Surviving the PMP Exam

Everyone's experience with the PMP exam is different. I'll share with you my experience and also what I suggest to others.

This is what I followed:
I took a prep course because I never had a formal project management (PM) course and needed 35 contact hours for the exam. Otherwise, this course is not required for the exam (see PMI's site for more details on the requirements). I found a study partner from the course and from then on we both met at least once a week until the exam to discuss problem areas and do a few questions together. I went through PMBoK and Rita's book. I first read a chapter from PMBoK and then the same chapter from Rita's book, followed by questions at the end of the chapter. I read through her answers and reasoning for each answer for all questions, whether I answered them right or not. Once I completed the course, I did questions from Rita's Fast Track CD and the ones from O'Reilly's Head First PMP. Then I tried repeating the course but didn't have much time so just scanned through it.

This is what I suggest to others:
0. Get PMI membership. The cost of the exam without membership is higher than the cost of the exam with membership, including the cost of membership. And the membership will get you the electronic version of PMBoK for free.

1. Go through PMBoK and Rita's book quickly, chapter by chapter, doing end of chapter questions. You can ignore the reasoning for the answers at this time.

2. Take a course. This is optional if you already have 35 PDUs and are comfortable with your PM knowledge. Good to have a study partner at this time.

3. Apply for the exam. Application is painstakingly long and so is the approval process, especially if your application is selected for audit. (Audit is very easy. All you have to do is to get your support material  verified). I have created a spreadsheet to compile PM experience data for the application. You can download the spreadsheet from http://bit.ly/pmpappcalc. It will save a lot of your time. (Note: It was created for the previous version of PMBoK but I am told that it is still valid)

4. Repeat the course again, slowly this time. Do the same questions again (which means you must not mark the answers with pen the first time you took them). This will help you compare your results. This time, go through the reasoning for each answer carefully.

5. After completing the course, do Rita's Fast Track questions and any other questions you are able to find.

6. Take the exam.

There is tons of information available online. That's good and bad. Bad because its hard to decide which to go through and which to ignore. Rita's material is worth the cost. Much better if you can borrow it from someone. O'Reilly's book Head FirstPMP is also good. They give out questions and answers for free, even if you don't buy their book. I recommend Rita's book because it is easier to read and because it was written with one objective; to make you pass the exam. It tells you where to concentrate and what to ignore.

That's it. Hope this will hep you. Good luck with the preparation and the exam. 

FREE Hajj Training Sessions 2011

Are you going for Hajj this year?
Would you like to attend a FREE Hajj training session?

Then call now to reserve your seat at the upcoming session in Islamabad.

When: Sunday, September 25, 2011 – 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM (full day)

Where: Auditorium, FAST-National University, A.K. Brohi Road, H-11/4, Islamabad (near Police Lines and International Islamic University)

Trainer: Hafiz Muhammad Yasir – 0300 5005269 (5:15 PM to 10:00 PM)

More about the trainer and the training is available from previous year's announcement: http://bit.ly/oDZoBa

Blog often or don't blog

Someone told me to refrain from starting my own blog unless I had something to say very often. I laughed at him. Looking at the dates and contents on my posts, I am sure he must be laughing at me. 

The history of email and I

I received an email from Yahoo! that started with: "We appreciate that you have been with Yahoo! Mail for the past 13 years." I had to stop. How long did they say? Thirteen years? Have I been using Yahoo! that long?

Then I realized that I have been with Hotmail even longer; over 14 years. I created a Hotmail address on March 29, 1997, just 8 months after it's initial release by Bhatia and Smith and 9 months before it was bought by Microsoft.

Then I remembered the good old days when I hated ccMail and Pine so wrote my own email system using Bash around mail (the Unix email client) and vi (a Unix text editor) to send emails (it managed contacts and group emails) and elm to read them. That was in 1996.

Then I remember that the first time I actually used email was on an IBM mainframe using green scary eye-soring monochrome monitors. That was in 1991.

Then I realized I am getting old.

Need a Change

I am Pakistan

Appropriate Communication

"Communication is the key to success"

We all have heard this before and – probably – believe in it too. In the age of information overload, however, communication can itself become a problem. A lot has been written and said on how to communicate. I won’t bother you with my rant on that. I just want to reflect on the appropriateness of the method used in any communication.

So, what are the methods of communication anyway?

Business communication revolves around the following communication methods:

1. Face-to-Face Talk
2. Telephone Call
3. Instant Message
4. SMS
5. Email
6. Letter

Face-to-Face Talk: Use this method when the matter is urgent or grave. This method results in an immediate response but is intrusive. Use it carefully. For example, when informing management about a project delay or when terminating an employee. Removing access to the office building without first informing the employee is not an effective communication method.

Telephone Call: Use this method when face-to-face talk isn’t possible or when the matter is urgent but not grave. While less intrusive than a face-to-face talk (receiver can choose not to take the call), it also results in an immediate response (if your call goes through, that is). For example, when cancelling an important meeting or when calling in sick (see SMS for more on calling in sick).

Instant Messaging (IM): Use this method for quick, short, and informal communication. For example, when asking a colleague if they are ready for lunch.

SMS: This method is losing its importance in the corporate world because of BlackBerries (meaning free instant messages and cheaper telephone calls). This method is used for all the same reasons when IM is used but when IM isn’t an option. Note: Don’t call in sick by sending an SMS to a friend so they can inform your boss. That’s inappropriate.

Email: This method is probably the most abused method in the history of communication. Use it carefully. Don’t treat it like an IM or a face-to-face talk (meaning neither they should be shrt msg tht r hrd 2 undrstnd nor in long comprehensive stories that demand considerable time of the reader).This method must not be used when immediate response is needed, even if the receiver has a BlackBerry device. Unless it is absolutely urgent and important, never write an email and then call to check if your email has been read.

Letter: While you might think letters are non-existent these days, they in fact aren’t. Use this method for all communication that requires royal formality, documentation, and is not time bound. For example, when writing to a government official or when serving a legal notice.

All methods, except the first two, are asynchronous. You must not expect to get a reply immediately, even if you know the message has been delivered and read.

Irrespective of the method used, always think before you communicate. Failing to communicate appropriately will result in a failure.

I think it’s about time that we rephrase the original quote.

"Appropriate communication is the key to success"