Sunday, February 25, 2018

PMP Live Lessons Success Story: PMP Battle Won With 45 Days of Preparation

By Sindhu Pillai, PMP

Introduction
Ever since I got to know the value this certification carries, I wanted to be a PMP® and it was required for my job role as well. 

 Coaching Experience
I took PMP training in March’17 and I chose a centre based on online reviews about Satya’s coaching.

 The classroom training was very interactive. We had many tips which helped in understanding the concept. By end of the session we were able to write down all the 47 processes.
Own Study
As soon as the training was over I bought Satya’s Book –“I Want To Be A PMP” and had a plan to concentrate on studies and clear PMP but I lost focus and I took it for granted assuming there is lot of time. 

 By Dec’17 I got to know that Project Management Institute (PMI®) is going to release a new version by March’18 which will have additional 300 pages, mostly on Agile. It’s the same time I came to know about Satya’s PMP Live Lessons – a Video Course which guarantees success else money back. It was a WIN-WIN offer, because if you clear you get PMP and if you don’t, you get a refund from Satya. 
All I did was I mailed him asking: “Do you really think I can crack PMP exam with a preparation of 2 months using your Videos?” And his reply was: "Sindhu, Believe in yourself. Everything is possible." I thought let me give it a try and before buying his videos I submitted my application because there will be no point in buying the videos if my application is rejected. It took me 2 days to fill up my application and in a weeks’ time I got confirmation from PMI to schedule my exam and I bought Satya’s videos.

 Immediately I scheduled my exam for 21st Feb’18 – I’m a kind of person who will not study till a deadline isn’t given. I didn’t study whole December as I had frequent travels planned. I started my preparation from Jan’18 and I invested 5 to 6 hrs daily and 8 to 10 hrs on weekends since I hardly had 45 days to prepare. I’ve heard people preparing for 3 to 6 months minimum so I had really put my heart and soul to prepare. 

 I approached Satya over mail for each and every doubt that crossed my mind, be it silly and Satya ensured to respond and guide throughout. I would have mailed him around 15 to 20 times and he has been very patient with me throughout the preparation journey. 

 I would go through his Videos - Lesson wise first and then read the corresponding chapter from the PMBOK® guide. Once I felt confident with the concept I took the practice questions provided by Satya after each chapter. I went through the instructions provided in the video and ensured that I revised those specific topics where ever Satya has emphasised. I found Earned Value Management (EVM) very tough hence I did a lot of practice questions till I got the gist of it. 

 The minute I lose focus I remembered a statement made by Satya in the class – "Everyone is enjoying their weekend and you guys are spending it here in the class, so make it count. Don’t let the effort go in vain." This kept me going. I had to put in more hours daily since I had less time and the clock was ticking. There is no short cut for PMP but only hard work and burning up your brain by taking practice questions as much as you can. This is the first ever, the toughest exam in my life where in I had no clue on passing % or scores required to pass. PMP is very tough but it’s not impossible.

 Review – PMP LIVE LESSONS
I’m the first one to clear the PMP examination with the help of Satya’s PMP Live Lesson Videos, Satya’s Book – “I Want To Be A PMP” and the PMBOK guide, within 45 days of preparation. I did not refer any other books or material, as I did not want to confuse myself. 
The best part about Live Lessons - it was like a classroom session and I could repeat it as many times as I want, till I understand it. All the chapters in the Live Lesson Videos are in line with the PMBOK guide. Hence, one can refer PMBOK guide simultaneously.

 The most helpful part of the videos were the key input outputs which Satya explicitly mentions for each process and the flow charts which made a lot of sense in understanding the integration of the processes. Separate video sessions on important topics like Change Requests/Change Management, Earned Value Management (EVM), Organizational Process Assets (OPA) and Enterprise Environmental Factors (EEF), helped in quick revision.

 Remembering key inputs and outputs were made easy as they were highlighted where ever the process integrates and there were tips given to revise once you reach certain phase in learning. To top it all, the practice questions after each topic helped in gauging the understanding after each chapter. There were around 130 to 150 practice questions provided after each chapter, which covered even the minor details of the PMBOK Guide. 

 Overall, the videos helped in understanding the concept in a layman’s language without which going through PMBOK and understanding would have been very challenging.

