Higher Pay For PMP Certified PM's

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%

PMP Certification #4 Hottest in 2006

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

Cleaner, Less Busy Web Site Look

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.





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PMI TO LAUNCH CREDENTIAL FOR PROGRAM MANAGEMENT PRACTITIONERS

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.

So what exactly is ISO 9001?

ISO 9000 and ISO 14000 standards are implemented by some 887 770 organizations in 161 countries. ISO 9000 has become an international reference for quality management requirements in business-to-business dealings, and ISO 14000 is well on the way to achieving as much, if not more, in enabling organizations to meet their environmental challenges.

The ISO 9000 family is primarily concerned with "quality management". This means what the organization does to fulfill:

- the customer's quality requirements, and
- applicable regulatory requirements, while aiming to
- enhance customer satisfaction, and
- achieve continual improvement of its performance in pursuit of these objectives.


The ISO 14000 family is primarily concerned with "environmental management". This means what the organization does to:

- minimize harmful effects on the environment caused by its activities, and to
- achieve continual improvement of its environmental performance.


Why do you need to know this?

ISO 9000 is sweeping the world. It is rapidly becoming the most important quality standard. Thousands of companies in over 100 countries have already adopted it, and many more are in the process of doing so. Why? Because it controls quality. It saves money. Customers expect it. And competitors use it.

ISO 9000 applies to all types of organizations. It doesn't matter what size they are or what they do. It can help both product and service oriented organizations achieve standards of quality that are recognized and respected throughout the world.

There are some PMP Exam questions that touch on ISO standards. This small piece of knowledge may help you in understanding those questions a little better.

Interesting Article

I'm vearing away from the principle action of this Blog, the PMP Certification, for an article that I feel is worth reading.

The Ten Commandments of Project Management
They'll lead your company to the promised land of project-based culture.
James M. Kerr

Here's an outline of what Kerr refers to as the Ten Commandments of Project Management:

1. Thou Shalt Narrow Project Scope
2. Thou Shalt Not Suffer a Fat Team
3. Thou Shalt Require Full-Time Business Participation
4. Thou Shalt Establish Project Review Panels
5. Thou Shalt Not Provoke Burnout
6. Thou Shalt Seek Outside Assistance as Needed
7. Thou Shalt Empower Project Teams
8. Thou Shalt Use Project Management Tools
9. Thou Shalt Reward Success
10. Thou Shalt Not Tolerate Quick-and-Dirty Work Efforts


You can read the full article HERE

Pass this test....

The Project Management Professional Certification, offered by the Project Management Institute, is currently the premier certification to have in the world of Project Management. . No matter what your view on the worth of the certification, there is undeniable proof that it is in demand. Visit monster.com or careerbuilder.com; search for Project Manager as the job title and see exactly how many employers prefer if not require this certification for employment consideration.

PMP ranks #4 on years Hottest Certifications to have according to Certicities.com

PMI’s PMP title made a strong showing this year, rising from its debut stop at No. 10 last year, thanks in part to even stronger buzz for this industry-neutral title within the IT community. Our contributors like it as well. The title placed at No. 4 on Neilson’s personal top 10 list for 2006, and Barkl placed it at No. 5. “There’s always a need for those who understand project management,” he said.

Dulaney agrees, saying there’s a lot to like about this title, which he placed at No. 8 on his personal list. “The recent updates to this certification have kept it current,” he commented. “[It’s] useful for administrators, engineers -- just about anyone.”


There's no denying it, if your a project manager, right now, PMP Certification is one to have.




read more | digg story

Website News

Updates to the Exam Simulator


Hello All,

I wanted to take a moment and drop a quick note to update our readers about the new version of our PMP Exam Question Simulator that will be made available soon. We are making a number of additions to help maximize usability and minimize study time. As you all know, we had been delivering our content through the CMS system called Moodle. Moodle is a great tool, but we've made a decision to transition to new software with greater functionality and a new sleek look and feel.

With the new software, our exam simulator customers will be able to register, view different lessons and be able to take a test after completing each lesson.

Lesson and Testing Features:

The lessons are composed of a combination of text, images or video. If you answer the question incorrectly a pop-up window will appear that corresponds to the section that the question addresses. The system will also help you count the number of attempts it takes you to get an answer correct. After a lesson is complete you will see a summary page that displays each question and the number of attempts it took you to complete the question.

