PMP and Lean Six Sigma - 60 days to Study and Pass the PMP exam
Eldon Kao
Lean Six Sigma practitioners are leaders in the workplace. In fact, the ASQ Lean Six Sigma Black Belt BOK includes team management and project management tools as key knowledge areas. Therefore, Project Management is definitely a good complementary skill to have in addition to Lean Six Sigma certification. It is not just about process capability, process improvement etc. Project Management gives you the skills to meet project requirements whether it be Scope, Cost, Schedule, or Quality. Ensuring that you can navigate through corporate structures to deliver projects that are on time and on budget. Here's what you need to know about getting the PMP.
It is important to note that currently the Project Management Professional (PMP) exam issued by the Project Management Institute (PMI) is based on the PMBOK 5th edition which is slated to be updated in January 2016. These changes will bring added tasks to four of the five domains along with an updated exam - read more about the changes here. That being said, there's about 60 days until the exam changes on January 11th 2016 which means anyone who is in process of studying the PMBOK 5th edition or who is mulling over the certification should set a date for their exams before the deadline fast approaches.
There are some prerequisites to taking the PMP that include:
- Secondary degree (high school diploma, associate’s degree or the global equivalent)
- 7,500 hours leading and directing projects
- 35 hours of project management education
or
- Four-year degree
- 4,500 hours leading and directing projects
- 35 hours of project management education
This eligibility criteria will not change with the new PMBOK. As long as you meet these conditions you can write the exam based on the current PMBOK 5th edition. If you're up to the challenge, it's still possible to squeak in before January.
Here's some quick reference material that I have collected that will help you study and pass the exam within 60 days of preparation:
1. Read up (30-45 days)- First, get your hands on some good study material. I would spend at least a month reading though all the core material before going straight into practice exams.
A good place to start is always the PMBOK 5th edition from PMI.
The good: It is that covers all the necessary material expected on the exam.
The bad: An overall dry reading experience.
Usefulness: I would give this at least a once over to make sure you have a good foundation.
Another good recommendation is Rita's PMP Exam Prep 8th edition.
The good: Well written with some good exam tips and application based examples.
The bad: Long read but well worth it. Also don't depend solely on this material for the exam.
Usefulness: This is a great study guide for sure. Make sure to get through all the practice questions and answers.
The third book I'll mention is EdWel PMP Exam Prep Boot Camp 5th Edition.
The good: It's FREE. Clear and simple reading.
The bad: Shorter in length and may not be as comprehensive.
Usefulness: Good as extra reading to really get the point across. Also includes practice questions and answers.
2. Practice (7-10 days) - Practice taking the exam. There are tons of practice exams online for the PMP. Some more difficult than others. Some more representative than others. Everyone will have a similar but different experience as the PMI exam will be made of 200 questions drawn from a bank of 10000 questions. Make sure you get your time in getting acquainted with the format of the questions and even the types of multiple choice answers you will see. Here's my list of good PMP exam samples.
Head First Labs Sample PMP Exam
PreparePM Mock Exams
EXAMcentral Sample Exam
OliverLehmann PMP Exam Prep Questions
3. Brain Dump Exam Prep (2-3 days) - The project management guide is made of 47 processes that are split into 5 processes groups and 10 knowledge areas. Make sure you know these cold! Write them down on the scrap paper provided in the exam to make sure you don't get confused in exam situation. There's also lots of equations such as for EVM, communication, PERT that would be useful. Just practicing the brain dump will help retention and recalling this information faster which will help during the exam. See an example of a brain dump here.
4. Cool down (1-2 days) - Relax. This is an important yet overlooked step in the process. If you've put in the work you don't need to stress. Take some time to reflect on the material. Go scope out the examination venue to make sure you know how to get there and arrive well before the exam to check in and get settled. You want to make sure your head it right when it comes down to taking the exam.
5. Good Luck! - See you on the other side and let me know how you did and feel free to include any other resources you use in the comments below!