Ride with me (January contd.)--3
I read Chapter 4 from the PMBOK which is about Integration. I followed the processes along with Nielsen’s PDF’s to familiarize my self with both the KA’s and the processes. I answered the Anbari questions for chapter 1-4.
Any ways I then read the next three chapters on Scope, Time and Cost. Followed along with Nielsen’s PDF’s and answered the related Anbari questions.
Well I did better this time around on the questions. One I read the PMBOK properly and two, I already answered the questions previously. But still there were only a few (like less then three), that I was able to recall from the last time I answered the questions.

Misc.: School work is taking its toll on me now. So everyday I study/do homework for one of my classes, and then try to catch up on CAPM material at least once every two days. Some times it has been three, also.

EZ

Note: No comments/questions/suggestions for a while?

Ride with me (January contd.)--2

Alright here is what I was able to do over the weekend. I familiarized myself with the 44 processes. I think I know the KA’s and the processes that fall under each KA. I read the first three chapters of the PMBOK.

Misc.: Briefly read the Wall Street Journal and All my books for school are finally here. I watched the NFL playoffs.

Also can some one answer my questions in the CAPM forum?

EZ

***I am reposting this because the last post has crazy formatting.*** I am sorry I was not able to write much since last week. I have not done much as I still have some lingering effects of the cold.
Here is what I did since 1/6/06.

I went through the Anbari questions again; I also went through Rita’s flash cards again.
I downloaded Shameer Sam’s ITTO. (http://pmhub.net/files/PMP2005/ShameerITTO.xls)
Then I played around with it to get the inputs, outputs and TT’s for individual knowledge areas.
I also downloaded all Eric Nielsen’s 47 pdf’s. (http://pmhub.net/index.php?id=file&path=/EricDailyPMP)

I liked Eric’s methodology, i.e he breaks up the 44 processes by the Project management process (i.e. initiation, planning, execution, monitor & control, closing). And SrTim mentioned in his posting to focus on the process so this was helpful.

Sunday (1/08/06) and Monday (1/09/06) I spent on the Nielsen Pdf’s and the shameer sam ITTO. Looking at them together helped me put all the processes in to a proper framework. It helped me understand how an individual process fits in to a Knowledge Area and at the same time how it fits in to a PM process.

Remember I mentioned that the JM book was not based on PMBok (3rd ed.), well I couldn’t find the CD that came with my membership. So I ordered the book (PMBok (3rd ed.)) last Friday (1/6). It arrived a couple of days ago. I plan to read that cover to cover.

On Tuesday I took my first PMCampus 200 questions ‘PMP exam ‘. Well I did not do too well. I scored 61%. I am still not sure how to analyze my results. Because this was a PMP practice exam so should I add a few points because I am taking the CAPM exam? I recalculated the scores manually after taking out the professional responsibility questions. Well it only went up to 63%.

If 63% is the number I have to go by then I have to prepare a lot. Also is there a cheaper option of buying PMP/CAPM questions. I guess it is hard to even buy from others because of the change in the exam.
Which reminds me has any one taken Eric Nielsens new exam on pmhub, the one that costs about twenty five dollars? The ad mentions that they will analyze your scores and send you an email and in the FAQ’s they mention that it will be helpful for CAPM candidates. Can any one or Eric himself tell me if they analyze the responses by exam (CAPM or PMP)? Does any one have comments on this exam.


And then I did the usual read a little bit from Time, US news and Fast Company. I just got started on the new issue of PM network. I read the news letter though. One of the article in FastCompany is about a Robyn Singh from Los Angeles, I forgot his company’s name. Anyways this guy has his own LSAT training company. He got a perfect score on the LSAT not once, not twice but twelve times. Wish I could get a perfect score on my CAPM exam!!!

I will be busy this weekend with other stuff. I have to start preparing for the next term at school. I have ordered some of the books online. One of them hasn’t arrived and just going back and forth with the different sellers is time consuming. I use www.cmpusi.com, in case anyone was wondering. I ordered the PMBOK through this place too. It basically searches for books. It works similar to www.mysimon.com. I got a new soft back PMBOK for about thirty dollars. I paid extra because I asked for priority shipping other wise you can get it for around thirty bucks which is less then the PMI price. But I guess you are helping the PMI organization when you buy from them. Well a poor student deserves a pass on this.

