My work is sending me to get PMP certified. I am in the process of filing out my application at this point. Just curious if anyone here is certified and how difficult was the exam? From everything I have been reading online, it is pretty tough.
Any Project Managers here?
- Thread starter MachJoe
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Find the current book or study guide and know it from cover to cover. This is what a friend told me who is a PM at Apple. They took the latest exam 3 months ago and out of 8 co-workers only her and 2 others passed on their first try.
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Wife is studying for PMP as we speak
She took a week class not long ago and was very pleased with it...she said it was rough as hell but it has helped her studying greatly.
She is takin her PMP right after the first of the year
She took a week class not long ago and was very pleased with it...she said it was rough as hell but it has helped her studying greatly.
She is takin her PMP right after the first of the year
Is this something you already have to be a PM to earn or can you earn it to help your resume? I'd like to become a project manager at some point.
PMP certified here. It expired on me this year though....been certified up to this point for 6yrs. I will say that the exams have changed since I took it, however....my thoughts:
It was probably one of the tougher tests I've taken (Aerospace Engineer grad...while not too bad of a major, I imagine I took some tough tests in comparison to some majors). Most of my questions on the PMP exam had a very high level of ambiguity. Two-three paragraphs to "set the scenario", then 5 answers that were all very similar, but only one correct one. You had to be very attentive to minute (but important) details that trigger the sentence structure in the answers. If that makes sense?
I think the test when I took it was every bit of 4hrs. Not sure what they are now.
For test prep, I utilized a week long preparation course (which you need 35hrs of anyways to apply) in Dallas called Crosswind. Tony was the man when it came to teaching you what you need to know. Every morning we filled out a 1-page, front and back sheet of paper with all of the things to memorize. Formulas, definitions, process orders, etc. Then we re-did that page after lunch. Then re-did it again after the class was over, every day. We had to do it in under 5mins I think, as the exam allowed for a 5min "warm-up" period, if you will, that allowed you to jot down what you could so that you could jog your memory during the exam. I can't tell you how valuable this was for me.
That being said, I felt that what made me successful (past it the first time) was taking practice exam, after practice exam, after practice exam...then when I was tired, I took another practice exam. I was working towards a 90+% on the practice exams, with consistency. I found this to be very helpful to see many of the same types of questions worded differently so I could wrap my head around it all.
I'm not entirely sure what your career discipline is, however the PMP methodology is very tailored to the software/technology project management & implementation. I rarely used the PMP methodology in practice.
It was probably one of the tougher tests I've taken (Aerospace Engineer grad...while not too bad of a major, I imagine I took some tough tests in comparison to some majors). Most of my questions on the PMP exam had a very high level of ambiguity. Two-three paragraphs to "set the scenario", then 5 answers that were all very similar, but only one correct one. You had to be very attentive to minute (but important) details that trigger the sentence structure in the answers. If that makes sense?
I think the test when I took it was every bit of 4hrs. Not sure what they are now.
For test prep, I utilized a week long preparation course (which you need 35hrs of anyways to apply) in Dallas called Crosswind. Tony was the man when it came to teaching you what you need to know. Every morning we filled out a 1-page, front and back sheet of paper with all of the things to memorize. Formulas, definitions, process orders, etc. Then we re-did that page after lunch. Then re-did it again after the class was over, every day. We had to do it in under 5mins I think, as the exam allowed for a 5min "warm-up" period, if you will, that allowed you to jot down what you could so that you could jog your memory during the exam. I can't tell you how valuable this was for me.
That being said, I felt that what made me successful (past it the first time) was taking practice exam, after practice exam, after practice exam...then when I was tired, I took another practice exam. I was working towards a 90+% on the practice exams, with consistency. I found this to be very helpful to see many of the same types of questions worded differently so I could wrap my head around it all.
I'm not entirely sure what your career discipline is, however the PMP methodology is very tailored to the software/technology project management & implementation. I rarely used the PMP methodology in practice.
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You actually need to be a PM before you apply for the PMP. It requires a certain level of experience before being "approved" to take the exam.
So to answer your question, this merely helps your resume and adds to your skill set and organization of completing projects. If you manage initiatives in your existing role/job, start documenting how much time (and what you do) for the opening, planning, execution, closing stages of these initiatives. It will help you apply for PM roles, talk the "talk" and show that you have been successful in organizing and completing what most folks call "projects".
Railroad PM here. Currently heading up a roughly $20 million rail project, with more coming.
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I have a PMO office that reports to me with lots of PMP's. The exam is one of the toughest industry exams. First you have to be eligible:
PMP Certification Eligibility Criteria
Eligibility Requirement Four-Year Degree Secondary Degree*
Years of Project Management Experience 3 Years (36 Months) 5 Years (60 Months)
Hours Leading & Directing Projects 4,500 Hours 7,500 Hours
Hours of Project Management Education 35 Hours 35 Hours
The first time failure rate is very high. Highly recommend finding a PMP boot camp and attending, then studying and then taking the test. Forget anything you know about PM work and only concentrate on how they (PMI) want you to answer the questions.
After you have attended your boot camp and studied, you might want to look at something like this to get a feel for the test (hint, hint):
http://www.pass4sure.com/PMP.html
I also recommend hooking up with your local PMI chapter and seeing if you can't find a mentor to help you through the process.
PMP Certification Eligibility Criteria
Eligibility Requirement Four-Year Degree Secondary Degree*
Years of Project Management Experience 3 Years (36 Months) 5 Years (60 Months)
Hours Leading & Directing Projects 4,500 Hours 7,500 Hours
Hours of Project Management Education 35 Hours 35 Hours
The first time failure rate is very high. Highly recommend finding a PMP boot camp and attending, then studying and then taking the test. Forget anything you know about PM work and only concentrate on how they (PMI) want you to answer the questions.