All test questions will be choosen randomly from our database, muxh like the actual PMP Exam. Real time results will be available after finishing the test and you can see your history and rank after completing test.


Our PMP certification exam preparation tool is designed for students to prepare PMP candidates for the Project Management Institute’s (PMI) Project Management Professional (PMP) certification exam. Readysetpass.com includes an online based PMP exam simulator. With readysetpass.com students can gauge the candidate’s readiness for the PMP exam.

Our exam simulator includes over 1000 practice questions covering all PMBOK knowledge areas. All of our questions have been developed and peer reviewed by PMP certified instructors with years of experience preparing PMP candidates. The question bank is updated regularly to ensure the questions are up to date, and most accurately reflect the current PMP exam.

Visit www.readysetpass.com today to ensure your PMP Success!

Does the PMP Have Value?

Foote Partners LLC, an IT workforce research company, assesses the skills and pay of more than 35,000 IT professionals in over 1,800 North American and European companies. In a recent survey, they found that the Project Management Professional certification provides the best bonuses for IT professionals, averaging 15% of base pay.

Just what is a PMP certification and why does it add so much value to the people who hold it? The reason is mostly due to the fact that the Project Management Institute issues the certification. The Project Management Institute, or PMI, is a global organization, with chapters in all but about four countries throughout the world. PMI has a rigorous criteria and a very difficult exam which potential PMP's must pass before they can become certified.

There are two categories of people who can pursue PMP certification. The first category is for those who have college degrees. People in this category must have 4,500 hours of continuous, non-overlapping project management experience for 36 consecutive months within the past five years. The second category includes those project managers who have not attended college. People in this category must have 7,500 hours of continuous, non-overlapping project management experience for 60 months over an eight-year period. Both categories must also prove that they have participated in 35 hours of project management training within the past ten years.

Project Managers who meet either category must file an eligibility application with PMI. Once PMI reviews an application and determines if a candidate is eligible, they release an eligibility letter. A candidate then receives the eligibility letter to take the PMP certification exam.

The certification exam is a difficult one. The industry standard pass rate is rumored at 60%.

Presently there are in excess of 200,000 PMI members, with many others joining PMI to pursue the PMP certification.

Based on the salary increases experienced by IT professionals with the PMP, this credential carries some clout and is capturing great interest. Membership statistics from PMI indicate that the Computers/Software/DP and IT industries are the top two industry areas among PMI members, with about 15,000 and 12,000 members respectively in each industry category (estimated in 2005).

In whatever way people prepare to become certified Project Managers, the benefits are immeasurable to both the employee and the employer. Employees are rewarded with increased salaries, job promotions, and in general, better job prospects. Employers who use PMP's are assured that they have hired Project Managers who have a core competency in Project Management and the requisite experience to perform as a project manager. Studies have shown that projects managed by people who are not certified Project Managers have only a 25% chance of success, whereas projects run by those who are knowledgeable in Modern Project Management tools and techniques - as are people with the PMP certification - have a 75% success rate.


Who do you think companies would prefer to have at the helm of their projects?






Technorati

So Your Thinking About Taking the PMP Exam?

The intent of the PMP Exam is to ensure a thorough understanding of project management knowledge as set forth by the Project Management Institute (PMI).

Before applying for the PMP Exam you must satisfy certain Educational Requirements:

Bachelor's Degree - 4500 Hours
No Bachelor's Degree - 7500 Hours

This 4500 or 7500 hours of project time is to be non-overlapping and based on time spent on the project itself, not the overall project duration.

You must have at least 35 hours of formal Project Management Education. A training certificate of at least 35 contact hours of Project Management training (Contact Hours) is required to register for the exam. Our PMP Exam Prep Tools provide you with the required Contact Hours! You can submit your application prior to completing your training, as long as the contact hours are completed prior to sitting for the exam. We'll provide you a certificate denoting 35 contact hours upon completion of our course.

You should know, it's a computer-based exam hosted by the Sylvan-Prometric Testing center. It is composed of 200 multiple-choice questions based on the Project Management Body of Knowledge or PMBOK. Test questions are randomly selected from a database of over 2000 possible questions. The test taker has a total of 4 hours to complete the exam. The intent of the test is to ensure a thorough understanding of project management knowledge as set forth by the Project Management Institute.

