As you may know, the PMI PMP certification or also Project Management Professional is the central designation of the entire Project Management Institute certification program. Through three advanced approaches, hybrid, agile, and predictive, the PMP verifies knowledge and project management expertise in a variety of areas. For this purpose, an appropriate exam was developed, the aim of which is to identify professionals who have sufficient skills to manage people, business environments, and processes, and who are ready to perform responsible tasks at the highest level.

Appropriate Certification Exam Details

In particular, the PMP evaluation is a test of 180 questions that each candidate must answer in 230 minutes. The difficulty of this exam is that the tasks are presented in different formats such as multiple-choice, multiple-response, hotspot, matching, and limited fill-in-the-blank. In other words, you must be fully prepared to receive a passing grade. At the same time, to sit for the final exam, you will need to confirm through an online application that you meet the basic requirements:

• Four-year degree
• 36 months dedicated to project leadership
• 35 training hours of project management studies or the active PMI CAPM qualification

OR

• Secondary school diploma or associate's degree (or world equivalent)
• 60 months dedicated to project leadership
• 35 training hours of project management studies or the active PMI CAPM qualification.

Only after your application has been approved you can go through the registration process, during which you must pay the enrollment fee as well as choose a convenient test date and format, in-person or online. As for the fee, it is $555, but if you are a PMI member, you only have to pay $405.

Exam Content Overview

As you understand, the PMP certification is not at the entry level so it requires candidates to have residual practical experience in real projects. It follows that the relevant qualifying exam will not be straightforward, as it has extensive content. As mentioned above, the test is built around 3 main areas:

People. Covers communication and management skills for effective interaction with the team in all phases of the project.

Processes. Includes in-depth knowledge of the technical processes of managing various projects.

Business Environment. Refers to the project's alignment with the organization's requirements to achieve overall business goals.

Exam Preparation Process and Official Resources

You shouldn't put off preparation, even if you have excellent project management experience. So, as soon as you go through the registration procedure, study the official exam blueprint, assess your strengths, and make a personalized preparation plan. This is the only way to incorporate quality training into your daily routine without compromising your lifestyle. As a general rule, it's better to take a few hours for studying every day and don't forget about periodic self-tests to see your progress and stay motivated. Quite often, exam dumps are great for this, helping you to familiarize yourself with the real testing environment and different types of questions, as well as see your strengths and weaknesses. But it is advisable to use dumps with other preparatory materials as well. Luckily, the official PMI website will help you with this, offering many resource options you can implement into your training strategy. For example:

• PMI Authorized On-demand PMP Exam Prep Course

  This interactive program is designed for any candidate for the PMP certification, but also to close one of the conditions regarding the 35 hours of relevant training. Moreover, developed by the certification vendor, this course covers all the objectives of the relevant exam and is ideal for self-study. In more detail, the training consists of five modules based on real scenarios reflecting various project management situations in different areas. Thus, as a result of the class, you will be able to create high-performance teams, support team activities in the right direction, properly start project work, effectively apply various management techniques, as well as take into account changes in the business environment.

• A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide) – Seventh Edition and The Standard for Project Management by Project Management Institute

  This study guide, recommended for all PMI candidates, covers the 8 areas of project effectiveness. Moreover, it includes a project management standard that lists 12 basic principles of project management. All of these together meet the needs of current and future project managers, helping them to be more effective and competent in achieving their business goals. Thus, through the three advanced approaches, mentioned above, the PMP verifies knowledge and project management expertise in a variety of areas.

Additional Training Tools

Apart from official sources, you can also use various books available on sites such as Amazon. This is a great option for learning more about a particular topic or for filling any gaps in your knowledge. When it comes to the best guides for your PMP prep, here’s what to explore:

• Head First PMP: A Learner's Companion to Passing the Project Management Professional Exam written by Jennifer Greene and Andrew Stellman

  This manual takes a practice-oriented approach so that you can learn the basic concepts of PMP through real-world cases. For example, you will learn the process framework, as well as how to effectively manage costs, schedules, resources, scope, and quality. As a result, you will clearly know how to communicate with stakeholders, how to manage team conflicts, and how to assess and avoid risk.

• PMP: Project Management Professional Exam Study Guide written by Kim Heldman

  This scenario-based study guide will help you develop the technical management, strategic management, leadership, and business management skills that will make you more competitive. Moreover, with this edition, you will not only get material that fully covers the entire content of the actual PMP exam but will also have access to interactive chapter tests, e-cards, and practice exams to help make your preparation process more comprehensive.

Conclusion

Now you know everything a responsible candidate needs to know about the upcoming exam. Furthermore, knowledge is power, so you won't be surprised when you start the PMI PMP certification process or even when you have the final exam in front of you. But don't forget the preparation. Whatever training resources you choose, the most important thing is a comprehensive approach and diligence. Go for it!