After you have attended your boot camp and studied, you might want to look at something like this to get a feel for the test (hint, hint):
http://www.pass4sure.com/PMP.html
I also recommend hooking up with your local PMI chapter and seeing if you can't find a mentor to help you through the process.
Are you with N&S?
I started my railroad career with NS. After about 3 years, I left to manage a transit startup. Did that for 6 years, now I'm private.
I did rail, train, bus ticketing systems projects for a couple of years.
I started off as a drafter 4 years ago and just got promoted to Project Coordinator about 5 months ago to coordinate the projects for the engineering, purchasing, and CAD departments. Within 3 weeks of starting, I was thrown onto managing one of our new product launches whose status was as red as you could get. Within 2 weeks of that I was put onto managing a program where we're launching 12 new products in just barely over a year. So I went from drafter to project coordinator to project manager to program manager within 2-3 months. I'm currently working on getting my CAPM because I don't have a bachelor's and moved too quickly to get my contact hours. If this program I'm managing is successful next year, I'm going to have my work petition for me to bypass the contact hours to get a PMP or PgMP. Another problem I'm experiencing with moving too quickly is that I'm just barely above my drafter pay, approx. $46k/year, but now I'm 3 levels above that. If you guys don't mind me asking, what kind of pay range are you at and what should I push for with the following credentials to get a fairer pay rate?
Degrees:
Associates in Business
Associates in Arts
Certifications:
Six Sigma Green Belt (1 of 4 people in company with six sigma certification)
CAPM (only certified PM in the company)
Experience:
4+ years w/ company
Successfully pulled a product launch in the "hot-potato-effect" on track and into green status.
Direct a program level product launches spanning across 11 different products within 1 year. Only PM managing at a program level.
Program team includes 26+ members. All other project managers have less than 6 members on their team. Company size is 325.
Report directly to the CEO of the company but technically work under the VP of Design and Purchasing. All other PM's report directly to their VP's.
Established a set process for all product launches in the future.
Program budget is sitting approximately $4million.
Program will get us in a $3billion market.
Authority level: can hold VP executives accountable for missed dates and not working cohesively.
CEO and president declared it as the highest budgeted and most intense project in my company's history.
Company investors are aware of project and that I'm managing the program.
I assume I'm doing pretty well especially considering I'm very new to this and this intensity of the projects because of the critique I get from my most immediate officer and the CEO of the company.
Degrees:
Associates in Business
Associates in Arts
Certifications:
Six Sigma Green Belt (1 of 4 people in company with six sigma certification)
CAPM (only certified PM in the company)
Experience:
4+ years w/ company
Successfully pulled a product launch in the "hot-potato-effect" on track and into green status.
Direct a program level product launches spanning across 11 different products within 1 year. Only PM managing at a program level.
Program team includes 26+ members. All other project managers have less than 6 members on their team. Company size is 325.
Report directly to the CEO of the company but technically work under the VP of Design and Purchasing. All other PM's report directly to their VP's.
Established a set process for all product launches in the future.
Program budget is sitting approximately $4million.
Program will get us in a $3billion market.
Authority level: can hold VP executives accountable for missed dates and not working cohesively.
CEO and president declared it as the highest budgeted and most intense project in my company's history.
Company investors are aware of project and that I'm managing the program.
I assume I'm doing pretty well especially considering I'm very new to this and this intensity of the projects because of the critique I get from my most immediate officer and the CEO of the company.
Depends on the industry you're in, I would say, as well as location. I may have missed that in your post, but didn't see it.
FWIW, as a PMP, starting out running large change management projects, I was at 85k excluding incentives. I had an engineering background though, and had 4yrs of experience doing Systems Engineering on aircraft. Most of my projects were Engineering and Aircraft related. I would venture to say that if you're in aerospace, retail or manufacturing, that pay level is about on par with what you should be compensated.
That being said, oil&gas, or tech, a project coordinator should net more than that. In my "consulting" days, I worked with software companies and construction companies and their PMs were pulling in 100-130k, but they were very good and managed high-risk opps....
It sounds like Machdup might have more exposure to this kind of thing, so take my comments with a grain of salt.
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I'm in the manufacturing industry in Phoenix, AZ. We're a luxury window and door company that's grown 1200% in the past few years so our market footprint is getting larger very quickly. The program I'm dealing with is expected to get us into territories we've been gunning after for a few years now.
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How ironic, I too started out as a Drafter for my company (aerospace) and they're moving me to Project Coordinator. My dad is a PM and talked me into getting certified. Luckily, work agreed to pay for it.
I'm currently at $65k (still on drafter pay too) and have been with my company for 2 years and 3 months. I have a Bachelor's in Criminal Justice and 6 or 7 drafting certifications.
PM's around the Houston area average $80-90k starting out. So I'm hoping after I get certified (still in the process of filling out my application), my pay will get bumped up as well.
Dang, $65k as a drafter pay...I missed out on that. lol
Has your work given you a timeline to get certified?
Best advice in the thread.
A PMP Boot Camp is definitely the way to go, and count me as one of the people who didn't pass the exam on the first attempt. No kidding, it's the most difficult test I've ever taken.
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So I took my certification exam on Saturday and I passed. I'm the first and only PM in my company that has any PM certification and they made me a full fledged Project Manager instead of a Project Coordinator. They doubled my pay rate as well so it's been a pretty good month.
Outstanding and Congrats.
FYI, here is the average salary in your area:
https://www.indeed.com/salary?q1=PMP+Project+Manager&l1=Phoenix,+AZ
Congrats man!
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