Showing posts with label PMP Live Lessons Success Stories. Show all posts
Showing posts with label PMP Live Lessons Success Stories. Show all posts

Sunday, February 04, 2024

PMP Live Lessons Success Story: The Best Course Content I’ve Ever Seen and Blindly Followed The Material To Be A PMP

By Lakshmi Narayan Dash, PMP, SAFe Agilist, CSM, ACSM


Introduction

I had been working in the IT industry for years in various administration and operation projects. I decided and wanted to go from technical responsibility to management responsibility. 

My keen desire was to learn agile well, which will help in my new responsibility. The PMP certification course has at least 50% content from Agile. This encouraged me to go for the credential.


PMP Coaching Experience

I was completely new to Agile when I began. I had one-to-one discussions, and also joined sessions in group settings. Though I was completely new to Agile, after the session and going through the material, my knowledge improved rapidly. I was giving better ideas and suggestions to the Product Owners (POs) and Scrum Masters (SMs), with whom I have been driving the project for the last three years.

Own Study

I have been trying and preparing for the exam from 2021. In the first round of my preparation, I was slow and was able to complete Integration Management. The next preparation I went through Agile content repeatedly. The material and content are the best as per my knowledge and experience.

My last preparation was a very short one and it began during the end of 2023. I had gone through the PMP Live Lessons content for a variety of questions. I had a discussion with Satya Sir. Post the discussion, 

I only prepared for Agile, Hybrid, Resource Management, Stakeholder Management, Communication Management, Quality and Procurement Management. 

I tried multiple question sets from the PMP Live Lessons. The below things helped:

  • Going through Agile content of Live Session more than 5 times and twice while going through the lesson-end questions.
  • I’ve gone through Resource Management, Stakeholder and Communication Management thrice. 
  • I nearly tried around 600 questions though I was not prepared through other knowledge areas (KAs).

Review – PMP LIVE LESSONS

PMP Live Lessons course is the best one I have ever seen. As mentioned earlier, I have been preparing since 2021. But it’s difficult from my end to pay for three years. 

Hence, I tried other free material from the internet, material from Indian Institute of Management’s (IIM) training etc. Trust me, they don’t have any substantial content. 

Please plan for 6 months PMP Live Lessons membership and blindly follow the instructions given in the live sessions. You yourself will tell where you stand after six months. Don’t miss the group classes conducted as it is a team learning with experienced managerial students. 

My suggestion will be these:

  • Active listening to the content of Live Lessons.
  • Revise with higher speed.
  • Challenge yourself by going through lesson-end and full-length questions. 
  • Repeat and improve.

PMP Exam Experience

I scheduled and took my exam at the Pearson Exam centre in Kolkata, India.

My strategy was not to leave any question as there is no negative marking. The exam is divided into three parts/sections and my goal was to complete three sections anyway as questions might be from real time, which I wanted to know and learn. 

Followings the number, content and kind of questions faced:

  • Fifty percent questions were from Agile and Hybrid.
  • Thirty percent questions were from resource management, stakeholder management and communication management.
  • Make sure we are preparing as per PMI syllabus for PMP, specifically these three domains - People, Process and Business Environment. 

My final score is shown below. 

Domain-wise, following is my score.


When I was informed that I’ve cleared the exam, at first, I could not believe it. But later it dawned upon me that I’ve indeed cleared the exam and is a certified PMP. Words cannot describe the feeling. You have to experience it yourself to know it. 

Suggestions for PMP Aspirants

Dos

Don’ts

  • If you are an experienced professional, don’t wait long to give the exam. Go and give it a shot.
  • There is no need to read the PMBOK Guide, 7th edition. I didn’t receive a single question from it.

Conclusion

I wish I could have extended access to the PMP Live Lessons. The content and questions are outstanding. 

For me, now the actual work has started. The learnings that I have had are to be used in my professional and personal lives.  Everything that you learn in your PMP journey can be planned for and be used in all spheres of your life.

Brief Profile: Lakshmi Narayan Dash, PMP, SAFe Agilist, CSM, ACSM, Leadership and Change Management  Certification from IIM-Raipur

Current Role: Agile Project Manager and Senior Scrum Master.

Brief experience details: 3.5 years with HCL, 10 years with TCS, 2 years with Deutsche Bank and 9 months with Equiniti.