 PMP Exam Experience
I scheduled my exam for 21st February’18, at Prometric Centre Whitefield, Bangalore for 12:30pm slot. I had visited the centre a day before my exam to make sure am carrying correct documents. You’ll need the authorization letter from Prometric centre which you can download once you schedule your exam from their site and original ID /address proof is required. I was asked to reach the exam centre by 11:15am due to some audit and I was offered a slot at 11:30am itself to give my exam.

 Though I practiced around 2500+ practice questions at home I did not do it at a stretch of 4 hour in one go. But I ensured to finish 65+ questions in 60 minutes, every time I practiced and I did the same in exam as well. I did not take a single break because the questions were very lengthy and not even a single direct question came hence it was very exhaustive. 

 Types of Questions Faced
I faced many questions on the followings.
  • Scenario based questions on Earned Value Management (EVM), Change Request Management (CR), Change Control Board (CCB)
  • Situational questions on Risk Management and Quality Management.
  • A number of tricky questions on Communication Channels and Interpersonal Skills. 
  • A few Graph related question and questions on Gantt Chart as well. 
  • Since majority questions were lengthy I used the option of highlighting the main content in question which helped in focusing and relating.

I finished my exam in 3 hrs 45 min which was very tiring because of no breaks, and the minute I clicked submit I could hear my heart beat out loud. Within 2 minutes I saw the word Congratulations on the screen and it was an incredible feeling of victory.

Suggestions for PMP Aspirants
  • Do not wait till end to do practise questions. The more questions you practice the easier it gets during exam. 
  • Have the key ITTOs on tip of your tongue else it’s difficult to understand the integration of processes. 
  • Read questions very carefully specially the last line. Revise, Revise and Revise and do not lose focus.
  • Do not lose on sleep just before exam else it gets very taxing to perform in that 4 hours in the exam centre. 

Conclusion
Preparing and appearing for PMP exam helped me in learning new concept and would help me pursuing my career to next level. I related every Process Groups (PGs) and Knowledge Areas (KAs) to a real-world example to understand it well and am able to execute these concepts in my work as well. 

 Brief Profile 
Sindhu Pillai, Project Manager. Managing IT infrastructure and banking projects.



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Thursday, February 22, 2018

PMP Success Story: Plan, Do, Check and Act

By Jim Kim, PMP


Introduction
I’ve over 10 years of experience in multiple domains and I’ve handled multiple projects as a Project Manager. A PMP® certificate was something which was in my professional goal list for many years. But due to time constraints, I was never able to pursue it. In July 2017, I decided to take a break from regular work and that time I decided to actively pursue PMP certification.

 PMP Coaching Experience
I decided to join classroom sessions and met Satya, who was our coach and led the sessions for 4 days. He helped us in going through the web of PMBOK®, quite effectively. Our doubts were cleared and we also had references to various blogs/videos/charts, which really helped in better understanding of the concepts.

 Satya promised that by the end of the session most of us would be able to identify all the process groups (PGs), knowledge areas (KAs), inputs, tools and techniques and outputs (ITTOs). And surprisingly we were able to spell them out on the last day.

 Own Study
The strategy was to follow the Deming’s Cycle, i.e., Plan – Do – Act – Check.
My plan was to simple - to read the PMBOK guide once by completing one chapter every day, then do the practice mock tests, analyse the results and keep trying till score was over 80% on regular basis and appear in the exam in next 2 months.

 But as it is said, plans are made only to be changed. Same happened with me. The break from work didn’t last long, and soon I was back managing a big ERP transformation program and struggling between deadlines. PMP certification suddenly seemed to be distant dream. To keep the dream alive, I decided to join few FB groups on PMP preparation, so that I get my daily dose of inspiration.

 The execution of the plan got shifted to December and thus started the ‘Do’ phase with reading of PMBOK guide.

 Reading PMBOK guide itself was a big challenge, but decided to read it at least once. I focused on creating 2 to 3 summary page document for each chapter covering the important concepts.

 Part 2 of the ‘Do’ phase was the practising Mock Tests. I started with few Mock tests in December end, scored 60% in the first test.

