and questions from this chapter for the next 30 minutes, among the Study group. Follow this pattern each with different group member for the subsequent weeks. You are guaranteed to discover something new from the other group members each time. (Benefit #1 of forming a Study group).

WEEK 3
Source - Andy Crowe, How to Pass on your first try, 4th Edition. Chapter 5 Project Scope Management

Project Scope Management may be considered as one of the simpler chapters from PMP, since you can easily identify with the sequence of processes prescribed within this Process Group. Pay special attention to Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) and understand it in and out including ITTO, since this forms the base of all controlling processes within Scope Management. Also understand the basic differences between Verify Scope and Control Scope (since both these are part of the Monitoring and Controlli ng Phase), as both have distinct usage and significance. At the beginning of week 4, catch up with your Study group, to discuss Scope Management.

WEEK 4
Source - Andy Crowe, How to Pass on your first try, 4th Edition. Chapter 6 Project Time Management Project Time Management is one of the lengthiest chapters within PMP and has quite a few important concepts associated with it. The Precedence Diagramming Techniques (PDM) and Estimation Techniques form the building blocks for the Develop Schedule process and should be given utmost importance, while trying to understand the same. Pay special attention to all terminologies and techniques used in analyzing the PDM, especially the different types of Floats and Leads and Lags. The Develop Schedule process is the most important process in this Knowledge Area and it is best to understand every single Tool and Technique thoroughly associated with this process, to know what Time Management in theory and from PMIs perspective is all about. The PMBOK has a more detailed take on the tools and Techniques for this process as compared to Andys book. At the beginning of week 5, catch up with your Study group, to discuss Time Management.

WEEK 5
Source - Andy Crowe, How to Pass on your first try, 4th Edition. Chapter 7 Project Cost Management As with most of the Knowledge Areas within the PMP that requires understanding of the definitions and concepts (especially the Tool and Techniques), Project Cost Management, does have its share of concepts, but more importantly its the applications of these concepts, to calculate Earned Value Measurements and Forecasts, that should be given importance. Practice writing down the formulas for Earned Value calculations, exactly as given in Andys book after under standing these, as it will prove tremendously beneficial to download your brain dump on paper while taking the exam. Try and solve as many questions involving formulas and calculations and understand the usage of more than one way to calculate Estimate At Completion (EAC). There is just one formula for EAC in Andys book, but the PMBOK has all of them. At the beginning of week 6, catch up with your Study group, to discuss Cost Management.

WEEK 6
Source - Andy Crowe, How to Pass on your first try, 4th Edition. Chapter 8 Project Quality Management The key to understanding Project Quality Management is two-fold: 1) Every single Tool and Technique used within the 3 processes of this Knowledge Area must be addressed, and all the more better if you can study from the point of view of their practical application and usage within your organization, or seek information from a colleague/ associate affiliated to the Quality department. 2) Once you grasp the above, understand the subtle difference between Quality Assurance and Quality Control. This is where it can get confusing, but as you attempt more and more questions related to both the process, in an attempt to differentiate them, the more confident you will get. At the beginning of week 7, catch up with your Study group, to discuss Quality Management.

WEEK 7
Source - Andy Crowe, How to Pass on your first try, 4th Edition. Week 7 Chapter 9 Project HR Management Project Human Resource Management is one of the simplest chapters to understand as part of PMP. At first glance, the content seems too obvious to follow, and less complicated in terms of concepts as with other Knowledge Areas. But beware, some questions (especially from Ritas software later down the weeks) can be extremely tricky and will require you to thoroughly understand the Tools and techniques. Lay special focus on T&Ts of the Develop Team process and most importantly types of Conflict Management which is part of T&Ts of the Manage Team process. The application of specific Conflict management techniques can appear similar for various given situations, and it is only by practice that you will be able to choose the correct one for the given scenario. At the beginning of week 8, catch up with your Study group, to discuss HR Management.

WEEK 8
Source - Andy Crowe, How to Pass on your first try, 4th Edition. Chapter 10 Project Communication Management Project Communication Management again is one of the simplest reads within PMP and like HR management, the content is easy to follow and less complex in terms of concepts. Lay special focus on topics like Stakeholder Analysis, Communication Methods and Tools and Techniques related to the Manage Stakeholder Expectations and Report Performance processes. At the beginning of week 9, catch up with your Study group, to discuss HR Management.