 



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Wednesday, February 22, 2023

PMP Live Lessons Success Story: Tomorrow is Hope, Today is Real, Go For it Today and Be A PMP with PMP Live Lessons

By Adinarayana Murthy Bhuvanagiri, PMP

 

Introduction
I began my career in marketing and finance domains and moved my career later into the Information Technology industry. I started looking for PMP to have better career prospects and a better future. More importantly, I wanted to master the project management domain, rather than being a political expert playing politics in an organization and hanging on to a job.

I asked myself what I can do to master this topic, get a better prospect and get respect and recognition for my expertise. This led me to the PMP certification, the most well-known, influential and respected PM certification.

But easier said than done!

I knew it would be a challenging exam, and I had to prepare for it. I started my PMP journey a few years before and joined the classroom session of Satya Narayan Dash. It was completed in four days, but I took a long break due to personal commitments. But I did not give up hope.

Going for the PMP and Cracking It
I’ve been getting emails frequently (Management Yogi’s mailing list) on new management articles, new courses and above all, the Success Stories.  I would always pinch myself on it as it motivated me a lot. I again started what I could not complete earlier and started my PMP journey in May, 2022 and cleared the Exam in January, 2023.

I am proud to say that I am a PMP certified and formally qualified management guy with one of the world’s most well-known certifications. My overall score was Above Target (AT) with two ATs in three performance domains. That was very heartening.


PMP Coaching Experience
As mentioned earlier, my first coaching 35 hours of learning was from Satya’s classes. It was good, in fact, very good. And I loved it.

The project management language was new to me, so it was not initially very exciting. I merely attended as many were going for it. But when I started paying attention to it, the real learning started, and it was all fun, with the needed seriousness.

I started enjoying the session and learned a lot in the process. I learned, if we give our all, we learn the most.

After the session, I purchased the PMP Exam Prep Book, I Want to Be A PMP, 2nd Edition, written by Mr. Satya Narayan Dash. I went through the book and the 60+ videos, which came as part of the e-Book.

Later on, I purchased PMP Live Lessons Video Course, again by Satya Narayan Dash in May 2022, where my actual and final preparation started.

Own Study
After subscribing to the PMP Live Lessons, I started reading the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) Guide, 6th edition.

The PMBOK guide is like a novel, not exam preparatory material. But I’d recommend that you read the guide.

There is no need to read the PMBOK Guide, 7th edition. In fact, I didn’t face a single question from the PMBOK Guide, 7th edition in my PMP exam, though I’ve learned it from Satya’s Management Review Sessions.

I’d read two to three hours early in the morning. It’s around 4:30 AM to 7 or 7:30 AM. Before going to bed, I’d again glance at what I’ve read in the morning. This is like a revision for my earlier 2-3 hours of learning.

Along with the must-have PMP Live Lessons – Guaranteed Pass, I’d strongly recommend these two:

The best thing about the Live Lessons videos is that you can watch them as many times as you want. I want to mention one important aspect: the length of Live Lessons video is two to ten/twelve minutes maximum. Hence, you won’t be bored for sure. It keeps the pace of learning.

During my preparation, my main obstacle was time, as I was the critical resource only after my onsite manager. It created a lot of obstacles as I’ve a lot of workload. But keep your commitment, and don’t give up.

Review – PMP LIVE LESSONS
The primary reason I purchased PMP Live Lessons is to have a sound understanding of Agile and Hybrid methods, along with traditional ones. It provided me with that.

I’ve gone through the videos, and I can definitely say one thing: Whatever video I watched and re-watched is worth every minute I spent. 

Every lesson in this course is equipped with a set of Smart Cards and several practice questions with answers. I’ve gone through them and it was very helpful for me. The explanation of why an answer is correct is also quite beneficial.

As you go through and complete the lessons in the course and go through the Smart Cards, you can quickly know how much you’ve understood on the subject you have completed. There are also references to the PMBOK Guide.

Satya’s Management Review Sessions
I joined Satya’s Management Review Sessions from October 2022. Several participants also join this session, particularly those who have subscribed to his video courses. It was very helpful. Even today, I join these sessions.

These talks are a really good approach; you can ask questions directly face-to-face. This happens every week and is led by Satya. These sessions provide a lot of support for aspirants, and it’s of high value.
You can clear all your doubts and it helps a lot to improve your knowledge wherever you are lacking.

