Date: 01/06/2010 – 6 days to PMP exam

Do you think it’s easy to finish Procurement Knowledge Management area? You may think you never try to use terms like contracts, agreements, terms and conditions…etc in your projects. Most of the people who work on projects think it’s not their job to remember above terms. You may think failure of the project may result into familiarity to these terms and it’ll be handled by some other person in the organization or your legal department. In my aspect, everyone in the project team must be aware of the terms and conditions of the project.

Ask a question to yourself, “how many times you read the EULA (End User License Agreement) of Microsoft products when you install?”

At least once...I’m sure, 99.99% will not read it.

How many times you copied “terms and conditions” section into proposal documents when you send it to customers?

There is a strong reason behind it. The buyer and seller always want his project to be successful. Sometimes they may ignore few mistakes without reviewing the contracts, SLA s…etc. But it’s not the case in every project, which means every project will not execute in forgivable environment.

If I say buyer and seller, these terms may appear different for your project. You may call buyer as customer, if you work in product development / service oriented organization. Again customer may have another buyer if he gives project for sub contract.

All the above procedures you’ll be familiar when you complete Procurement Management knowledge area revisions (not in 1st study, remember the difference : - ) ).

Think about following points…

• Contract types
• Terms and conditions
• When do you plan for procurements? 
• When do you conduct procurements and what are the tools? 
• Is procurement manager different from project manager?
• Is procurement audit is different from the project audit?
• Is procurement closure different from project closure?
• When do you administer procurements?Do you need to mention about status reports in procurement documents?
• Can you buy the product instead of developing?;
• How can you select a seller? Remember you always need to think as buyer unless it’s explicitly mentioned any where in the problem.

A lot more, you must study RITA guide to understand all the information. Don’t try to memorize, have a logical conclusion on processes. Apply the knowledge in exam, because you never know what type of scenario will be described in the exam. PMBOK guide gives sufficient information which may or may not be helpful to visualize all scenarios in Procurement Knowledge Area.

Now my third revision of PMBOK and RITA guide is completed?

I still have 6 days to exam; my little hopes are increasing on pass result of the examination.

Date: 29/05/2010 – 9 days to PMP exam

Project Human Resources Management revision was just completed. Most of the concepts appear as theoretical, but they are all practically proven by experience practitioners. If you involve in organization wide HR activities, concepts in this chapter would be very easy to interpret with real world scenarios. When you read through concepts, you must imagine yourself that you are leading very big division in the organization which contains 300 + employees; then you can find out the essence of activities specified in the Human Resources Management.

Important points in this knowledge area are…

• Develop human resource plan
• Develop staffing management plans
• Resource calendars
• Organizational process assets; your L & D department may provide programs for team building activities
• Enterprise environmental factors
• Conflict resolution techniques
• Leadership techniques; you might want to attend some leadership programs to understand these concepts in better way
• Negotiation techniques
• Observation techniques
• Understand when to update project documents and when to update project management plan
• What’s the importance of co-location? Project manager should be able to influence the enterprise environmental factors to get locations for his team at one place. This saves lot of time
• How to work with virtual teams?
• Project team offsite activities!!! Exploit the opportunities to meet different functional heads in these activities
• Revise concepts of organization structures; strong, weak and balanced...etc
• Revise roles and responsibilities of stake holders, team, sponsor, customer, project manager
• Understand all theoretical concepts specified in motivational theories

I’ve spent 6 hrs for 3rd revision and answered all questions at the end of the RITA PMP preparation guide.

Now, I’m just left with 3 chapters in 3 rd revision.

Date: 30/05/2010 – 9 days to PMP exam

Project Risk Management knowledge area revision was completed. In small projects very rarely you may use the techniques specified in this chapter. All techniques specified in this knowledge area are absolutely necessary for large projects. Inputs/tools and techniques/outputs in this chapter are very critical in examination point of view. A project manager must be expertise to use the tools specified in this chapter to make their project successful. Important points to consider in this knowledge area are…

• Develop the procedures and methods for Risk Management
• If require tailor the process exist in your project PMP to meet project specific risk management plans
• Identify the risks and continuously update the risk register throughout the project execution as and when necessary
• Perform subjective evaluation of risks through Qualitative Risk Analysis process. This is frequently used process in most of the projects
• Obtain numerical assessments for the risks through Quantitative Risk Analysis process. This process is rarely used, but get familiar with probability and impact calculations
• Plan risk responses for threats and opportunities. Identify the techniques for negative risk responses; similarly identify the techniques for positive risk responses
• Continuously monitor and control the risk response plans, if necessary update the risk management
• Understand when to use contingency reserves and when to use management reserves
• You may need to perform change control process for the unexpected risks
• When do you provide workarounds for the unanticipated risks?

