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PMP Exam Prep versus Project Management Training

June 6, 2011 By 28 Comments

Article Written by Gwen Miller, PMP

I think there is some confusion regarding preparing for the PMP Exam and Project Management Training.  Let’s try to get some clarity to understand what to expect and why.

These are the requirements to apply to write the PMP exam; you must have either:

 

  • A 4 year degree (bachelor’s or global equivalent), 3 years of project management experience (accumulated at least 4500 hours leading and directing projects) and 35 hours of project management training.

OR

  • A secondary diploma (high school or global equivalent), 5 years project management experience (accumulated at least 7500 hours leading and directing projects) and 35 hours of project management training.

 

PMP Exam Prep

 

PMP Exam prep classes are just that, Exam Prep.  The focus is on mastering a passing grade on the exam.  The exam is 200 multiple choice questions that you are provided 4 hours to complete.  There are 25 pre-test questions on the test so to pass you must get 106 out of 175 questions (61%) correct to pass.

 

The classes should actually be called PMP Exam Taking Approach and Practice.  Why?  Because that is what you will be doing.  Discussing exam taking tactics to ensure you have enough time to answer all 200 questions and completing practice tests to validate the approach.

 

The 200 questions are based on key concepts, inputs, outputs, tools and techniques used in managing projects as laid out in the PMBOK 4th Edition (Project Management Body of Knowledge).  You will need to know how the 5 process groups (Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring and Controlling, and Closing) and the 42 logically grouped processes are integrated and applied in a project situation.

 

The class facilitator assumes the students have the requisite amount of project management experience and therefore, the knowledge to answer the test questions.  This is NOT project management training, even though the number of hours of ‘training’ received for the exam prep can be used to meet the 35 hours of training requirement.

 

Project Management Training

Project Management Training concentrates on gaining knowledge about project management best practices and processes as detailed in the PMBOK.  Project Management training can focus on one knowledge area such as Scope, Communications, or Quality.  Each knowledge area’s processes are discussed in detail as well as how they interact with the processes of the other knowledge areas.

 

Key terms, concepts, formulas, tools and techniques, inputs and outputs are covered through practical exercises meant to assist the student in acquiring, developing and applying the essential knowledge in a simulated project environment.  Although the knowledge areas are studied as discrete components, training addresses where the overlap and integration points occur with the other areas.

 

This training delivers a well rounded approach to understanding all the nuances of the 42 processes and how all can be used within the 5 high level process groups.  By the end of this type project management training program, you will know ‘everything you ever wanted to know about project management but were afraid to ask’.

 

There are other project management training programs that focus on some of the higher level functions of project management, such as programs, portfolios and PMO’s and developing soft skills such as leadership, conflict management and team building to name a few.  Some training programs concentrate on one of the 5 high level process groups like Project Planning.  This high level process group (planning) can make or break your project if not done correctly, or not done at all.  Definitely one to put on your list for a future training opportunity.

 

Do you see the difference?

 

© 2011  Gwen Miller, PMP

 

 

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Using Your Career Path to Determine Training Plan

June 5, 2011 By 10 Comments

Article Written by Gwen Miller, PMP

So you have decided that a career in Project Management is what you want.  Now you need to determine how to arm yourself with all the tools, skills and knowledge to rise up the project management hierarchy and be a true leader in the profession.

 

Most organizations will have a career path created for the roles in their various departments.  This provides your managers a guide to determine when your skills and knowledge have grown to or exceed the expectation to progress to the next level. It provides the project manager with the detail necessary to determine a training plan.

 

If a career path is not available for the company you work for, PMI has one on their website. You can focus on the area or areas that have been identified as a ‘weak’ skill set.  From experience, I would recommend one area at a time.  Just so you can make certain you are comfortable with the information and you think ‘this seems easier than it has in the past’.

 

When you are looking for a training provider, do some research (unless your employer has a preferred provider they work with on any training initiatives).  Talk to other PM’s in your company and see who they recommend for training.  If you are a PMI member, you can check out the website for Registered Education Providers (REP).

