By Ravi O’Reilly, CHAMP
Before getting into CHAMP certification, I had a face-to-face, virtual meet-up with Satya, where I asked what I should pursue first. As per his suggestion, I started my journey by first completing the MS Project Agile course.
The CHAMP certification was a natural progression and I also really wanted the full certification for its credibility as it is a niche skill.
Own Study – CHAMP Certification
To achieve my CHAMP credential, I diligently followed the videos in the order set out and made time whenever I could. They are nice and short; hence it makes it easily digestible.
In the course, all the videos are clearly explained and they are very thorough so you get to repeat the steps in subsequent videos.
Review – CHAMP Certification Course
The course is very niche, extremely detailed and uses MS Project tools. The certification is a unique selling point (USP) in itself. I have not seen anything like this before and it truly gives you all the learnings.
Once you get to grips with adding the data and setting up the Hybrid Agile plan, I found the reporting topics were useful, as you get to slice and dice the data in different ways i.e., how to report on earned value management (EVM), the baselines for the traditional part and resourcing.
Throughout the course, there are lots of opportunities to recap and take the short tests. After completing the whole course, a full set of questions and answers (Q&A) helped me to see how much I learned and what parts I needed to go over again.
CHAMP Exam Experience
After completing the course, I believed I was prepared for the CHAMP exam. I asked Satya to provide me with the online link for the test. The exam has 50 questions to be taken in 1 hour (60 minutes).
For the exam, my strategy was simple. I just made sure I read the questions properly and not rush them. I knew some of the questions straight away. However, for some of the others, I needed to go back and check on them.
After completing, I thought I didn’t clear the exam and thought I have to retake the test. But Satya informed me that I’ve cleared as I have scored 70%, which is needed to be CHAMP certified! I received my certificate afterwards.
Suggestions for CHAMP Aspirants
Dos
- If you like this style of learning (hands-on) and also want to get certified in a niche skill, then I would suggest you just go for it.
Don’ts
- If you are not managing Agile/Hybrid-Agile projects, you may not need it.
Conclusion
The CHAMP certification is of high standard and to be a CHAMP, you need to be well prepared. The course is so practical! You can apply your learnings in your day-to-day projects in a hands-on manner.
Brief Profile: Ravi O’Reilly, CHAMP, Programme Planning Manager, UK Transport and Govt. related projects.
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