The newest version of the PMBOK, the PMBOK Guide-Third Edition, was released to PMI members in October 2004. In addition, the exam and the passing scores have been adjusted. The passing score for the new exam has now been changed from 81% to 61%. The exam taker must answer 106 questions out of 175 correct. 25 additional questions will be asked on the exam for a total of 200 possible questions. The 25 - pretest items will continue to be part of the exam. PMI uses these questions to understand the performance of the questions prior to counting the questions towards a candidates score. The exam taker will not know which 25 are not applied to the pass/fail score. Out of the score able 175 questions, approximately 19 will come from Initiation, 40 from planning, 47 from execution, 37 from monitor and control, 16 from closing and 16 from Professional responsibility.

Initiating the Project......11%
· Conduct Project Selection Methods
· Define Scope Document Project Risks, Assumptions, and Constraints
· Identify and Perform Stakeholder Analysis
· Develop Project Charter
· Obtain Project Charter Approval

Planning the Project......23%
· Define and Record Requirements, Constraints and Assumptions
· Identify Project Team and Define Roles and Responsibilities
· Create the WBS · Develop Change Management Plan
· Identify Risks and Define Risk Strategies
· Obtain Plan Approval Conduct Kick-off Meeting

Executing the Project......27%
· Execute Tasks Defined in Project Plan
· Ensure Common Understanding and Set Expectations
· Implement the Procurement of Project Resources
· Manage Resource Allocation
· Implement Quality Management Plan
· Implement Approved Changes
· Implement Approved Actions and Workarounds
· Improve Team Performance

Monitoring and Controlling the Project......21%
· Measure Project Performance
· Verify and Manage Changes to the Project
· Ensure Project Deliverables Conform to Quality Standards
· Monitor all Risks

Closing the Project......9%
· Obtain Final Acceptance for the Project Obtain Financial, Legal, and Administrative Closure
· Release Project Resources
· Identify, Document and Communicate Lessons Learned
· Create and Distribute Final Project Report
· Archive and Retain Project Records
· Measure Customer Satisfaction

Professional and Social Responsibility......9%
· Ensure Individual Integrity
· Contribute to the Project Management Knowledge Base
· Enhance Personal Professional Competence
· Promote Interaction Among Stakeholders