 The ‘Check’ part started with the detailed analysis of the paper. I used to spend 2 to 3 hours in solving a paper and spend almost equal time in analysing it.

 As an ‘Action’ item, found the topics which were missed in first read of PMBOK, add those topics to the chapter summary documents. I also went through ManagementYogi blog and YouTube videos to clear doubts where PMBOK has not provided detailed explanation.

 This exercise was continued till I was scoring more than 80% marks in new Mock exams.

 PMP Exam Experience
I scheduled my D-Day on Feb 13th and had booked the morning slot. My strategy for the exam was simple -  to remain calm and read every question carefully to understand the real meaning.

 I first noted down the PGs and KAs table, key formulas and some terms such as resource levelling, resource smoothing etc., after the exam started. It took about 10 mins to complete this. The first question itself was a bouncer and had to mark it for later review. Next few questions were bit twisted but due to understanding of the concepts were able to answer them confidently.

 I was able to go through all the 200 questions in 2.5 hours with a 10-minutes break in between. Since there was enough time, I started to revise from the beginning. This helped me in correcting 4 to 5 questions, which I had previously marked wrong. I was finally able to complete the revision with 5 minutes to spare, submitted the responses to check the result.

 There was a congratulations message popping on the screen and I was on Cloud nine, finally I am PMP certified. I scored Above Target in all domains.

 Types of Questions Faced
  • There were questions from all KAs.
  • I had multiple questions on Pareto chart analysis
  • There were questions on Fast Tracking, Risk response Strategies, 
  • Mathematical questions were from Cost Performance Index (CPI), Schedule Performance Index (SPI) and Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT). 
  • Most of these questions were not direct and one needs to apply the concept, and decide why the particular option is correct. 
  • There were many twisted questions on Project Charter and Contracts. 
  • Also, you need to be very clear with concepts of Communications Management, Stakeholder Management and Risk management area. In many questions, the choices would be from these areas and you need to find the most appropriate answer.

Suggestions for PMP Aspirants
Dos
  • Read the questions carefully. A single word can change the complete meaning of the question.
  • Look for eliminating the options if you are not sure about the right option.
  • Practice as much as you can and do analyse the mistakes made
Don’ts
  • Don’t panic, I gave the exam on 13th February. The cubicle allocated to me was also numbered 13. 
  • Keep calm. If you don’t know the answer of initial 2-3 questions, it is ok. It’s natural that one may not be knowing correct answers for all 200 questions.

Conclusion
Appearing for PMP certification itself is a Project, where one learns and executes lot of concepts mentioned in the PMBOK guide. The certification helped me in learning new concepts and would make me a better Leader and Manager.

 Brief Profile 
Jim Kim, Associate Program Manager, Thoucentric. Involved in multiple ERP, Product Development projects across geographies, sectors. 



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Monday, February 19, 2018

PMP Protein: Facing the Sun

By Manjunath R, PMP


We all face our top management in our day today professional activities. May it be presenting reports, proposing something, or clarifying something.  Sometimes, matter in hand will be in jeopardy while convincing the top management. There are several reasons for it. It may be the lack of artifacts, data, analysis of feasibility etc. But, most of the times, the modus operandi and the mode of evaluation of the top management will be discreet. Hidden agendas of Top Management are also one of the major factors contributing to unproductive meetings. 

 It is difficult to question the top management about the transparency of bringing their motives on to the meeting table. It needs lot of experience and right attitude to bring out the actual expectations of the top management. If mishandled, the careers will be in jeopardy. Being honest sometimes will invite trouble. Like the proverb says 'Tall trees are cut first'.

 Facing the top management is like facing the sun. One can’t keep staring at it, there is a risk of losing vision. With proper tools and techniques sun can be observed without harm. Same way with proper skill set top management can be handled. 
Most of the times, the top management tries to divert the issues to something which is not a part of agenda (not really important). This may be a part of their evaluation process, so as to know how important the agenda is and how desperate we are to bring the discussion back on track. Sometimes, top management plays the role of a Devil’s advocate to rule out all the possibilities which will have negative impact. If the business case is not feasible, it has to die on the discussion table. Top management plays role of a murder panel. 

