PMP In A Nutshell

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PMP In A Nutshell

PMP In A Nutshell

What is PMP?

As the world’s leading authority on project management, PMI created PMP Certification to recognize project managers who have proven they have the skills to successfully manage projects. Project Management Professional (PMP)® certification represents an elite group of project managers. It proves project leadership experience and expertise in any way of working.

To obtain PMP certification, a project manager must meet certain requirements and then pass a 180-question exam. The PMP exam was created by project leaders for project leaders, so each test question can be related to real-life project management experiences.

PMP as we all know, stands for Project Management Professionals, latest edition being 7, is segregated into 2 sections:

  • The Standards for Project Management
  • A Guide to PMBOK (Project Management Body of Knowledge)

Principles and Domains:

Principles guide behaviour within the Project Performance Domains of the 7th edition of the PMBOK® Guide. Performance domains describe the collection of activities or functions that influence project performance. They provide guidance for decision making with a focus on enabling desired project outcomes. Together, the principles and performance domains serve all of the people involved in project activities.

  • It consists of 12 Principles:
  • Being a Diligent,
  • Respectful and Caring Steward
  • Creating a Collaborative Project Team Environment
    Effective Stakeholder Management thru Proper Engagement
  • Focus on Value
  • Respond to System Interactions thru Proper Evaluation
  • Develop and Implement Effective Leadership Behaviours
  • Context based Tailoring
  • Building Quality Processes and Deliverables
  • Dealing with Complexity
  • Risk Response Optimization
  • Be Adaptability and Resilient
  • Change Enablement

These principles are applied throughout the 8 Project Performance Domains:

  • Stakeholders
  • Teams
  • Development Approach and Lifecycle
  • Planning
  • Project Work
  • Delivery
  • Measurement
  • Uncertainty

Building a PMP Attitude:

Overall PMP is all about the Mindset Change, so that Professional who would like to Create an Impact on the Project handled by them, can utilize it to the Fullest Extent.

As per Dennis Lock, a freelance writer, who specializes in Project Management, “The principle identifying characteristic of a project is its novelty. It is a step into the unknown, fraught with risk and uncertainty”.

That’s what project management is all about, uncertainties. Even if we plan, well in advance, very well, still the risk is unknown. As Project Management Professional, all our skills is about being Techno-Functional.

Management techniques coupled with know how’s in the Techno-Functional arena, gives an added advantage to your Project Management Professionalism.

It all boils down to the definition of Project Management. “The application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to project activities in order to meet stakeholder’s needs and expectations from a project need point of view”

The process of integrating everything that needs to be done as the project evolves through its life cycle in order to meet the project objectives.

Project Constraints:

Project constraints are: Time, Cost and Quality

Deliver a Project within the given time span, and as per the budgeted cost, with good quality, is very Crucial for the success of any of the projects.

To ensure that our project team overcomes all of these constraints, tracking and taking the required actions at times, is very important.

As per the Pareto’s principle, which is also called as the 80 20 rule, if we look at it from a different angle, then we will understand these constraints much better.

Our teams work for 8 hours are a day. But do they really have that much work. The best productive percentage is keeping them busy for atleast 6 hours, if not in work, then in proactive initiatives, which help the project, inturn.

In most of the organizations, and most of the project teams, 20% of the people are the key resources, which give the maximum amount of outputs.

Quality Gates A, B, C, and so on are the Check, which help in keeping the Projects on Track.

Audits:

Audits are an integral part, which play an importance role in optimizing the project works. Audits can be internal or external. But, there are certain ways in which the Audits should be conducted.

The best of the results come from the below sequence of Internal Audits, which are conducted by:

  • Senior Project Team Member
  • The Project Manager of the Project
  • Project Manager from some other project
  • The Global Quality, Risk and Security Lead

Once you are done with the Internal Audits, it’s time to face the External Audit, which can be a Cake walk, because all the NC’s (Non-Conformances) which were found during the Internal Audits are dealt with, so your project moves to a much more stable state.

Reporting:

As a Project Manager, be realistic, try NOT to hide things, but some things can be kept as secret only for a stipulated period. The more you reveal things to your internal management, the more likely you are going to face less awkward situations with the Customers.

Some of the reports that are very helpful from a PMP point of view are:

  • EVM: Earned Value Management / Analysis
  • RAG: Red Amber Green Report
  • Number of Defects
  • Number of Failed Changes
  • Productivity Improvement, and much more

About the Exam:

What is the PMP Exam Passing Score? is the most frequently asked question by PMP aspirants. Everybody has his or her own idea of what a passing score is. However, nobody knows except the PMI.

At one time, the PMP passing score was open knowledge, but now it is a closely guarded secret.

Before we proceed further, please note that the exam consists of 180 questions, 5 of which are pre-test questions whose results are not added to your final score. These questions are included to validate the exam pattern for future tests.

Before 2021, the PMP exam used to have multiple-choice questions with a single response, but after January 2, 2021, the PMI has added three more question types:

Multiple choices with multiple responses

Fill in the blanks

Answer selection

Put simply, the exam is a Cake walk, if you enrol thru the best of the PMP Training and Certification Providers, and we are proud to state that “Zoc Learnings” is the Best.

Aim for 70% plus, although only PMI knows what is the Exact Passing Score.

Good Luck and Thanks for Reading

FAQs

Q1. What is PMP certification?

A1. PMP certification, short for Project Management Professional certification, is a globally recognized credential that demonstrates an individual’s competence in project management. It signifies a person’s ability to plan, execute, and manage projects effectively.

Q2. How can I qualify for the PMP exam?

A2. To qualify for the PMP exam, you need to meet certain eligibility criteria set by the Project Management Institute (PMI). Typically, this includes having a minimum of 3 years of project management experience (or 5 years if you have a high school diploma) and 35 hours of project management education.

Q3. What is the format of the PMP exam?

A3. The PMP exam consists of 180 multiple-choice questions and is conducted in a computer-based format. You have 230 minutes (3 hours and 50 minutes) to complete the exam. It covers various aspects of project

management, including initiation, planning, execution, monitoring, and closing.

Q4. How can I prepare for the PMP exam?

A4. To prepare for the PMP exam, you can follow these steps:

   – Study the PMBOK® Guide (Project Management Body of Knowledge).

   – Take a PMP exam prep course.

   – Practice with sample questions and mock exams.

   – Create a study plan and allocate sufficient time for preparation.

   – Join a study group or engage with online forums for discussion and clarification.

Q5. What is the passing score for the PMP exam?

A5. The PMP exam is scored on a scale of 0 to 1000 points. To pass, you generally need to score at least 61% or higher, which equates to approximately 106 out of 175 scored questions. However, please note that the passing score may vary slightly, as the PMP exam is adaptive, and the exact passing score is not disclosed by PMI.

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