Quote from pmdistilled on 01/05/2025, 9:43 AM

Who is a project management professional?

Those who have chosen project management as their career is the right answer. Our World need competent project managers to lead projects to successful completion. This calls for project management best practices knowledge, the domain knowledge and the ability to apply these knowledge and skills at the work place to get things done. At the same time In a broader sense, anyone who is accountable for delivering unique products or services within a fixed time and budget through a team is a project management professional. From that point of view, all managers need to possess the core project management skills inorder to be successful in todays highly competitive professional environment.

What is the best way to gain this knowledge?

There are two schools of thought on this. One option is to gain the knowledge and expertise on the job. This is very risky becuase the mistakes one make on the job can be very expensive for the organization and for self. Another flip side is the time it takes.

The second option is to undergo a formal training based on globally accepted project management best practices. There are many project management certifications of which PMP and PRINCE2 are the most popular. Out of these, PMP is more popular across the globe.

Which is the best way to gain the PMP Certification?

• First check whether you qualify for it or not. One need to have atleast 3 to 4 years of work experience after graduation. Many mistake this for 3 to 4 years of work experience as a project manager. That is not true. Any work experience related to projects / team is sufficient. Even if your role is that of a team member in a project, that is good enough. For non-graduates it is 5 years experience. I really appreciate this mandatory requirement set by PMI becuase if one does not have sufficient work experience, it becomes difficult to understand the concepts from a practitioners perspective.
• Once the qualification criteria is met, the next step is to complete the 35 hours project management training based on the PMP exam content. There are hundreds of organizations across the world providing this training. One has the options of online / classroom / blended modes of training.

  • Pure online training is good for those who have extraordinary will power to complete the course. The drop out percentage is very high for those who are pursuing online mode of training due to lack of pressure to complete it on time.
  • Classroom trainings are good in the sense that it delivers a tangible result at the end of the classroom. Flipside of class room trainings are;

    • They are expensive
    • Instructor support is not available after the classroom
    • The period between the training completion and the exam date is crucial and very often people drop out at this stage

  • Blended training are generally delivered through live online classes or onsite classes followed by instructor support. This mode of training provides more instructor time for the participants which in turn will provide the push required to complete the certification process.

• Once the 35 PDU training is completed, it is time to apply for the PMP exam, which can be done online at PMI's site. PMI members have great discounts on the exam fee hence become a PMI member first before applying for the exam. Once the application is submitted PMI will review your application and approve / reject your application within 5 working days. Do not worry about 'rejected application' too much. Most of the applications go through without much of a problem. For some applications PMI will ask for further details. Just provide it.
• Once your PMP application is approved, it is time to schedule the PMP exam. One can do the exam virtually from anywhere as long as they meet the PMI criteria. I always recommend the nearest PMI approved testing center becuase one need not worry about other nuances like power failure, internet failure etc.
• The PMP exam is 230 minutes (4 hours) duration and comprises of 180 objective type questions.
• Immediately after the exam, your results will be displayed on the screen

What is unique about PMdistilled Project Management Professional training program?

The PMdistilled Project Management Professional training program is a highly structured and flexible project management program which is logically segmented into two;

• Project Management Foundation program which is an instructor led 20 hours training delivered online based on a mutually convenient schedule. At the end of this program, participants will be thorough with the professional project management concepts as per the Project Management Body Of Knowledge (PMBOK) by PMI.
• PMP Exam Preperation Program is an online module with on-demand classes and practice tests which provides the much needed revision of the concepts and exam practice which is very much required for success in the PMP Exam.
• Instructor Support - From the start of the program till Certification or two months from the start of the program, whichever is earlier.

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