How should I study for the PMP exam and how long should that take?

After “What certification should I get after the PMP?“, the next most common certification-related question I see on LinkedIn and ProjectManagement.com discussion groups is asking how to get ready to write the PMP exam and how much elapsed time should be allowed for this effort.

This question reminds me very much of the fun exercise which I ask learners in my foundational project management course to complete: “How long does it take to catch a fish?“. I ask them to think about all the possible variables which could affect their answer (e.g. type of fish, location, time of day, type of bait) as well as whether they consider this to be a fixed duration activity or a fixed effort activity.

In terms of studying for the exam, there are many different methods available including:

• Reading PMI’s reference books listed on the PMP certification page
• Using a reputable self-study guide
• Taking one or more quality practice exams
• Attending an on demand PMP preparatory course
• Attending a live (in person or virtual) PMP preparatory course
• Watching a number of PMP prep videos
• Using a PMP exam prep smartphone app

It is usually advisable that a candidate seriously consider using a combination of these as the exam retake cost is high enough that the goal should be to pass on the first attempt.

The candidate will also need to assess how ready they are before implementing one or more of these methods and how much available time they have to commit to preparing. For the former, it is a good idea to take a single quality practice exam (hint: if its free, it probably is not good quality) and use the score on that exam as a baseline. Ideally this practice exam will provide the candidate with their score across the exam domains and tasks so that they know which topics will need greater studying focus.

To answer the second question, once the candidate has completed a readiness assessment and determined how much free time they will have, they can then put together a work-forward schedule to come up with a realistic exam date. As part of this exercise, if they intend to take a preparatory course, they should ensure the course is taken close to when they intend to write the exam, but they should leave themselves a week or two at least after the course to bridge any knowledge gaps they identified by taking the course.

All this to say, the only valid answer to both questions is it depends!

(If you liked this article, why not pick up my book Easy in Theory, Difficult in Practice which contains 100 other lessons on project leadership? It’s available on Amazon.com and on Amazon.ca as well as a number of other online book stores)

“What certification should I get after the PMP?”

The reason the title of this post is in quotes is that this is a frequently asked question in both the projectmanagement.com discussion groups and PMI’s LinkedIn Project, Program, and Portfolio Management group. I, along with a number of other contributors, have seen and responded to it sufficient times that I felt it would be worth sharing my thoughts with my readership.

The PMP credential is the project management designation which most recruiters and hiring managers are aware of. Savvy folks will know that it provides no guarantee of competence but does at least demonstrate that a practitioner has some basic understanding of nomenclature, tools and techniques.

While possessing it was a differentiator in the first decade or so after it was introduced, at this point it is less so, but in specific industries and geographic regions, not having it might result in a job application being rejected by the initial filtering process.

But once a practitioner has attained their PMP credential, what next? Professional development should be a life (or at least career) long pursuit, and certifications provide tangible evidence of an individual investing in their development, so it would seem to be a reasonable question.

Before asking this question, the individual should have identified a specific career or development goal. In some cases, this might be simple such as if a particular credential is required as part of the company’s prerequisites for advancement.

But this is rarely the case, and that’s what makes things more difficult.

The companies which develop and administer credentials will all state with confidence that their products will help you advance your career. Any why not? For every person who buys into this justification, the credential company will usually earn a healthy one-time and ongoing revenue stream.

But unless a particular role you aspire to requires that you have a specific credential, in most cases, all it will prove is that you have learned something and have passed a test. You may have done so with no hand-on practice in that domain.

Now if you have already gained experience within a domain and then wish to have visible evidence of your having acquired certain knowledge, then a credential is one way to do so. But if you want to learn a skill, you’d be better of self-study or taking a non-certification course and following that up with actual hands-on work supported by a seasoned practitioner.

So the only correct responses to the titular question is “What are your development goals?” or “Why are you seeking another certification?”

“If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there” – Lewis Carroll

(If you liked this article, why not pick up my book Easy in Theory, Difficult in Practice which contains 100 other lessons on project leadership? It’s available on Amazon.com and on Amazon.ca as well as a number of other online book stores)

Personal development action planning starts with the “What?” and “Why?” before the “How?”

How many times have you been on a project where your customer or some other key stakeholder has prematurely tried to jump to a solution without having fully articulated their needs and wants? This behavior gives rise to many risks including wasted effort, the perceived loss of autonomy for delivery team members, and a loss of optionality.

So why should we consider our personal development to be any different?

Translating the vision for where we see ourselves in the future into reality meets the PMBOK® Guide’s definition of a project in that is a unique endeavor (there is only one “you”) and will definitely be temporary (until someone invents immortality).

Through online discussion groups and in the in-person interactions I’ve had with fellow practitioners, two of the more common questions I am asked are:

• “I’ve just attained credential or certification X – what should I do next?”
• “Should I pursue credential X or credential Y?”

A reasonable assumption is that I’m asked these questions because I do list a number of certifications after my name in my professional written communications.

In such situations, I’m often tempted to channel my internal Twisted Sister (I was heavily influenced by 80’s hair bands) and yell “What Do You Want To Do With Your Life!”. Before I can attempt to help the requestor, I need to understand what they are aspiring to be and why that’s important to them.

The same is true for those who aspire to a higher titled role within their companies. Is that a means to an end (and if so, the only means) or is it the end unto itself.

As with negotiations, let’s seek to understand interests before jumping to positions.