PMP Exam Experience
I went for the Online Proctored Mode for my PMP exam. My strategy was simple, and it was to take all 180 questions in the prescribed 210 minutes (3 hours 50 minutes). But the problem was sitting that long, even with breaks.

As a professional working manager, I rarely sit that long as I have to address issues or solve problems frequently. I’ve practiced five to six full-length questions to prepare for this purpose and sit for longer durations.

The following are the types of questions I faced in the exam:

  • A number of questions were on Agile and Hybrid-Agile management.
  • A large number of questions were from Procurement Management, and Resource Management.
  • A number of questions were also from Schedule Management.
  • Most of the questions were situational.
  • I didn’t receive a single mathematical question, which surprised me.

As you go through the exam, watch the clock continuously. Time flies.

I could not get enough sleep before the exam. All the Q&As were running through my mind. In fact, before the exam, I was thinking about how soon the night would be over, and I’ll sit in the PMP exam! It worked for me with a final satisfactory score.

Suggestions for PMP Aspirants
Dos:

  • Believe in yourself. You surely can do it with the right material.
  • Give your 100%, prepare for PMP preparation.
  • With the right material and practice, you can confidently give the PMP Exam.

Don’ts:

  • Don’t give up once you have started your PMP preparation.
  • Revise and rethink what you have learned earlier, and where you can apply your learning.
  • Don’t be irregular at all in your preparation. Regular preparation is the right and best way to clear the exam.

Conclusion
Finally, I want to share a small story.

I visited a car showroom to enquire about a newly launched car. The salesperson informed me about a waiting period of six months. I took the car details and the brochure and came back home.

One day the salesman called me and asked about my car purchase. I said the waiting time was too long, so I dropped the idea. The salesman replied: “Sir, if you had booked the order on your first visit, by this time, the car would have been delivered to you!”.

That made me think about PMP certification and the session I attended years before for my 35 contact hours. And I postponed it again and again!  

I realized if I kept on postponing, I’ll never be a PMP and would never have success in the exam. Then and there, I searched for Satya’s mobile number, called him immediately and informed him that this time I wanted to be a PMP without any delay at all.

So, if you plan to be a PMP, start it today. Do it today and start now.  We don’t know about tomorrow. Tomorrow is hope, and today is real.

I wish you all the best in your journey and hope this success story helps you become a PMP. Good luck!

Brief Profile
Name: Adinarayana Murthy Bhuvanagiri, PMP, SAP Certified PM
Role: Working at Wipro Technologies, as an offshore Project Manager. I’ve over a decade and half of experience in various corporations, primarily in software, finance and marketing domains.

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Friday, January 01, 2021

PMP Live Lessons Success Story: Stay Determined, You Will Be A PMP One Day

By Kavita Nambiar, PMP



Introduction

I have been performing in a Project management role for years now. My current organization has made it mandatory to be Project Management Professional (PMP®) certified for all the Project Managers (PMs). 

One of my colleagues had completed her training under Satya and had cleared the PMP examination. She recommended Satya’s training. Hence, I decided to joined enrol in his training session.



PMP 35 Contact Hours Experience

I was the first-row bencher for the 4-day of training. The only reason I sat in the first row is to avoid questions from Satya. But he made sure I was the first one to be asked! He very well understood my poker face when I could not understand a concept and would pull me into the discussion to get clarity. 

I had a fear of speaking in front of people, but he made sure that I answered (or try to answer), even if my answer was wrong. That helped me remember those questions, especially the ones I could not answer.

By the end of 4 days, it was too much information to grasp. A number of tricks and tips were shared, which made me understand the concept better. It definitely gave me the motivation and confidence of passing the PMP exam. 

Own Study

Due to my hectic work-related travel, I could not continue to do self-study. I kept on postponing my studies and preparation for the examination. Then I was told that the PMBOK® Guide, 5th edition is going to change and I should take the exam before the new course. I attempted the exam in haste. The biggest mistake I made was that I applied my practical knowledge and my own understanding compared to what has been mentioned in the PMBOK guide. I could not clear. 

