PMP – To Certify or Not To Certify

I see others in the #pmot community on Twitter also talking / asking about the benefits of PMP certification (see PMI.org for more info on the PMP). Threads are taking both the career angle and the project success angle. Both are interesting and valid threads.

Recently I had a follow project manager in my organization ask me about certification.  She’s been doing project management a lot longer than I and has an established reputation as a successful PM. We talked about certification. Here were some of the key considerations.

PMP is not the end of learning.

My colleague had some concern that she may stop learning after PMP. There’s a perception that PMP comes at the end of one’s learning cycle, and practitioners may delay certification, thinking it needs to come later after they’ve learned everything (or everything else).

I argue that PMP certification — or the preparation for it — is one learning exploration among many. It could come anywhere along the PM’s career-long learning. Even if you’re at the beginning of your career, you can certify with the CAPM certification (see PMI.org), which doesn’t have the requirement of having been a practitioner for some time before certifying.  Whenever you certify, you certainly should not assume to stop learning. Not only does PMP have the requirement for ongoing learning (Professional Development Units or PDUs), but you may find that the focused exam preparation opens up for you areas you’d naturally like to explore yourself and possibly with peers in your organization.

It’s important to acknowledge, too, that there are other PM certifications. The topic of which is best or most valid or most credible beings to elicit lots of impassioned opinion. Pick the one that’s most relevant to you, your job requirements, your chosen industry, and your part of the world.

What’s the best way to prepare for the PMP exam?

The best way to prepare is the way that best matches your learning style and comfort. There is no single best way. Me, I shudder at the thought of using flashcards. Too 3rd grade for me. Others would shudder at my own methodologies, including my 3rd grade level notes in the margins of various texts! I can’t speak to all preparation methods, but here are some approaches to consider.

• Read the PMBOK standard. (See PMI.org.) No, really. Read it. You’re certifying on that standard. It’s an odd thought to me to certify on a standard without reading it.
• Use sample test questions. Josh at PMStudent.com provides lots of links to free sample questions on line. I’d recommend that you consider buying a larger test bank to help along your prep.
• Consider a self-study prep course. There are many offerings for self-study prep courses out there. Take a recommendation from a trusted colleague. If you don’t have such a reference, consider PM Prep Cast, a package recommended by many leaders in the online PM community, such as PMStudent.com, PM411.org, and Project-Management-Podcast.com. (I have not used Prep Case myself.) Most of these courses provide the needed 35 contact hours, enhance your study effectiveness by summarizing and focusing on key ideas, and do it very economically, sometimes for as little as $100 USD.
• Network in your local PMI chapter. Ask your local chapter about exam prep opportunities. Unfortunately, my local chapter doesn’t provide an online forum through which I could pose the question, but they do provide nice monthly luncheon events that allow for face-to-face networking. My local chapter also periodically hosts exam prep courses.
• Consider a prep course. This is the more expensive end of preparation options. I was lucky; I was able to use corporate training plans and funding to fund my own prep course. The payoff has been good for me and the organization, as I’ve focused on spreading that skill set through my organization since certifying. Many people like the dedicated prep time provided by a classroom. However, among these courses, you’ll have to choose whether you want a boot camp or a prep course. The boot camp (not known by that name, necessarily) would have you attend Monday-Friday and take the examt that Friday afternoon. These courses are test-focused with all sorts of memorization techniques, etc. That’s not my preferred style. Other prep courses simply take you through the PMBOK material, usually with a work book of sorts to facilitate learning and make it easier to consume the full structure of PMBOK. They usually include tips for exam prep and come with some sort of bank of sample test questions. Most of these courses will recommend that you take the course within 2 weeks.
• Use a study group. Consider teaming up with other PMP candidates to study together. You may attend a class together or buy the same self-study course, for example. You may follow class with regular study time, or simply provide each other the support you may need to push through and actually take the exam.

So should you certify? Your choice.

When should you certify? Your choice again.

Will it help in Cottage PM? Check my other posts on that topic.

It’s up to you, just like all your other career decisions. Me, I recommend PMP certification as one stop along your way.

Related posts:

1. Is Certification Relevant in Cottage PM?
2. How I got all my PDUs in 1 year
3. PM Prepcast – A Review