This series is to narrate what all I did, right from a thought to crack PMP, to finally cracking it.
1. Training : My Journey to PMP – Part1 (current one)
2. Preparation: My Journey to PMP – Part2
3. Cracking Exam: My Journey to PMP – Part3
Introduction:
This post is a series to express how I cracked PMP. This can act as a guide to all those who wish to crack PMP or such similar exams. PMP (Project Management Professional) is a certification to enhance your skills in Project Management and foster yourself in more accurate estimation of budget and schedule, better communication, smooth delivery of your projects.
Training: My Journey to PMP
Before the May 2015, PMP was just a so called abbreviation for me. I was knowing only couple of basics of it and never thought of doing it.
One day sitting and thinking about my career right from my inception in IT and my future (that I have to work 20 more years), I was little worried, for what skill set should I acquire to survive and excel in the cut throat competitive world. Though my background is of QA/QC yet my working encapsulated towards project management. For last many years I was into agile methodology (Scrum Master) so I had a flair of project management which foster me why not to enhance my career into project management itself. But this thought had no ground till I researched for few days on how I can move ahead into this.
Hundreds of courses, Certifications, trainings, claim to be sure shot entry into project management flooded my inbox. Frankly speaking I got confused but one thing I could found that out of all certifications PMP was most renowned. On May 27, I called a friend of mine (already PMP) in the last organization to get some insight. That call was the first step towards reaping an action.
He asked me to solicit the REP who all are in the region and had a good passing records. I started getting calls from couple of REPs. Finally I chose one (can’t disclose the name as I am not endorsing it). The training was of 4 days like all other REPs have and I was to be granted with needed 35 PDUs to clear one of the eligibility criteria. I paid the training amount and reserved my seat.
July was the month of sowing an action. My 4 days training were scheduled on weekends so July 18th, my first day, at 9am sharp I reached the center and the trainer was ready with his all notes, PPTs.
It was a full day 9-5 training, where he introduced us with What, Why, How, Exam patterns and couple of other stuff during the first half. During the 2nd half we were imparted the 1st knowledge area “Integration Management”, the most boring and dry topic. Tough there was analogy with what all was being discussed I was already doing in my project yet processes were highly descriptive with jargon new to me.
The day ended with some notes and lots of stuff in the brain.
Next day, Sunday we all gathered for 2nd day’s training. The day was good as our expectations were set in the very initial minutes.
We covered Scope Management before lunch and then Time Management. These Knowledge areas were inculcating the mind, as all the aspirants were having a good hands on experience in these. We left the hall with few assignments, to be solved and tabled in the meeting, next weekend. I tried to solve the questions that night only as next day was the working day and I could hardly get time for it.
Comes the next weekend, July 25th. We were curious to show our assignment but to our surprise none of the answers were correct. We were guided for our mistakes and our over confidence. Training initiated with next Knowledge area of Cost Management, highly resemblance with Schedule management. Following Cost was QA management (my core area of work). So it was easy for me but seems difficult for other aspirants. HR Management, Communication Management followed before the day was concluded.
Last day of training July 26th, we rushed for next Knowledge area of Risk management (most risky Knowledge area), Procurement Management to complete before lunch. The last knowledge area Stakeholder Management was a small and easy topic.
We were then told about the strategy for study, Exam attempt sequence, mindset and REP support. We were then imparted with the needed 35 PDUs.
This all concluded with the training part.
Contd…..
--- @AbhishekChd