I was called by Project Management Institute (PMI®) to take the second attempt with a lesser fee. Within a month I took the exam. My thought process was that I have prepared enough compared to my previous attempt. Hence, strengthening my weak areas could help me clear this time. I was wrong. I went with 80% preparation rather than 100%. I failed again. This time I was devastated. The pain of failing twice was very disheartening. 

However, I was determined that I have to clear the PMP exam no matter what. In 2019, I again got in touch with Satya and received the PMP Live Lessons. I planned to take the PMP exam by Dec 2019, however due to a full-time onsite project, I could not devote time for studies. I was also scared of taking the exam due to pure fear of failing. 

I kept on postponing and COVID pandemic started. This period actually gave me the chance and courage to utilize my time to take my PMP exam. 

Course Review – PMP Live Lessons

The videos of PMP Live Lessons are quite engaging. 

By listening to the videos, many concepts got registered in my mind. It was like attending a remote session.

I dedicated three months of study. It was very difficult for me to sit and study as I was not able to focus. It took me two weeks of time to actually start gaining knowledge. 

Then I would dedicate four hours daily on week days and six hours on weekends. I would listen to videos of one lesson (chapter), then read the PMBOK guide’s corresponding chapter and give the lesson-end test. 

I did three rounds of reading and listening in the last 3 months. The full-length questions are very helpful in revising the concepts and being careful about the tick questions. 

PMP Exam Experience

I scheduled for the online proctored exam on 19-Dec-2020. Satya had prepared me that there would be a break around the 90th question and ideally it should take 70 seconds (just over a minute) per question. I was prepared to take a break which really helped me go freshen up and have a nice cup of black coffee.

Questions Faced in the Exam

My experience on the questions faced are noted below.

  • Most of the questions were situational. For example, what would you do next? 
  • I did not have many mathematical questions fortunately as it was very difficult to write on the online white board in the proctored exam. 
  • There were few network diagram related questions. Drawing the network diagrams took more than a minute. 
  • Overall, the exam went-by very smoothly. I was able to complete the exam in 3 hours and 15 minutes – 45 minutes before the scheduled completion time. 
  • A number of questions were on stakeholder management, and communications management. 

Suggestions for PMP Aspirants

Dos 

  • Please make sure you practice sitting for studies for 2 hours every day, same time and same place. It builds a rhythm. It also takes a while to actually start learning.
  • Prepare a timetable even if you miss a few timelines. Revise the timetable and adjust according to the time left.
  • Please make sure to read and listen to videos a minimum three times. Like Satya says: “Cover to Cover. Every definition is important.”
  • Practice the online white board at-least a week before the exam. 
  • Think positive. Believe in yourself.

Don’ts

  • Do not panic during your preparation or during the exam.
  • Do not take exams and preparation lightly.
  • Do not doubt your first instinct while choosing the answer.

Conclusion

I would be more systematic and organized in my ways of working. After learning and internalizing stakeholder engagement lessons, I realized the actions or steps I have been not doing for stakeholder engagement. I will try to apply these learnings. 

Brief Profile: 

Kavita Nambiar, PMP

I currently work as a Customer Delivery Manager. I have been working with an IT organization for the last 10 years. I have been into the project management role for the last 4 yrs.




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Wednesday, November 11, 2020

PMP Live Lessons Success Story: Never Give Up, Victory is Right Around the Corner

By Vinny Dsilva, PMP



Introduction

I was introduced to the Project Management Professional (PMP®) certification by one of my friends who was aspiring to take up the certification. After doing a bit of research myself, I was clear that I wanted to get certified as a PMP. 

Having around 10 years of experience back then, I knew that PMP certification would really help me have an edge to my career. Without much delay, I registered for the classroom training sessions in March 2018.


First PMP Learning Experience

The decision was made; however, I was not completely aware of the hard work, dedication and the amount of time it will consume. Add to that, I have a full-time corporate job! 

I was fortunate enough to have the classroom training session conducted by Satya sir. His immense knowledge about project management, right guidance and tips on how to prepare for the certification gave me the confidence to prepare. I would also recommend his PMP Exam prep book- I Want To Be A PMP. The questions after each chapter, plus the full-length questions really helps you to understand how the questions would come in the exam. 

Own Study

I planned to spend a minimum of four hours every day. I would spend two hours in the morning and two hours in the evening, with some additional hours during weekends. Believe me, four hours a day with a full-time job, is not easy but fear of failing again, was the only driving factor that pushed me to work harder. 

