Project Management Professional (PMP)® Preparation Course

Project Management Institute’s (PMI) launches the PMP^® in 1984. PMP counts today more than 1 mil. certified professionals in more than 180 countries, 70% percent of whom are working in the US.

The PMP certification delivers value far into the project manager’s career. CIO magazine ranked the PMP as the top management certification because it proves you have the specific skills and experience employers seek.

PMP certification holders report earnings up to 25% more than non-certified professional

This course prepares you for the PMP, therefore it is aimed at experienced project managers and professionals who have met the PMP eligibility criteria.

If you are willing to devote at least 6 hrs per week in addition to the hours you will attend the live sessions, you are at the right place to get started with your preparation.

Even if you are not familiar with all the fundamental concepts of project management, this PMP Prep course includes an on-demand e-learning module where you can acquire an overview of project management basic tools and techniques.  This extra module includes:

• an overview of project, project management, life cycle of project managemen
• fundamentals concepts on project objectives, stakeholders requirements, project scope, the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), project organisation, scheduling, budgeting and managing risks.  
• Project controlling and project communications

This course includes:

• 35 hours (9 sessions) intensive instructor-led training from certified experts
• 35 PDUs of project management education
• 500 pages PDF workbook with extra study material, exercises, examples and other PMI learning resources
• 500+ sample questions
• Post training access to the instructor for advice as you prepare for the exam

Exam fees are not included.  Exam fees are paid directly to PMI.  We recommend you become a PMI member (paying the annual PMI membership), in  order to be eligible for exam discount and download PMBOK guide for free.

We recommend you acquire and read thoroughly the PMBOK guide. See here

PMP exam is getting more challenging as questions are now not only based on the PMBOK Guide and the Agile component, but also on the organizational framework which consists of People, Processes and the Business Environment.

GMBC as an Authorized Training Partner uses PMI licensed content. Our instructors are internationally experienced project managers, certified to provide training from PMI.

Our Professional Development Units (PDUs) are automatically accepted by PMI without audit.

Using PMI guidelines given specifically to PMI Authorized Trainers and Partners, we guarantee that the study material you will be using will help you understand the new challenges of the exam and the new PMI philosophy of the exam questions.

In addition to the material that will be delivered by PMI, the instructor will use an electronic wall (for virtual sessions) to practice the concepts in mini-workshops.

Your instructor will also explain the new types of questions (different to the traditional multiple choice format) and how you need to respond to these. These new question types allow questions such as asking the test taker to select the graph/chart that best fits a described scenario, or identify what part of an image applies to a described situation.

You will also have post training access to the instructor for advice as you prepare for the exam.

Global Business Management Consultants is a project management consultancy trusted  by international companies and governments in Europe, Asia and North America. GBMC trains over 5000 project managers each year including for PMP exam prep.  As a Premier PMI® Authorized Training Partner, GBMC guarantees:

• training by PMP certified instructors with Agile project management experience
• using up-to-date study material according to PMI’s certification standards
• the course runs without cancellations.

Yes, exam logistics will be fully explained to you during the course, and you will also get post course support by the instructor.

You apply online via the PMI website at www.pmi.org. You first complete your academic status. Record the highest level of education you have completed, the school or University you attended and the field of study. You then enter your project management education (35 PDUs), with details of your training provider and course dates. 

You then enter details on your project management experience. See below how you report your project management experience.  If your application is valid and in good standing, you get a confirmation from PMI within 5 working days that you are good to go and you then pay the examination fees.  If your application is rejected you don’t have to pay any exam fees. Once you pay your exam fees you are ready to schedule your PMP exam anytime, either at a Pearson-Vue Testing Center or you can take the test from home through online-proctoring at a time of your convenience.

Once you start filling in your application, you have 90 days to complete it.

As a PMP exam candidate you must meet the following requirements

For more information about PMP exam requirements and certification process call us at 210-3680907, or visit www.pmi.org

PMP requires 60 months of project management experience with a high school degree, or 36 months of experience with a University degree.  Project management experience months usually count for approximately 40 working hours per week.  If you manage multiple projects during the same month, only one calendar month will count. When reporting multiple projects during the same month you may exceed the 40 working hours per week, but try not to exaggerate.  You can start from your most recent project and report backward until you reach the total months required.

You must show project management experience in leading projects, and project teams. That includes work in initiating, planning, scheduling, executing, monitoring, controlling and closing projects.  Avoid reporting too many details on the project scope, and describe the actual work and your duties on the project. Use PMI project management terminology and keyworks, instead of your actual business terminology. For example, use terms such as Project Charter, WBS, Scheduling, Project Stakeholders etc. This is one of the reasons why you should read carefully at least once, the PMBOK Guide, before taking a PMP Prep Course, or filling in your application form.

