PMP Exam Prep

Class 0409 September 2004

Class Web site

 

Welcome to the PMP Exam Prep class site. This will be used to distribute all the late breaking info about the class.

 

Class Schedule

Remember to read the both the PMBOK and Study Guide chapters before each class

Note: Lunch sessions are not offered this class due to lack of sponsor.

Class

Location

Session

Date

Topic

PMBOK®/ OuterCore Chapter

Instructor

Co-Instructor

1

UCI-212

AM

9/11/04

Welcome & 
Professional  Responsibility

 

Mike Graupner, PMP

 

Optional lunch session: How to prepare a study plan

 

PM

 

Framework

3

Linda Bagwell, PMP

Jeff Cellio, PMP

2

UCI-212

AM

9/18/04

Scope

5

Arul Suriakannu, PMP

Debashish Mittra, PMP

Optional lunch session: PMP Basic Statistics (Mike Trimble)

 

PM

 

Time

6

Tom Cumming, PMP

Sam Williams, PMP

 

Class not in session, Yom Kappur holiday (9/25/2004)

3

UCI-212

AM

10/02/04

Cost & EV

9

Phil Quigly, PMP

Ygnacio Salinas, PMP

Optional lunch session: Memorization Techniques (George Meier, PMP)

 

PM

 

HR

7

Curtis Brown, PMP

Sanjay Kulkarni, PMP

 

Class not in session,  holiday (10/9/2004)

4

UCI-212

AM

10/16/04

Communications

10

Lily A. Quiette, PMP

Bo Keherer, PMP

Optional lunch session: CPM Bonus Session (Robert Perrine, PMP)

 

PM

 

Quality

8

Mike Trimble, PMP

Pia Nielsen-Wagner, PMP

5

212

AM

10/23/04

Risk

11

Elaine Larsh, PMP

Lenka Vanek, PMP

Optional lunch session: Memorization Techniques 2 (George Meier, PMP)

 

PM

 

Procurement

12

Sujit Bhattacharya, PMP

 

6

 212

AM

10/30/04

Integration

4

 

Norman Aiello, PMP

 General Q&A session (Panel Discussion)

 

PM

 

Review

14

George Meier, PMP

Greg Roos PE PMP

 

 

UCI = UCI Learning Annex, http://www.facsurvey.dyndns.org/pmp/UCILC.floor.map.doc

 

SCC= Santiago Canyon College

 

What a student should expect from taking this class.

 

This class is conducted as a fundraising effort by the Orange County PMI Chapter, as a service to our members and to the community. We use volunteer instructors and donated class space, to keep the cost of the course to a moderate level. Our course is designed to cost about 1/3 of a commercial course. As such, our focus is on the ensuring you have sufficient material to pass the test, not providing the “best of breed” class on the market. We encourage the student to compare all options and decide on the right class for them.

 

Our success rate for student passing the test is well over 90% (of those that take the exam). Based on our research, the only about 50% of people taking any PMP preparation course will schedule and take the exam.  We go to great lengths to encourage that you schedule and take the exam, however we can not schedule the date for you. We recommend that you schedule your exam date between 4 weeks and 8 weeks after the class is completed. In addition to the time spent in class, the student should expect to spend between 40 and 200 hours in studying for the test.

 

In the last two classes, we have had one student pass the exam prior to completing the course.

 

We have added the PMP Project Management Professional Study Guide by Kim Heldman, PMP to the class material. The book does an excellent job as tying all of the knowledge areas and performance domain into a coherent model. Also included in this book is a electronic CD that has a simulated test. We have tracked the results from the exam and compared them to the results from the sample test and find that if you are scoring a solid 80% on the sample tests, it is a great indication that you are ready to take the test.

 

Each Student will be provided the material necessary to study for the PMP exam except for the Guide to PMBOK (which the student must supply). The course will support be limited to the PMI-OC supplied material.

 

Student  Instructions

 

1.

Plan on arriving and being in your seats by 8 AM. Classes start promptly at 8 AM and 1 PM and after each break.

 

2.

 

3.

We will provide the OuterCore PMP Exam Prep Study guide (and presentation material) and the Sybex PMP Project Management Professional Study Guide (Kim Heldman) to each student. Students will keep this material

 

4.

The chapter has copies of PMP Exam Prep, 4th Edition (Rita Mlcahy, PMP) for loan to the students. These books are available to check out during the first class. Contact Student coordinator if you want to check out a book.

 

5.

