Some Facts About Applying For The PMP Certification Exam
The Project Management Institute's (PMI) Project Management Professional (PMP) certification is a hot topic these days. The number of project managers getting certified is increasing every year as more companies are requesting, and in some cases requiring, their project managers to become PMP certified. As organizations become more sophisticated in their application of Project Management principles and processes, more consistent and standard processes are desired in order to implement successful practices within projects. Organizations are now relying more heavily on certification for their project managers as well as creating a Project Management Office (PMO) where individuals are often required to be certified.
If you just heard about the Project Management Professional (PMP) certification exam, you should learn about the eligibility criteria and make sure your work experience and education makes you eligible for applying. Once you feel decided to apply, set aside at least 8 hours for filling out the PMI application. Most candidates are amazed at the amount of time they spend filling out the forms. So be prepared and mark down a Saturday or Sunday on your calendar to fill out the application.
First and foremost, beware that PMI takes the PMP Application process very seriously, so make sure you read the questions carefully and do what is required when you fill out your application. PMI also takes its Code of Ethics very seriously and so should you. The more time you take to make sure your application is aligned with your experience, the better it will withstand an audit.
Take the time to document your experience clearly. Make sure you know where you stored your degrees, training certificates, project dates, documentation, contact names, addresses and phone numbers from your projects. Better yet, create a new folder on your computer with all background information that supports your application.
If you provide false information on your PMP application and you fail an audit because of it, you will be permanently suspended from sitting for any PMI exams.
When you submit your application you will be asked to provide contact persons for each and every project. Be sure to confirm their current email address and phone numbers. These contact persons could be your managers, co-workers, vendors, clients and any other applicable stakeholders from your past projects. Let them know you're applying to take the PMP Exam. Refresh their memory about your projects by sharing with them what you're submitting and ask them if they agree with what you've written. Make corrections if they disagree. Do not mention any degrees for which you can not provide a solid proof. A bachelor degree you started for 4 months but did not finish is not a degree you can brag about on the PMI application. If you took any PMP courses you should have an official certificate of 35 Contact Hours that is approved by the PMI.
You can fill out the PMI Application in steps, as this approach works better for most candidates. Fill out the "Education" section and save your application. Then come back and continue the "Work Experience" section. Finish the Education and Experience sections while you study for the exam. This way you can finish your application as soon as you get your 35 Contact Hours Certificate.
Printout out your application as you fill it out to make sure the content is accurate, and submit your PMI application after finishing your PMP training. The sooner you submit your application, the sooner you'll know if you are getting audited or not. The audit process takes time, so start acting like a real project manager and plan for it in your forecasts. After you apply for the exam, you'll receive an email of acceptance from the PMI and it will give you instructions on how to schedule an exam appointment. You will know if you are getting audited as soon as you make the payment.
You will take the exam in one of the many Prometric test centers worldwide, and the Prometric website is also the place where you schedule the exam online. Mark your Exam Day as soon as possible. There is usually no problem scheduling your exam on Prometric web site unless you want a Saturday appointment. Many people who have taken the exam recommend taking it on a Monday or Tuesday; you've had the weekend to rest up, and the day prior to testing to take care of loose study ends and be absolutely certain of your knowledge.
You have a year to fix your exam date. The year allotted between acceptance and actually taking the test is to allow for rescheduling should a complication arise. Once you are accepted, it really is best to go online and set your exam date right away. If you schedule it for about 3-4 months after you receive your acceptance, you'll have time to study without having to cram. Be sure to check your other obligations too. Your family obligations, birthday ceremonies, doctor appointments and business trips should be considered before you fix the exam date.
Some Extra Quick Tips
(1) If you don't have the necessary Work Experience to apply for the PMP exam, you might fulfill the requirements for the CAPM certification in Project Management.
(2) During the application process your chances of being audited are low but real (10% to 15%). From the start focus on making sure your information and actions are aligned with passing an audit. PMP application audit selection process is completely random, there is no profiling or trigger conditions.
About the Author
PM Champion offers high quality training in Project Management, specialy for the PMP Certification Exam. Our PMP training courses will help you become a better Project Manager in your career and for your organization. To learn more visit http://www.pmchampion.com
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