I referred the below materials for my preparation;

Review – PMP Live Lessons

I gave my first attempt for the exam in October 2019 and did not qualify. Right then, I knew that the exam is not going to be easy. But I never wanted to give up. I immediately reached out to Satya sir. 

He helped me to identify the weak areas and guided me on how to prepare for those. Post that, I purchased the PMP Live Lessons, which really helped me to improve my score. 

I followed this approach while going through the Live Lessons:

  • I would start every chapter by going through the videos from the PMP live lesson and simultaneously make my own pointers/notes. 
  • I check and go through the PMBOK guide after each video lesson. 
  • I kept repeating this until I got familiar with each topic. 

The smart cards, ITTO video exercises at the end of each chapter would test your knowledge on each chapter. 

PMP Exam Experience

I scheduled my exam for 21st October, 2020. I opted for the centre-based testing and booked my slot at 8:00 AM. I reached the venue by 7:00 AM, however, due to COVID-19 precautions, I was only allowed to enter the premises by 7:30 AM. After completing all the formalities, I was allowed to start my exam. The entire experience was smooth and hassle free.  

I planned this thing first: NOT to spend more than a minute on each question. 

Types of Questions Faced

  • I was expecting any direct questions. And yes, very few questions were direct. However, most of the questions were situational, context based or indirect.
  • I also wasn’t expecting mathematical questions, however I got three problem solving questions from Cost management, which took some time and eventually I was running behind time.
  • Most of the questions were on:
    • Change Management
    • Risk Management and 
    • Communications Management. 
  • Make sure you read the question thoroughly and under it first. The answers can be tricky at times.

As I mentioned earlier, the biggest challenge I faced during the exam is keeping up with the time. I was left with only two seconds after I clicked the option for the last question. So please make sure you keep a close watch on the time.

When you see that Congratulations pops up on the screen, you realise that your hard work has paid off. There’s nothing more satisfying than that. You have to go through the process and earn the credential to feel and believe it. 

Suggestions for PMP Aspirants

Dos 

  • Plan well and make sure you adhere to the plan. 
  • Revise and practice as much as you can.
  • Attempt full length questions. These will help you to plan your timings while attempting the exam. 

Don’ts

  • Do not be take the examination and your preparation lightly. The exam is of high standard and the questions are tough.

Conclusion

The entire journey has been long. I would say perseverance is the key. As I wrote in the beginning: Never give up. If you believe you can, you will.


Brief Profile: 
Vinny Dsilva, Senior Manager, PMP

I work as a Senior Manager, Clinical Data Management with close to 13 year of experience in Pharmaceutical sector.



Book  for PMP exam:
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Saturday, August 15, 2020

PMP Live Lessons Success Story: A Sense of Victory After Passing One of The Toughest Certification Exams in The World

By Prasad Ramamurthy Kadambi, PMP

Introduction
I came to know about PMP® certification way back in 2007, as my manager was preparing for this credential. I finally decided to pursue it and attended Satya’s classes during weekends in February 2018. The classes were based on the 5th edition of the PMBOK® Guide.

In the class, I came to know that exams will be based on PMBOK® Guide 6th edition from March 26th, 2018.  So, one thing was very clear that it will be impossible for me to prepare in that one plus month gap. Irrespective of that, I gave one attempt on February 14th, 2019, but I could not clear the exam. I found it to be very tough. Next, I didn’t do much on this front for quite some-time. 

 My actual preparations started on December 5th, 2019 and I personally met Satya. I informed him that I want to give a second try and purchased PMP Live Lessons.
Need for A Success Story 
During my preparation, I used to read the PMP success stories and that used to increase my energy levels to put in all the efforts for the preparation needed. Whenever I feel outweighed by enormity of this challenging exam, I would read a success story. 

 Today at the end of PMP journey, I am writing my experience. I have primarily two purposes here:
  • To thank Satya because he has put in a lot of effort to make me understand the concepts.
  • To tell PMP® aspirants that it is possible to earn the credential and all you need is an honest effort from your end. 

 Own Study
 For my preparation, I referred the below ones. There are many books, courses or material in the market, but I referred ONLY the below three, nothing else at all. 

I have read PMBOK® Guide thrice, though my plan was to only read once. PMBOK guide is not an easy guide to understand, and I hardly could make out anything from it, initially. 

