Pamela DeVries, PMP

Looks good doesn't it? :)

I did it! I passed the PMP exam this morning. It's been a crazy few weeks as I studied for this difficult test. I am glad to be done.

For those interested in taking this exam I can suggest a few things for you.

• Take an exam prep course. There are lots out there. The 35 PDU's can fulfill your PDU requirements for the application as well.
• Once you take the course - set a date - soon! Take advantage of the momentum you are building.
• I would recommend an additional book besides the PMBOK. Rita Mulcahy has a great one. So does Andy Crowe and Crosswinds makes a great one as well. You don't need all 3 - just one. I used Rita's book. Make sure whatever book you get reflects the 4th version of the PMBOK. The exam just changed on June 30th to reflect the newest version of the PMBOK.
• Take as many practice exams as you can. Rita's book has a practice exams after every chapter. There are plenty of really great free practice exams online as well - no real need to pay lots of money for one. I recommend the following:
  http://www.headfirstlabs.com/PMP/pmp_exam/v2/quiz.html
  http://www.oliverlehmann.com/pmp-self-test/75-free-questions.htm (Oliver also has a 175 question exam that you can print out in PDF format that is very good as well)
  http://www.preparepm.com/mock1.html
  http://www.voightps.com/Default.asp
  http://www.tutorialspoint.com/pmp-exams/pmp_mock_exams.htm
  http://www.testprepreview.com/modules/pmp.htm
  http://www.pmstudy.com/enroll.asp#PMP (There are also additional exams that you can purchase on this web site at a very reasonable price and may be worth it if you need even more practice.)
• The exam prep course will go over how to create and use a brain dump. Practice your brain dump.

And now, as my instructor so eloquently said "I care, yet I am totally indifferent." I have those 3 letters behind my name and that is really all that matters! :)

Going Crazy

I am almost done with my Boot Camp class for the PMP Exam Prep. I have one more day of class left. Last week I went ahead and scheduled the exam for Friday, September 4. I thought that was pretty aggressive - only leaving me 2 weekends to really study. Well, today I got a bug in my bonnet and I moved the exam UP to next Tuesday - September 1. I figured after this weekend I really didn't need anymore time - no need to wait all week to take the test - just get it done and be done with it! I am so tired of this and want to be done with all the stress surrounding this exam.

Well, while I was rescheduling I noticed that there is an opening on Saturday. Now I am wondering if I shouldn't just take Thursday and Friday off from work - study study study study and take the exam on Saturday. I so seriously want to be done with this thing.

What do you think?

Exam Scheduled!

I have been in my PMP Exam Prep boot camp class this week. I have 3 classes this week and 2 classes next week. I feel like I have definitions and formulas coming out of my pores at this point. My instructor advised me to go ahead and schedule the exam - not to wait until I completed the class. So I just scheduled it. Now I'm really nervous. I scheduled it for Friday, September 4 at 8:00am. That is the day before the Labor Day Weekend. I'm hoping and praying that I won't have an absolutely miserable weekend - but that I will be able to celebrate all weekend. I am in major study mode right now with the class going on and I want to ride that wave as best as possible and not loose the valuable information in my brain. It's not too soon after the class, but not too late either. But man, am I nervous!

Application Approved

My PMP Application was approved! Yeah Me! Whew!

Now I have to take the Boot Camp which starts in 2 weeks to prepare for the exam. Then I will take a few weeks to study for the exam and then hopefully pass the exam! That's a lot! Maybe that is why I am feeling so anxious today.

PMP-in'

So this isn't weight loss related, but since this blog is "all about Pam" - I thought I could go here.

I am in the process of getting my PMP certification. PMP stands for Project Management Professional. I have wanted to get this certification for quite a few years, but I wanted someone else to pay for it. :)

The acredidation is not an easy one to obtain - especially if (like me) you do not have a college degree. Then you need to provide proof of almost double the amount of experience in project management that someone with a college degree doesn't have to provide. I have to provide 5 years of project management experience and 35 hours of project management education on the application. Once the application is accepted I am allowed the privilege of taking the exam. The exam is 4 hours long and is 200 questions and many people fail it the first time. I also get the privilege of PAYING to take the exam - over $400 (if you are a member of PMI - $$555 if you are not).

So I just completed my application process. That in and of itself took me a good week's worth of time to compile all of the information and then enter it online. PMI now has to accept the application. I am told I will be notified in a couple of days. I am quite nervous as I know a few people who have had their applications audited. That shouldn't be a problem for me - it's just a pain if they decide to do that. they would go through and verify with each of my manager's that what I put in my application is true.

Next I am slated to take a "Boot Camp" class to prepare to take the exam. The class is all about how to take the exam. It assumes you know the information that the exam will test you on (The Project Management Book of Knowledge 4th edition - or PMBOK as it's widely known) and basically just prepares you to take the exam. I take the class in the middle of August. I am hoping to then schedule my exam within a month of taking the class.

Having submitted my application for this credential I am suddenly wrought with anxiety. I have wanted to get this certification for years. But have also been happy to put it off. They recently changed the exam to match the changes to the PMBOK - so that is one reason for me to be nervous - not a lot of people have taken this edition of the exam yet. I am even running up against having trouble finding the latest version of study guides and practice exams. It is a lot of time and energy to put towards something and then fail. I know because I have done something similar to this back in 2000. I got my certification as a Microsoft Certified Professional in Analyzing Requirements and Designing Solution Architecture. I took that freakin' test 3 times before I passed! I missed by 2 questions the first time and 1 question the second time before passing by 4 questions the 3rd time. It was awful to go through all the studying - the gut wrenching exam - hit the "submit" button and then have them say "So Sad Too Bad". I am so not doing that again.

So now I am waiting to see if my application was approved. I don't want to get too ahead of myself.