Often touted as “ideal targeted training” for the Project Management Professional (PMP) exam, many people find PMP boot camps are an attractive option for exam preparation.

While boot camps are designed to deliver noticeable results with a high-output of effort in a short period of time, the drawbacks of choosing this path for exam preparation often outweigh the benefits.

Bootcamps may work for some because the instructors are usually highly qualified with master’s degrees, prior training, and years of industry experience. Most also offer a pass guarantee and will assume financial risk if you fail. They may offer to pay for your exam re-take or provide custom coaching and feedback.

Quoting high first- and second-time pass rates, boot camp programs claim to be the ideal package for exam preparation, often including the PMBOK® Guide, a prep guide, test-style prep questions, and meals during classroom sessions. If you would like a surefire way to pass the PMP Exam in a short period of time, then a boot camp may be just what you’re looking for.

However, PMP boot camps definitely have their share of drawbacks and these drawbacks are the reason why I never recommend a bootcamp to any of my students.


Reason #1: Boot camps are expensive.

Designed to be the ideal all-in-one exam preparation experience, the sheer cost of boot camps make them less-than-ideal for those of us on a budget. An intensive 4-day course can cost you several thousand dollars, depending on your location, whether it’s a busy time of year, and the availability of included amenities. While the up-front cost may seem astronomical, check to see if it includes the actual PMP exam fee and comes backed with a pass guarantee. Most boot camp companies will offer to cover tailored tutoring and re-take exam fees if you fail the first or second time. If you fail a third time, they may even offer to let you take the entire 4-day course over again for free.

But all of this comes at a cost. Essentially a pay-to-pass program, boot camps pump a large amount of students through a short-term, high-yield course. Boot camps may only be a viable option if time is more valuable to you than money.

Reason #2: Boot camps are inconvenient.

Unless you live in a large urban area where a course is offered, the 4-day boot camp will usually require travel and hotel accommodations. For most project managers with jobs and families, dropping their responsibilities for four days is not only inconvenient, it’s impossible. Work and life does not stand still (or even slow down!) just because you have an important exam to pass. Most project managers require – and work best with – a study schedule that fits with their lifestyle instead of interrupting it.

Reason #3: Boot camps focus on memorization.

As you are already aware, the PMP Exam is based on concepts from the PMBOK® Guide. Specific principles include communication, cost management, human resources, integration, procurement, quality, risk, scope, and time management. The material is broad and the data is often in-depth. So, how do boot camps ensure you thoroughly master and understand these concepts in a mere four days? They don’t.

There is absolutely not enough time in four days to extensively cover concepts and in-depth data. Instead, boot camps focus on rote memorization of high-yield material. While they may be able to guarantee a “first-time pass”, boot camps cannot and do not offer an education that will help you with project management beyond the exam.


Reason #4: Boot camps have limited schedules and openings.

As noted above, the inconvenience of boot camps is often rooted in their location and need for travel away from home. On top of that, many boot camps have limited space and are only able to offer sessions at certain times of the year. If you thought taking time off from work and your family would be difficult, try doing it around their schedule instead of your own. The only available times may be during a busy work crunch or stressful family situation. At best, this may be inconvenient. Often, it is impossible. Project managers with home and work commitments will usually have better success with a study schedule or workshop that still allows them to fulfill their home and work responsibilities.

Reason #5: Boot camp training focuses on passing the exam instead of teaching concepts.

The material on the PMP exam is broad and in-depth. If you are not already familiar with concepts covered in the PMBOK Guide, boot camps will not be able to help you in a mere four days. As noted in their “guarantee”, boot camps only promise to help you pass the exam. They do not offer an education that will guide or assist you through your career.

One of the secret ingredients to doing well on the PMP exam is understanding of project management principles, both individually and how they work together. Instead of focusing on competency, boot camps rely on rote memorization of high-yield material. While this may result in a high first-time pass rate, it does not ensure that the project manager has learned any skills or gained experience that will help their career beyond exam day.

In conclusion, if your goal is to simply pass the PMP exam without learning new techniques to improve your project management skills, then a boot camp may be just what you’re looking for. If you are unemployed, single without familial commitments, have more money than you know what to do with, and are simply looking to add credentials to your CV, then a 4-day PMP boot camp will probably serve you well. However, if you are genuinely interested in becoming a better project manager on the road to excelling on the PMP exam, then a more in-depth study approach is what you want.

