Random Facts About The PMP Exam
Cornelius made this goofy video sharing some random facts about the PMP exam. He is the creator of several PMP training products I’ve used and recommend. His pmp preparation materials and pmp course are the best quality and value available in my opinion. Enjoy!
Sep 25th, 2009 at 2:29 am
Figured I would get this in before Paul does … your experience does NOT have to be as a project manager. Sad to see that Cornelius would also perpetrate that bit of misinformation.
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Josh Nankivel Reply:
September 25th, 2009 at 4:45 pm
I figured you might respond that way. As usual, we’ll have to agree to disagree!
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Glen B. Alleman Reply:
September 25th, 2009 at 6:22 pm
Josh,
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Let’s see now…very predictable, but not very helpful to advancing the cause of “increasing the probability of project success.”
Minimum five years/60 months unique nonoverlapping
professional project management experience during which at least 7,500 hours were spent leading and
directing project tasks (*)
OR
Minimum three years/36 months unique non-overlapping professional project management experience during which at least 4,500 hours were spent leading and directing project tasks*
(*) *Leading and directing project tasks as identified in the Project Management Professional Examination Specification. Within the total hours of project management experience, experience in all five process groups is required. However, on a single project, you do not need to have experience in all five process groups.
Sure sounds like a Project Manager to me. Since on our large ERP projects (~$200M) there is only one(1) person designated as the project manager, I guess the work stream managers looking after ~$20M to $40M worth of development, integration, and transition to production would be real disappointed to learn their experinces are for naught.
As an Assistant Program Manager (APM) for most of my early career in defense, I certainly was NEVER the Project Manager in charge (actually program manager was the title.) But I’d be diappointed as well that under the counter-PMI guise, my lack of experince as a “project manager,” is for naught.
It’s not a matter of agreeing to disagree.
Until the message of “we’re working toward the same outcome” starts to sink in, the counter-PMI message is just of little interest to the mainstream who’s earns their living managing projects – not just teaching how to manage projects. This goes for PMP training house as well.
Worse the self proclamed heritics approach is simply counter productive to advancing the art and science of project management.
We all mist remember here, many of the messages presented are political in nature. If PM is ever to become a “profession” these exchanges must end and professional decorum prevail. So far it ain’t happ’n.
Think unasailable benefical outcomes…
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Bill Duncan Reply:
September 26th, 2009 at 2:44 am
I have nothing against the PMP. It is a perfectly adequate entry level credential. That is what it was designed to be. That is what it is. It demonstrates that you have some knowledge of the PMBoK Guide. Period.
The problem is that “leading and directing project tasks” is not defined. One could be a team lead or a scheduler and qualify. If I wanted to stretch it (and I am aware of successful applicants who have stretched it), I could argue that an individual contributor working on their own assignment is “leading and directing” that work.
And even if you accept the premise that experience must be “as a project manager,” the fact remains that even those few who get audited simply get their number of hours checked. No one assesses whether or not they actually did anything well.
I object to people misrepresenting what it is precisely because that misrepresentation interferes with efforts to advance the practice of project management. When someone with their PMP claims to be a competent and experienced project manager by virtue of having passed a test (and keep in mind that something over 90-95% of PMPs did not have their experience verified, so the only thing you can be sure of is that they got at least 61% on the test), it damages everyone else who is promoting better project management.
I also object to the test itself. The first time pass rate for non-native English speakers is roughly 30-35% below that of native English speakers (60-65% vs. 90-95%). That tells me that your English is being tested nearly as much as your project management.
Am I fond of PMI? Not in the least. They sued me about 10 years ago. Forced me to spend $150,000 to defend myself. Spent an estimated $400,000 to pursue the suit, then settled on pretty much the same terms I had suggested before the suit was filed. They have something over $100,000,000 in the bank (not assets; cash and equivalents) that they don’t pay taxes on.
So yes, I will continue to speak out, and I will continue to volunteer with other organizations to try to advance the practice of project management.
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Glen B. Alleman Reply:
September 26th, 2009 at 9:50 pm
It would seem Bill, that the words “leading and directing” have clear and concise definitions. Both are verbs applied the tasks of the project.
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Glen B. Alleman Reply:
September 27th, 2009 at 9:46 am
Bill,
Who in their right mind would hire a project manager based on a credential alone? Be it a PMP or your own credential.
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