Obtaining Your PMP Certification: A PMP 4th Edition Study Plan – Part IV

November 19, 2009 at 9:48 am | In PMI | 1 Comment
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Here we are again, folks!

We have covered Initiating in Part 1, Planning in Part 2, and Executing in Part 3 of my study series. In this post, we will cover Monitoring and Controlling. The PMBOK Fourth Edition had quite a few changes compared with the PMBOK Third Edition. Remember, I’m only highlighting the changes between the two — do not expect this to be a comprehensive PMI study guide.

Special note on Part 4:  You need to take particular care when examining the acronyms and formulas used in earned value management (EVM) because so much has changed between the Third and Fourth editions. The test candidate should be sure to memorize all formulas from both editions. There have also been some changes made to the formulas used for forecasting for the Control Costs process. These changes, and the formulas for TCPI, should be memorized as well.

Process Group Four: Monitoring and Controlling

In the PMBOK Third Edition, the Monitoring and Controlling phase had 12 processes. In the PMBOK Fourth Edition, it has 10 processes, of which eight have been renamed, as shown in Table 9. (The Manage Project Team process and the Manage Stakeholders process were removed from the Monitoring and Controlling phase in the PMBOK Fourth Edition and placed in the Executing phase, as described in Part 3 of my study series.)

Fourth Edition Process Name Third Edition Process Name
Monitor and Control Project Work (same)
Perform Integrated Change Control Integrated Change Control
Verify Scope Scope Verification
Control Scope Scope Control
Control Schedule Schedule Control
Control Costs Cost Control
Perform Quality Control (same)
Report Performance Performance Reporting
Monitor and Control Risks Risk Monitoring and Control
Administer Procurements Contract Administration 
Table 9: Processes in the Monitoring and Controlling Phase

The changes in the Monitor and Control Project Work process are shown in Table 10 (click the image for a larger copy):
Table 10

Table 10: Changes to the Monitor and Control Project Work Process

The Perform Integrated Change Control process comes next in the Monitoring and Controlling phase, and includes the changes shown in Table 11 (click the image for a larger copy):
Table 11

Table 11: Changes to the Perform Integrated Change Control Process

The deliverables input to the Verify Scope process has been renamed “validated deliverables” to more correctly reflect the status of the deliverables. Three of the inputs to the Verify Scope process that were listed in the PMBOK Third Edition — project scope statement, work breakdown structure (WBS) dictionary, and project scope management plan — have been consolidated into a single input, called the project management plan.

Requirements documentation and the requirements traceability matrix have been added as inputs to the Verify Scope process. The requirements documentation lists all requirements for the project and product, with acceptance criteria. The requirements traceability matrix links requirements to their origins and tracks the requirements through the project life cycle. Two of the outputs of the Verify Scope process listed in the PMBOK Third Edition, requested changes and recommended corrective actions, have been consolidated into a single output called change requests. Project document updates have been added as outputs of the Verify Scope process, and include any documents that define the product or report completion status.

The Verify Scope process is closely tied with the Control Scope process, which has the changes listed in Table 12 (click the image for a larger copy):
Table 12

Table 12: Changes to the Control Scope Process

The Control Schedule process has been changed as shown in Table 13 (click the image for a larger copy):
Table 13

Table 13: Changes to the Control Schedule Process

The changes to the Control Costs process are shown in Table 14 (click the image for a larger copy):
Table 14

Table 14: Changes to the Control Costs Process

In the PMBOK Third Edition, the quality management plan was listed as an input to the Perform Quality Control process. This plan is now listed as a piece of the main input, which is the project management plan. Defect repair review is no longer listed as a tool used in the Perform Quality Control process. Approved change requests review has been added as a tool used in the Perform Quality Control process. Validated defect repair, quality baseline updates, recommended corrective and preventative actions, and recommended defect repairs are no longer listed as outputs of the Perform Quality Control process. The requested changes output has been renamed change requests. Validated changes and project document updates have been added as outputs of the Perform Quality Control process.

