In an effort to promote and professionalise project management culture, the Project Management Institute (PMI) is planning to partner with the Indian School of Business and the Andhra Pradesh state government. As part of the effort, the state government has agreed to redesign the curriculum by introducing two new subjects in project management and leadership development at the undergraduate, engineering and MCA levels by the next academic year...
A piece of paper won't prove your competence, but it will buy you entry into a corporate world that demands such things
12/7/2006 10:20:00 AM
by Peter de Jager
There are many methods for you to prepare for the gruelling 4 hour PMP Exam. We’ve outlined a few of the most successful here:
1. PMP Exam Prep Classes or Boot Camps: These cram session courses are specifically designed to fill your mind with the knowledge required to pass the test. Typically a more expensive route, but very effective at helping you beat the PMP Exam. We recommend Exam Prep Classes through Pinnacle 3 Learning, as their classes are priced mid-range and provide project managers with more understanding of real life application than that of industry competitors. Most of these courses qualify for contact hours or PDU’s, which can be used on your application with PMI.
2. Self-Paced Study efforts: There are numerous books and materials out there to assist you in preparing for the PMP Exam. Most provide more in depth understanding of the PMBOK. Self-paced study happens on your schedule. Progress at your individual pace. Studies have shown that individualized programs enable the majority of people to complete the material more quickly. In addition, it also allows slower learners to set a pace commensurate with their learning speed. In a traditional training program, all participants are usually required to go through the material at the same time and pace. Self-paced Learning gives students a chance to speed up or slow down as necessary. Be sure which product you buy is PMBOK aligned. http://www.readysetpass.com/ is a great place to start. The PMP Success Study Guide is PMBOK aligned, easy to comprehend and very exam focused. Great exam tips included.
3. Practice Exam (Simulation): Practicing against simulated PMP® Exam Questions is one of the absolute best ways to prepare for the actual exam. Completing multiple practice exams gives the learner an opportunity to better understand the exam layout, types of questions and pace of the exam. 200 questions over 4 hours equals roughly 1.2 minutes per question. You have to learn to gauge your exam pace. Many people use a predictor. To do this, make columns on a sheet, one for 90%, one for 50% and one for 25%. If you know the answer to a question with little or no doubt, put a mark under 90% column, if you think you know the answer to a question, but there may be an alternate correct answer, put a mark under the 50% column, if you have to guess at the answer, place a mark in the 25% column. At the end of the exam total up the 90% marks say you have 114 * .90 = 104. Similarly for 50% say 60 marks under the 50% column, 60* .50 = 30. Finally total number of marks under 25%, in this example 26 * .25 = 6.5. 104 + 30 + 6.5 = 140 (pass)
Read the full article at http://www.readysetpass.com/about.html and get the study resources you need to be successful.
The International Institute of Learning (IIL) has announced a new award, the Kerzner International Project Manager of the Year Award, to recognize a project manager who has exemplified superior performance and outstanding project management methods, skills and techniques.
Candidates must be project management professionals (PMPs) certified by the Project Management Institute (PMI®), and may be associated with any industryThe process will involve three levels or stages of competition: Evaluation, Semi-Finals and Finals. Individuals are invited to nominate any project manager by writing a 500-word essay on why the person meets the criteria, with all nomination essays due to IIL by August 23, 2006.
From the initial list, 25 candidates will be selected to advance to the Semi-Final round, after which five (5) finalists will be flown to New York City. Finalists will each deliver a 10-minute PowerPoint presentation during an eConference on November 2, 2006 to several thousand participants around the world. One winner will be selected to receive the 2006 “Kerzner International Project Manager of the Year Award”, a commemorative plaque and various other prizes.
More information can be found at www.iil.com.
International Project Manangement Day - Washington DC PMI Chapter (www.pmiwdc.org)
The Washington DC Chapter of PMI hosted an International Program Management Day event today, Nov 2, 2006.
The half day seminar included a series of speakers from business and government executives regarding past or present project initiatives and the value project management is bringing to their organizations.
Speakers shared their stories of why they have endorsed the practices, certifications, training, etc. based on real successes and failures which reinforce why the profession is growing so dramatically. While all guest speakers were fantastic, the speakers of particular interest to me were:
Dan Smith, VP Program Management, Verizon Business
Dan shared his views on project managements value in the telecommunications industry and some personal views regarding certification. Amazingly enough, several years ago, admittedly, Dan did not see the value in the PMP Certification. Today Dan's program management office requires it! Dan agrees that their is a significant value in the application of the PMI methodolgy, but he expressed some concern around the manner in which people acquire their PMP Certification. From Dan's perspective, the PMP Prep courses pushing people through 2 and 3 day crash courses diminish the certification. I tend to agree. The value of the PMP Certification is in the application not in simply oroving you can pass the test. To some degree, simply voicing this concern, seems to indicate that PMI should revisit the criteria needed for organizations to become registered education providers. It will be interesting to see over time how PMI chooses to deal with this. From the PMI perspective, there is a great deal of value in the speed which the PMP Certification is gaining acceptance.
