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PMP QuickStart Guide 6th EditionBelinda S. GoodrichPMP, PMI-SP, PMI-RMP, PgMP, CAPM, PMI-ACP

PMP Quick Start Guide - Sixth Editionby Belinda GoodrichCopyright 2018 Goodrich Fremaux Publishing. All rights reserved.Printed in the United States of America.Version 6.0This publication or any portion thereof may not be reproduced ortransmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,including photocopying, recording, storage in an information retrievalsystem, or otherwise, without express written permission of:Goodrich Fremaux PublishingPhoenix, AZ 85027PMLearningSolutions.comAlthough the authors and publisher have made every effort to ensurethe accuracy and completeness of the information in this book, weassume no responsibility for errors, inaccuracies, omissions, orinconsistencies included herein.“PMP,” “CAPM,” “PMI-RMP,” “PMI-SP,””PgMP,” “PMI-ACP,”“PMBOK,” “PMI,” and the PMI Registered Education Provider Logoare registered marks of Project Management Institute, Inc. All otherproduct names and services used throughout this course may becommon law or registered trademarks of their respective proprietors.

About the AuthorBelinda Goodrich, PMP, CAPM, PgMP, PMI-SP, PMI-RMP, PMI-ACP,is an internationally recognized project management consultant, author,and public speaker. With three decades of project managementexperience, Belinda has worked across multiple industries, includingfinance, healthcare, IT, engineering, and government.She has provided training and consultation to thousands of projectmanagers and organizations globally. The first woman in the world toachieve the original five PMI credentials, she has developed multiplesuccessful project managePment exam preparation programs, includingProject Management Professional (PMP) , Certified Associate in ProjectManagement (CAPM) , PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP) ,and PMI Risk Management Professional (PMI-RMP) boot camps.Her robust exam prep courseware is utilized by hundreds of trainingcompanies internationally.Belinda is the Founder of PM Learning Solutions, a learning anddevelopment firm based out of Phoenix, Arizona.PMLearningSolutions.comBelindaGoodrich.com

Table of ContentsChapter 1 – The PMP Credential / Eligibility . 7The Project Management Professional (PMP) Credential . 7PMP Eligibility . 9Other Important Information . 11Chapter 2 – Key Players . 12Project Management Institute (PMI) . 12Prometric . 13Training Providers . 14Chapter 3 – Application Process . 15Steps to Your PMP Credential . 15Application Submission . 16Application Approval . 17Application Audit. 18Chapter 4 – Preparation . 19What to Study. 19How to Study. 2010 Questions for Training Providers . 23Chapter 5 – Exam Experience . 26The Test Center. 26Exam Experience . 277 Deadly Sins of PMP Exam Prep . 30Chapter 6 – Credential Maintenance . 32PDU Requirements . 32Reporting PDUs . 33Chapter 7 – Additional Resources . 34

IntroductionIf you are interested in or curious about PMP certification, you havecome to the right place. This quick and dirty guide will give youeverything you need to know about the process of getting certified as aProject Management Professional (PMP) by the Project ManagementInstitute (PMI).Here is the super-quick version: Ensure you meet the criteria for experience and education Submit your PMP application on www.PMI.org Study and prepare for a very challenging (albeit doable) exam Schedule your exam at www.Prometric.com/PMI Maintain your credential (60 PDUs – training hours – everythree years)I truly enjoy assisting project managers pursue and achieve theircredential. While this guide will get you started, I also have a numberof free resources on our page:PMLearningSolutions.comInterested in learning more about me or having me speak or facilitate asession at your event? Check out my page:BelindaGoodrich.comBest of luck on your preparation and exam!Belinda

1 - THE PMP CREDENTIAL / ELIGIBILITYChapter 1– The PMP Credential / EligibilityThe PMP Credential /Eligibility71In This Chapter The Project Management Professional (PMP) Credential PMP EligibilityThe Project ManagementProfessional (PMP) CredentialCongratulations on your decision to pursue the Project ManagementProfessional (PMP) credential! Being a credentialed (and possiblymulti-credentialed) project manager can greatly enhance your careeropportunities and salary.The first PMP exam was offered by the Project Management Institute(PMI) on October 6, 1984, to 56 participants with 43 passing to becomethe first credentialed Project Management Professionals. Since that time,the PMP has become one of the most widely recognized globalcredentials for project management. As of March 31, 2018, there are853,281 PMP credential-holders. More stats on PMP (and other PMIcertifications) can be found er-statistics-pmi-fact-file

81 - THE PMP CREDENTIAL / ELIGIBILITYThere are project managers across virtually all industries in all locations.The PMP signifies that the credential holder speaks and understandsthe global language of project management and connects you to projectmanagement professionals worldwide.The PMP exam is intended for professional individuals who have theresponsibility of leading and directing project activities.Credential OverviewCredential NameProject Management ProfessionalProject RoleLeads and directs project teamsIntroduced1984Exam200 multiple choice (4 hours)- 175 scored- 25 pre-testEligibilityHS Diploma / 7500 hours AND35 hours of PM educationORBachelor’s / 4500 hours AND35 hours of PM educationTested skills andknowledgeCredentialmaintenanceKnowledge and situational questions based onPMBOK Guide concepts and other relevant projectmanagement sources: Initiating (13% of the exam questions) Planning (24% of the exam questions) Executing (31% of the exam questions) Monitoring & Controlling (25% of the examquestions) Closing (7% of the exam questions)3 years; 60 PDUs