Exam Questions are designed to check both key understanding and the ability to practically apply concepts. The types of question and formats you may encounter are; Situational questions which require you to rely on your knowledge, PMI (PMBOK) experience and judgment in order to answer them correctly and Conceptual in which you must apply concepts to a new situation by using more than simple memorization. (All questions are multiple choice with four possible answers). Test questions will intentionally use different terminology or alternate versions of similar questions for the same concepts to test your understanding of the topic rather than your ability to recall a term.
You may encounter: Time-consuming questions that cause you, the test taker, to feel disoriented or overwhelmed. It's particularly stressful if you encounter these types of questions early on in the exam. (The Ready Set Pass program is designed to reduce the chance of this happening by including many exam-like questions in our practice material.) Questions that require you to Fill-in-the-blank and other factual-type questions. These questions simply require the test taker to recall the definition or context of a word or set of words. (Likely worded identically as in the PMBOK Guide.) Questions in which you need to select the exception from the four possible answers. If 3 correct answers are present look for the Odd man out.
Some questions will be long drawn out short stories. Much of the text of is not essential in answering the question. The test taker will need to weed out the non-essential data. More often than not the essential data is the last sentence in the paragraph. It may benefit you to read the last sentence first. Questions that require you to perform calculations and/or draw simple diagrams. These are typically questions about earned value, cost, network diagrams, and schedules. In our estimation, around 75% of the exam questions come directly from the PMBOK Guide.
The remaining questions are derived from other reference materials and real-world situations. Solid common project sense should help you in answering these. Some key exam topics you won't find in the PMBOK but should understand are: Conflict-resolution techniques, Organizational theories, Problem-solving techniques and Theories of motivation.
You will encounter questions that will be difficult to answer with confidence. Commonly these types of questions seemed to potentially have more than one correct answer. Two or more of the answers are reasonable responses. However, there is always one best response, as determined by PMI. You should track these questions and revisit them at the end of the exam before it is submitted. Be alert about answers that reflect common project management errors and unapproved practices. It is important to remember that the answer should reflect PMIs views. Remembering this should help you rule out any common sense answers that dont coincide with the PMBOK. The test taker must sift through answers that are factually correct but are not the correct response to the question.
As a Test Taker, it is important to develop a Strategy. Anticipate that many questions will have multiple correct answers. It is your challenge to pick the best answer based on how PMI outlines the situation should be handled. Remember to answer questions from PMIs perspective, not from your real-life experience. Think, What does PMI say I should I do? rather than Whats worked in the past? The actual exam allows you to mark any question for later review. Plan on making several passes through all 200 questions of the exam. (Double-check yourself on questions that you are unsure of your answer). On the initial pass through the exam, mark any question that you are not 100% sure of the answer. On the second pass, review all the marked questions. You may discover that the answer to a given question is detailed out in another question or answer throughout the exam.
During the exam, as the test taker, you will need to manage your exam time. 200 questions in 4 hours (240 minutes) = 1.2 minutes per question. Some questions will be as easy as 15 seconds; others may take 3 or 4 minutes. You are not required to immediately take the exam when you sit down at the computer terminal. Use this time to gather your thoughts and prepare your reference sheet. Write down all formulas, diagrams, and information that will assist you with the exam. This allows you to clear your thoughts and focus better as you begin the exam. When you begin the exam process, you will initially be provided a tutorial of how to use the terminal and how to take the exam. If you feel comfortable with the information, you can pass over this tutorial quickly and begin the exam. Pace yourself and be sure to read all four answers completely. Do not just choose the first potentially correct answer you see, there may be a More right / Most right answer available. Take breaks throughout the exam. You have 4 hours for the exam, you need to complete at least 50 questions per hour and allot for periodic breaks to allow yourself to regain focus and rest.

How to prepare for this exhausting exam:

http://www.readysetpass.com/ is a PMP® Exam Preparation site featuring an online virtual classroom, a hosted PM Discussion Forum and an online Exam Simulator. http://www.readysetpass.com/ was created, is owned and managed by Certified PMP's.
Designed for maximum impact, the online classroom and materials are based on Active, Passive and Accelerated Learning, Information Chunking and Memorization Techniques. Ready Set Pass online learners are self-directed and generally already work in their chosen professions, so a lot of learning by doing happens in the way of applying their newfound knowledge to the workplace. For this reason many online learners say they learn more in online classes than traditional settings, and have better retention, too.
readysetpass.com offers low cost PMP Exam Prep materials and exam simulation which can be used as contact hours for the Project Management Institute's (PMI) Project Management Professional (PMP) certification exam in a proven learning format.
Our PMP Exam Prep Materials Offer: · Earn the 35 Contact Hours (PDU's) needed to sit for the PMP Exam · Access Over 1000 simulated practice exam questions · Downloadable - Printable PMP Exam Tips & Success Guide · Learn About PMI’s approach to the PMP Exam · A Deep Dive Review of PMI’s collection of processes and knowledge areas · Get Tips on answering examination questions · Ensure you understand the PMBOK® Guide well enough to pick the most correct answer out of 4 potentially correct answers. · Realize and Achieve your Goal of becoming PMP Certified · Gain Your Professional Credentials · Gain Leverage For Greater Earning Potential · Improve Your Project Management Skills and Knowledge · Earn Greater Professional Recognition from your Peers · Demonstrate of Your Commitment to the Profession
Now Think about it... This is a powerful self-study tool, it will increase your PMI and PMP knowledge quickly and comprehensively. Simply put, it’s an extremely powerful learning aid. We've taken the time to write down everything you need to know to pass the exam. Buy Now and you'll have access to powerful PMP knowledge that will help you pass the PMP exam. We've done the work. All you have to do is study it!
Now here's the best part, as a part of our commitment to the aspiring PMP community, you can access the PMP Exam Simulator for only $20 and download the PMP Exam Tips & Success Guide for only $40 (Limited Time Offer) Simply Click Here Now to ensure you pass the PMP Exam.

Wishing you PMP Success,
The Ready Set Pass Team
Visit http://www.readysetpass.com/ today