This is tough knowledge area; one should focus deeply on the techniques.

RITA exam preparation guide helps to interpret risk management techniques in more practical way.

In big projects, project manager life depends on how better he can plan for the risk responses.

Date: 29/05/2010 – 9 days to PMP exam

I’ve just finished the Project Communication Management knowledge area. It’s very small chapter and critical for project success. Following are the important points to ponder...

• Understand “who are stake holders?” 
• How to identify the stake holders and their needs? 
• How do you plan communications management in big chapters, always assume you are heading 200+ group across the world
• What is N(N+1)/2?
• Communication methods, tools ...etc
• When to use formal written, formal verbal, informal verbal and informal written communication types?
• Tools and techniques of report performance
• Interpersonal skills
• Management skills

RITA exam preparation guide describes several scenarios that can be useful to handle the questions related to Project Communication Management knowledge area.

I just need to complete two more knowledge areas to complete third revision. Hope I can finish it by 30th evening.

Date: 29/05/2010 – 9 days to PMP exam

Following points are very important in Quality Management knowledge area…

• Understand the difference between Quality Assurance and Quality Control
• Understand “Tools and techniques” of Plan Quality, Quality Assurance and Quality Control process areas
• Control charts, specification limits, control limits
• Flow charts
• Pareto chart
• Histograms
• Rule of seven
• Attributes of “conformance” and “non-conformance”
• Cost of quality
• Process improvement plan and implementation
• Statistical sampling
• When two points are mutually exclusive?
• What is quality check list?
• What are quality metrics?
• When to update PMP and when to update quality management plan?
• How many sigmas are there in quality management?

Apart from above all, it’s important to reconcile your organization’s quality process assets with this knowledge management area. In this way, you could remember several things very easily. RITA exam preparation guide helps to identify some additional tools and gives information about the quality principles stated by different experts. Think about the questions in the RITA exam preparation guide and apply your knowledge to answer them.

I’ve spent 5 hrs in third revision to apply techniques to real world scenario and answered questions at the end of the RITA exam guide.

As I’m approaching the exam date, things are getting more clear; I think it should be easy to pass the exam ; - ).

Date: 28/05/2010 – 10 days to PMP exam

Project cost management revision is just completed and answered all the questions at the end of the chapter. Project time management and cost management are important concepts to deal with day-to-day activities in project management. I can say these are heart of the project management. Important things to consider in this chapter are…

• Earned value management: There will be few confusing terms which look same, but meaning is different. In exam, you may face questions to differentiate and apply this techniques to given problem.
• Understand direct and indirect costs. Similarly fixed and variable costs.
• Perform all the exercises specified in RITA PMP guide
• Understand cost performance baseline
• Understand in which process group, you may use EVM techniques
• Understand the terms “bribe”, “payment allowed”, “seek legal advice”...etc. These terms are part of professional and social responsibility factors.
• Estimation techniques are very important to understand and differentiate them. We use same techniques in Time Management as well.

Somehow I feel good to extend the exam date as I may need to find practical implementation of EVM techniques.

I’ve decided to revise Project Time Management and Cost Management techniques once again before going for the exam. This decision increased my confidence level that I can handle questions more accurately.

Date: 24/05/2010 – 14 days to PMP exam

I’ve rescheduled the exam 9th time; now the date is on 7th June, 2010. This decision was taken after reading the time management chapter. Because it’s very important chapter and I’ve to implement some of these concepts practically with different exercises. Important points in this chapter are..

• Understand sequence of the scheduling activities in planning process
• Perform hands-on exercise to define activities and identify the difference between WBS and define activities
• Get familiar with network diagrams
• Get familiar with critical path, critical chain methods
• Get familiar with fast tracking the schedule by fast tracking and crashing
• Perform exercises on different types of estimation techniques
• Understand who does what?
• Team contribution is very significant in defining activities
• Know how to control the schedule and formal process to make the changes in schedules…etc

I've allocated 10 hrs for this knowledge are in third revision; I’ve performed extensive exercises.

I got relief from the exam date by postponing 7 days further. Hope it would be final reschedule of the exam. My confidence levels are slowly increasing towards the examination result i.e. “I can pass!!!”.

