Hi All,

The main Objective for starting this discussion is to guide the PMP aspirants in the best way to clear their PMP certification exam.

 Before dwelling the details about PMP certification, first let us have a glance of PMI.

What is PMI?

PMI stands for Project Management Institute which was founded in 1969 and started offering the Project Management Professional certification exam in the year 1984.

PMI is accredited as an American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standards developer and also has the distinction of being the first organization to have their certification program attain International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9001 recognition.

PMI has a worldwide membership of over 100,000, and growing with members from 150 different countries is the leader in project management practices and is the most widely recognized organization and certification in the field.

PMI strives to maintain and promote standards and ethics in this field and offers publications, training, seminars, chapters, special interest groups, and colleges to further the project management discipline.

Now let us move into our topic PMP in depth

What is PMP?

Project Management Professional (PMP) is a credential offered by the PMI which was initiated in 1984 to recognize an individual’s demonstrated understanding of the knowledge and skills to lead and direct project teams and to deliver results within the constraints of schedule, budget, and resources.

Candidates for the PMP credential ensure that all of the aspects of the project plan are executed and that progress and variances are properly addressed and communicated. They are responsible for all aspects of the project for the life of the project and not only lead and direct the project, but also oversee project team members.

As of 31 July 2010, there were 393,413 active PMP certified individuals worldwide. Over 4,300 individuals a month, since September 2006, have obtained a PMP certification.

As we get familiar to PMP, let us take a look at the Eligibility criteria, Exam syllabus, and item references and Exam process in detail: 

Pre-requisites to become eligible

Candidates must verify a high school diploma or an associate’s degree with 60 months (7,500 hours) of project management experience, or a bachelor's degree with 36 months (4,500 hours) of project management experience.

Candidates must also have 35 contact hours of project management education.

PMP Exam syllabus

The PMP exam is based on the PMP Examination Specification, which describes tasks out of six performance domains:

1. Initiating the project (13%)
2. Planning the project (24%)
3. Executing the project (30%)
4. Monitoring and controlling the project (25%)
5. Closing the project (8%)

The exam consists of 200 multiple choice questions written against this specification.

Note: The numbers in parentheses describe the percentage of questions for each domain.

PMP Item references

Ø  Each exam Item (a question with possible answers) has at least two references to standard books or other sources of project management.

Ø  Most of the questions reference the PMI A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (the PMBOK Guide).

PMP Examination process

The PMP exam is offered as a computer-based test through the global network of Prometric testing centers.

The exam consists of 200 questions ("items"). 25 are pre-release items, which are not included in exam scoring. The score is calculated based on the other 175 items. Each item has a key (the correct answer) and three distracters (incorrect answer choices).

Candidates who take the computer-based test receive their results (passed or not passed) immediately upon completion.

PMI also evaluates proficiency levels in each project management process group from high proficiency to low proficiency in a score report which the candidates receive after the examination.

            Candidates who take paper-based tests receive their test results and score reports typically within 4 weeks.

Now as we are done with the syllabus and references and Exam process of PMP, we will now have a look at the framework and process groups in brief:

The Project Management Framework embodies a project life cycle and five major project management Process Groups:

Ø  Initiating

Ø  Planning

Ø  Executing

Ø  Monitoring and Controlling

Ø  Closing

Comprising a total of 42 processes.

Mapped to five process groups are nine project management Knowledge Areas:

1. Project Integration Management
2. Project Scope Management
3. Project Time Management
4. Project Cost Management
5. Project Quality Management
6. Project Human Resource Management
7. Project Communications Management
8. Project Risk Management
9. Project Procurement Management

After the process groups let us have a glance at the Benefits of PMP:

Benefits of PMP

Having a PMP enables one to market their project management skills more effectively in the market.

Run projects more efficiently and be globally recognized.

PMP is the most highly acclaimed project management certification recognized in more than 150 countries.

Government, commercial and other organizations employ PMP certified project managers to improve the success rate of projects in all areas of knowledge, by applying a standardized and evolving set of project management principles.

It has proven especially helpful for project managers trying to find jobs or self-employed project managers selling their services to customers.

Many contractors hire certified PMPs to make their bids and proposals more attractive to prospects. Sometimes, IFBs or RFPs require that project managers must be certified PMPs.

In December 2005, the PMP credential was tied for fourth place in CertCities.com’s 10 Hottest Certifications for 2006, and in December 2008, it was number 7 of ZDNet’s 10 best IT certifications.

Finally our discussion concludes with the other credentials of PMI:

PMI credentials

• CAPM Certified Associate in Project Management
• PMP Project Management Professional
• PMI-RMP PMI Risk Management Professional
• PMI-SP PMI Scheduling Professional
• PgMP Program Management Professional.

Above all the Most important part of PMP certification would be the preparation assistance  to facilitate a PMP candidate's passing the examination is available in many delivery forms. Many books, e-Learning courses, and classroom experiences @ http://www.starpmo.com/pmi-pmp/. All you need to do is provide your details and the concerned people will get back to you.

To participate in discussions related to PMP http://starpmo.com/forum/ and for blogs click  http://starpmo.blogspot.com/.