 Sometimes, it’s contrary. Top management will be so confident and enthusiastic about some business case that, they will not be in listening mode. They will be blindfolded about the negativities. Being aware of the negativities, middle management people fail to bring them on to the discussion table. 

 Top Management sometimes may have decided something and call for the meeting to convey the same. But, before disclosing their verdict they would like to have some warm up discussions. 

 It hard to know, what is in the mind of top management. It is always safe to double check the data and artifacts before presentation and to be clear about the agenda. Most importantly, being diplomatic helps a lot in facing top management. Emotions have to be kept under control. Surviving the scenario becomes more important.

 Author: Manjunath R 
Manjunath R is a project management professional in construction industry. He is a graduate Civil Engineer. He is passed out from BIET (VTU) Davanagere in year 2005.He has been involved in construction industry as Deputy General Manager working for PDD Infratech. He has worked with several reputed organizations in Bangalore. He is having 12 plus years of hands on experience. He is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) from Project Management Institute (PMI). 


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Thursday, February 15, 2018

PMP Success Story: A Hard-Earned Achievement

By Nidhin Sasi, PMP

Introduction
I had attained Accenture Internal certification on Program Project Service Management (PPSM) Specialist in June, 2017. It built basic foundation on Project and Service Management with stress on Accenture Standardized Methodologies. The idea of PMP® certification stemmed from this experience to explore and also attain a globally recognized certification.

 The preparation for PMP certification itself enhances your existing level of practical Project Management knowledge and experience. The PMBOK® guide provides an excellent framework touching upon all aspects of Project Management. PMP certification validates the experience and competencies in leading a project with very scientific methodology and real-world situation assessment. 
PMP Coaching Experience
My PMP classroom coaching was done by a provider. Satya led the sessions. The classroom coaching laid the basic foundation for the PMP certification learning.
Satya has an interactive mode of engaging with live scenarios and questions which would make us think and understand the basic concepts. 

 Key takeaways from the coaching include a foundational grip on all knowledge areas and key concepts especially – flow of the 47 processes, Earned Value Management (EVM), Critical Path Method (along with Forward Pass, Backward Pass), Risk Management/Register, Benefit Analysis, Strategic Management, Stakeholder Analysis etc.

 Own Study
The classroom training was completed on 16th July’17. I started my preparation couple of weeks afterwards albeit at a snail’s pace due to hectic office and house responsibilities.
I tried to spend at-least an hour everyday including weekends, but could not stick to it. However, I ensured I that I didn’t keep a gap of more than a week. This way though I spent less study per day, I didn’t lose touch.

 My preparation materials were classroom material, PMBOK Guide and “I WANT TO BE A PMP” book authored by Satya. 

 My first target was to complete the course material along with chapter end questions. Next, I read end to end of “I WANT TO BE A PMP” and the PMBOK Guide. These were completed slowly, but I got a good grip. I WANT TO BE A PMP is a detailed version of Satya’s four-day coaching with very explanative videos and articles from this blog – ManagementYogi. The chapter end questions included some brain twisting ones that helped in bettering the understanding. PMBOK Guide meanwhile was little tough in the first read. 

 Meanwhile I also completed my application during this period, for which I got help in having a sample spreadsheet to calculate the experience hours. Once the application was accepted, the seriousness of the exam preparation increased.

 I made a full stretched study plan in a spreadsheet which I kept on revising till 2 weeks before the exam. I made 7 versions of the plan. This helped me to access how I was progressing and accordingly revise the plan and also put efforts to expedite the progress whenever it lagged. I attempted mock up exams after the complete the initial reading of these 3 materials. The initial scores were in the range of 65-75% with some questions which were very confusing. 

 I reached out to Satya to clear most of my doubts in the concepts and mock exams. Satya amidst his busy schedule was kind enough to patiently respond to my numerous questions over phone and email. He has later said that it was my questions that he replied to the most.

 After these many exercises, I got a good grip of the subject though there were still some confusions and doubts looming around. Then I re-read I WANT TO BE A PMP book and the PMBOK guide for the 2nd time followed by remaining mock exams of from I WANT TO BE A PMP book. This really increased my grip of the subject and cleared many confusions which previously I had. Then I took chapter end questions from PMP Preparation by Rita Mulcahy and mock exams from Oliver Lehman and the third mock exam from I WANT TO BE A PMP book. These mock exams exposed me to some really brain twisting and high-quality questions which prepared me well for the tough questions I was expecting in the exam.