Bring business cards to pass out to the other students. Don't have a set of cards? Vista-print is a cheap way to get a set of business cards. Link to their site is http://www.vistaprint.com 

 

6.

Bring the following to each Class:
   - Paper and writing instruments.
   - Highlighters and post-it’s are also recommended
   - Bring your copy of the OuterCore Slides and Study Guide
       (Issued at the first class)
   - Bring your copy of the Guide to PMBOK®

 

7.

Read both the PMBOK®  and the study guide chapters prior to each class

8.

Use the test in the study guide to asses how much you retained from the reading material. Start taking the tests early in your process. Some students did not take the tests early and were shocked at their initial scores. The Sybex CD is provided, ensuring that you understand the mechanics of the test, and the way the questions are structured.

 

9.

Make notes on the items that you have questions and bring them to the class for discussion

 

10.

Please fill out the class survey. There are two surveys, one for the AM and one for the PM. Please label what class the survey is for. Your feedback is very important to use and we do use the data.

 

11.

Please help the Student Coordinator with set up and breakdown of the class room. Please ensure that your area is picked up and clean after the class.

 

12.

If the class gets off track, use the red/yellow/green cards provided. All instructor war stories are limited to 30 seconds and must have a point. Please feel free to remind the instructor if they get off topic.

 

13.

Flash Card can be viewed and downloaded at http://www.pmpcert.biz/products/PMP_study_cards.pdf  Please note that if you click on the link, the browser does not display correctly. Right Click on the link and select “save target” to download it and then view the document.

 

14.

The link to the PMP application is https://certificationapp.pmi.org/

 

 

Added Material

1.

Frank Parth’s Earned Value Slides: ETC Slides

2.

George Meier’s Memory Exercise # 1: Memory #1

3.

George Meier’s Memory Exercise # 2: Memory #2

4.

 

 

 

Useful Links

 

1.

Conflict Resolution in Project Management website http://www.umsl.edu/~sauter/analysis/488_f01_papers/Ohlendorf.htm

 

2.

Introduction to Risk - Risk & Uncertainty (Utility Theory) http://www.gametheory.net/Mike/applets/Risk/

3.

Online Self-Assessment Test  http://www.vl-p.net/pmp-online-self-test/75-free-questions.htm

4.

Wall Chart Study Guide   Wall Chart  (from Yahoo PMPCert Group)

 

Exam Tips  http://builder.com.com/5100-6404_14-5034989.html

 

 

MASLOW'S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS   http://www.hcc.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/FacDevCom/guidebk/teachtip/maslow.htm

 

 

Theory X and Y Management Models  http://sol.brunel.ac.uk/~jarvis/bola/motivation/mcgregor.html

 

Earned Value Theory  http://www.acq.osd.mil/pm/evbasics.htm 

 

Earned Value Clear and Simple http://www.acq.osd.mil/pm/paperpres/wilkins_art.pdf

 

Pareto's Principle - The 80-20 Rule http://management.about.com/library/weekly/aa081202.htm

 

 

DEMING'S 14 PRINCIPLES http://home.t-online.de/home/kfmaas/q_dem14.html

 

Introduction to Deming, Juran and Quality Concepts http://www.goalqpc.com/whatweteach/research.asp

 

Quality Theories  http://www.ealtd.com/aboutus.asp?strPage=Theories

 

Earned Value   http://www.acq.osd.mil/pm/paperpres/lipke/lipke_art.html

 

More test questions (quality unknown) http://www.brainbench.com/xml/bb/homepage.xml

 

Delphi is a technique for eliciting ideas using questionnaires and a set of experts, and then reaching consensus about scenarios/solutions. I haven't thought of modified Delphi as anything vastly different from Delphi. See the links below for descriptions of the technique.
http://www.rand.org/scitech/stpi/Evision/Supplement/delphi.pdf
http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/JVTE/v15n2/custer.html

 

Virtual PMP Study Group www.pmpcert.biz (online international study group)

 

This is the link to one of the largest PMP study group on the net.   With over 3000 members world wide, it is a great source of assistance.   
                http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PMPCert/

 

Study notes, study plans and other useful links

 

Please email other useful links to mike.graupner@marlai.com

 

PMP Certification Value (multiple Links)

http://news.zdnet.co.uk/business/employment/0,39020648,2123429,00.htm

http://www.eweek.com/print_article/0,3668,a=32732,00.asp

http://www.carlstumpf.com/PMP%20Study%20Group/study%20group%20thoughts.htm  

http://www.newsfactor.com/perl/story/22380.html

 

How much value does the PMP offer ? http://builder.com.com/5100-6404-5030124.html

 

The value of achieving PMP certification http://asia.cnet.com/itmanager/project/0,39006404,39044388,00.htm

 

Value of PMP in Asia http://www.pmforum.org/pmwt03/viewpoints03-078more2.htm

 

Action Items:

 

  1. Comments on the facility

    The facility is donated and assists us in keeping the costs down. As such we often get comments on the survey about the facility.