1 - THE PMP CREDENTIAL / ELIGIBILITY9PMP EligibilityIn order to be eligible for the PMP exam, candidates must meet alleligibility requirements:Project Management EducationCandidates must have 35 contact hours of formal project managementeducation. There is no time limit on when those contact hours wereaccrued as long as you have some type of verification to use in theevent you are audited. Verification could include a transcript orcertificate of completion.If the education was part of a college or university class that met twiceper week for two hours, for 12 weeks, you would submit 48 hours ofeducation. If only a portion of the class or program was dedicated toproject management concepts or topics, only that portion would beadmissible.You can use multiple classes to get to the 35 hours. However, I alwaysadvise folks to keep it as simple as possible. If you have one class, suchas a PMP exam prep boot camp, that meets the requirement, use that.Project Management ExperienceThe candidate must have documented experience hours leading anddirecting project activities in a project management role, with orwithout a project manager title. Candidates must show projectmanagement hours in all five project management domains: Initiating Planning Executing Monitoring and Controlling ClosingAll domains do not need to be documented for each project, but thereshould be hours for each across all the projects submitted. The projectmanagement experience hours must have occurred within the last eight

1 - THE PMP CREDENTIAL / ELIGIBILITY10years and simultaneous hours will not receive duplicate credit. PMI willaccept no more than 40 hours per week, despite the fact that wefrequently work much more than 40 hours. Factor in any vacation time,paid time off, administrative time, etc. when determining your totalnumber of hours.Example:Devin has been a director for a financial services firm for the last sixyears. This year, he was responsible for leading and directing twoconcurrent projects. Using the information in the graphic, Devin canclaim 180 hours and one month of experience.May aturday5679Project 1 – 30 hours per weekProject 2 – 15 hours per week10111213141516Project 1 – 30 hours per weekProject 2 – 15 hours per week17181920212223Project 1 – 30 hours per week242526272882Project 1 – 30 hours per weekTIP: Keep your application as simple as possible! There is no extracredit for extra projects! Once you have met the experience requirementon the PMI application, you will not be able to submit any additionalprojects. Always use the projects that are the easiest to have verified inthe event of audit.To best organize your project experience to see if you have enoughqualifying hours we highly recommend using the PMP ApplicationAssistant Spreadsheet that can be downloaded for free heet

1 - THE PMP CREDENTIAL / ELIGIBILITY11Other Important Information ALWAYS prepare for audit. Although the audit is randomlygenerated, one out of four applications is selected. To best prepare,do not add experience or education to your application that cannotbe verified with the appropriate documentation. Keep in mind that you will not be notified of audit until after youhave paid your credentialing fees. You must have at least some documented experience within each ofthe project management domains (initiating, planning, executing,monitoring and controlling, and closing) Although your project management education does not have a datelimit, you can only go back eight years for your project managementexperience. In order to complete your application online, you will be required tocreate a PMI login. This will save your application information fora period of 30 days in the event you are not able to complete it inone sitting. (Note: there is no save button, just exit your browser) If you are pursuing the PMP certification, it will save youapproximately 30 to purchase a PMI membership before payingyour credential fee.

2 – KEY PLAYERS12Chapter 2– Key PlayersKey Players2In This Chapter Project Management Institute PrometricTraining ProvidersProject Management Institute (PMI)Role: Approves the PMP application Generates audit request Issues the eligibility ID Validates continuing education requirements Offers annual membershipFounded in 1969, the Project Management Institute (www.PMI.org) isthe leading not-for-profit professional membership association for theproject management profession.PMI offers eight certifications, produces multiple global practicestandards, and pursues thought leadership and academic research.There are PMI chapters located in over 80 countries.PMI offers three types of membership: Individual member - 129 to join plus 10 application fee, 129 torenew

2 – KEY PLAYERS Student member - 32 to join, 32 to renew (must be a full-timestudent at a college or university) Retiree member - 65 to renew13Being a PMI member entitles the participant to discounts on exams andproducts, access to digital copies of the practice standards, andmember-only information on PMI.org.For the PMP exam, as a member, the exam fees are discounted from 555 to 405.PrometricRole: Schedules the examination Administers the examinationPrometric testing centers: www.Prometric.com/PMIPrometric testing locations provide the examination on an on-goingbasis year round. In order to schedule your exam, you will need to havean approved application from PMI with your PMI eligibility ID.While you will need your eligibility ID in order to schedule your exam,you are able to find the closest test center and also verify test seatavailability.The Prometric sites tend to fill up quickly for Friday and Saturdayappointments. If you would like to test on Friday or Saturday, beprepared to book at least two to three weeks in advance. Many timesthere are last-minute cancellations and a spot will open up during thatweek, so continue to check the site availability online.