Need Guidance Regarding PMP Certification Preparation? Here Are Some Useful Questions

The PMP credential is much desired by employers seeking the most highly skilled project management individuals. Project managers develop PMP certification, and the certification is considered the highest level proposed in PMI certifications. The PMP certification ensures that the credential-holder has the necessary skills and qualifications to successfully manage all project stages, including initiating, planning, scheduling, controlling and monitoring, and closing out the project.

PMI, The Project Management Institute offers the PMP certification. The certification is the most sought after certification for project managers. Individuals who earn the PMP certification meet global project management standards and are connected to other PMPs across the globe.

What Skills Do You Earn through PMP Certification?

PMP certified project managers are well versed and skilled in managing all aspects of the triple constraints time, cost, and scope. Employers depend on the skills of a PMP professional to track expenses, manage budgets, manage scope creep, etc. They identify how changes to the triple constraints may introduce risk into the project and minimize risk to protect the project investment.

PMPs possess formalized training and tested knowledge that provides employers with peace of mind, knowing that their project managers are held to PMI's stringent uniform standards.

The standards for PMP certification are definite. Beyond passing a comprehensive exam, credential holders must first demonstrate and certify that they have the expertise and skills suitable to be successful in the project management field.

What Is the Eligibility to Become PMP Certified?

To become eligible for the PMP certification, you need to meet certain professional and educational experience needs. The candidate must have acquired all project management experience within the last eight consecutive years before submitting the PMP exam form. To apply for the PMP certification, a candidate must have 

• 36 months of leading projects
• A four-year degree
• 35 hours of project management training/education or CAPM certification.

— OR —

• A high school diploma or an associate’s degree.
• 60 months of experience in leading projects
• 35 hours of project management training/education or CAPM certification

Look at the Structure of the PMP Exam:

The PMP certification exam is a multiple-choice exam and comprises of 200 questions. Out of the 200 questions, 25 questions are pretest questions. A candidate gets four hours to complete the exam. The result comes as Above Target / Target / Below Target / Needs Improvement status. The exam's official price is 405 USD for members; for non-members, the price is 555 USD.

Preparation Tips for the PMP Certification:

• Go through the PMP handbook thoroughly. The handbook assesses and measures education, experience, and professional skills, which is the foundation of complete proof as a project manager. 
• Go through the recent PMP exam contents.
• Study the current edition of the PMBOK Guide. You should always follow the latest edition, depending on your exam date.
• Read from sample questions from different useful websites. ProcessExam.com offers one of the most helpful sample questions for the PMP certification. Here are some of them-

If your expected value is 110 and the standard deviation is 12, which of the following is true?

a) There is approximately a 95 percent chance of completing this activity in 98 to 122 days.

b) There is approximately a 68 percent chance of completing this activity in 98 to 122 days.

c) There is approximately a 99 percent chance of completing this activity in 86 to 134 days.

d) There is approximately a 75 percent chance of completing this activity in 86 to 134 days.

Ans: b

Why should a project team finish lessons learned documentation?

a) To ensure project closure

b) To show management what they’ve accomplished in the project

c) To help future project teams complete their projects more efficiently

d) To show the project stakeholders what they’ve accomplished in the project

Ans: c

You are the project manager for the JHN Project. Mike, a project manager you are mentoring, does not know which plan he should refer to guarding the project scope. Which plan does Mike need?

a) The scope validation

b) The scope charter

c) The scope management plan

d) The scope change control system

Ans: c

You are executing the Manage Quality process and gaining expected values for the dependent relationships in the hierarchy. Which technique are you using?

a) Affinity diagrams

b) Tree diagrams

c) PDPC

d) Interrelationship digraphs

Ans: b

What are the inputs to the Make Project Charter process?

a) Agreements, business documents, EEFs, and OPAs

b) Business case benefits management plan, and OPAs

c) Business case, helps management plan, EEFs

d) Agreements, EEFs, and OPAs

Ans: a

• It’s important to follow a daily study schedule to help you complete the syllabus topics on time; following a schedule will enhance your chances of passing the PMP exam at the first try. 
• Set apart study time on your calendar for each day, and arrange your study materials so that they are ready to be used when you study. You should also plan reasonable weekly study goals. You must consider the amount of material you hope to cover each week and select a suitable place to study. Choosing a study place where you feel energized can make you concentrate more on your study for the PMP exam.
• It is also crucial to get support from your family, friends, and co-workers. Make sure they realize why getting the PMP-certification is so vital to you and why you need to put some time away from the household or social obligations to prepare for the PMP exam.
• Last but not least, don't forget to practice online PMP tests. Practicing online will give you the experience of taking the real exam, you would be practiced to take the exam on time and you get enough time to work on your weak areas.

Read Also: Getting into Human Resources Career with HR Certification

Benefits of the PMP Certification:

PMP Is Resume Value Booster:

PMP certification can boost a resume and create the difference between getting a job as a project manager and being passed over the favor of some PMP certified candidate. When hiring an employee, many employers need PMP certification of their project managers and will not employ non-certified project managers. If you have the PMP certification, it will undoubtedly make it easier to find a job as a project or program manager.

Earn Higher Salary:

Earning the PMP certification can get you a higher salary compared to those project managers who do not hold the certification. Besides this, one survey indicated that the PMP is the highest paid IT certification. The good news is, PMP salaries are about to increase as time goes on. You can find many sources declaring that PMPs make $6,000 to 10,000 USD per more than non-PMPs; every year. According to the PMI Salary Survey, PMP-certified project managers in six significant countries earn a USD 10,000 salary benefit over non-PMP-certified project managers.

Link Through Your PMP and Get New Career Scopes:

Being a PMP certified links you to all of the other PMPs in the world, and there are plenty of members around the globe. PMI's publication claims that the number of members is growing over the years. PMI arranges frequent PMI meetings in most major metropolitan centers, where PMI members come together to network and learn about project management theory. These meetings could also help earn PMPs valuable Professional Development Units (PDUs) that are needed to renew their certification every three years.

During these PMI meetings, an employee can often find out new career scopes from members who appreciate PMP certification benefits. These meetings often ask people to stand up and share any job scopes available at their organizations. Apart from these meetings, there are plenty of other communities, both online and offline, where PMPs can blend with other project managers, build their professional networks, and investigate potential career opportunities.

Bottom Line:

PMP project managers have invested time and effort leading up to and attaining the PMP certification, which proves their dedication and commitment to project management as a profession. Even if they don’t plan to serve as project managers for their entire lives, they understand the importance of PMP certification as a step toward their careers.

The PMP certification offers a rewarding career, greater flexibility, growth potential, and a salary boost. The salaries are, on average, 20 percent higher than those of uncertified project management professionals, according to PMI’s salary survey edition. So if you are eligible, don't waste time and jump into the certification.