Hello fellow Nairalanders!

I want to start this discussion to gather advice,mentorship and networks for all you out there that are aspiring to be PMP Certified or are certiifed already so that we can always rub minds together on how to earn our PDU'S,volunteer in our community,network,share creative ideas on going solo as independent project management consultants.
I trust that our little drops of water here will make a mighty ocean.Looking forward to hearing from you ALL.Every bit of Information will be very much appreciated.

After your PMP Certification what next?Responses will be appreciated.

I had an interesting conversation the other day with a fellow PMP Certified guy that lives in Ghana.
Knowing that we are still a developing country,the prospects of various things that are counterparts do abroad may not go well here in Africa.
The best place to start if you have the flair is Project Management Training to prepare others for the certification exams also profiling your work experiences as a project management consultant to lets say NGOs,IT Companies for contract or permanent jobs is the way to go.Finally helping projectized comapnies set up PMOs (Project Management Offices)is also something to consider.Implementing Project Management software like Microsoft's Enterprise Project Manager etc for organizations that need their projects to be managed from a central repository.
You can all add to the list.Let make the profession profitable in Africa!!

Contact me via email on :ritetracconsulting@gmail.com

Someone asked me the other day about details on the PMP Exam Certifications.I decided to share this writeup with my fellow nairalanders.

What is PMP certification and why get it?

PMP stands for Project Management Professional. PMP certification is offered by PMI (Project Management Institute) and those that obtain this certification demonstrate a proficient level of project management leadership skills. PMP certification is widely recognized by major companies and government agencies worldwide as the standard qualification for the role of project managers resulting in certificate holders commanding higher salaries than the others. According to the PMI website, as of May 2009, there are more than a quarter million certified professionals around the world. Many companies require their project managers to hold this certification and is growing in popularity every day. It is instrumental to getting major project especially public sector projects for some companies

Ten Steps to get PMP certification

1. Make sure you meet the criteria set by PMI before deciding to apply for the PMP certification by visiting www.pmi.org
a. You should have documents to prove that you had at least 35 contact hours of formal education in project management
b. If you have a Bachelor's degree, document at least three calendar years experience in project management during which at least 4,500 hours were spent leading and directing project tasks. Note that experience in all the five recognized project management process groups is required. The five process groups are Initiation, Planning, Executing, Monitoring & Control and Closing.
If you do not have a Bachelor's degree, applicants must have a minimum five years professional project management experience, during which at least 7,500 hours are spent leading and directing project tasks, within the past eight years from the time of application. Make sure to read the PMP Handbook published by PMI for more details. Note that you will have to provide the contact information of your manager or supervisor. If PMI chooses to audit your application, they will contact your manager for verification.

2. Become a member of the PMI
As of May 2009, the annual membership dues are $129. PMI members get a discount on the PMP examination fee that is bigger than the annual membership fees so it financially make sense to become a PMI member if you are planning to take the PMP exam that year. You may not want to renew it the following year if you decide you don't want it anymore. In addition to the discount, you also get an electronic copy of PMBOK guide (reading this book is essential to prepare well for the exam) and networking opportunities within the PMI community.

Do not forget to check your local PMI chapter there is one in Lagos Nigeria. Explore about their activities, courses and meetings and decide if you want to become a member of the local PMI chapter. Some chapters provide PMP preparation courses and seminars which you will find very useful. It is a great opportunity to meet new and experienced PMPs in person and learn from them. You will also meet people who are preparing for the PMP exam and you can form a study group and share knowledge.

3. Apply online for PMP certification at PMI (www.pmi.org)
a. You will be filling in all the details that are mentioned in above steps (1a) and (1b) along with your personal information, educational qualification, etc.
b. PMP Examination fees: $405 for PMI members. $555 for non-members. You can use your credit card to pay for this.
Make sure the application is complete. Do not forget to attach your resume. Once you apply, it may take up to 2 weeks for your application to get approved by PMI. If you apply online, the processing time is only 5 business days.

4. Start preparing for the exam. Read the PMP Handbook again and understand all the rules. Start reading on the internet about PMP exam, experiences of recent successful PMPs, lessons learnt during the process, etc. Join various forums dedicated to PMP examination on the internet and browse through and ask questions. You can learn a lot from other successful PMPs and those who are in the same boat as you.