The changes made to the Report Performance process are shown in Table 15.
Table 15

Table 15: Changes to the Report Performance Process

The tools now included in the Report Performance process are: communications methods (formerly named status review meetings), reporting systems (which combines two former tools, time reporting system and cost reporting system), variance analysis, and forecasting. The forecasting tool is a new tool that was added to the Report Performance process. This tool can include many different methods, including:

  • Time series methods – using historical data to predict future outcomes.
  • Causal/econometric methods – using causes to predict future outcomes. For example, umbrella sales are directly related to weather conditions.
  • Judgmental methods – using intuitive judgment opinions to predict future outcomes.
  • Other methods – using such techniques as simulations, probabilistic forecasting, and ensemble forecasting.

Approved change requests are no longer listed as inputs to the Monitor and Control Risks process. In the PMBOK Third Edition, the risk management plan was listed as an input to the Monitor and Control Risks process. This plan is now listed as a piece of the main input, which is the project management plan. There are no changes in the tools used in the Monitor and Control Risks process. Three of the outputs for Monitor and Control Risks that were listed in the PMBOK Third Edition — recommended preventative actions, recommended corrective actions, and requested changes — have been consolidated into a single output, named “change requests.” Project document updates, including updates to the assumptions log and technical documentation, have been added as an output of the Monitor and Control Risks process.

The changes for the Administer Procurements process are shown in Table 16 (click the image for a larger copy):
Table 16

Table 16: Changes to the Administer Procurements process

OK, guys, we are getting closer to the end here!

In my next post, I will cover the Closing process group. I will also include a summarization of how the PMBOK Fourth Edition formalized certain lists to help with our understanding.

-Robin

Obtaining Your PMP Certification: A PMP 4th Edition Study Plan – Part III

November 9, 2009 at 4:52 pm | In PMI | Leave a Comment
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Let’s review what we’ve covered so far. (Here are links to Part 1 and Part 2.)

There are six objectives covered in the PMP exam:

  • Initiating
  • Planning
  • Executing
  • Monitoring and Controlling
  • Closing
  • Professional and Social Responsibility

I covered the Initiating process group in Part I and the Planning process group in Part II. But remember, I am just highlighting the changes in the PMBOK 4th Edition as compared to the PMBOK 3rd Edition.

And now on to the Executing process group.

Process Group Three: Executing

In the PMBOK Third Edition, the Executing phase had six processes, but there are eight processes in the PMBOK Fourth Edition. The Manage Project Team process moved from the Monitoring and Controlling phase. The Manage Stakeholders process moved from the Monitoring and Controlling phase and was renamed the Manage Stakeholder Expectations process. The Request Seller Responses and Select Sellers processes were consolidated into a new process called Conduct Procurements.

The changes to the Direct and Manage Project Execution process are in Table 7. Continue reading Obtaining Your PMP Certification: A PMP 4th Edition Study Plan – Part III…

Obtaining Your PMP Certification: A PMP 4th Edition Study Plan – Part II

October 28, 2009 at 8:54 am | In PMI, Study hints | Leave a Comment
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As I stated in Part 1 of my PMP study plan, there are six objectives covered in the PMP exam:

  • Initiating
  • Planning
  • Executing
  • Monitoring and Controlling
  • Closing
  • Professional and Social Responsibility

In this installment, I’ll cover the Planning process group. (But remember: this overview only highlights the changes from 3rd Edition PMBOK to 4th Edition.)

Process Group Two: Planning

In the PMBOK 3rd Edition, the Planning phase had 21 processes. In the PMBOK 4th Edition, it has 20 processes. Process names were changed, processes were consolidated, and one process was replaced completely. The Planning phase processes in the PMBOK 4th Edition are shown in Table 1. Continue reading Obtaining Your PMP Certification: A PMP 4th Edition Study Plan – Part II…

Obtaining Your PMP Certification: A PMP 4th Edition Study Plan – Part I

October 22, 2009 at 3:53 pm | In PMI | Leave a Comment
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(Editor’s note: After writing  Obtaining my PMP Certification, Part One: The Application, Jennifer Wagner not only passed her PMP exam, she also moved on to manage a brand-new initiative here at Transcender. We miss her, but we’re excited that she’s able to practice her skills in a whole new arena. Fortunately, Robin was able to step in to write about her own PMP testing experience. So this post is less a follow-up & more a roadmap to prepare for your exam once your application has been approved. )

There are six objectives covered in the PMP exam:

  • Initiating
  • Planning
  • Executing
  • Monitoring and Controlling
  • Closing
  • Professional and Social Responsibility

Unfortunately, none of the third-party books or even the PMBOK present the material organized by the process groups.  Instead, the material is organized by knowledge areas.

