Is studying the PMBOK Guide enough to pass the PMP certification?

Thursday, November 19th, 2009

I get this question a lot and find myself answering it over and over again, on message boards, blogs and in person. In doing so I’ve come to realize that a large number of PMP aspirants do not understand what the PMP credential is nor do they have have a sufficient knowledge of what is covered on the exam component of the certification process.

First of all, unlike I.T. vendor “certs” and other commercial “certifications”, where the only requirement to earn the “cert” is the ability to pass an exam, the PMP credential is a professional credential. The credential is competence based and, as such, is best described as a credential as opposed to simply a certification. The credential infers a candidate’s ability to actually perform professional tasks (e.g., Project Management) at a given level. Unlike vendor “cert” exams, the exam component of the PMP credential is more than simply knowledge based. It encompasses both knowledge of the subject and the necessary skills to apply that knowledge.

In addition to passing a rigorous exam, the PMP credential requires a certain minimum amount of documented (and verified) experience in the profession, a certain level of education (both formal, academic education as well as professional training), adherence to a professional code of conduct, and a commitment to on-going continuing education and contribution to the project management community.

Having said that, what does the examination portion of the PMP certification process cover? Is studying the PMBOK sufficient to succeed on the exam?

The short answer is that, if you are pursing the CAPM credential, then the PMBOK can be enough. This is because the CAPM exam is only based on the material on the PMBOK. Nevertheless, I would strongly recommend supplementing any CAPM exam study with at least one study guide and with a good exam question test bank.

As far as the the exam portion of the PMP certification process is concerned, the exam covers a lot more than just the material in the PMBOK Guide.

If you are pursing the PMP credential, then you need to prepare for questions from other areas (i.e., non-PMBOK Guide) as well.
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Does CAPM have any value (as opposed to PMP)?

Monday, January 12th, 2009

Value of CAPM

In another PMP/CAPM discussion board, someone asked about the value of PMI’s CAPM certification. One of the issues was, since hiring companies value PMPs over CAPM, how can they get the PMP even though they lack the experience qualifications.

I thought I’d share my response with everyone here.

 

Re: “[Since] I don’t have such experience [to qualify for PMP certification] right now, the best option would be start as a CAPM and try to get a new job related to this field.   However, as some people say the CAPM certification would be worthless, is it really a good idea to start by CAPM ?”

Yes, it really is a good idea. Earning your CAPM certification would, indeed, be your best option.  The CAPM designation shows your current (and potential) employers that you have a mastery of project work and a good grasp of project management concepts and standards. Not only will this make you an excellent candidate as a team member on a project, it also shows your potential for promotion to project coordination and, eventually, project management work.

Re: “I’ve already heard from some people that [the] market doesn’t treasure this CAPM certification just because there’s an even better certification called PMP.”

This is like saying that a high school diploma is useless, since the market only recognizes college degrees and, therefore, you should skip high school all together and go straight to college.

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