WEEK 9
Source - Andy Crowe, How to Pass on your first try, 4th Edition. Chapter 11 Project Risk Management Project Risk Management can be crowned as the longest and not so easy to understand Knowledge Areas within the PMP. Of course, I dont intend to discourage you right away, but just as the very nature of the subject Risk which cannot be anticipated (unless you gain the required amount of expertise), the concepts can be difficult to grasp. So read and re-read and re-read till you are somewhat comfortable in understanding Risk, Risk Analysis, Risk Response and handling. Lay special focus on T&Ts of every single process (and I mean every single process) from this Knowledge Area and are comfortable in identifying differences between the Qualitative and Quantitative Risk Analysis. Questions from this Knowledge Area can be quite challenging and ironically may seem to be simpler once youre able to identify the us age of T&Ts and understand these to their core. Rest assured, Ritas question banks, will help you achieve this, in the coming weeks . At the beginning of week 10, catch up with your Study group, to discuss Risk Management.

WEEK 10
Week 10: Source - Andy Crowe, How to Pass on your first try, 4th Edition. Chapter 9 - Project Procurement Management Strange but just as the preceding weeks that had 2 easy reads in the form of HR and Communication Management, weeks 9 and 10, constitute the most difficult areas of PMP. With Project Procurement Management in Week 10, you are in the final lap of the first round of PMP (In this arena, you have 4 rounds of preparation via various materials). Project Procurement Management may seem to be overwhelming in terms of its concepts, simply because majority of the audience preparing for PMP may have never worked in this area in their professional careers. The key to prepare for this Knowledge Area is to identify and understand the various Types of Contracts and recognizing their usage. Also, try and understand the differences in the T&Ts of Administer Procurement and Close Procurement processes. At the beginning of week 11, catch up with your Study group, to discuss Procurement Management.

WEEK 11

Week 13 Chapter 13 Professional Responsibility. Source - Andy Crowe, How to Pass on your first try, 4th Edition.

Weeks 11 and 12: Now that you have covered Chapters 1 to 12 from Andys book, give yourself a pat and get set for the second run with Andys book, for weeks 11 and 12. As mentioned earlier, you may find it difficult to recollect contents from the earlier chapters, which is why you must dedicate the 2 weeks to catch up with all the previous content. This time, however make sure you mark all important definitions, concepts and formulas that may be required, when you start with the PMBOK. Most people compose a Last Minute Reference (LMR) List during their course of preparation, which in my opinion may be unnecessary, as by the time you are almost into 24 weeks, the content is pretty much ingrained in you, when you begin taking the practice test. However, if you do feel comfortable with composing a list, you can use one that I thought might be useful amongst the others I came across: http://rammesh.kaaninilam.com/blogs/bdump.htm Meet up with your Study group a couple times during these 2 weeks, and discuss each chapters (not as much in detail), especially Cost, Quality, Risk and Procurement Management, to better your understanding. Again this time, you will have something new to learn from and update your list with topics you may unheard of during this discussion.(Advantage # 2 of the Study group).

WEEK 13
You can take a break from all your efforts expended in Weeks 1 to 12, since Week 13 will help you mentally prepare for the intense preparation, planned from Weeks 14 to 24. As I must have mentioned earlier, the coming weeks will bring out the best in you and help you develop the confidence required to take the exam. In this week however, focus on Chapter 13 (Professional Responsibility) from Andys book. You will find that the content within this chapter is meant to be browsed through and does not require understanding of any concepts. It is your interpretation of the content within this chapter that you may be required to apply for quite a few questions related to this topic, on the examination. This chapter is of utmost importance from the examination and PMI perspective. Last but not least, utilize this week to install the PM Fastrack Software from Rita Mulcahy. Sometimes incorrect installations may take a lot from your schedule, so make sure the Software is up and running for the weeks to come.

PREP FOR WEEK 14

Sources 1) PMBOK, 4th Edition. 2) PM Fastrack Software v6.0 As you begin with PMBOK in Week 14, there are a few pre-requisites that come handy, as you proceed from Weeks 14 to 24. 1) Print pages 73, 104, 131, 167, 191, 217, 244, 274, 314 from PMBOK, 4th edition. These constitute the ITTOs for the 9 Knowledge Areas. You will realize that you will need to peruse through the ITTOs with each of the Knowledge Areas that you study for the remaining weeks. Again, you do not need to memorize all the ITTOs, but having these constantly around you, helps tremendously, while recollecting answers related to ITTOs in the practice tests and the real Exam. There is also a quiz I found useful relating to ITTO, which you may use: ww.monkibo.com/pmp-exam-itto-trainer 2) Pg 43 from PMBOK is perhaps the most important of all, when it comes to downloading your brain dump before the start of the exam. The idea is to practice downloading the matrix on paper every 2 or 3 days for the next 10 weeks, so that you can easily refer to every single process that fits into the respective Process Group and Knowledge Area while taking the real exam. Even though it may seem like an overkill at one point in time, I would rate this as THE MOST important exercise for the next few weeks. 3) As you solve questions from PM Fastrack for each Knowledge Areas, it is a good practice to re-visit not only the answers you attempted wrongly, but also those that you answered right. Wrong answers will prompt you to look back at PMBOK and cover the gaps whereas right answers will leverage your understanding on the subject matter and instill confidence within

you for the approach to the method adopted in choosing the right answer. Do this for every single Knowledge Areas of the PMBOK.