There are nine knowledge areas.  The basis of the exam is the process framework. Within each knowledge area are processes that fall into one of the five process groups. The discipline of project management is processes. There are 42 processes.  Each process belongs to one process group and one knowledge area. Confused? Join the club!

A good approach to your studies is to start by focusing on the changes within PMBOK 4th Edition (when comparing  to the PMBOK 3rd Edition). I can hear you saying, “Does that mean I have to purchase BOTH books? My budget can’t take it!” No, you don’t. That’s where I come in. Over the development of the PMP practice test, I took the time to identify the changes from 3rd Edition to 4th Edition and document them. So over the next few weeks, keep your eyes peeled for additional parts to this study guide. We’re sure you’ll find it quite helpful.

And to satisfy your appetite for PMP content today, I’ll start with the Initiating process group.

Process Group One: Initiating

In both the PMBOK Third Edition and Fourth Edition, the Initiating phase has two processes. The Develop Project Charter process is in the Initiating phase for both editions. However, in the PMBOK Fourth Edition, the Develop Preliminary Project Scope Statement process was dropped and a new process, Identify Stakeholders, was added.

A few changes have been made in the Develop Project Charter process. The business case has been added as an input to this process. It provides information for determining whether the project is worth the required investment. The business case is created for one of the following reasons: market demand, organizational need, customer request, technological advance, legal requirement, ecological impact, or social need. Project selection methods, project management methodology, and project management information systems have been removed as tools used by the Develop Project Charter process.

The Identify Stakeholder process is completely new in the PMBOK Fourth Edition. This process has four inputs: the project charter, procurement documents, enterprise environmental factors, and organizational process assets. The project charter is created in the Develop Project Charter process, and the procurement documents are created in the Plan Procurements process. Two tools are used in the Identify Stakeholder process: stakeholder analysis and expert judgment. Stakeholder analysis gathers and analyzes information to identify the stakeholders of a project and the impact these stakeholders may have on the project.

The two outputs of the Identify Stakeholders process are the stakeholder register and the stakeholder management strategy. The stakeholder register lists the stakeholders, their requirements and expectations, their influence, and the stakeholder classification, and acts as an input to the Collect Requirements, Plan Quality, Identify Risks, Plan Communications, and Manage Stakeholder Expectations processes. The stakeholder management strategy details how each stakeholder will be managed throughout the project and often includes a stakeholder analysis matrix. Both of these documents become part of the overall project documents repository.

I know it’s quite the sea of inputs, outputs, tools, and processes. And just think - this is the FIRST process group. We have quite a bit more ground to cover over the next few weeks (and I haven’t even thrown in the formulas yet.)

Coming soon: Part II – Planning.

Happy Studying!

-Robin

The PMI – PMP 4th Edition practice exam is live

August 20, 2009 at 5:03 pm | In PMI | Leave a Comment
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Robin has been neck-deep in tools, techniques, and processes for three months while she developed practice products for both CompTIA’s Project+ and PMI’s revised 4th Edition PMP exams. These are both jargon-heavy tests with a lot of precise methodologies. (While Robin is more than up to the task, we expect her to take a nice, long vacation on a remote island where no one will say the words “phase,” “project,” “procurement,” or anything at all starting with the letter P, with the possible exception of “piña colada,” when all is said and done.)

Speaking of said and done, Transcender’s PMCert: Project Management Professional Fourth Edition practice exam is now available as a download, CD-ROM, or online-only access product. And if you scroll to the bottom of our product demos page, you can download a free demonstration of the exam: here. (Demos require that you download and install our demo test engine as well.)

PMP3ED retired earlier this month and is no longer available for testing through PMI.

Happy studying!

What We’re Working On – The June Edition

June 5, 2009 at 1:12 pm | In Transcender news | 1 Comment
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Along with the customer support emails, I read all of the product request emails. I’ve noticed that a large number of the requests are for products that we currently have in development anyway. As an easy and interactive way of keeping our customers in the development loop, I thought we would start running a monthly “What We’re Working On” blog post so you can see what’s upcoming before it’s released.

George is deep into Windows 7.  The first Windows 7 exam (70-680 TS: Windows 7, Configuring) was in beta a few weeks ago, and all our developers took the exam.  George has already begun writing those items.  I don’t have a concrete release date yet for our product, simply because we don’t know when Microsoft intends to release the live exam, and we don’t typically release our product until they do.  Hopefully, in the July Edition of WWWO, I’ll be able to give firm details for when our product will release. (In the meantime, you can review Windows 7 Feature Walkthroughs on the Microsoft Learning site.)