The other speaker of interest was David Frame (J. Davidson Frame), University of Management and Technology
Dr. Frame has been a major player in project management education and training since the late 1970s. He has written eight books and more than 30 scholarly articles on the subject. His Managing Projects in Organizations (2003) is a business best seller. His most recent book, Managing Risk in Organizations, was published in 2003. For more on Dr. David Frame, visit www.umtweb.edu
Dr. Frame spoke about China's recent acceptance of project management principles. Interestingly, I learned that China accounts for over 40% of the consumption of all construction materials globally. Further, until recently, China depended mostly on engineering principles. China will become PMI's continued growth story. There are an estimated 500,000 project professionals in China, but only 10,000 with PMP Certification. Leading researchers believe the recent acceptance of the PMI Methodology will boost that number to over 30,000 over the next year or so. It was interesting to see that the United State accounted for over 60% of the PMP base while Asia Pacific was less the 20%.
So the United States is quickly becoming a saturated market for project management professionals? How hard does that make your competition next time you interview for a job? The PMP certification will no longer will the differentiator between you and the next person. Hiring managers and executives will likely focus some of the interview questions on topics such as:
What did you do to earn your PMP Cert?
How long did you study?
How long have you been applying the PMI methodology? and ask for specific examples.
These are just a few things to think about as you consider how to prepare for the PMP Certification.
The Value of the PMP Cert, according to Tom Mochal (www.tenstep.com)
Overall, I believe the PMP certification distinguishes you from other project management candidates, even if your company does not require it. I see it becoming more and more popular as a screening tool for companies looking for project management candidates.
Over time, I think it will become as important as a college degree is today. By that, I mean that it won’t be a requirement for every project management position, but it would be more common for a company to require the PMP than to not require it.
Of course, no one is saying that the PMP certification proves that you’re a better project manager than someone without the certification. However, I think it shows your prospective employer that you have some degree of seriousness in the profession and that you were motivated enough to invest the time to pass the exam. It also indicates that you have and can apply knowledge of project management methodology, rather than just relying on hard work and organization skills.
From a purely materialistic standpoint, I also believe that employers are willing to pay more money for a PMP-certified professional. This stems from the belief that, although there are never any guarantees, a PMP-certified person probably has a background and skill level that is higher than his or her noncertified peers.
Project management veteran Tom Mochal is director of internal development at a software company in Atlanta. Most recently, he worked for the Coca-Cola Company, where he was responsible for deploying, training, and coaching the IS division on project management and life-cycle skills. He's also worked for Eastman Kodak and Cap Gemini America and has developed a project management methodology called TenStep.
PMP Exam Certification continues to have positive effects on compensation. To jump-start your career in project management, the Project Management Institute offers professional certification in project management. Their certification is the profession's most recognized and respected. Many corporations are now starting to require the PMP certification for employment or advancement as a PM. The most successful, upper-level PMs will also have formal business training, usually in the form of an MBA. It is important that PMs also have some financial background or knowledge so that they are able to understand and plan for project budgeting.
Check Out this Salary Report
Here is a Practical Salary Survey Results currently being administered by PMI:
Created on Monday, February 21, 2005
Survey ends on Sunday, May 20, 2007
PMI is asking it's memebers: What is your base salary? So far 573 People have voted. You already know what your making today, so see for yourself what the average salary for a PMP is and estimate the salary increase value for obtaining the PMP Certification. I'm willing to bet it's somewhere around 10 - 15 %. Let me know if I'm right or wrong by leaving comments on this blog entry.
$25,000 - $35,000 (42 votes) 7%
$35,001 - $45,000 (18 votes) 3%
$45,001 - $65,000 (76 votes) 13%
$65,001 - $80,000 (125 votes) 22%
$80,001 - $90,000 (103 votes) 18%
$90,001 - $100,000 (73 votes) 13%
$100,001 - $120,000 (80 votes) 14%
$120,001 - $150,000 (56 votes) 10%
The PMP Certification continues to show it's strength, demand and growth. Certicities.com has listed the PMP Certification as the #4 hottest certification for 2006. 
Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, USA – Project Management Institute (PMI®), the world’s leading not-for-profit professional association for the project management profession, announces that its Project Management Professional (PMP®) credential has been named No. 4 in CertCities.com's 10 Hottest Certifications for 2006. The winners were announced Wednesday, 14 December 2005 on CertCities.com.
PMI’s PMP credential is considered by many as the “gold standard” of global project management certification. This credential, which is ISO 9001: 2000 compliant, connotes the holder as one who has demonstrated the knowledge, experience and leadership skills required to competently practice project management. During 2005, PMI has experienced an extraordinary increase in the number of practitioners taking the PMP examination, resulting in 86,925 PMPs being certified during this 12 month period. Globally, there are 181,281 PMPs who have received the credential as of 31 December 2005.
