CAPM Preparation

My sabbatical's over and I need to focus back on my studies for CAPM. I have tried hard to forget the pains of not getting it last time and with some other issues all snowballed into one it has been one heck of a tough time.

I function better in a scheduled environment, so no matter how tought it seems it's time to get back. I will be sharing my plans for the exam. As of now my primary goal is to get back to my study materials and not forget what I have been studying.

The goal is to be as prepared as I was on the day of exam and start from there with other prep materials. I haven't scheduled exam dates anymore but I am hopeful I will be taking it during December.

Here's my plan from tomorrow-

5.30 am -Wake up and out for my walk

6.00am- Back to my apartment and half an hour of yoga

6.30am- Shower and tea

7.00am- Exam Prep

8.15am- Start getting ready for work.

8.40am- Off to work

8.30om- Back home

9.30pm-Prep

11.00- Sleep

The schedule is not going to work perfectly right now since my sister flew in from London a few days back and it has been rather hectic. However, I am sure I will be back to this schedule very soon. As much as I would love to include a few more hours of studies it seems possible only on weekends. I might squeeze in an hour or so while travelling and during lunch.

(Pics: Google Images)

Dear Reader

Dear Reader/s,
Thank you all for the comment/s and encouragement for the blog. I appreciate the feedback and encouragement through your comments and emails.

When you leave comments like one given below, please make sure I have a way to get back to you. If you are not comfortable sharing your information in the blog, please email. I don't discuss my emails publicly.

So, the anonymous user, thank you for sharing the thought and we would like to know a lot more about your transition.
Soma, for what it's worth, I sucessfully made the move you're trying to make. I started my career as a lowly buyer with no engineering experience and made my way into project then program management. I'd be glad to offer my thoughts if you're interested.

Yours Sincerely,

Project Management- art or science?

Introduction into PM always initiates with a debate, the authenticity of it being either a scientific process, more of a technique done perfectly well only by technical experts or the art of doing it all well and keeping the team intact. What is more important supervising the software architecture or having a perfect team?

PM I think is both an amalgamation of art and science. Fascinating!

The technique, methodology, planning, software usage, efficiency calculations are ongoing features for a project; however soft skills are an equally important counterpart. As they say PM is 90% communication and is all about the people.

No technique or scientific analysis can solve the issues of resource management. What do you do when an I-am-all-technical brains doesn’t co-operate with the other team members? There are no calculations available to save the day.

You cannot say -Here's your project. Come back in six months with it done right. Odds are it’s easy to become technically sound to an extent but it’s tougher to work with various personalities and keep your team together. So, for all the to-be-PM’s (including me) it’s more important to understand your team and the people you work with.

Here are few pointers that I try to follow-

• Respect- Treat others as you like to be treated yourself.
• Welcome- Give new members a hearty welcome and make them feel comfortable.
• Plan- Your work should be water-tight-compartment-like planned ( I try).
• Care -Once in a while I bring in chocolates for the team.
• Listen- Try listening, or better understand the real issue (in most cases hard core technical people don’t have the best of expressive behavior).
• Trust- Rely on your team and let them trust you ; don’t discuss their issues publicly without prior permission if need arises.
• Patience- Don’t snap at people if they don’t agree with you and at the same time don’t let others take you for a ride.
• Smooth- Make the entire process of working as smooth as possible and people will thank you for it.
• Respect for yourself- Keep your word/promises always. If you promised something , well do it.

(Pic: Google)

CAPM- the exam

I'll get straight to the exam discussion.

You get 15 minutes on your computer to get used to the exam software, if you are already aware you may "end" the session and start the exam directly. I took my 15 minutes to get accustomed to the environment and be more comfortable.

The exam has 150 questions, out of which 15 are for future tests and will not be scored. All you have to do is answer 135 questions in 3 hours. The time limit is not a problem, it's ample time to think, rethink and choose the answer. Questions are all mutiple choice. You also get a calculator on your screen for calculations.

Once you complete your exam, you get to know if you passed or failed along with an analysis sheet which shows the 9 zones you have been tested for and how you flaired in them. It doesn't provide you with any score or percentage to take back home. You either get it or you don't.

The questions tests different arenas -

• Definitions
• The input and outputs of terms like say "schedule network diagram"- this tends to get a little confusing and you have to be very sure since 2 choices will look similar and correct. This is the major part of the exam.
• Analysis of situations and the action which you will take based on your leadership skills
• Calculations - Formula based and are not too detailed.
• Difference between terminologies

How you can make your study error-proof: I thought I was smart enough to read the PMBOK and get through the exam. So, the exam prooved- I'm not.

If you have worked in project management for years and have been part of all the process executions, you can perhaps get through the exam by just reading the PMBOK. It wasn't true for me, first, I haven't been in this arena for long enough to gain experience in all the processes. Second, I haven't seen half of them being implemented. So, my idea is based on the theoritical aspect by reading of the book.

I think one flaw I had in my preparation is while studying is that we tend to develop a pattern for it and rarely try other things. So, while I was sure I was studying it the right way and had my hand written flash cards to help me I wasn't perhaps thinking about breaking the pattern. Thats what got me.

I have to be honest and tell all of you who would like to prepare for the exam that I was confident giving the exam and though I was very close to getting it, the truth is I didnt. However, that should not deter anyone , use the process of elimination to figure out your answer and read well. Using prep materials is good, since it guides you on the your thinking process and I will be using it for my next attempt.

I remember looking at my computer screen for my result and not being able to read the entire paragraph. I read that I didn't make it and all I could think was waking up everyday at 5.30 to study and that I had to do it again. It's hard taking the load at work and coming back home late and studying.

The entire process has taught me something more worthwhile, the credentials are hard to get and I have tremendous respect for all who have made it.

CAPM- I didnt make it

I didn't make it.
As much as i'm dissapointed, I'm glad I took the exam (CAPM). Here are few things I thought everyone should know to avoid the disaster:

• Read between the lines of the PMBOK book
• You should know the inputs and outputs of all processes and terminologies.
• You do get some basic calculations (I got 5 of them), read your formulas
• Questions come from all processes.
• When you think you are ready for the exam, give yourself a month more.
• Try taking the test through softwares available in the market and prep materials (I didn't do it), it will help

Thats all for now, CAPM exam analysis and more will be coming up soon. Thanks for all your support, emails and encouragement.