 Review – PMP Live Lessons
 The PMP Live Lessons course comes with a set of ‘Smart Card’ questions at the end of every lesson, which compelled me to read the PMBOK more than once. I would get a perception which I would I have missed in the earlier go. 
I really liked it as it made me read more from the PMBOK® Guide and made it more understandable along with the videos. There are days I have spent more than 6 hours on reading PMBOK® guide because of ‘Smart Card’ references per lesson or chapter. I have read once the e-Book of I Want To Be PMP.

 Coming to the videos of the Live Lesson, I have at the least seen each video 4 times and never went to the next one unless I was very sure of the current video. I realized for every 1-minute video I took 5 minutes to internalize the concept and made my own notes.

 I did not get any opportunity to look for PMP® contents outside as I found that Satya’s material is vast. I could do only 4 full length questions out of 6. However, I was consistently scoring 80% to 90% in the questions, which Satya informed to be good score to clear the exam.

 I had prepared for more than 400 hours, with 2 hours daily and 6 to 7 hours on the weekends. During the weekdays I used to get time only after 11:30 PM and I was comfortable with the schedule as there were no disturbances.

 Satya’s support was exceptional as he used to call me to clarify my doubts and, he constantly monitored my preparation. Also, throughout my preparation, I have asked him many questions, which he answered. I am grateful to him for that.

 PMP Exam Experience
 I gave my exam on August 12th, 2020 and I took it directly at the PearsonVUE centre. This is because I did not have backup power and network at home. 

 Satya always says that it is good to visit the test centre before the exam day, so I exactly did that to realize:
  • There is no parking facility and we need to find a private parking space!
This also ensured that I have no hassles on the exam day.

 I was very calm both before and during the exam, the formalities went smooth and I started to write down all the 49 processes spread across the 5 process groups (PGs) and 10 knowledge areas (KAs). I also wrote down all the formulae related to the PMP Exam. In total, it took me around 14 minutes. This you should do ONLY do after the exam has started.  

 The exam comes with an optional break of 10minutes, which is outside the exam duration. However, before the break, I could complete only 89 questions. It matches with the break, which typically happens on 89th or 90th question. 

 I did not take the break, but continued with the questions as I felt it will break my concentration and focus. I was able to complete all the questions before the stipulated duration.  Just before the 5 minutes reminder (your exam completes at the end of fourth hour), I was in the 200th question, which was a numerical one.

 When I was left with only 3 plus minutes, I submitted and instantly I saw ‘Congratulations’ message. I could not believe that at all! It took me few moments to realize and sink-in that I am a PMP now.  

 As the title of the success story tells, it’s one of the toughest exams you will ever face in your professional career, if you want to pursue a career in management. 

 Types of PMP Questions Faced
  • 95% of the questions did not exceed one and a half lines in length. However, almost all of them were situational questions. 
  • Not only the questions are situational, the choices in the answers are also situational in nature. 
  • I had only one numerical question, which is based on PERT estimation and it was a direct one. 
  • Mostly questions were on the below areas:
    • Change Requests and Change Management,
    • Risk Management,
    • Communications Management,
    • Stakeholder Management.

 My Whole PMP journey
 I have learnt a lot of lessons as I complete my PMP certification. 

 This is the first such exam what I have written and cleared after my engineering way back in 2002. I had a perception that management is not similar to engineering in concepts, but I was wrong. Management concepts and application of those concepts are very logical, thoughtful and many-times driven by analysis, modelling and calculations. 

 I loved all the efforts that went in, my sacrifices and the whole journey. 

 Suggestions for Aspiring PMPs
 Dos
  • Internalize the concepts, as I have said before. It was not easy for me. 
  • Read all the related content to the PMP exam, which Satya publishes in sites such as MPUG and the current site.
  • Be very critical while you prepare, manage time and try to relax in between the preparation. I was never frustrated as I gave all the efforts needed during my preparation.
  • Ask questions to Satya then and there, not later. 
  • PMBOK Guide is the Gold Standard for project management, so read it as and when the PMP Live Lessons course mandates.
  • Plan, plan and plan as much as it is practical during the preparation and for the exam day.
Don’ts 
  • Unless the concept is clear there is no way to clear the exam as we cannot guess the answers. So, try to get what the videos in the PMP Live Lessons emphasises and do NOT click next video without understanding the concept.
  • The PMP Live Lessons course cannot be taken as just another video course to browse through. You need to involve completely to the get the concept clear and make your own notes.
  • Whenever the PMP Live Lessons course mandates a revision, do revise. Do NOT ignore it. 

