Obtaining a PMP Certificate – Practical Guide and Study Notes

The PMP certification has, and to some extend for a good reason, a reputation of being very difficult to obtain.
While this is not the easiest certificate to obtain, let me reassure you that obtaining a PMP certification is not “mission impossible”, and in fact with proper understanding of the process, and preparation, it is quite possible to pass the PMP exam and obtain the PMP certificate at your first attempt.
But first, you may be wondering why should you listen to me? I guess that’s a fair question.
I’ve been managing IT projects in various size and complexity levels since 1998. You can review some of them at my resume page. Late in 2015 I have decided to obtain my PMP certificate, as part of personal development process.
I have passed the PMP exam on my first attempt, and before that I was “lucky” enough to be selected to the PMI audit.
In this series of posts regarding the process of obtaining a PMP certificate I will outline the my own personal experience of obtaining the certificate from early registration, to the actual day of the exam.
I will also share some of the resources I have used and helped me a lot in the process.
If you are wondering why am I writing this series, the answer is simple. I found a lot of material online during my studies. The problem wasn’t finding content and study aids. The problem was finding GOOD ones, with up to date references, and info, and with reasonable pricing (or free ones).
With this series on information I hope to provide other aspirants such as you with quality, first hand, content to help you pass the PMP exam. You will have access to my insights, experience and my study notes, which I hope will help you in your process.
It took a lot of effort putting this series together (as I’m sure you’ll soon see). Please share your thoughts and comments on the posts for the benefit of the greater good, as this helps the content to remain fresh and up to date for future PMP aspirants.
I’m personally reviewing, and replying on every comment.
Thanks in advance.
PMP Study Notes – Chapter 7, Cost Management, Part 1
Obtaining a PMP Certificate series. Study notes for chapter 7, Project Cost Management – Part 1: Plan Cost Management, Estimate Costs.
PMP Study Notes – Chapter 6, Schedule Management, Part 2
Obtaining a PMP Certificate series. Study notes for chapter 6, Project Schedule Management – Part 2: Estimate activity resources, estimate activities duration, develop Schedule, control schedule, and PMI Spirit. This post also covers: Three Points Estimation, reserve analysis, critical path, critical chain, schedule network analysis and schedule compression.
PMP Study Notes – Chapter 6, Schedule Management, Part 1
Obtaining a PMP Certificate series. Study notes for chapter 6, Project Schedule Management – Part 1: Plan Schedule Management, Define Scope Activities, Sequence Activities.
PMP Study Notes – Chapter 5, Scope Management, Part 2
Obtaining a PMP Certificate series. Study notes for chapter 5, Project Scope Management – Part 2: Create WBS, Validate Scope, Control Scope and PMI Spirit.
PMP Study Notes – Chapter 5, Scope Management, Part 1
Obtaining a PMP Certificate series. Study notes for chapter 5, Project Scope Management – Part 1: Plan Scope Management, Collect Requirements, Define Scope.
The Complete List of PMP Tools and Techniques
Obtaining a PMP Certificate series. A complete list of all PMP Tools and Techniques and their definitions.
Passing the PMI Audit – A Practical Guide
About 20% of PMP aspirant who apply for the PMP certification, are randomly selected for the PMI audit process. This post will cover the steps of the PMI audit process, and include some tips and best practices to help you speed up the audit process.
Applying for PMP Certification and Registering for the Exam
The PMP exam registration and application process is pretty straight forward. However there are some key points to consider. Save time and money with the following tips and make the process smoother…
Obtaining a PMP Certificate – Frequently Asked Questions
A set of frequently asked questions (and answers!) regarding the PMP certification process.