5. Schedule a date for PMP examination: If your application is approved, instructions will be sent to you from PMI and you can schedule a date for your exam. You may not get a date immediately. So, schedule the exam date well in advance. Once your application is approved, you have one-year eligibility period in which to pass the PMP exam. During this eligibility period, you may take the examination up to three times because candidates may not pass the exam on their first attempt. There is a $150 re-examination fee. If you fail three times in a year, you must wait one year to reapply.

6. Exam preparation: Prepare rigorously for the exam. It may take anywhere from 3 to 6 months on average to prepare for the examination. I know some extreme cases where a person spent just 3 weeks preparing full-time and passed the exam.

Study Materials for PMP Exams

a. The PMBOK (Project Management Body of Knowledge) guide. It looks like about 75% of the questions on the PMP exam come from the PMBOK guide. So, make sure you study this guide again and again. However, understand that the PMBOK guide is so dry that it is raw text material only with no interesting examples and is difficult to understand. There are well written books and audio tapes I am listing below to understand the concepts given in the guide in an interesting way.

b. PMP Audio workshop: If you are commuting a lot or traveling for a long time, audio books are a great way to use the time effectively. I suggest PMP Prepcast as it has a lot of positive feedback from many successful PMPs. Hot Topics Flashcards for Passing the PMP and CAPM Exams (Audio CD) by Rita Mulcahy

c. The PMP Exam: How to Pass On Your First Try (Test Prep series) by Andy Crowe - Great first book to read to get an idea of the PMP exams

d. Head First PMP: A Brain-Friendly Guide to Passing PMP Exam by Andrew Stellman and Jennifer Greene
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7. model exams and take them as if they are real exams conducted by PMP. If you get 80% of the question right, you should be ready for the actual PMP exam.

8. Take the exam: The PMP exam is 4 hours long. Make sure you are fresh and relaxed on the day of the PMP exam. This means that you will need a good night's sleep the previous night. Have a good breakfast and drive to the testing center early. Do not forget to take your ID with you.


9.If you require training for your exams and you live in Abuja and the Northern Regions.
Please contact me on :ritetracconsulting@gmail.com

10. If you need study materials and dumps specially packaged to help you pass your exams in one sitting also contact me on:ritetracconsulting@gmail.com


Have a great day!!

Hi PMP,

I recently got interested in project management after joining the PMO of my Bank & being a member of some project implementations, i plan to take the PMP exams in July, i've bought the PMBOK (4th Edition) and some other manuals here & there,

Please can you recommend any good place in lagos that i can take a very standard revision class cos i really want to pass the Exam once & for all,

Hi,
Been in project management for ages, since 2000, and I've attended both Prince2, X-Perts and PMP training, though I only recently decided to get certified.
First I need to get my PDUs documented. Working on that right now.

@Pyramid 77:
You are taking a good decision; I advise that you dont totally close your eyes to the PMBOK 3rd edition as most of the text and materials currently available for now are tailored along the 3rd edition. But the good thing is that there is not much differnce between the two as I have read the 4th edition so as to spice up my trAINING CLASSES WITH IT.
The summary of the diference between them is as follows:

All process names are now in a verb-noun format

· Efforts were made to distinguish between Enterprise Environmental Factors and Organizational Process Assets.

· A standard approach for discussing requested changes, preventive actions, corrective actions and defect repairs was employed.

· The processes decreased from 44 to 42:

· Two processes were deleted.

· Two processes were added.

· Six processes were reconfigured into 4 processes in the Procurement knowledge area.

· To provide clarity, a distinction was made between the Project Management Plan and project documents used to manage the project.

· The distinction between the information in the Project Charter and the Project Scope Statement was clarified.

Thanks Bode,

I really appreciate your response & motivation, i'm gathering as much materials as possible cos i cant leave anything to chances & i dont plan to take that exam twice

Anyways, i'll appreciate any good revision lectures place that will help brush me up before i take the PMP exams.

cheers,

@ PYramid: pls note the following as you prepare:

Preparing for the exam
 BOOKS: DONOT read every book you can find on Project Management
 MAGIC THREE: Studies have shown that if you visit a topic 3 times you will
remember. Therefore use the recommended products at least 3
times before taking the exams

Then on your quest for a revision class: what you need is not just a revision class but a 35hrs preparatory training as mandated by PMI, on that I could have options for you; try and reach me on 08033947694 or bnosolutions@yahoo.co.uk

cheers!