In this article, I explain four effective strategies to help aspiring project managers confidently prepare and pass the PMP examination.

Strategy #1 - Use the PMP Exam Content Outline (ECO) as your Project scope or Product Backlog. 

Let’s start with the PMP Exam Content Outline also known as the ECO. The ECO is the blue print for the exam and lists all the tasks within three domains; People, Process and Business Environment. Just like you would want your project to either have a scope or a backlog of stories, it is important that you use the ECO as the defined project scope to build your study plan. Not only does the ECO list all the tasks and sub tasks, it also shows the percentage of questions from each domain that you will be tested on. 

Strategy #2 - Be deliberate with your preparations and build a structured PMP Preparation Plan. 

This strategy is especially important if you are self-studying. The 35 tasks in the ECO can easily take 70 hours @ 2 hours per task. And you need to set aside time to test and retest till you are confident of being exam ready which may take up to 40 to 50 hours. In this scenario, you will be needing at least 120 hours of study time. So, if you are able to put in 2 quality hours of study every single day, you may be able to cover the entire material and be exam ready in 8 weeks  and if you are able to put in 4 quality hours of study time every single day, you may be exam ready in 4 weeks. 

Strategy # 3 - Focus on the Quality of the prep material, not Quantity. 

There is no dearth of material out there and you can easily get carried away gathering an immense lot of study material. Just for awareness, be cognizant of the fact that there is a courtesy reference list of eleven books on PMI’s website which includes the Process Groups Practice Guide, Agile Practice Guide, and the PMBOK Guide. Besides the Exam Reference list, there are courses, books, white papers, boot camps, questions banks etc. Use your judgement to focus on quality vs quantity so you don’t spend too much time repeating the content and stretching your timeline.  

Strategy # 4 - Know Project Management Principles, Role of the Project Manager and Servant Leadership & Responsibilities really well. 

Last but not the least, get a fundamental understanding of the project management principles listed in PMBOK, role of the project manager described in the Process guide and principles of servant leadership in the Agile practice guide. I can’t emphasize enough how much this will help you narrow down the listed choices in many of the questions. 

That’s it, my fellow project managers. I hope these strategies help you in your journey to get PMP certified. All the very best!! 

Contact