WEEK 14
Chapter1: Introduction Chapter2: Project Life Cycle and Organization Chapter3: Project Management Processes for a Project Study Chapters 1,2 and 3 from PMBOK to get a solid understanding on the projects, processes, differences between project and product cycles and types Of Organization. The language used in the PMBOK is far more complex than the one in Andy's book, and it is only the explanations of concepts in the PMBOK that stand out from any of the other PMP Exam preparation book. Read Chapters 1 and 2 entirely without skipping any topics. Chapter 3 just gives an overview of the 42 processes (which by now you must be accustomed to, using Andy's book), and Pg.43 from this Chapter as mentioned earlier is your source of constant reference and practice. Utilize this week to solve Questions from PM Fastrack, by Knowledge Areas. This chapter is called "Framework" and covers all aspects related to Chapters 1,2 and 3 from PMBOK. As you finish answering all 149 questions (in either a single or multiple sittings), review these and try to fill up gaps in the areas you think you are weak, by reading Chapters 1,2 and 3 from the PMBOK, again this week.

WEEK 15
Chapter 5 -Scope Management (PMBOK) and Practice Questions from PM Fastrack v6.0 The objective of starting with chapter 5 - Scope Management and not Chapter 4 - Integration Management is that it is my opinion- that a better understanding of all the remaining Knowledge Areas from PMBOK will automatically make Project Integration Management a little simpler to grasp. Also the fact that the questions related to Integration Management in the PM Fastrack Software are a little intimidating and will need you to practice questions from the remaining Knowledge Areas first. With this is mind, let's proceed to Chapter 5 - Scope Management from PMBOK. Since you must have already printed out Pg.104 from this book, keep this as a referal point to learn Scope Management from PMBOKs perspective. Lay special focus on Create WBS, Verify and Control Scope. As mentioned earlier - Verify Scope and Control Scope have differences which must be understood from the point of view of application of these processes. Try and attempt questions from PM Fastrack from the Scope Management Knowledge Area.

WEEK 16
Chapter 6 -Time Management (PMBOK) and Practice Questions from PM Fastrack v6.0 The T&Ts from "Sequence Activities", "Estimate Activity Durations", "Estimate Activity Resources" and "Develop Schedule" are perhaps the most important topics within this Knowledge Areas. This is where you will learn to appreciate the PMBOK in terms of its content for all the T&Ts mentioned above. The PM Fastrack Software has plenty of questions related to PDM calculations and these should be enough for you to attempt any questions based on PDM in the real exam. Of all the processes - "Develop Schedule" and "Control Schedule" are the most important. Try and attempt questions from PM Fastrack from the Time Management Knowledge Area.

WEEK 17,18,19
Week 17:Chapter 7 -Cost Management (PMBOK) and Practice Questions from PM Fastrack v6.0 Perhaps the single most importance of Cost Management lies in the Earned Value Calculations and these can be either be most scoring (if understood well) or otherwise. The key to cracking questions related to Earned Values Measurements is purely by virtue of practice and practice hard. Apart from understanding the application of formulaes for different EVMs, also understand the subtle (yet important) differences between applications of "EAC" in different situations. The PMBOK explains these differences very well and is a good source of learning these. Apart from the EVM calculations, T&Ts belonging to all 3 processes within this Knowledge Area is also important. Try and attempt questions from PM Fastrack from the Cost Management Knowledge Area.

Week 18: Chapter 8 -Quality Management (PMBOK) and Practice Questions from PM Fastrack v6.0 If there's any chapter that you must be thorough with concept-wise from the PMI perspective, nothing comes close to Quality Management. This Knowledge Area can be intimidating, unless of course you know the differences between Quality Assurance and Quality Control, most importantly application of these processes during Project Management. Understand the differences between Cost Of Conformance vs. Non-conformance, different Control charts and their usage, classification of Control Charts between the Quality Assurance and Control processes. Try and attempt questions from PM Fastrack from the Quality Management Knowledge Area.

Week 19: Chapter 9 -HR Management (PMBOK) and Practice Questions from PM Fastrack v6.0 One of the most important study areas within this Knowledge Area is conflict Management, and both PMBOK and Andy Crowe's book provide sufficient explanation and examples to elaborate this. Apart from this, HR Management is mostly situation based study more than theoretical, and practicing from PM Fastrack makes sure you get accustomed to situational types of questions from HR Management. As for the theory, PMBOK covers all that is required. Try and attempt questions from PM Fastrack from the HR Management Knowledge Area.