Josh is still working hard on the .NET 3.5 tracks.  We’ve released several .NET exams this year, but we still have a few more to go to reach our goal.  He’s currently developing our 70-563 product. Two weeks ago, we released 70-505 in both versions. We just released the 70-561 product in the C# version, and the VB version is about a week away from release.  By the end of the year, we plan to release 70-653, 70-654, 70-655, 70-656, 70-657, 70-658, and 70-659. And in case you were wondering: no, Josh doesn’t sleep.

Robin is working on the new version of the PMI exam, the PMP 4th Edition. We’ve started limited development on that one because the exam doesn’t go live until the end of June. We are firmly committed to seeing the exam before developing content.  That way we are sure you have the best exam prep experience possible. I am scheduled to take it the first week of its release.  In July, we’ll announce a release date for our PMI 4th Edition product.

In conjunction with the PMP exam, Robin is working our new Project+ practice test. We took the exam in April and May and loved what we saw. There are many new terms and new concepts, but we’re tackling them for you. If you haven’t added this crendential to your set of titles, consider it. All IT professionals need project management skills, even if you are using Agile methodologies. You still have to work with other departments that are using traditional means of project managment.  Think seriously about tackling this one for the sake of your own knowledge (and for the added boost to your resume as well).

Oracle has released a lot of new exams lately. We’re considering adding more Oracle titles to our offerings. Let us know if you have any requests for Oracle certifications you’re considering. And please, if you have any other requests, comment here or email transupport@kaplan.com. We’re here to support your IT certification efforts and if we’re missing something you need, let us know.

- Jennifer Wagner

Obtaining my PMP Certification, Part One: The Application

April 30, 2009 at 2:08 pm | In PMI | 2 Comments
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[Editrix' note: Jennifer Wagner, our department manager, kindly consented to blog about her experiences as she goes for her PMP certification. This post is part one of a series.]

I’ve been an indirect and direct Project Manager for almost 12 years, and I’ve finally decided to take the PMP certification test. I’ve debated taking the exam for a couple of years now. I don’t have test phobia and I know a lot about exams, having written a few myself over the years. So for me, it wasn’t the actual test that scared me; no, the most daunting part was the PMP application process. Documenting my experience, tracking down the title and timing of my Project Management class, and putting myself out there for scrutiny was the big mental hurdle.

Now that I’ve lived through the application process and received my approval to take the exam, I can share my experience. (Because trust me when I tell you that if I have been denied, you wouldn’t be reading about my experience. I’m not into public humiliation.) As it turns out, the application process really isn’t that bad. I still have to study and pass the test, but I’m confident that I can succeed (or, again, you wouldn’t be reading this).

First things first: I created an account on PMI.org. With this account, I was able to fill out the online application for the PMP certification. I filled out details on my personal information and my college education. Luckily, I was able to get information from my college’s website. I even got to specify how I wanted my name to appear on my certificate when I pass. Easy enough.

Next, I found my college transcripts and scrolled through all my grades to find that one Project Management class I took in college. Yes, even that class I took 13 years ago counts for the training requirement. It was a 300-level course entitled Project Management. The class met for 2.5 hours twice a week for 10 weeks. Taking away exams and bathroom breaks, it counted as 40 hours. This satisfied the 35 hour requirement — and I got an A in that class, by the way.

So with the education requirement met, I moved on to the experience requirement. Because I have a bachelor’s degree, I was required to have 36 months of unique, non-overlapping professional project management experience. During those 36 months, 4,500 hours must have been directly related to leading and directing project tasks. And luckily, all my stress over this part of the application was for nothing, because I had really good records for a large project that I managed from 2004 through 2008. This project had incremental product releases and each of those releases had definite cycles. Even so, I still had to figure out how much time I spent in each of the five process groups. This wasn’t as challenging as I anticipated; it was just time-consuming. Forcing myself to devote time to document the tasks was the hardest part. I spent about 2 hours a day over 5 days documenting my experience. When I reached the required number of hours, I stopped. I could have gone further, but it wasn’t necessary. I’m lucky because all my hours were for one company and with my current manager. I might have had to do more investigative work if my experience had been for multiple companies, projects, or managers.