 Book Review - I WANT TO BE A PMP
The experience from Satya’s coaching and his blog made me to buy I WANT TO BE A PMP. 
The book has videos providing a detailed explanation on Earned Value Analysis, Critical Path Method, Critical Chain Method, Point of Total Assumption, Risk Response Strategies, Conflict Management, Soft Skills, among others. Key concepts are explained in a lucid manner with flow charts of the processes across Knowledge Areas.
The flow chart exercises will make you really understand the flow of processes.

 The chapter end questions and the mock exams, especially the 3rd Mock exams, and the 75 questions based on Exam Content Outline (ECO) will not only equip you for the challenges of the exam but also of the actual challenges in real life project scenarios and good understanding of the subject.

 PMP Exam Experience
I scheduled the PMP Exam for 17th January’18. This was scheduled before my actual plan which I was following because of office and house responsibilities. Due to this I had to slog the last 3 weeks including the New Year weekend.

 Altogether I had attended 9 full mock exams of 200 questions previously due to which I had an idea of how to manage the time. My strategy was to take not more than a minute per question, i.e., first target was to complete more than 30 questions in first half an hour and 60 questions in the first hour and to ensure to maintain this pace or even increase the speed. At the same time, you should ensure you do not rush through the questions to achieve this pace because many times during mock exams in-order to achieve the pace, I had answered hastily which I realized when I read the question again, calmly. Hence, I ensured that pace is maintained but at the same time question is read thoroughly and each answer is gone through.

 The actual PMP Exam was relatively very easy compared to some of the tough mock exams I attended and questions were relatively more straight forward. However, there were questions based on scenarios and where more than one answers seemed to be correct, for which you needed to spend more than a minute.

 In questions where all 4 answers could be correct, I compared each question with every wording of the question. Also for some questions, you can start off by eliminating the wrong questions to zero down to two answers or one answer.

 There were mathematical questions for Earned Value Analysis, Critical Path Method, and also question on Change Requests, Communications and Stakeholder Management.

 Suggestions for PMP Aspirants
Dos 
  • Read the PMBOK guide end-to-end and whichever book you are planning to buy, at-least try practicing the chapter end questions.
  • Maintain an exam plan throughout – apply a combination of rough order of magnitude (ROM), analogous, parametric, bottom up estimation techniques to estimate the time and in tracking and revising the plan.
  • Try good quality mock exams and ensure you try at-least 5 full 200 questions mock exams.
  • Visit the Exam centre once before the exam to analyse the traffic and to avoid looking for the centre on the exam.
  • Have a good sleep the day before and avoid last minute study.
  • Reach the Exam centre half an hour before your notification time to reach the centre with a calm mind.

Don’ts
  • Do not by remember anything by heart. Rather, try to have your real-life project scenarios in mind and how you will be using the tools and techniques and processes in those scenarios.
  • Do not attempt mock exams based on previous versions of PMBOK guide.
  • Do not pile up questions, try to clarify with your study group or your coach.

Conclusion
I would try to implement the PMP learnings in my work and also try to undergo advanced level of trainings, understand new concepts and keep track of the latest trends in Project management.

 Brief Profile
Nidhin Sasi, Team Lead with close to 13 years of IT experience in Accenture Services Pvt Ltd and a 6 months experience prior to that in a small vendor company for Telecommunications field.



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    Monday, February 12, 2018

    PMP Success Story: Keep Things Simple

    By Manu Devadas, PMP

    Introduction
    I am working with Imtac India Pvt Ltd, Bangalore. I have over 14 years of experience and presently responsible for Project management. As my professional world revolves around projects and project management, I decided to become a PMP®. This certification is unique and perhaps the most values project management certification. As a professional also you make better contribution by applying the tools and techniques learned knowledge gained and skills acquired.

     PMP Coaching Experience
    I am connected to Satya sir, though the provider. On my first day of class, Sir told us: most of the people fail PMP examination. And do you know what is the reason? As a PMP aspirant at that day, like others I was also shocked. The reason for high failure rate was, most of them after the class, won't even attend the examination.