WEEK 20,21,22
Week 20:Chapter 10 -Communication Management (PMBOK) and Practice Questions from PM Fastrack v6.0 This one being one of the simplest reads for the PMP exam, deals more with Soft skills to be practiced by the PM/ prospective PM. However, some examination questions, as seen in PM Fastrack (and in the real exam) can be tricky, and requires you to be alert when dealing with Communication types and models that are part of the Plan Communication process as T&Ts. Other than the above, most questions belonging to this Knowledge Area will test your ability to apply your skills to situations rather than theoretical concepts. Try and attempt questions from PM Fastrack from the Communication Management Knowledge Area.

Week 21: Chapter 11 -Risk Management (PMBOK) and Practice Questions from PM Fastrack v6.0 As mentioned in Week9 (using Andy Crowe covering Risk Management), this is one of the difficult reads for the PMP exam and requires a lot of attention in the ITTOs belonging to all process groups. The examples and illustrations in PMBOK for the Qualitative and Quantitative Risk Analaysis process groups should help you form a solid understanding of the concepts which you read earlier in Andy's book. Practice and practice again from PM Fastrack Software, till the point you are confidently able to differentiate between Qualitative and Quantitative Risk Analysis. In the T&Ts of Plan Risk Response process, lay special focus on Strategies to handle Positive/ Negative Risks. The same applies to T&Ts within the Plan Risk Response process. Most of these concepts when applied practically to the projects you're working on or will be undertaken, can work wonders for the project especially if you plan earlier in advance to save you from being stuck in the hole. Try and attempt questions from PM Fastrack from the Risk Management Knowledge Area.

Week 22: Chapter 9 -Procurement Management (PMBOK) and Practice Questions from PM Fastrack v6.0 As compared to other Knowledge Areas, Procurement Management at most times, is an unchartered territory, and is theoretical conceptually. Again T&Ts within each process groups of this Knowledge Area are quite exhaustive and requires detail understanding of the subject matter. Lay special focus on "Types Of Contracts" and their usage, using questions from the PM Fastrack to practice these. Try and attempt questions from PM Fastrack from the Procurement Management Knowledge Area.

WEEK 23,24,25
Week 23:Chapter 4 -Integration Management (PMBOK) and Practice Questions from PM Fastrack v6.0 Now that you have covered all Knowledge Areas from PMBOK, it makes much more sense Project Integration Management and how all processes belonging the process groups within each Knowledge Areas are integrated. Try and attempt questions from PM Fastrack from the Integration Management Knowledge Area. Practice questions from this Knowledge Area over and over again, to better your understanding from the examination point of view. Also, use this week to browse through all chapters from Andy's book before starting the full length simulated tests in Week 24.

Week 24: You can now begin this week by attempting full length Examination tests. If you can manage to take at least 4 full length tests you may find it tremendously beneficial both in terms of confidence and building up the tempo for the real exam. As a note, please make sure that all full length tests that you attempt may be taken without interruptions just as you would take the real exam. Begin with the test at the end of Andy Crowe's book. You will find this test overtly simple in comparison to the real exam as you look back, but it is essential to take this test to begin with a "feel-good" factor and start building your confidence. Next you can attempt free questions by Oliver Lehmann that you can find on his website http://www.oliverlehmann.com/ Third test can be taken from the one provided in the PM Fastrack v6.0 CD. And finally the fourth one can be taken from the one provided onwww.pmstudy.com free of cost. The format and style of this test comes close to the real exam and you will find this tremendously helpful. If you can manage to score decently on all the tests above, you can assure yourself of being well prepared for the exam. If you still find time from all the above tests, you can attempt the difficult test provided as part of the PM Fastrack v6.0 CD. As a suggestion, please do not fall into the trap of comparing your scores from all the above exams to the one required to pass the real exam. Of course getting the minimum score to pass the practice tests is important, but as i mentioned above achieving the passing score within the stipulated time frame helps building up a tempo for the real exam - And that's all you should care about right now!! Week 25: Finally the week where it's time for all your efforts to take action. Use this week to look at all areas within PMBOK and Andy Crowe's book that you may have thought require special attention, based on the re-runs in the previous weeks. As I must have mentioned in my previous entries, a Last minute lists do not really help other than building anxiety, so instead practice writing matter that you may download on paper minutes before beginning to take the exam. This matter for example may include the Knowledge Group vs. Process Group matrix, formulaes from Cost Management and other formulaes that you may come across during your preparations. With this I conclude with the 25 week preparation blog, hoping that you may have found the blog useful in your journey