10 July 2008

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PgMP^® Credential Holders Advise on how to Prepare for the Exam

By Sandy Farnan, PMI Writer

How do you prepare yourself to take a new credential exam? This question faces those who have considered or who have applied for the Program Management Professional (PgMP)^® credential. The multiple-choice credential exam is one of three evaluations a candidate must pass to earn the credential.

The PgMP credential was only made available to the public less than a year ago—October 2007—and although there are currently 100 PgMP credential holders worldwide, resources are still limited.

There are fewer PgMP prep classes and program management publications than there are for project management, and you may even be challenged to find enough people to form a study group or to find a mentor to help you through the process.

Community Post recently spoke with a handful of PgMP credential holders who offered the following advice to help you prepare for the second evaluation, the multiple-choice exam.

PMI Standards and Publications

Several PMI standards and publications can be used in preparation. For example, The Program Management Professional Examination Specification offers an outline of the knowledge and skills of program managers collected during the role delineation study. The specification details the percentage of questions contained in each performance domain both in the multiple-choice exam and for the third PgMP evaluation, the multi-rater assessment.

The Standard for Program Management provides guidance for managing multiple projects within a program environment and the PgMP Handbook includes information about the credential process and associated policies and procedures.

All of the respondents agreed that these standards and the handbook were critical to their exam preparation. They also turned to A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK^® Guide)—Third Edition for assistance.

“I believe being versed in the PMBOK^® Guide is key for passing the exam, though it is not enough,” said Ammar W. Mango, PMP, PgMP, of Amman, Jordan. “You also have to read The Standard for Program Management and the exam specification.”

Study Guides and Practice Exams

Although many respondents said they studied PMI publications exclusively or primarily, some also read other program management study guides and used practice exams.

“The first thing I did was to attempt the mock examination without any pre-reading to get a benchmark of areas where my knowledge was weak. Then, I read the standards and books and attempted the mock examination again,” said John Middlemist, PMP, PgMP, who is the first PgMP credential holder in Australia.

Felipe Guilherme Prata Brito, PMP, PgMP, of São Paulo, Brazil, found the study guides and their accompanying flashcards, exercises and mock exams helpful, while Susan Weese, PMP, PgMP, of Monument, Colorado, USA, did not. She said the mock exams resembled questions found on the Project Management Professional (PMP^®) exam more than they did those questions she found on the PgMP exam.

Experience

But the PgMP credential is not solely knowledge-based. It is based on the candidate’s competency to perform in his or her role as a program manager. The respondents echoed this notion.

“You can’t expect that the knowledge from these books alone is enough to pass the exam,” Mr. Mango said. “Most of the exam questions were based on scenarios that test your ability to understand the situation presented and deduce the answer based on your knowledge and experience in program management.”

Everaldo S. Alves, Jr., PMP, PgMP, of São Bernardo do Campo, Brazil, not only studied for 120 hours, but agreed that experience helped him most to pass the exam.

“The PgMP exam was far more complex than the simulations I found in mock exams,” Mr. Alves said. “You must really count on experience and good reading and studies of the material available. All the material together helped me have a comprehensive perspective of the discipline of program management.”

About the Exam

The multiple-choice exam is composed of 150 scored questions and 20 unscored questions in the areas of defining, initiating, planning, executing, controlling and closing the program.

Candidates have four hours to complete the computer-based exam at a Prometric Testing Center. These are located around the world. It may take some candidates less than the allotted four hours to complete the exam, but the respondents, for the most part, used all the time.

“The exam questions were much larger than the ones in the practice exam, found in study guides,” said Mr. Middlemist. “You have to concentrate, read the questions very carefully and take notes where appropriate.”

Serge Goncharov, PMP, PgMP, of Moscow, Russia, agreed. He was the first practitioner to earn the PgMP in Russia. He was fortunate to have found another PgMP credential holder online to serve as a mentor through the process.

“You have to be ready for a marathon, not for a short path,” he advised.

Besides passing the exam, candidates must also pass a panel review of their application and a multi-rater assessment to obtain the credential. More information about the PgMP credential and the handbook can be found on PMI.org.

Lots of preparation? Yes perhaps, but it is worth it.

“In the Middle East, more companies are paying attention to how they manage programs, not only how they manage projects. As a consultant, earning the PgMP will give my clients more confidence that I can help them with program management. This will allow me to have a key role and add value in the upcoming program management improvement initiatives for Middle Eastern organizations,” said Mr. Mango.

“I have held the PMP credential for over 10 years and had advanced my experience and career, and was looking for a professional qualification that could differentiate me. The PgMP provided that level of differentiation,” said Mr. Middlemist.

Learn more about program management in today’s Post and hear from PgMP credential holders.