11| Get Agile.

So just what is agile project management? 

Agile project management focuses on continuous improvement, scope flexibility, team input, and delivering essential quality products. Agile project management approaches include scrum as a framework, extreme programming (XP) for building in quality upfront, and lean thinking to eliminate waste. These and many other tools and techniques help organizations, teams, and individuals adhere to the Agile Manifesto and the 12 Agile Principles, which focus on people, communications, the product, and flexibility.

The Manifesto for Agile Software Development, commonly known as the Agile Manifesto, is an intentionally streamlined expression of the core values of agile project management. Use this manifesto as a guide to implement agile methodologies in your projects.

"We are uncovering better ways of developing software by doing it and helping others do it. Through this work, we have come to value:

• Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
• Working software over comprehensive documentation
• Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
• Responding to change over following a plan

That is, while there is value in the items on the right, we value the items on the left more."

10| PMP Exam Changes

The PMP changed on March 26th and will feature information from the new PMBOK 6th edition. 

What is changing?

A new chapter on the role of the project manager that focuses on effective leadership. This includes
necessary competencies, experience and skills.

Two renamed Knowledge Areas that more accurately reflect which elements can be
managed and which cannot:

• Schedule Management (formerly known as Time Management).
• Resource Management (formerly known as Human Resource Management).
• Every Knowledge Area now features four new sections:
• Key Concepts.
• Trends and Emerging Practices.
• Tailoring Considerations.
• Considerations for Agile/Adaptive Environments.

9| Level of Complexity - Where to Focus?

Cover all question groups. Common mistake is to focus on difficult questions and ignoring the easier topics.

8| Visualize Knowledge Areas(KAs) and Process Groups(PGs) for Brain Dump.

7| Prep Tests.

Prep tests come in all shapes and forms and also price ranges. 

Absolutely take advantage of anything you can find for free. The biggest "yeah but" is:

A lot of them are now outdated since the new exam that is based on PMBOK 6th Edition started in March 2018. Make sure you are purchasing the most up to date material. If you research on how tests are implemented you will find that anytime a new version of the test is rolled out it takes time for the PMI to calibrate the complexity of questions. In some sense, you as a candidate are also doing the User Acceptance Testing for the PMI. Therefore, taking the new test is a challenge in its own regard.

What are the constraints? Pick two from cheap, fast or good. Two out of these three will define the third factor. "You get what you pay for!" old saying is still valid and also applies when it comes to prep tests. The amount of time you invest in prepping is directly correlated to how well you perform on the actual test. However,  you can still find tons of free or trial versions of the sample test.

Stay tuned, will post the testing material soon. 

Meanwhile, here is what changed for 2018 PMP exam according to PMI.

26 March, 2018

• Updated to align with new terminology from PMBOK Guide - Sixth Edition.
• Current exam content outline remains relevant.
• May include agile approaches and how they integrate with traditional project management

6| Retaining - Remembering what you learned.

How do you improve your ability to grasp the content quickly? How do you remember what you've learned? 

• Every time before studying go for a 30-45 minutes walk or a run, based on your physical condition. This will refresh your blood circulation and boost your energy, your cognitive performance. Think of this as a computer reset button.  
• Develop a habit of always having a study material with you no matter where you go. A smartphone app, quick prep chart (2 sheet document - currently developing for you, check back later), flash cards and a notebook are easy to carry with you to work. If you prefer to keep all your notes in an electronic format consider using Evernote or Google docs, the former is very user-friendly and lets you save images and diagrams along with your notes.    
• At home, make sure to use large visuals such as whiteboard(s), flip charts, writable wall.    
• Clean up your study space! Your desk should have the PMP exam prep material handy.
• Limit the distraction. Turn off Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter and all other time killers that can compete for your attention. You have to dedicate all 100 percent of your time during the blocked time. Read my previous blog on time slots and duration.
• Re-read the study books and material. Reading out loud may help the auditory learners.  
• Alcohol?! Yes, forget alcohol for the duration of your study time (12 weeks). It's been proven that alcohol slows down cognitive performance and negatively impacts the ability to remember things. Do you want to remember the formulas such as the one for Communication Channels = n(n-1):2; where n=number of people on project? 

5I PMP Prep Books and Materials Overview.

