During my time at PMI’s Global Congress in Orlando, one of the questions that came up repeatedly was “how can I get started on the PMI-RMP Certification? What materials should I be using to prepare myself for the exam component of the certification”

Here’s what I learned.

The four PMI standards you should be focusing on are:

1) The Guide to the PMBOK 4th Edition, particularly Chapter 11 (Project Risk Management). Because risk communication represents 27% of the topics on the exam component of the PMI-RMP credential, you should be comfortable with Chapter 10 (Project Communication Management) as well.

2) The Standard for Program Management, 2nd Edition, particularly Chapter 11 (Program Risk Management)

3) The Standard for Portfolio Management, 2nd Edition, particularly Chapter 5 (Portfolio Risk Management)

and especially:
4) The Practice Standard for Project Risk Management, 1st Edition, 2009.
PMI writes: “The Practice Standard can be used by project management practitioners to validate the risk management process being employed in a specific situtation, project or organization. The Practice Standard for Project Risk Management is consistent with the current release of A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) — Fourth Edition.” 

You can supplement your study with books such as:

Risk Management: Concepts and Guidance, 3rd edition by Carl L. Pritchard. Pritchard was the Team Lead for Chapter 11 of the current PMBOK Guide.

Risk Management, Tricks of the Trade for Project Managers by Rita Mulcahy. This is a practitioner book with plenty of exercises to develop and reinforce your risk management skills.

Linkedin.com has a PMI-RMP group and a PMI-RMP study group, both hosted by Annette Suh, PMI-RMP

If any of you out there do go through the process of earning this credential, please keep me apprised of your progress and share your experience with the process with the rest of us.