About getting a PMP: Best study resources, and what to expect?

I've been interested in getting a PMP for quite some time, and while I wait to choose a new degree program I figured I could work on this.

1. What is the best resource for preparing for the PMP exam?

2. Are there any self-paced online classes that can be taken to prepare?

3. How long is the PMP exam in format and time limit?

4. What level of math (Calc, Pre-Calc, Stats) do you encounter on the PMP exam?

5. Is the exam all multiple choice?

6. What kind of time committment am I looking at between prepping and taking the final PMP exam?

 

You should also post this question in our IT forum: IT and Computer-Related Degrees I'm hope you will find some valuable input.

 

I used below resource to pass PMP the First time.

All-in-One PMP Exam Prep Kit (Test Prep series) - Andy Crowe

http://www.amazon.com/All---One-Exam-Prep-Test/dp/0982760809/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1326945490&sr=8-5

 

My company provides SkillPort for us for free. I have the PMP series in my queue but haven’t started it yet but one of my direct reports has and she really likes it. It is apparently a good system. Catalog - Learning Paths - SkillSoft

 

Like most professional certifications, if you take the prep course you'll do fine on the exam. This is why I've lost faith in most certifications I see after people's names; but employers continue to, on average, pay employees with these certifications more than those without them. PMI boasts that PMPs make 10% more than their non-PMP counterparts.

I took a 3-day PMP prep course at a nearby hotel conference room through a company called Velociteach. There are lots of PMP exam prep companies out there, so find one that offers classes most convenient to you in terms of location, length of time, and cost. I asked work to pay for my class, which they did. The three-days of class were intense and I can't imagine trying to learn the information in the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) via self-study. The instructors provided tricks to memorizing a lot of the content and structure of the PMBOK, which was incredibly helpful for the exam. PMI's overwhelming focus on their textbook, the PMBOK, is my biggest complaint about the PMP certification. While I like that it standardizes the terminology used in project management, at least somewhat, I find PMI's whole approach to be overly structured. I'm not sure that the PMI approach works in many settings, like IT projects, as well as it works for more traditional projects, like in construction.

After I completed the exam prep course, I sent my application to PMI and scheduled a time to sit for the exam. The PMP exam is 200 multiple choice questions with only 175 actually counting toward your certification. The other 25, which are scattered throughout the test, are being tested to see if they should be used in future exams. I think we were allowed four hours for the exam. I took about three hours. There were not very many questions requiring math, but you will need to use a calculator. If you can figure out earned value then you can handle all the math required for the exam. It's pretty basic stuff.

If I could do it over again, I would have applied to the PMI and scheduled my exam before completing the prep course. The few months between the prep course and taking the exam meant that I had to spend time refreshing my memory on the materials I learned in the prep course. Velociteach provided good printed study guide materials, very good online review courses, and a large test bank of questions and answers. These resources were great, but would have been completely unnecessary if I'd scheduled the exam for the day after the prep class.

You can find all the requirements for the PMI Project Management Professional certification at the Project Management Institute's website. (Got to: PMI PMP Credential | Project Management Institute) Good luck!

 

Thanks for the info guys! I got swamped at work and couldn't come back to thank you before.

I'm looking through some info right now about the exam. Interesting stuff.

I'm curious about something else... I've come across some degree programs in Project Management, and some certificate programs in Project Management. Is it a no-brainer that they guy who shows up with, say, a BA in Project Managment is going to trump the guy of equal experience who has a PMP? And from a slightly different perspective, is having the PMP enough to the extent that getting one would be a better idea than getting a degree in Project Management? I mean, I worked as a Head Recruiter and never seen anyone with a degree in PM out of thousands of resumes, but I looked at quite a few resumes that listed a PMP.

 

I took and passed the PMP back in 2000. I used the PMBOK Guide and Harold Kerzner’s textbook. You definitely need to use the PMBOK Guide and pay attention to the glossary. Remember, PMP does not test your project management experience, it tests your project management book knowledge---as referenced in the PMBOK Guide. I teach a PMP prep course at my school—I use the PMBOK Guide and Kerzner’s Project Management textbook 9th edition, which is cross-referenced with the PMBOK. I have a 100% pass rate for my students who have taken the PMP.

 

My employer also values PMP cert but
PMO organization prefers PMP certificants who completed RA and PMP accredited classes such as 12 credit program of Boston University.
Obviously Stanford Certification is highly valued, still PMP needs to accompany the study.
We have Sr PM's who have MBA in PM and PMP.

The most important ingredient is Experience, type of projects one managed, for what companies etc.

In our company successful PM's get high visibility projects and good promotion, many are in management on the Director level.

I heard that CBT Nuggets have a good PMP prep videos and they satisfy the PMI accredited hours etc.

 

I passed PMP examination just a few months back and here is what I followed:

1. I started studying PMBOK 5th Edition before joining an institute towards completion of 35 contact hours. I studied PMBOK 5 thoroughly.
2. Referred to Rita Mulcahy exam prep which I found quite easy to understand.
3. Took an online pmp training from Simplilearn which is a Registered Education provider of PMP. The audio video chapters, downloadable e-book and practice test papers helped me a lot in clearing my exam in first go.
4. Read a lot of blogs such as pmzilla, oliverlehmann.com
5. Took as many practice test papers as I could.

I hope this info helps. Good Luck to all preparing for PMP exam.