I am planning to retake the PMCampus exam some time soon (middle of next week), go over my college material and I have to get ready for a training session that we are holding at work.  I think this will keep me busy for the next week or so.

I am sorry I was not able to write much since last week. I have not done much as I still have some lingering effects of the cold. Here is what I did since 1/6/06. I went through the Anbari questions again; I also went through Rita’s flash cards again. I downloaded Shameer Sam’s ITTO. (http://pmhub.net/files/PMP2005/ShameerITTO.xls) Then I played around with it to get the inputs, outputs and TT’s for individual knowledge areas. I also downloaded all Eric Nielsen’s 47 pdf’s. (http://pmhub.net/index.php?id=file&path=/EricDailyPMP) I liked Eric’s methodology, i.e he breaks up the 44 processes by the Project management process (i.e. initiation, planning, execution, monitor & control, closing). And SrTim mentioned in his posting to focus on the process so this was helpful. Sunday (1/08/06) and Monday (1/09/06) I spent on the Nielsen Pdf’s and the shameer sam ITTO. Looking at them together helped me put all the processes in to a proper framework. It helped me understand how an individual process fits in to a Knowledge Area and at the same time how it fits in to a PM process. Remember I mentioned that the JM book was not based on PMBok (3rd ed.), well I couldn’t find the CD that came with my membership. So I ordered the book (PMBok (3rd ed.)) last Friday (1/6). It arrived a couple of days ago. I plan to read that cover to cover. On Tuesday I took my first PMCampus 200 questions ‘PMP exam ‘. Well I did not do too well. I scored 61%. I am still not sure how to analyze my results. Because this was a PMP practice exam so should I add a few points because I am taking the CAPM exam? I recalculated the scores manually after taking out the professional responsibility questions. Well it only went up to 63%. If 63% is the number I have to go by then I have to prepare a lot. Also is there a cheaper option of buying PMP/CAPM questions. I guess it is hard to even buy from others because of the change in the exam. Which reminds me has any one taken Eric Nielsens new exam on pmhub, the one that costs about twenty five dollars? The ad mentions that they will analyze your scores and send you an email and in the FAQ’s they mention that it will be helpful for CAPM candidates. Can any one or Eric himself tell me if they analyze the responses by exam (CAPM or PMP)? Does any one have comments on this exam. And then I did the usual read a little bit from Time, US news and Fast Company. I just got started on the new issue of PM network. I read the news letter though. One of the article in FastCompany is about a Robyn Singh from Los Angeles, I forgot his company’s name. Anyways this guy has his own LSAT training company. He got a perfect score on the LSAT not once, not twice but twelve times. Wish I could get a perfect score on my CAPM exam!!! I will be busy this weekend with other stuff. I have to start preparing for the next term at school. I have ordered some of the books online. One of them hasn’t arrived and just going back and forth with the different sellers is time consuming. I use www.cmpusi.com, in case anyone was wondering. I ordered the PMBOK through this place too. It basically searches for books. It works similar to www.mysimon.com. I got a new soft back PMBOK for about thirty dollars. I paid extra because I asked for priority shipping other wise you can get it for around thirty bucks which is less then the PMI price. But I guess you are helping the PMI organization when you buy from them. Well a poor student deserves a pass on this. I planning to retake the PMCampus exam some time soon (middle of next week), go over my college material and I have to get ready for a training session that we are holding at work. I think this will keep me busy for the next week or so.