Successfully passing the PMP Exam and achieving lasting and positive effects on your project management skills involves daily study time for 10 to 12 weeks. Individuals that choose to study on their own should read the PMBOK® Guide twice, utilize an additional PMP self-study preparation book, listen to a PMP Exam Podcast, and tackle as many sample exam questions as possible. Individuals that prefer the structure of a classroom schedule should select a training class that meets for several weeks. Self-study at home will complement the in-class lectures and further solidify the information. Following this approach will ensure that you not only pass the exam, but become a superior project manager along the way.

This is a nice tip , that PMEA would like to share it with you. This tips is a small guide about How/ what you will do in the PMP exam day.

• Arrive early on exam day , at least 2 hours
• Make sure to have ( PMP Mind Map , PMP Process Group , PMP ITTO , PMP exam formula  ) with you. This will help you as quick review.
• Bring 2 forms of ID.
• Print  letter from PMI.
• You will be assigned a small locker in the exam center.
• They will give you sheets of paper, 3 pencils and a calculator
• They will escort you to your seat
• You will walk through instructions for taking the exam
• You have 15 minutes to complete the instructions ( you can use this time to right down the PMP formula in the sheet paper which they gave it to you )
• You have 60 seconds to start the online test after completing the instructions
• Once you begin the test, you have 4 hours. The clock does not stop if you take a break
• This advice from PMEA on taken the exam

•  
  1. Answer 75 Questions  
  2. Break  for 2 To 3 min.
  3. Answer 75 Questions
  4.  Break 2 To 3 min.
  5. 50 Questions
  6. Review and close.

  
  

  • No talking
  • People will come and go, but don’t let this shake you.
  • Read the answers from the bottom up.
  • If you are unsure of an answer, do not guess on the first pass. Simply mark the question for review
  • Do not struggle too long on one question. Mark it for review and come back to it at the end.
  • Once you get to the end, you can then review the questions you previously marked. Many of these answers will now come quickly
  • After completing the questions marked for review, you can now click on “Complete “
  • It will prompt you “are you sure”
  • Once you choose yes or ok, the system will take around 2 to 3 min to calculate the result.
  • Once complete the words “Congratulation You passed” appear on the screen.
  • Your test results are then printed with the attendant.
  • The attendant will give you a certified copy of your test results
  • You will receive certification via mail

 
 Good Luck,

To be frank. Most of the management they think that the project manger he is the main reason behind failure project. In fact, this is not true under some circumstances. Yes some time the project manager will be part of reasons that drive the project to fail. however in this post PMEA will give the TOP 10 Most Common Reasons ( Sign ) For Project Failure.

1. Project based on CEO’s dream.

If the project dose not have a business value then no need to have it and it will be westing of time  to kick-it off.  Because you can’t identify the ROI ( Return Of Investment ) of the project

2. Project Sponsor is not free and so busy to listen from project manager about project.

The project sponsor is a key to support project manager during project. If the sponsor is not free and he can’t listen to the project manager for the issue and the need of the project then from where the project manager can get the required support for his project.

3. Project Duration & Budget prepared  by management.

How the project manager will be accountable for time and budget if he did not involve in with his team to estimate project cost and duration.

4. The management want to start project execution without giving any support or value to planning phase.

This also common paretics with management. they asking to execute project as soon as possible without giving any attention to planning phase because they think that the planning phase is westing of time and can be done during execution and this is not true. in fact the more time that you spending doing a good planning this will be in smooth execution.

5. Functional Manager providing the wrong resources to project manager.

When the project manager asking  for having resource to his project the functional manager providing  either  wrong resources or with right resources who are are fully engaged with other activities.

6. customer representative accept work formally but refuses to put it in writing.

Sometime project time spend a lots of time to get the signature from customer while he accept the work or the scope.

7. Project Manager is too worried about losing job or making people angry.

This may happened if the project manager hired part-time  job , in the case the management need to give more attention to this case because the project manager it may give more time to project because he dose not want to lose his job or he may quite before completing the work.
8. Assign the technical expert to be Project Manager.

This common with most of the management,  because they think the expert person on the technical side can manage project and this is not true. because the project manager value come from the communication and controling project. In fact 90% from his time will be in communication. However the technical expert will work beside the project manager as subject matter expert.

9. Poor Project Documentation

Documentation  and archiving in project manager is one of the key value to track project. specially if the project executing under contract or the project duration very long.

10.Poor Stakeholder engagement

Stakeholder engagement is other main value that can help for successful project implementation. However  in that same time poor involvement or identifying right stakeholder will have negative impact on project and it will dive to a failure project.

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