    One of the feedback is that students could use more desk space. We can not do much about the space at this time.

    Problems with the room being too hot or too cold should be reported to the Student Coordinator.  Please dress accordingly, and feel free to change to a more comfortable seating location. Seats that are on an outside wall (or with windows) will naturally be warmer than the seat on the inside.

    The space is donated to us, and to increase the space would mean that we would have to raise tuition. Initial estimates would indicate that a 200.00 increase in fees would be necessary to address the climate issue without a guarantee that the class would be more comfortable.

 

  1. PMI forbids specific test information from being disclosed by any PMP. For those of you that want more “test specific” answers and/or data, we can not comply. Please respect our agreements with PMI and do not ask about specific questions.

 

  1. Comments on the teaching Style: Often we get comments back about one instructor interrupting the presenter. The PMP Prep instructors have reached a consensus that co-teaching provides the greatest value. Each team of instructors is there to ensure that the subject matter is communicated to all the students and to assist if one of the instructors is having problems communicating the answer to a question. Students may not have seen this type of instruction before and may not understand it is intentional.

 

  1. Sybex Exam Bonus Questions on the web – click here for the Sybex Bonus Questions

 



Teacher Biographies

 

George Meier

Frank Reynolds

 

 

Gold Plating Your Quest

 

This section is for the students that believe they need additional help in their study materials library. Below are links to more study material and reference material.

 

From Steven Christ:  Just in case one of the students must have their own copy of Rita  http://www.ecampus.com/bk_detail.asp?referrer=CJ&AID=5029466&PID=473786&isbn=0971164738

 

Only $66 delivered. I actually got mine slightly cheaper but, can't seem to find the site at this time.

 

From Mike Graupner: Those that would like a better understanding of quality, statistics, 6 sigma might like to read this book. A great source for an overview on quality “PMI-isms”

Title: Six Sigma For Managers.
Author: Greg Brue
ISBN: 0-07-138755-2

List price $14.95 USD

 

Audio CD

 

Hot Topics Audio Flashcards for Passing the PMP® and CAPM® Exam, Fourth Edition

Regular Price: $34.00               PMI Member Price: $32.30
Pages: 0                                               ISBN: 0971164770
Date Published: 2003               Format: audio/CD
Subject: Project Management    Author: Rita Mulcahy, PMP
Publisher: RMC Publications

Description:
This audio version of RMC Project Management's Hot Topics is designed to use as you commute. Simply listen to over 300 Hot Topics read aloud and enhance your ability to recall and understand them as the answer is read back to you. This is a great tool for shortening your study time and decreasing the time it will take to do the actual exam.

The 4th Edition of the Hot Topics Audio CD has updated and additional hot topics, more on inputs and outputs and references the 4th Edition of RMC's PMP Exam Prep and the "Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge," (PMBOK), 2000 Edition.

About the Author:
Rita Mulcahy, PMP, is the President and founder of RMC Project Management, Inc. and RMC Publications, Inc. She is a world renowned project management author, trainer and speaker.

User Reviews: (1 Star lowest - 5 Star highest)

Hot Topics Audio Flashcards for Passing the PMI Exam, 2nd Edition 6/5/2003
The concept was a good idea, but the Audio Flash cards could not standalone. The material covered needed at least an outline of what was covered on the CD. The Hot Topics Flash cards and Audio CD should have been sold together as one set. Some topics were not covered on the CD because they were to long and the user was referred to "The Book" page number... Overall the Hot Topics Audio Flash cards was a disappointment.


 

Audio CD

 

The Portable PMP® Prep: Conversations on Passing the PMP® Exam   by Carl L. Pritchard, J. LeRoy Ward

List Price:        $95.00

Price:               $95.00 & This item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping. See details.

Availability: Usually ships within 24 hours

Edition: Audio CD
Product Details

  • Audio CD
  • Publisher: ESI International; (August 1, 2002)
  • ISBN: 1890367311
  • Average Customer Review: 5 out of 5 starsBased on 2 reviews
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: 25,024

Average Customer Review: 5 out of 5 stars