The PMI Scheduling Professional certification exam also known as the PMI-SP is directly related to one of PMI's most well-known designations. This is not surprising, since most projects and programs these days are virtual in nature, so project scheduling is an effective tool for managing resources, activities, and outcomes. In this regard, PMI offers a formal evaluation that aims to test the candidate's ability to create and maintain a productive project schedule to maximize the effectiveness of all team members.

Related Designation

As you understand, after you successfully pass the PMI-SP exam, you will be awarded the PMI certification of the same name, which confirms your proficiency as a project scheduler. In more detail, it is proof to recruiters that you have the expertise in scheduling documentation, reporting techniques, data management procedures, as well as scheduling methods and techniques for project implementation. At the same time, your current or potential employers trust this certificate, knowing that its holder has the necessary experience, skills, and knowledge to directly participate in the company's most important projects.

Target Audience and Prerequisites

As you understand, this PMI designation pathway requires prior experience from candidates wishing to take the PMI-SP qualifying exam. In other words, you should already have advanced skills and experience in creating, managing, and maintaining schedules for various projects. You must also be able to analyze the project schedule, as well as report and communicate the schedule to multiple project team members. If this is all about you, you can fill out an online application that will check for professional experience and educational requirements, such as:

• High school education, 40 months of practical project scheduling experience during the past 5 years, and completion of 40 hours of project scheduling studies.

OR

• A four-year degree, 24 months of hands-on project scheduling experience during the past 5 years, and completion of 30 hours of project scheduling studies.

PMI-SP Exam Overview

If you fulfill all the aforementioned conditions, you can sign up for the final PMI-SP exam. To do this, you need to go through the registration procedure by paying the enrollment fee and choosing a suitable date and form of location for your exam, at home online, or in person at one of the Pearson VUE testing centers. As for the fee, you will need to pay $670 for partaking in the final test, although if you are a PMI member, the amount is only $520. Thus, on the appointed day, you will be presented with 170 multiple-choice tasks to be completed in 3.5 hours. For the most part, all questions cover the 5 basic knowledge areas:

• Schedule strategy including scheduling goals and objectives, as well as documenting schedule procedures, policies, and approaches.
• Schedule planning & development of the resource and work breakdown structures.
• Schedule monitoring and controlling the project schedule progress alongside managing charges and performing schedule analyses.
• Schedule closeout including evaluating schedule performance.
• Stakeholder communications management for fostering and developing relationships with stakeholders.

In addition, you must have soft skills such as presentation, negotiation, conflict resolution, and mastery of problem-solving techniques and tools. And if you get a passing score, you will get the coveted PMI-SP qualification which is valid for 3 years. However, if you fail, you should know that you have 3 attempts to pass this exam within a year from the date of registration.

Process of PMI-SP Exam Preparation

However, you understand that spending money and retaking the test several times is not the solution. It is enough to prepare well and get a passing score from the first time. But here arises another difficulty - where to find high-quality and reliable study materials. Of course, you can search for them on forums and YouTube, but you run the risk of not getting the most complete and reliable information. That is why, on the official site, the vendor offers a list of sources recommended for interested PMI-SP candidates. So, here it goes:

• Practice Standard for Scheduling developed by Project Management Institute

  PMI understands that effective time management and project scheduling are key to the success or failure of a particular project. That is why they have developed a reference guide which is not only a necessary manual for the PMI-SP certification exam candidates but also all practicing project team members interested in schedule management. In particular, here you will learn about the most effective methods, techniques, and planning tools, as well as consider basic scheduling models. In addition, you will become familiar with all the components of scheduling in detail and explore the entire process of schedule management, from designing the schedule to its implementation.

• Project Planning and Scheduling (Project Management Essential Library.) written by Gregory T. Haugan

  This guide from Amazon focuses on a step-by-step and straightforward approach to learning how to create schedules across the entire organization. As a result, you will learn how to improve operational and strategic scheduling and become familiar with foreseeable planning tools and techniques. Moreover, the author will also explain the basic scheduling steps from establishing a framework to allocating a budget according to the schedule.

• Project Scheduling and Cost Control: Planning, Monitoring, and Controlling the Baseline written by James Taylor

  The author of this book explains that most projects start with unrealistic scheduling and cost analysis. That's why, with this edition, you'll learn how to use precedence diagramming for scheduling development and come up with effective ways to reduce the schedule and increase resources. As a certified scheduling professional, you will also benefit from learning how to use Gantt and Milestone charts for effective schedule management.

Conclusion

Now you understand why qualified scheduling specialists are in such high demand in today's business environment. Especially since passing a major certification exam like the PMI-SP confirms the applicant's expertise in project scheduling and planning to achieve the goals as quickly as possible. You should also know that the appropriate PMI certification will open you up to new financial and career opportunities. For example, as PayScale.com states, a PMI-SP certification holder can earn about $103k annually in positions such as Master Scheduler, Construction Scheduler, or Project Control Specialist. So, don't wait if you can get closer to your desired position as early as tomorrow.