 Conclusion
The journey was great and there is a sense on contentment, lots to learn and I loved the whole experience. The PMP certification is not a candy certification. To earn it, you must put in the needed effort. As I write this success story, I believe it is true and as mentioned before, you only must put an honest and sincere effort. 

 Brief Profile:
Prasad Ramamurthy Kadambi, PMP.
I have been working in information technology sector and I have around 16 years of experience in this sector.



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Friday, February 14, 2020

PMP Live Lessons Success Story: Success is No Accident – It Requires Hard Work, Perseverance, Learning, Sacrifice and Above All, Love What You Are Doing

By Poornima Nagaraja, PMP


Introduction
I’ve been into the information technology (IT) industry for over thirteen years and have always heard of PMP® certification and its global recognition. I was able to gather useful information about the value of PMP credential through various means such as friends, colleagues, and social media. All of these inspired me to go for this certification. 

 Further, I personally explored more about PMP certification and finally decided to go for it as I strongly believed this knowledge will help me to add more value to my project management skills, and give the best value while aiding my day to day responsibilities.

 PMP 35 Contact Hours Experience
My preference has been classroom sessions as it’s more interactive, and also for me it’s more serious and attentive. Classroom sessions are livelier, will have a lot of questions and answers as well as knowledge sharing. However, these can only happen if the trainer or coach allows such participation, interactions and addresses the questions. 
After all my research I decided to go for classroom training. I’ve never met Satya before I attended his classroom sessions. He was our trainer for the 4-day classroom session. 

 I must say that I was lucky to have him as the trainer. He is passionate about teaching, has very great and in-depth knowledge and explains the concepts in a more practical and realistic way with real time examples. In addition, he shares a large number of tips, which are very useful for the exam. 

 By the end of the sessions, I was able to remember all complex formulas related to two-pass techniques. I was able to easily write and sequence all the 49 processes cutting across the various Process Groups (PGs) and Knowledge Areas (KAs). 

 Own Study
I used below materials for my PMP Exam preparation:
Immediately after my classes, I received the 35 contact hours certificate. Next, I took around 2 to 3 weeks to read Satya’s “I Want To Be PMP” e-Book. It was a great learning experience. 

 I love the way this book is written with a lot of tips. All the key ITTO are highlighted in different colors, which makes it easy to read and understand. My first walkthrough of this e-book was a great experience. After that I took a few months break due to my office work and other things due to which I could not focus on my preparation seriously. 

 Again, in mid-2019, I started studying, but it was not at a continuous stretch and frequent in-between gaps. While you study PMBOK for the first time you will definitely not understand anything and it’s absolutely fine. Hence, I read the “I Want To Be A PMP” book and PMBOK, chapter wise.

 Though I was preparing, my serious preparation actually started from September, 2019. I made up my mind and first submitted my application. By this time, I’ve purchased the PMP Live Lessons course from Satya as well. 

 My application was selected for PMI’s Audit. I followed through the audit process and my PMP Application was finally approved in November, 2019. Thanks to my Manager for extending all the help and support for the PMP Audit process. Next, I booked my exam date for January 2020. 

 This was my approach for the final (and real) PMP preparation for 3 to 4 months:
  • I used to study during weekdays for around 2 hours and on weekends for 8-10 hours.
  • I referred PMP Live lessons course and the PMBOK Guide to ensure all my concepts are very clear. I followed each and every tip Satya has given and solved all the lesson/chapter end questions from the Live Lessons. 
  • I started solving full-length questions from December, 2019 from PMP Live Lessons. This gave me more confidence. I also took a few full-length questions from Prep Cast Simulator. All these questions sets are key for my success. 
  • Questions from the PMP Live Lessons should be your Master Set. I must say that the questions are of the highest quality and quite tough. It made me prepare for the tougher questions and how to approach the exam along with time management.
  • I read the PMBOK glossary before your exam. It is a must and it is another round of revision to remember all key terms and terminologies.
  • I used to practice all the formulas and charts with all the 49 processes and sequencing them multiple times. I was able to write within 10-12 minutes.