Date: 22/05/2010 – 10 days to PMP exam

Interesting, I could complete scope management 3rd review and answered questions at the end of the chapter with less effort i.e. 3 hrs. Yes it’s easy chapter. It’s important concentrate on following things

• Inputs/outputs of 5 processes and reconcile with real world scenarios
• Scope statement and scope baseline may confuse you, both are different
• WBS and WBS dictionary is different. When I was doing 1st revision, I’ve created WBS and WBS dictionary for some sample business cases. In most of the projects, these items are ignored.
• Understand scope creep
• There is slight difference between verify and control scope, concentrate on this differences
• If you only concentrate on input/outputs, you may not see the scope management plan, verify the scope management plan where it is introduced. Think about the scope management plan where it comes and when you’ll update it
• Understand the differences between project documents updates and project management plan updates

“Yes, I can” an answer to my question “Will I pass PMP?” : - )

Date: 22/05/2010 – 10 days to PMP exam

Anyhow, study of integration management knowledge area is completed. How many hours I’ve spent? - 8 hours. 

There are just 6 processes in knowledge area; they have expert judgement as tools and technique. What so special to spend 8 hours in 3rd revision? I ask these questions my self frequently. See there is a distraction in my preparation, it’s not continuous study. Most importantly, you’ll be named as project manager, if you are perfect in integration management. If you don’t understand it correctly, study the inputs of project planning and understand what needs to be done in execution. One of the inputs in project planning is “outputs from other planning process groups”, if you just memorize this phrase, you’ll fail the exam with 100% accuracy. Not joke! If you really look for what it means, 8 hrs is very small amount of time that you could spent on this process. You understand it completely when you read it, if try to explain the meaning of it. Finally, Integration Management is meaning of project management. Project manager is nothing but integrator. There is highest probability to pass the exam, if you understand this knowledge area thoroughly. The correct time to read this chapter is in first revision of PMBOK, initially, just say “hi” and run out of this chapter quickly. Don’t waste much time in this chapter when you read it first time, because you can't completely understand it.

Okay, the important points to remember in this chapter

• Understand the project charter
• Understand the stake holders
• Go through all knowledge areas in the planning process group and remember in which order they occur. RITA will help you best in this regard.
• Understand how do you execute project management plans
• Why PMP is important?
• In my practice, I’ve done following things
• Created different business scenarios with achievable objects
• Created project charter based on my business scenarios as a sponsor
• Prepared PMP based on the requirements
• Reconciled PMBOK based PMP with the PMPs actually that I’ve worked on. Fill-in the gaps in my knowledge
• Identified the project manager
• Assigned the responsibility to the project manager
• Turned myself as a project manager to plan for the sponsor mentioned objectives
• Wrote drafts for all the project management plans
• Understand what I need to update in documents and what I need to update in PMP. It’s very important step.
• Imagined the team-building activities and reconciled this practice with what we’ve done in the actual projects
• Executed PMP with imaginary effects 
• Monitored and controlled all project management activities by having some samples in mind with my experience.
• Closed the procurement and project management activities with some sample scenarios

Third revision is really excellent for me. I thought for a moment if I’m perfect in this chapter, I don’t need to read other knowledge areas. 

Date: 17/05/2010 – 14 days to PMP exam

Just completed revision of project management framework and project management processes, answered all the questions at the end of the chapter. In examination point of view, very important points to consider in Project Management Framework and Project Management Processes are …

• Complete Chapter – 1 and Chapter – 3 in PMBOK 4th edition
• Read PMP preparation guide – RITA (it depends on the guide you prefer) to interpret processes in real world scenarios. Don’t forget to complete the exercises by spending good amount of time
• Relax for a while, close your eyes and understand the organization structures you worked in your career. With this exercise, you can have an idea in which type of organization structures you’ve been working. In my case, I worked in matrix organization structures.
• Visualize your self in buyer and seller organizations. I worked as a contractor in buyer organization and as a lead, manager in seller organization. This experience is much useful to memorize the organization structures.
• Understand role description of PMO
• Understand role description of sponsor
• Understand role description of project manager, team members
• Understand role description of functional managers
• Understand role description of program managers
• To understand above 5 points thoroughly and you need to have rough idea on what they do in their day-to-day activities. If your organization work culture is formal, you would face lot of trouble to meet these people. Use the opportunities of training programs, business update meetings, organization wide sports activities, and cultural activities to interact with above people.
• Very important point is to understand strategic objectives of the project or division or organization; this will help you to understand why you are doing the current project? You always need to ensure you meet the objectives set for the project and they are in align with organization’s strategic objectives.
• Understand what are the constraints and how it’ll impact any projects in general.
• Look for the definition of stake holders. Who are they?
• Build your image in your mind as you are a manager for 300 resources project.
• Complete all possible questions which are available at the end of the each chapter and fill-in gaps if you miss any. I answered 82% questions correctly.