 

REP’s go through a rigorous vetting process of the program being taught and the instructors delivering the materials.  This would be your best Project Management Training source.  Research on the internet and check out the company’s website.  Look for the PMI REP logo on their website.

 

Keep building upon your skill set, the technical PM tools and practices and don’t forget about the soft skills.  Your ‘people’ management/leadership skills can sink the best technically proficient PM.

 

Keep doing a skill assessment, either as a part of your annual performance evaluation, or personally if one is not done at your organization. PMI has one on their website you can complete.  Use the gaps in the assessment to modify your training plan.

 

Keep working your plan, and you will be able to achieve your goals.

© 2011  Gwen Miller, PMP

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Project Management Training Initiatives Derive Value Add for Company Investment

June 3, 2011 By 20 Comments

Article Written by Gwen Miller, PMP

Let’s face it.  In the past couple of years, the economy sucks, unemployment is at an all time high since the Great Depression (since I wasn’t there, I have to take the word of the media), and companies are tight fisted with money.

Having worked through several burn downs in the economy in the 70’s, 80’s 90’s (oh, oh……I see a pattern forming here), the one thing I have always noticed is when the going gets tough, and we hear about cut backs and budget trimming, what is the first thing to be cut?  OK, besides people.

TRAINING.  That’s right.  Training dollars, or the entire training budget.  It goes out the window.  We just can’t afford to send people for training….we need to pay the bills first, training is a frivolous use of capital.

REALLY??  Does anyone in the C-level office really give that a good think?  Perhaps this is the best time to train our employees.  We are expecting more from them, we should assist them in gaining new skills and abilities, to help us through this financial storm.  This may help us come out of the fight stronger than when we went in.

Now that is enlightened thinking.  I know some C-levels who think that way, but in my opinion, the majority doesn’t.  The majority doesn’t see training as an investment in their Human Capital.  Why is that so hard to imagine?

It might be due to the fact that until recently, employees were never thought of as an asset. What an oversight!!  This is the one asset, when treated right, will provide better return on your investment than any asset in your organization.

So now you are asking, what does all of this have to do with Project Management?  It has to do with providing your PM’s with the training needed to improve performance.  Performance of the PM, the performance of the project team, the performance of the project itself.

As PM’s skills and abilities grow, so does the performance of the project portfolio.  Having the wherewithall to lead projects that meet success criteria (defined during your planning process with the stakeholders and project team) will add business value.  They will have a positive, direct, impact to the P&L of the company.

Since a larger percentage of a company’s budget is spent to hire and maintain human capital, why not invest in those assets to grow your company and its bottom line.

While I was writing this observation, I was wondering if anyone had done any analysis or research on value received for PM training spends.  Voila!  I came across a study conducted by the project management firm, PM Solutions (disclaimer:  I do not work for or with them).

Two things from the study that got me thinking 1) The considerable change for the better the firms surveyed reported in project and business performance because of project management training, and 2) that instructor-led classroom training was the most used and most effective method of training.

I found this to reflect my own thinking.  Why??

Well, being away from the job, the PM can focus their energies on the training; consider what they are learning (not only from the instructor but other PM’s in the class) and how it may apply to current projects.

PM’s have the opportunity to practice what they are learning through completion of exercises built into the training to solidify how to apply the skills, and being a part of a team going through the training project, glean tips and techniques from their team mates. (C-level’s know the value of networking, why not others in their organization?)

This is what makes instructor-led classroom training so valuable, the PM’s return to the project not only with knowledge but with actual application of the knowledge through those practice exercises.   The organization can begin to realize their ROI from the training investment immediately.

So the next time your leadership is thinking about cutting the training for the PM’s in your organization, influence (another project management skill) your boss to understand the impact that has to the success of the project portfolio ROI and the company’s bottom line.

It makes me think, is it only a chosen few executives (like the ones surveyed in the study) that get the correlation between skill improvement (training) and the positive impact to the bottom line?

© 2011  Gwen Miller, PMP

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