Throughout my preparation, I’ve called and reached out to Satya multiple times. It was through emails and direct calls. He was always available to clarify all my doubts. His clarifications with proper justifications helped me a lot to keep concepts fresh in my mind. Thank You Satya!

 Also, during my free time/driving time, I used to recall all the process names, KEY ITTO for each process, and recall all the formulas. These helped me a lot.

 My parents, my husband, and my five-year old son were a BIG support for me during my preparation. I had to sacrifice all the play time with my son until my exam was done, and my son was very co-operative and for his age. He was very wise to understand that “his mother has an exam and he should not disturb😊”.

 Review – PMP LIVE LESSONS
To be very direct and straight, in order to clear the PMP Exam, you only need to have PMP Live Lessons and the PMBOK guide. They are definitely enough. PMP Live Lessons has great content, well organized and structured. It helps you very easily to understand the concepts.
There are around 200 questions at the end of every chapter (lesson). And they are worth it. It was a game changer for me as it improved my confidence. After reading the PMBOK guide and other materials, I was yet not sure about my preparation. In fact, I read the PMBOK five to six times. 

 But I gained good confidence ONLY after solving question sets from Live lessons. With it, I understood the way questions can appear in the exam. As mentioned earlier, Satya’s Questions sets are really very hard and if you can solve and score around 70% to 75%, then the real exam will be a cake walk for you. 

 In fact, in Satya’s question sets I was only able to score around 65% to 70%, whereas with Prep Cast Simulator my score was in the range of 85% to 90%. As I said, if you can score in the aforementioned range for PMP Live Lessons’ question sets, you are ready to sit in the exam.  

 The Live Lessons is filled with Yogic Tips, Yogic Revision, numerous ITTO Exercises, ECO Exercises, Process Flow Exercises. These will help you to understand and remember the concepts very easily and it stays fresh in your mind.

 PMP Exam Experience
I had scheduled my exam at 8AM on 17th January, 2020 at Pearson Center, Central Street, Shivajinagar, Bangalore. One week before the exam, I had visited the exam center to avoid any confusion on my exam day.

 On the D-day, my exam commenced after all the formalities. And this is how I proceeded:
  • As it started, I quickly wrote down all the formulas and 49 processes cutting across the PGs and KAs.
  • To be on the safer side, I made up my mind to choose the best answer and continued to do so. I believed this will help me – if towards the end I don’t have time for review. 
  • The first 92 questions were very tough and I took almost 2.5 hours (out of 4 hours) to complete. I was just left with 1.5 hour with 108 questions remaining. I went ahead and tried to increase my speed. I was able to solve 199 questions.
  • I had marked question number 66 earlier and it was my last question, before submitting. But while solving the last question, my time was complete and the computer system took over the control.

A Congratulation message was flashed on the Screen. I received ABOVE TARGET in all the Process Groups. 


My strategy was to choose the best possible answer, though I did not have time to review the questions towards the end. It was still good for me as the result finally flashed on my screen. 

 I faced the following types of questions:
  • Questions were mostly tricky, and situational. I had very less straightforward questions.
  • I had just four formula-based questions. 
  • I faced questions from Communications Management and Stakeholder Management. You see there are a number of overlapping areas in these two. 
  • A number of questions were from Change Management. I also faced a number of questions from Procurement Management, Integration Management and Schedule Management. 
  • Overall, I would rate the questions’ complexities from moderate to high.

 Suggestions for PMP Aspirants
Dos: 
  • Study consistently and continuously. 
  • Read, listen until the concepts are clear. Practice makes a man perfect. Solve as many questions as you can. 
  • Follow and practice an effective time management approach while solving questions. Keep a target time for each question, that will be very helpful during the real exam.
Don’ts: 
  • Do not waste time on unnecessary questions available on the Internet or Play store apps. Solve ONLY HIGH-QUALITY questions.

Conclusion
I will ensure to use the knowledge gained in my regular day to day activities. I’ll also contribute, mentor and share my knowledge and continue to learn. There is no end to learning.

 Brief Profile:
Poornima Nagaraja, PMP. I’ve over thirteen years of experience and currently working as a Quality Assurance (QA) Manager at Infor. 



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