Date: 16/05/2010 – 15 days to PMP Exam

I’ve just finished revising the inputs, tools and techniques and outputs in all the project management processes in 5 process groups.

“What is so special in it? Didn’t you complete all this stuff in first two readings?” You might want to ask these questions.

Yes I read it, but I could remember few of them, forgotten most of them. If I can open the PMBOK, I can recollect everything in fraction of seconds, but examiner will not allow the PMBOK guide or any other guide for the exam. There is some logical sequence of study to remember inputs, tools and techniques and outputs. Past 16 hrs, I’ve been practicing on that logical sequence to feed all the data in my mind. RITA PMP exam preparation guide suggests a project management process chart to understand project management activities in 5 process groups. Author didn’t encourage memorizing all the information about project management process chart, instead she suggested an exercise to understand the logical sequence of project management processes.

But I tried it in different way for last 16 hrs. I tried to memorize all the inputs, tools and techniques and outputs in each process group and wrote down on the white paper without seeing it. Later I looked at RITA process chart to reconcile the information with PMBOK guide. Both are almost same with minor difference in planning group; this is the knowledge gap for me. Immediately noted down the knowledge gap and proceeded further. In this fashion I’m able to establish a logic sequence of steps to understand the correlation between each project management process in the same group and also I’m able to fill-in knowledge gaps.

You must have another question in your mind, “Haven’t you executed all these process earlier in your projects?
“Well, PMBOK standardizes the terminology and though you are a project manager it’s not necessary to involve in all project management processes. For example if you work in seller organization, you may not get chance to involve in procurement management activities. Don’t you agree with me? : - )”

Date: 15/05/2010 - 16 days to PMP Exam

I’ve reached last lap in the process of preparing PMP exam. So much excited about it. Because it’s not a simple to appear for the exam and I don’t want to appear for exam to have certificate in my file.

Rescheduled the exam date 8th time. Surprising!!! Yes it’s true, because this is only not the objective in my life like EAMCET/IIT student. I’ve to fulfil lot of other factors, may be personal, professional or anything. At the same time I’ve to go to ground for tennis/badminton 1 hour everyday to keep myself fit. I need to spend 10hrs time in the office or travel to office. I need to sleep for 6 hrs at least to keep myself in healthy condition. Rest of the few hours I’ve to use for PMP preparation and playing with my 6months boy :-). Do you think I gave last priority for the PMP exam? Not at all, it’s my goal, but I don’t want to disturb my personal health or professional health because of the exam.

Do you think I’m wrong? No, peace of mind is very important for appearing the exam. If I’m student, probably my father would have bee taken care everything, then I should be able to finish the exam in 1 month or 2 months time. But it’s my life; I’ve to play all the roles. But academic study process is not important for the exam; you’ve to visualize certain scenarios if you are not experienced, if you are familiar with project management, you’ve to fill-in the gaps. I’ve started the PMP preparation to fill-in my gaps.

“How many times you would reschedule the exam?” A simple question from my wife. “As long as I’m not compromised with the quality of learning” my answer…

“I think you are wasting your time, you must have acquired all the necessary skills to appear for the exam now, go and try for it” another suggestion at 5:00 am in the morning. Usually this is the time I get up for the preparation.

“Yes I know, but I need to take all precautionary steps for $400 exam”. Yes one should take all necessary steps to prepare for this exam.

Probably, I can compare this situation with UK practical driving license exam. Do you know what’s important to pass the UK practical driving license exam? It’s big secret. Though you drive for 50 years in India and appear for the UK practical driving license exam directly, you’ll fail. I’m 100% sure. You may be reluctant to accept this truth. But it’s right. Because examiner tests the attitude of the driver in the view of “how you’ll care other people driving interest on the road without violating the traffic rules”. It’s quite generic, isn’t it? Yes it is. A small example, you will fail the UK practical driving license test, if you’ll not see in the rear view mirror for every 6 seconds. Can’t digest? Is it something related to your driving skill? No, not at all. It’s just how frequently you would observe traffic changes on the road. It’s something related to attitude.
Now you must have understood my situation for writing the exam. There were several attitude related gaps in my knowledge on project management, though I can deal with those situations efficiently. I just want pour cement inside the gaps. It’ll take sometime to get cured. That’s what I’m doing now.

At last I’ve rescheduled the exam on 1st June, 2010 after 200hrs preparation. 2 times revision of PMBOK and 1 time revision of RITA exam preparation guide.

WILL I PASS? I know that I’ll pass.

Am I over confident? I’m just confident on my capability. I’m just confident on what I believe?