The good news is that you can learn the lessons learned and the resources I use, so you can save time and energy researching the study materials.
Lessons learnt – Inefficiencies and ineffectiveness that cost money and time
Like others, most of my time is filled with professional and personal commitments. Therefore, I couldn’t afford to study inaccurate material that didn’t align with PMI’s standards. So, I researched the study materials and found the tips from PMI to review the following books.
4) The latest edition of the PMBOK guide
I reviewed these documents at least twice and tried to understand how these books relate. The first one, the PMI- SP handbook, is very helpful in understanding the application process and scheduling. But it doesn’t cover any topic related to scheduling professionals.
On the other hand, in my opinion, “PMI – SP Exam Content Outline” and “Practical Standard for Scheduling are closely related to the PMBOK guide’s project management knowledge area; project integration management, scope management, schedule management, cost management (related to Earned Value Management), communication management, stakeholder management and risk management.
However, I wasn’t confident that I could pass the exam by just reading these books, so I kept doing research for the additional study material. I then discovered the discussion forum of projectmanagement.com, which listed the recommended and optional resources. The list is overwhelming.
After going through the study resource list, I bet my luck by buying an online training module from ucertify.com. I got bored after I went through the first chapter – Scheduling Strategy. I got confused with the concepts, which didn’t help me prepare for the PMI-SP exam.
As I wasn’t happy with the online training I purchased, I rechecked the recommended and optional resources to buy something different this time. I bought a book - PMI Scheduling Professional Certification (PMI-SP) – 2nd edition.
After three weeks of study, I passed the PMI-SP exam.
As said before, I have invested my time and money in online training and a couple of books because I was so excited to pass the exam. The books and online training are only related to the PMP exam. It will not prepare you to pass the PMI-SP exam because it mainly focuses on the scheduling process, practices, and scheduler’s roles in managing projects, risk management, project closeouts and stakeholder communication.
I believe the main reasons why I succeeded on the first try are -
- Reading of (planning/scheduling, project management reference books and websites),
- Hands-on experience with scheduling best practices and
- Practising with an exam simulation software or online system.
So, what are the “Resources” you need to earn the credential?
Reference Books & Guides
1 - PMP Exam Prep: Accelerated Learning to Pass PMI's PMP 8th Edition, Rita Mulcahy
Do you know why I want you to read this book first? When I first tried to pass the PMP exam, I read the PMBOK guide twice. I thought I understood it. So I went for an exam, and then I failed. Why?
The simple answer is that I still need to study PMBOK with the help of this reference book.
2 - PMBOK guide, latest edition, PMI
PMI revises the PMBOK guide occasionally. So, make sure to get the latest one. It may be challenging if this is the first time for you. But I recommend you read this book with the help of the exam preparation book above. Otherwise, it will make it hard for you to understand the contents and save you time. When you read this guide:
- Study almost all the knowledge areas, but pay most of your attention to project schedule management and cost management because the exam focuses more on schedule and cost-related questions.
- The second most crucial knowledge areas that you should focus on are:
- Resource management
- Communication management,
- Risk management
- Stakeholder management.
3 - Practice Standard for Scheduling
4 - A Guide to Scheduling Good Practice and Easy CPM
Later, I found “Easy CPM” – a complete CPM course in a book” helpful. I wish this book had been available when I went for the PMI-SP exam. Its contents are filled with practical advice and samples that are easy to learn, especially if you are a beginner.
5 - Guide to Good Practice in the Management of Time in Complex Projects, The Chartered Institute of Building
This book provides guidance on everything that a scheduler needs to know everything about scheduling and schedule-related concerns – (e.g., scheduling design, schedule techniques, schedule strategy, resourcing, activity duration, activity code, constraint, schedule quality reviews, schedule updating, schedule baseline, change control and so on).
On a final note -
I also invested in the exam simulation (mock-up) system when I prepared for PMP. If you have already passed PMP, I don’t recommend you purchase an online exam simulator or software for PMI-SP exam preparation. On the other hand, if you have never done a PMP exam, I recommend investing in it. Why?
If you have never experienced a PMI exam, it would be a significant challenge for you to pass the exam because you need to become more familiar with the style and difficulty of all questions and the tricks to answer them.
It is wise to remember not to expect the sample questions on the mock-up exam to closely match the questions you will encounter on your exam.
If you are considering purchasing an online mock-up system or exam simulator, I recommend you go for http://www.pm-exam-simulator.com or PM Fastrack® PMP® exam simulation software.
How about you? Would you recommend study resources for PMI-SP preparation to pass the exam on the first try?
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