What to study first, sequence, breadth and load?

Quick links to the books reviewed here are provided on this site. You don't have to buy from here, totally up to you if you want to shop directly on the internet and stop by a book store. I'm listing what worked for me.

First, obtain a copy of the PMBOK 6th Edition. This is the standards guide and only reading this book will not get you ready for the exam. You need this book as the study material refers to charts, concepts, tools and other topics found in here. This is not your typical fiction book, in fact it's a super dry and boring material written in a neutral and emotionless language. It is your reference book, similar to Chemical Elements Table when you studied Chemistry in school. Well, maybe a bit more than just a table, but that's how long you will want to spend when you read it, this guide will not be your favourite cup of tea.

Second, obtain a printed copy of The PMP Exam: How to Pass on Your First Try, Sixth Edition by Andrew Crowe. Strongly recommend you study Crowe's material first, don't touch Rita's book until you finish Crowe's book and online material. Andrew Crowe's book is written in an engaging and motivating style that you will finish reading and practicing in roughly 3.5 weeks. This is your first wave of getting fundamental blocks and knowledge in place.

Third, obtain a printed copy of PMP Exam Prep: Accelerated Learning to Pass the Project Management Professional (PMP) Exam Paperback - Feb 1 2018. Rita's book is the fine tooth comb that will help you solidify your learning from the other material. It is thorough and may require re-reading a few times when you get stuck in taking the sample tests.

Quick tips from BK:

• Always follow the instructions.
• Study in a sequential order in a structured manner.
• When taking any sample tests pretend you are in an actual test environment. 

4| Schedule. Pace. Deadline.

When? How long? How often?

Defining these right will determine if you pass or not. Who am I telling this to - you are a project manager who knows "On Schedule" is an integral performance indicator.

• If a study pace is too quick, you may end up experiencing the learner's fatigue and apathy to do anything with the exam, or the quality of your preparation is not adequate because you simply didn't spent enough time and skimmed the material.
• If a study pace is too slow, you may forget what you studied several weeks ago. You may also experience the "paralysis by analysis" syndrome and look for an excuse to avoid studying. 

Finding the balance is key and staying on course with the effective behaviour is critical. Here is what worked for me:

• Setting 12 weeks from the moment I started studying to the day exam was scheduled.
• Take a closer look at your personal life and what's going on at work, outside of home. Slot the 12  weeks plan in a less busy time. Be honest and realistic to yourself. If you have a major project or significant change that will take majority of your attention and energy, PLEASE schedule your exam for a quieter times. I chose summer to take the exam, because that's when my projects slow down. People are thinking about vacations and personal life is also at a steady pace, less hauling kids to programs .
• Spent at least 1-3 hours every day during workweek.
• Spent at least 3-8 hours on Saturday AND Sunday. As you get closer to the exam date the amount of studying increases proportionately and often leans towards being 6-8 hours. DO NOT overstudy. Make sure you take breaks. 
• Breaks are important. I went for a run or a walk to boost my energy level and then would dedicate 1-3 hours for studying during workweek. 

When I first started prepping, I found tips and suggestions on setting the study schedule to be 8-9 weeks, that was not optimal for me. What works for you? 

3| Where do you start? Study Map!

1. Find a self adhesive flip-chart paper or a whiteboard or writable surface.
2. Create a large writing drawing surface, stick the flip-chart sheets together (min. 6 sheets).
3. Divide the surface into two rows the Study Map will look like this:

4. Print out the Process Groups and Knowledge Area Mapping and post it close to the Study Map. In later blogs you will learn how to visualize it during the exam.
5. Purchase printed copy of these books in the following order:
    1. PMBOK 6th Edition.
    2. The PMP Exam: How to pass on your first try by Andrew Crowe.
    3. PMP Exam Prep by Rita (RMC).

Why printed copy you may ask and why purchase if I can borrow from a library? Electronic and library books impose limitations on how you study. With printed books you can underline, mark, attach mini stickies for important or hard to remember topics. When you compare the Costs vs. Benefits, printed books, especially PMP study books often have the upper hand against electronic books. Getting printed books and materials is significantly cheaper than signing up for a bootcamp or an in class course.

Will provide my review of the above books and feedback in the next blog.