PMI News Release
STF Enterprises has announced the launch of its newly redesigned Web site, www.readysetpass.com. Trimming out some of the previous page’s many links and going for a cleaner, less busy look. “It’s more visually aesthetic and makes it much easier for customers to access the products and services” said a company spokesman.
The new page offers a number of simple graphics in lieu of tiny text links. "Ultimately, our goal is to increase the traffic to the Web site, which offers lower cost Project Management Professional (PMP) Exam Prep Materials.
About STF Enterprises
www.reasysetpass.com, a leading PMP® Exam Preparation firm headquartered in Northern VA. Featuring Instructor Led Exam Prep Classes, an E-Learning Virtual Classroom course, inexpensive downloadable self-paced guides, an online Exam Simulator and a hosted PM Discussion Forum. Based on Accelerated Learning Techniques and Mind Mapping, www.readysetpass.com is a tremendous way for aspiring project management professionals to prepare for the prestidgeous PMP® Exam. "We are confident in our ability to produce results."
About PMI and PMP
The PMP Certification is the project management profession's most recognized and respected global credential. There are over 200,000 PMP's worldwide located in over 160 countries. To obtain PMP certification, an individual must satisfy education and experience requirements, agree to adhere to a Professional Code of Conduct, and pass the PMP Certification Examination. The PMP Certification Program supports the global community of project management practitioners and is designed to objectively assess and measure professional knowledge. PMI's PMP Certification Program offers individuals a wide range of important benefits. The PMP designation following one's name demonstrates to employers and other stakeholders that an individual possesses a solid foundation of experience and education in project management. The PMI Certification Department is the first professional certification program of its kind in the world to receive the ISO 9001 certification, a globally recognized mark of a quality management system. The Project Management Institute (PMI), is the world's foremost authority for the project management profession. PMI sets industry standards, conducts research, and provides education, certification, and professional exchange opportunities, designed to strengthen and further establish the profession. PMI advances the careers of practioners, while enhancing overall business and government performance through documentation of return on investment. For more information visit www.pmi.org.
** Already taken and passed the PMP Exam? Share your success story!! Post to the PMP Blog with your PMP Exam Success details at www.readysetpass.blogspot.com**
12-10-2006 21:02
NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pennsylvania, October 12 /PRNewswire/ --
- World's Leading Project Management Organization Expands Suite of Professional Credentials Project Management Institute (PMI), the world's leading not-for-profit professional association for the project management profession, is proud to announce the development of a new credential for individuals who manage programs - the Program Management Professional (PgMP(SM)). The new credential establishes a level of competence based on knowledge, skills, capabilities and job experience, and will be available in early 2007.
Research conducted by PMI shows that almost all - 97 percent - of employers and hiring executives feel that program management skills are valuable to their organization, while 84 percent of program management practitioners feel PMI should offer a program management credential.
In response, PMI developed the PgMP credential, which establishes more rigorous requirements than other program-related credentials in the industry and provides a clearer context of and standards for program management.
The PgMP credential complements the Project management Professional (PMP(R)) credential by bringing greater visibility to project management offices and project teams. The PgMP is geared toward professionals who have the knowledge, experience and authority to make and implement decisions that advance strategic objectives, and who can make recommendations to modify programs to more effectively achieve these objectives.
"We are very excited to introduce this global credential for individuals who manage programs," said PMI CEO Gregory Balestrero. "The PgMP credential allows program management practitioners to demonstrate that they possess the skills and expertise to manage multiple projects that tie back to an organization's overall strategic objectives."
The PgMP credential will give professionals who manage programs a distinct advantage in accessing new opportunities and increasing visibility within their organizations. The credential will also help employers determine whether current and prospective employees possess the skills needed for effective program management.
"This credential introduces a fresh perspective on program management," said Mr. Balestrero. "Now, both employees and employers can evaluate and manage comprehensive programs with greater confidence and effectiveness."
Individuals need not be PMI members to apply for the PgMP credential. An online application process will be available 24/7 via the Internet, and computer-based examination facilities (as well as paper-based testing locations) will be available worldwide. Additional information regarding this new credential can be found in the Certification Program section of PMI's website (http://www.pmi.org).
About PMI
With nearly 220,000 members in over 150 countries, Project Management Institute (PMI) is the leading membership association for the project management profession. PMI is actively engaged in advocacy for the profession, setting professional standards, conducting research and providing access to a wealth of information and resources. PMI also promotes career and professional development and offers certification, networking and community involvement opportunities.
For more than 36 years, PMI has advanced the careers of practitioners who have made project management indispensable in achieving business results. For more information, please visit http://www.pmi.org.