Ride with me (1/5/06)

Ok then I will posting both in the blog section and the forum section. Personally I like the forum section. One I get some responses, so if I have any problems, there is a better chance of getting a response here. And two it seems that more people read the forum section therefore it might be helpful for a lot more people.
Alright I think I have run in to minor problem here. Remember the JP book I bought in September. Turns out it was based on PMBOK 2000. So I have to read the PMBOK 3rd edition again properly. I will take another practice exam and decide when to take the CAPM. I still feel alright, the material that I studied is not too far off from the CAPM material.
Remember I traveled last weekend. Well I have been sick ever since. My sleep pattern has been crazy. On top of that it was a hectic day at work today, and I am expecting the same tomorrow. One of my projects is coming to an end towards the end of this month, and that will require additional time.
The ShameersamITTO was helpful. I also went through the Rita flash cards again, I will review the Anbari Q & A's now. And then try to take the PMCampus practice exam. I kind of like the old one with process definitions and reminder phrases like (the quality 3 pac, for quality planning,quality assurance and quality control). I came up with some cheesy ones my self, but I will post them some other time.
Hopefully I will be able to register for an exam this month. Well before that I should be confident that I will do well on the exam. But then if school starts then I will not have enough time to devote towards the CAPM exam.
Catch-22: take it early and not do too well; or delay and risk not taking it until summer (April may be May or June). who knows? I will try to figure this out soon.

In the mean time take care and take it easy.

EZ

You can follow the discussion at:
http://forums.pmhub.net/viewtopic.php?t=8055&sid=8001f8d75c8f8079861d77286bf
96c2d

But here is what I have posted so far----

I thaught that it may be helpful to share my experiences while I am on my way to attempt the CAPM exam.
To begin with I have bachelor’s degree in Economics. During undergrad and afterwords I worked on a number of projects, but bear in mind I was not running them. I was in a projectized environment. I was more on the quality assurance/quality control side of business. And in the past couple of years my involvement in projects has decreased. Now I am in a matrix environment.
I have the qualifications to attempt the PMP exam but I would prefer going the CAPM route. First off, I do not have an incentive to take the exam, because one, it is not required by my organization, and two I am not planning to leave this position as I enjoy my work. But I have embarked on this journey because I see the value in learning project management techniques and processes. If not today it will be helpful in the future.
I am also taking a graduate coursework to finish my Masters in Management Information System. I also passed my A+ computer certification about six or seven years ago.
In mid September 2005 a friend mentioned about the PMP exam. I was immediately interested. I did a little research and found about the CAPM exam. I decided that I would prepare for the CAPM exam. I am always pressed for time as I have work and school to attend. I have been spending a lot of time during school breaks and a little bit on the train to work studying for the CAPM exam.
Well this is my background, and in the upcoming posts I will share my experiences with you all on my journey towards successfully passing the CAPM exam

ez
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Ride with me (resources)

I have purchased the following items already
1) Books
-CAPM Certified Associate in Project Management Exam Guide with CDROM by Joseph Phillips
- Hot Topics Flashcards For Passing the PMP and CAPM Exams by Rita Mulcahy
- Q & A's for the PMBOK Guide by Frank T. Anbari

2) Subscriptions
Wall Street Journal (ended in November)
Fast Company
Time
News Week
PMI newsletter and other materials

3) Exams:
- 400 questions from PMCAMPUS.com
- There are two full length exams with the Joe Philips book (one on CD and one online)

4) Other Books
- Freakonomics by Steven Levitt; Stephen J. Dubner
- Good to Great by James C. Collins; Jim Collins
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Ride with me (September/October 2005)

Mid September I got interested in preparing for the CAPM exam. I researched (i.e. googled) online and for no particular reason bought ‘CAPM Certified Associate in Project Management Exam Guide with CDROM by Joseph Phillips’. But I did find it helpful. I finished reading the book by mid October. And in early October I concluded that it was worth becoming a PMI member (www.pmi.org). By late October I was a member, and it is well worth it. I have mentioned the subscriptions and other non project management books as my resources for a reason. You have to read the and comprehend the questions properly in order to answer them correctly. If you read at a higher level you will have a better chance of comprehending the exam questions. Princeton review and Kaplan (not sure) give there students a six month subscription to the Wall Street Journal or the Economist when they register for the MCAT exam (Medical College Admission Test) which is one the tougher exams out there. Just reading the PMI material is helpful.
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Ride with me (November 2005)

