In today’s competitive age, the success of any organization depends on its project management team. So good project management is a crucial strategy for almost every small and large organization worldwide. It is becoming more and more important as it can bring direction and leadership to projects. It helps in project completion in a given budget and time. Without a project manager, a team is like a ship without a rudder. It also ensures what is being delivered is right and can deliver real value to the business opportunity.
Well-established project management work on the proper plan for executing strategic goals. This team breaks up into smaller chunks of work, enabling them to remain focused on their clear objectives, and gear up their efforts towards achieving the ultimate project goal via the completion of smaller tasks. Project management can help organizations quickly identify risks through risk management and provide realistic project planning to ensure proper expectations are set around what can be delivered, by when, and for how much.
It also helps teams to save time and money and can improve internal communication in order to make better and improved business decisions. A report by Project Management Institute says that the demand for skilled project managers is increasing more rapidly than the demand for other workers in other sectors. Therefore many reputed companies are offering several project management courses to provide skilled project managers to the management industry.
This article is going to focus on how one can pass the PMP certification exam to make a bright career in this domain.
What is Project Management?
Generally, project management is the application of processes, skills, knowledge, methods, and experience to achieve specific project objectives according to the project acceptance criteria within agreed parameters. It has final deliverables that are being delivered within the timescale and budget. Project management involves a specific set of tools, techniques, skills to deliver something of value to people.
We can understand project management better with such examples of projects such as the development of software for an improved business process, the relief effort after a natural disaster, the construction of a building, the expansion of sales into a new market, etc. Here project management is a huge work of teams that are able to handle situations and solve problems wisely according to appropriate project management techniques.
Good project management is all about teamwork, a set of expectations, a budget, and a schedule. The team needs to meet them as each project is unique and different from routine tasks because in the end projects reach a conclusion once the goal is achieved. So here comes the vital role of project managers who ensure that a project team meets its objectives/goals. One of the best ways to establish your career in this field is to pursue a PMP certification or Project Management Professional offered by the Project Management Institute (PMI).
Steps to Pass the PMP Certification Exam
It is witnessed that skilled and certified project managers are high in demand, so professionals want to pass the PMP exam on the first attempt and increase their credibility. Here are a few basic steps to pass the PMP certification exam easily.
- Make a Plan- To achieve anything it is necessary to make a plan and fix a schedule to get it. To pass a PMP exam, make a study plan that will work as a roadmap for your preparation. There must be clearly defined goals in your mind and a proper pathway to how you are going to achieve them. Manage your time for studies and follow a strict schedule. You can share your goal with others and can seek support from your boss to clear the exam.
- Deep Learn PMBOK Guide- It refers to the Project Management Body of Knowledge, published by PMI. Mastering this guide is considered one of the most important steps in passing the PMP exam. It is an official guide that can provide you with the conceptual clarity to clear the exam and help build the firm base for your preparation.
- Tour the Terrain- After preparation now is the time to have knowledge about the PMP exam questions that are 180 multiple-choice, multiple response, hotspot, matching, and fill in the blanks type questions. It is also necessary to review the exam content outline available in 16 translations that cover the detailed knowledge of different topics.
- Make Your Network of Sources- Here it is also necessary to find the most useful exam-preparation sources. If you will go for local PMI chapters, they can help you find a suitable study group that can guide you. And if you will go for authorized training providers, it can help you directly prepare for the exam. You must also try practice exams before the main PMP exam which is part of formal training courses.
- Read More Books- Besides reading PMBOK, you can also hit other important books as many PMI members lean on PMP exam-prep books to clear the PMP exam. Head to projectmanagement.com for recommendations.
- Attempt More Practice Questions- Just bookish knowledge can work properly but is a must to solve more and more practice questions as PMP exam questions are scenario-based that can be quite diverse. Solving different practice questions can help you identify the different kinds of questions as you read them and the required skill to tackle them. It can also help you recall the strategy to solve it.
- Take 35 Hours of project management training- Before applying for the PMP exam, PMI requires 35 hours of formal project management educational training. Most people think that it is not necessary but training experience can take them to the goal of passing the PMP exam. It also can help build a strong foundation of the concepts tested. These contact hours can also help you clarify your weak areas/points.
So these are some of the crucial steps to pass the PMP certification exam. But there are some other additional steps that you can follow and achieve your goal to pass the exam on the first attempt. While preparing for the exam, you can develop your own strategies that can work for you. You can also join the PMI and can connect with other project managers to gain knowledge and skills. Prepare wisely and get your PMP certification to start your project management career.