The description of your work in each project should not exceed 500 words.  The information you must provide is the following:

• Project Title
• Organization
• Your title
• Functional reporting area
• Project Management methodology you followed (i.e. waterfall, agile, hybrid etc)
• Project objectives
• Nr. Of project team members
• Budget (approximate numbers)
• Project dates
• Description of your project work: (no more than 500 words) which will include duties on:

• Initiating the Project
• Planning the Project
• Executing the Project
• Controlling and Monitoring the Project
• Closing the Project

Here is a simple example:

Title: Organizing and delivering the Project Management Conference

Objective: To plan and deliver an 8 hour Project Management Conference targeting professionals and academia from all business sectors to discuss current trends and methodologies in the project management profession.

Κey deliverables: 8 hour Project Management event with 15 speakers, attracting 500+ professionals across all industries and at least 5 major sponsors

Role: Project Manager

Initiation: Developed the Project Charter, by identifying project objectives, key stakeholders, risks, constraints, budget, key milestones and the project team.

Planning: Defined scope considering time, cost and quality, developed a project management plan, a project schedule and a project baseline. Defined a communication plan and provided for project team meetings. Executing: Coordinating the project team in researching for key speakers, defining the event's agenda, executing marketing and advertising activities, coordinating the production of conference materials, coordinating hosting and catering activities. Coordinating the attendees registration process. Managing sponsorship requests and sponsor's contracts. Monitoring and controlling: Monitored and reporting to key stakeholders on the project's activities progress and risks. Monitoring the registration process.  Monitoring the roll out of the conference. Monitoring the quality of the speakers' presentations. Closing: Coordinating procurements closure, and post-conference activities. Providing for evaluation reports and lessons learned for future events.

It is very important to report project work that you have actually performed. Be truthful.  Your application might get audited.  In this case, you will be asked to give contact details of your project supervisor/manager/employer or project sponsor, who will be contacted by PMI to verify what you have stated in your application. Be prepared: Before you start filling in your PMP application, inform your manager or employer(s) on the project experience information that you are going to report and ask for their support in case of a potential audit.

PMP® is a demanding exam. Even the most experienced project managers, do not know every single tool, methodology, tactic, practice explained in the 756 pages of the PMBOK® Guide.

You have to understand and remember the PMBOK® Guide content and you also have to rely on your experience.  So studying hard is the only option. But how hard and for how long?

Well, firstly, that depends on how exposed you are to project management tools and methodologies, so that you can easily go over the basics (i.e. WBS, scheduling formulas etc.).

Most guides, courses and training providers recommend that studying may take from 60 to 120 hours. Calculating an average of 3-hour study sessions, this adds up to 1 full month if you study at least 5 times a week (60 hours), and up to 2 - 3 months. So how long it will take you to master PMP material mostly depends on your level of project management experience and your other daily workload, but it shouldn't go beyond 3 months. You will get tired, your memory will fail you.

Here are some time savers and time consuming parameters that you need to know:

Practice - practice - practice.  The #1 tip to master this test is practice with as many sample questions as you can. Find a simulation platform or a question database and consider yourself ready if you score at least 85%.

Study material: this is very important for your preparation. Prep courses should equip you with training materials that will help you decode PMBOK® Guide and use it as a reference tool. PMBOK® by itself is not enough for your study; it will take you much more time to understand it compared to decoding it with a study guide or other support materials. There are many areas that need more explanation and examples to fully grasp the theory. A prep course together with a study guide will save you time and make your preparation less stressful.

Put the "PMI chip" on and program your inner guts to go by the book.   Many test questions are in a scenario format and sometimes all answers seem logical and feasible. Sometimes the wrong answer is usually what everybody does to get the job done in the most convenient way, but not according to the book!

Act like a soldier. You are about to conquer a demanding certification and a difficult test. Prepare. Follow a daily study schedule. In the course of these months of preparation, make sure you sleep properly, eat nutritious meals and exercise. You won't believe how much time you will save if you follow a systematic and healthier style of life.

Language: you need to be proficient in English to manage the questions asked in front of a computer with just a glass of water next to you. If your English is not that good, you need to double your efforts in practicing with questions.

You can always go for the CAPM, PMI’s certification that does not require project management experience.   If you don’t meet the eligibility criteria you don’t have to proceed and pay the exam fees.

Cost varies whether you are a PMI member or not. Members get better prices.

Taking only into consideration the actual exam costs (not training costs), PMP fees breakdown as follows:

The PMP exam format is as follows:

• 180 questions
• 230 minutes to complete the exam
• Questions format: multiple-choice, multiple responses, matching, hotspot and limited fill-in-the-blank
• Online exam availability at a Pearson-Vue Center
• Online exam availability from home (online proctoring)
• You may take the test anytime, anywhere

See more at: www.pmi.org

During this course we explain all exam logistics and what you need to know to retain the PMP certification.  See more about maintaining PMP here