The first time I read the Joseph Phillips book I wrote down extra terms that I felt were important. The book has a word list at the end of each chapter; I added my terms to this list. I also wrote down the page numbers next to each term. Each chapter has summary and quick tips after each chapter. In late November around the thanksgiving break I read the summary and quick tips. And also reviewed the terms my terms and the ones listed in the book. I took the first exam on the CD that cam with the Joseph Phillips (JP) book. I scored around 75% and this is considered not good according to the reference material. I compared the JP book with the PMBOK CD that came with my membership, and they are similar.
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Ride with me (December 2005)

In mid December I applied for my CAPM eligibility online. They replied back within a few days. I ws eligible to take the exam, but I could still be audited. On December 21st I ordered the Rita Flashcards and Q & A's for the PMBOK Guide by Frank T. Anbari. I started reading online forums etc. Rita’s books came up quiet often in discussions. I did not want to spend a lot so I only bought the flash cards. On December 22nd I took a sample exam (25 questions) offered by PMCampus.com. I scored 60% which is not good. I forgot what I read. I downloaded an ITTO table from PMHUB. This time I referenced the JP book with the ITTO table. I had a better understanding after reading the book again. I re-read the entire book between December 23 and 26 (i.e Christmas break). I got busy with school and could only get back to CAPM preparation after the fall term.
After reading the first three chapters I took a chapter test on pmstudy.com. I scored around 80% on a 50 question framework exam. Then I was able to take a 12 question test for 3 pdus. I scored a 100%.
On December 27th I retook the sample exam (25 questions) offered by PMCampus.com. I scored 80% this time. I reviewed the ITTO and skimmed through the JP book. I downloaded some more files from PMHUB. I still felt that the ITTO file was the most helpful.
On December 29th I took a 200 question PMP exam from pmstudy.com. I scored 60% hich was not good, but I felt ok as this is a harder exam then the CAPM one. I liked the chapter test from pmstudy.com but the sample exam was not very helpful. May be if Ipaid for one of their exam I may get a better exam.

December 29th-Jan 2nd I was on a road trip.
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Ride with me (January 2006)

January 2nd: I did a quick review of the ITTO document and the JP book (summary and quick tips). I took the online bonus exam offered by the JP book. I got 118 correct out of 150. That is 78.7 %. Even though it is considered not good I felt ok.

January 3rd: I received the Rita flash cards and the Anbari Q and A book. I went through the flash cards, and decided to go over the Q and A’s the next day. I was not impressed by Rita's flashcards. The one thing that I read in the begining that was helpful was that the CAPM exam does not cover the professional responsibility section.
I also bought the 400 question package from PMCampus.com. They only take paypal or echeck. Eventhough these are PMP oriented question, I was impressed by the sample exam. It gives you a breakdown by process group and by knowledge area.

January 4th: I am planning to register for the exam. I would like to take it before January, so that there is no conflict with my next term. My next term will be very hectic. Hopefully I will not have any problems. I would like to finish the Anbari questions (200). Take the two PMCampus exams (400). Retake atleast one exam from the JP book (150). If time and money permit take an esti-intl exam (150)
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Ride with me (1/4/06)

No offense taken guest. One if there were 2000 people doing this then I wouldnt be doing it too. Just not my style. Two you can always learn from the experiences of others.
Thanks for the positive vibes elceem and jimowens. Elceem, I did get the inspiration to write about my experiences from another writer (not that I can consider myself anything close to one), I forget her name but she wrote a series of ten columns on gannthead.com I believe. By the way Jim I meant that I was not the project manager or director. As far as experience is concerned I had a lot of responsibility and decision making authority on the projects I worked. But it does not matter as I am more concerned about passing the CAPM exam now. Also I am trying to keep my expenses down for this exam.

Jan 4th: I finished the Anbari Q & A's. I did not fare too well. I got 144 out of 200 correct. That is 72% which is very close to the 65% needed to pass the CAPM. I will go over the inputs and outputs again. Does any one know where I can find an ITTO based on the PMBOK 3rd edition.

I did not do much today. I was not feeling well and decided to rest. But then again, I ended up watching the Texas-USC game. wow what a come back.
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I started posting on the forum section about my experience. And some one suggested that I write blogs instead, so here I am.

I will post some messages shortly, or when I have my thoughts together.