Exam

Great Video on a Secret of Passing the PMP Exam

If you're studying for your PMP®, I think you must watch this video.  This guy, Jeff Minder (PMP) of Victory Vets, gets it. As a disclaimer, I am in no way profiting or promoting his service.  I just think he did an awesome job with this video.  While I've been working on HueCubed, I've realized the importance of memorizing page 43 of the PMBoK.  I don't think you can memorize the entire PMBoK and expect to pass the PMP Exam.  To be honest, I would hope you wouldn't.  The exam is a series of scenario based questions.  You are not going to be asked to define a project.  Rather, a lengthy statement will be made and you'll probably be asked if it is a project, operations work, both, or neither. But back to the video and memorizing page 43.

My analogy of memorizing page 43 is like a child memorizing his or her ABCs.  When they memorize their ABCs, they can then identify which letters are vowels and which are consonants.  They can then build words to put into sentences.  Sentences go into paragraphs...and so on and so on.  Memorizing the ABCs will not make kids literary geniuses.  Rather, they use the ABCs as building blocks for future learning.

When you're looking at page 43 of the PMBoK, you'll see Process Groups, Knowledge Areas, and processes.  You need to memorize these core processes and understand where they fit into the big picture of a project.  In this video, Jeff explains the proper way to read page 43.  Yes, there is correct way to read that page.

From my perspective, the other note to make about this video happens at 6:17.  The PMBoK and testing are written toward a projectized organizational perspective, in comparison to functional, matrixed, or composite.  Remember that!

Formulas To Remember For The PMP Exam

Use this formula on the PMP exam to calculate the variance of an activity
Use this formula on the PMP exam to calculate the variance of an activity

I think back to when I sat for the PMP exam and remember taking the first few minutes to quickly write down the following formulas.  It was my cheat sheet.  There was enough to think about for the next few hours and worrying if I could remember some key formulas was not one of them.  So, here is a bit of advice.  If you're preparing[1] to take the PMP exam, MEMORIZE these formulas.  The exam won't come right out and ask you to identify the correct formula for a variance of an activity. Rather, it will offer a question like:  Your current activity was pessimistically estimated at 65 hours and optimistically estimated at 40 hours.  What is the variance of the activity?  (you can use this formula for both time and cost) You can see how knowing the formula is going to make you or break you on this question.

Do yourself a favor.  Make flash cards, get a tattoo, it doesn't matter.  Commit these formulas to memory and you'll save yourself some pain and suffering (and a few points on the exam).

The Formulas

Acronym

Title

Formula

PERT

Program Evaluation and Review Technique

Use this formula on the PMP exam to calculate PERT
Use this formula on the PMP exam to calculate PERT

P = Pessimistic Estimate M = Most Likely Estimate O = Optimistic Estimate

Standard Deviation of Activity

Use this formula on the PMP exam to calculate standard deviation of an activity
Use this formula on the PMP exam to calculate standard deviation of an activity

Variance of an Activity

Use this formula on the PMP exam to calculate the variance of an activity
Use this formula on the PMP exam to calculate the variance of an activity

Total Float

LS - ES or LF - EF

Communications Channels

[N(N-1)] / 2

CV

Cost Variance

EV - AC

SV

Schedule Variance

EV - PV

CPI

Cost Performance Index

EV / AC

SPI

Schedule Performance Index

EV / PV

EAC

Estimate at Completion

BAC / CPI

AC + ETC

AC + (BAC - EV)

ETC

Estimate to Complete

ETC = EAC - AC

VAC

Variance at Completion

BAC - EAC

CPI

c

Cumulative Cost Performance Index

Σ

EV /

Σ

AC

TCPI

To-Complete Performance Index

Use this formula on the PMP exam to calculate TCPI
Use this formula on the PMP exam to calculate TCPI

Verifying PMPs are actually PMPs

A few years back, when the PMP exam changed, I was really curious which PMPs out there took the new exam versus the old one. It has been my understanding, back in the day you could memorize areas of the PMBOK and pass the exam.  Since the exam changed and became scenario based and started asking "which answer is the most correct" I wonder if some of the PMPs out there could pass the new exam.  I understand it is unfair to insinuate PMPs who sat for the exam before a certain date aren't good project managers.  I prefer to recognize the certification as a benchmark.  Project managers with the PMP credential should use the same terminology and should understand what I'm talking about when I speak of input or outputs of specific process groups. One of the first things I do, if asked to review a resume, is I verify when the applicant passed their PMP exam. Want to ensure the next applicant really is a PMP if they say they are?  Go to the PMI Registry.