     While undergoing my study, I realized that and make myself calm and cool and come out of the thought of "I can't spare too much time for study due to my professional commitments." I believe, you get time for everything in life, if you consider that as an important thing and I made myself there. 

    Four days class is very less time. But each moment in the classroom, Satya sir was making us understand the concept. Sir make me clear the process groups and knowledge areas and their interrelationships. Our discussions were insightful and deep. The tips and techniques provided were very useful for clearing the PMP Exam and I realized while writing the exam.

     Most interestingly on last day Sir told, how much time I may require clearing my exam. It was 6 months, today it’s my 6th month.

     Own Study
    I took 6 Months to clear my PMP Exam after his coaching. I spent 2 hours daily and write sample exams on weekends in the last one month. I had access to the PMBOK guide and Satya Sir’s “I Want To Be A PMP" book in my mobile, which was my companion throughout the study. Whenever I get time, I do read this online. 

     Please note "There is no alternative to the PMBOK Guide". You must read it at least 3 to 4 times. When I read the PMBOK guide for first two times, I didn’t understand anything. But Satya sir said that the book adds value. Try to get your concepts clear and read again. You will start liking. In fact, I did enjoy it in my subsequent readings.

     Books Referred
    • PMBOK (Again No Alternatives)
    • "I Want To Be A PMP" - Read at least three times.

    Mock Exams
    • Mock Questions from the provider - First four sets are useful. The remaining two sets have a number of commonalities in questions.
    • "I Want To Be A PMP" Mock Exams - First two sets are very useful. The third set is quite tough, but it will make you mentally prepared for attending complicated scenarios in the exam. You will realize when you write the real exam.
    • PMP Exam Prep Questions from Christopher Scordo - There are 18 set of questions and each set has 50 questions. I recommend this book as well based on my experience in the exam. 
    Based my experience, any aspirant, who tried all the above, must pass the exam. 

     Book Review - I Want To Be A PMP
    The process groups, overlapping processes within the process groups and the iterative and integrative nature of project and project management – you will clearly know while going through the book.

    The 5 process groups, 10 knowledge areas and 47 processes are clearly explained and in simplified English, which makes it easy to understand. The iterative nature of project management plan development, i.e., progressive elaboration and flow of processes among the knowledge areas and process groups you will understand as you proceed. There are also a number of Flow Charts. 

     There are many Yogic Tips and Yogic Revision Tips, which keeps you focused as they are highlighted. The videos attached in the book are very useful and helps you quickly understand the concepts.

     PMP Exam Experience
    I scheduled my exam at Bangalore. The questions were relatively simple but situational. You should be clear on concepts to crack the right answer. You should know all process inputs and outputs and their interrelationship. 

     I had several mathematical questions along with Earned Value Management (EVM) around 15 in total. Few questions on finding the number of communication channels. There were no questions related to project selection techniques and procurement related mathematical questions. 

     For me, the questions were less lengthy and no twist in question wording. I scored overall “Above Target” in my PMP exam.

     Suggestions for PMP Aspirants
    Dos 
    • Keep things simple. Make yourself calm when you write exam.
    • Select the right source of material for your study.
    • Do practice as many exam questions as you can from the right source. Always refer PMBOK for any mistake if you done in Mock exam.
    • Draw the process flowcharts yourself.
    • Do practice all mathematical questions.
    • Make your own strategy for study rather than following others.

    Don’ts
    • Don’t be overconfident that the exam seems to be easy and can crack the exam.
      The third set of questions in Satya Sir’s book will make you realize this.
    • Don’t make false attempt without preparing.
    • Don't say, you don't get time, the time is based on your importance on what you pursue.
    • Don't take too much break in between the exam. I didn’t take a single break. But then, I also got spare time of 5 mins only before completing the exam.

    Conclusion
    The team will respect your leadership only if you are an expert in your area. I believe in this. For me gaining the PMP credentials is a big accomplishment. As a continuous learner, there are still miles to go.

     Brief Profile: 
    Manu Devadas, Working as Project Manager at Imtac India Pvt Ltd. I have 14 years of experience in the IT industry.



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