And with that, I submitted the application. The web site says that it takes five business days for approval, and of course I looked every day to see if I had been approved. And, in fact, it turns out it took five business days just like the web site said. On day five, I was approved and received a PMI Identification Code and a link to register for my exam with Prometric. Immediately, I scheduled my exam for July 6th at noon. And, of course, I turned over my credit card information to cover the $550.00 fees. I’m not a PMI member so it was a bit more expensive for me.

I went to Amazon.com and ordered the PMBOK 4th Edition because I will be taking the new version of the exam that releases on June 30th (see Robin’s previous post on selecting the right PMP exam edition to study). I’ve taken an online class for Project Management in the last two years, so I’m not starting from scratch, but I’ve still got to study. . . a lot.

So from my own experience, here are some tips I would offer.

  1. Once you start the online application, remember that you have 90 days to complete it. If you don’t complete the application in 90 days, your data is lost and you have to start over.
  2. As soon as you decide to work toward the certification, start compiling notes and do some preliminary work before starting the application. All the prep sites recommend Excel to document hours by projects within the required domains, and I agree.
  3. Gather all the documentation you can: meeting notes, Project files, emails announcing project kickoffs or deadlines, billable hours (if your company breaks them down), and so on. If you haven’t been keeping thorough notes, start now; it will mean less to gather in the future. Be sure to keep this data organized and available in case your application is audited.
  4. When documenting your experience, keep in mind that overlapping experience doesn’t count. If you worked on two projects simultaneously, it doesn’t count as double. Each project doesn’t require experience in each process group, but you must have experience in each process during the documented 4,500 or 7,500 hours. Your documented experience is for hours you lead projects or tasks, not those for which you completed. The best explanation I found on how to document your experience was this article on ehow.com.
  5. Grab a copy of your resume. Be sure you can contact any listed former employers or supervisors. If you are audited, you’ll need confirmation letters verifying your experience. It can be hard to get back in touch with previous employers or coworkers. Fortunately, the Internet is here to help. I’ve found coworkers from as far as ten years back using sites like LinkedIn. I actually emailed my current supervisor a copy of my completed application. If he is called to verify my experience, he had the information readily available.

There are a lot of different types of courses that are eligible for the education requirement. Upon starting this process, I expected to be required to take a PMP course by a PMI Registered Education Provider. [For a complete list of the accepted types of education providers, see the Eligibility Requirements section of the PMP Handbook.] But along with the variety of courses accepted, it turns out that there is no timeframe on the education requirement. My class from many moons ago (seriously, 13 years ago) was accepted. Again, have a copy of your degree and training certificates on hand in case your application is audited.

And pace yourself, like I did, so you don’t get burned out on the process. The worst part is getting everything together. I expect the exam to be easier than the application! I invite you to stay tuned to track my progress as I study and then take the exam.

PMI’s PMP certification: Should you focus on the 3rd Edition or 4th Edition?

April 17, 2009 at 12:38 pm | In PMI, Vendor news | 1 Comment
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PMP is considered the premier project management certification. In late 2004, PMI released its newest version of A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK), 3rd Edition. The 3rd Edition version of the PMP exam was released in 2005.

In December 2008, PMI published the PMBOK 4th Edition. However, the 3rd Edition test is the only test available at the testing centers as of this writing, so we decided to keep you informed about just what is going on.

If you plan to take the PMP prior to July, 2009, you should take the 3rd Edition test and use all the 3rd Edition preparation materials (none of which will help you as much as Transcender’s Cert-PMP3ED practice test). If you plan to take the test from July 2009 onward, however, you should prepare with 4th Edition study materials.

Some of the current study materials out there for the 4th Edition include:

Here at Transcender, we are already preparing for the release of the 4th Edition. One member of our team has gone through the PMP application process and will be taking the exam in July. Once we have seen the live exam, we will develop the content for our 4th Edition practice test.

If you want to take the 3rd Edition, remember that your time is limited. Also, the application process is a bit lengthy, so you may want to get the ball rolling. This white paper has more information on the appliation process: http://images.globalknowledge.com/wwwimages/whitepaperpdf/WP_Wrona_PMP_ExamTips.pdf.

Look for a post here in the future on the PMP application and registration process.

Happy certifying!

– Robin A.

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