Hi! Group Member, I believe, it is very difficult to be join or find study group for PM Exam Study. Find below few strategies that worked for many.
Setting Up a PM Study Group ---------------------------- Some resources (Mulcahy http://clk.im/ritatestdisc , others) recommend studying in groups. At one point I was involved in a study group, but I couldn't really focus on it because the company was going down the tubes and people in our group kept getting fired, which was a major distraction. So I am not officially endorsing a study group, but it might be helpful for some people. If you work in a large company, setting up an official "study group" and aggregating all of your study materials, PMI dues, training classes, etc... might be enough to get some budget authority if your company supports project management initiatives. If you do decide to set up a study group, here is an outline that you could follow - note that this was set up before the 35 hour PMI education requirement, so if you wanted to take "credit" for these hours spent studying in a formal session you would need to ensure that the materials are documented and records retained in case PMI selected your records for auditing. PMP Study Group Summary: ------------------------ Attached is a summary of a successful PMP Study Program for a regional branch of a former consulting firm: The study program uses ESI's PMP Practice Test and Study Guide http://clk.im/kimguidebkdisc (note that I would probably recommend using Mulcahy's materials http://clk.im/ritatestdisc (Question Bank) and http://clk.im/ritatestdisc book instead, this was several years ago) The study group meets once a week for an hour (i.e. Tuesdays 5-6pm) The study program consists of 12 sessions, a kick-off session, a session for each chapter in the guide, a session to fill-out the application, and a review session The sessions are kicked-off by PMPs and then student led thereon. During the first session: ------------------------- PMPs share their experiences studying, taking, and passing the exam Sell the students on the value of the PMP certification State the qualifications for participating in the study program (i.e. must qualify to take the exam, lead one session, be committed, etc.) Students sign up to lead one of the subsequent study sessions and prepare study notes for that section (requires a little bit of research) During the subsequent study sessions: ------------------------------------- A student brings handouts and leads the session and reviews his or her study notes for that section Students are expected to take the test for that section before the next meeting The group reviews any test questions from the previous week that people got wrong or don't understand (there are plenty) One session is used to fill out the exam application and create the PMI resume (this is an arduous process best completed with the help of someone who has done it) Students mail off their applications, so that they end up taking the test around the same time (within 60 days of acceptance of the application) Students complete the rest of the study sessions A review session is held (by then the students have a collection of study notes covering the entire exam) Students begin taking the exam and passing! Costs per student: ------------------ PMI Membership (if not already a memeber) Study Guide PMBOK http://clk.im/pmpbargain (for reference in creating some of the study notes) PMP Exam ----------------------------------- Less than $900 per student (note - this was before the 35 hour education requirement. If you follow the recommended steps from PMI at their web site for creating training content you could use these meetings as an opportunity to meet the 35 hour requirement) Some critical success factors: ------------------------------ Students must have the experience required to take the exam (3.5 to 5.5 years depending on education level) A strong commitment on the part of the student (tough when billing) Oversight of the program by a PMP (for the kick-off, etc.) Schedule and Topics for a PM Study Group ======================================== There are many different ways to prepare for the exam. The purpose of this page is to provide a template for individuals wishing to set up their own PMP Study group. Feel free to alter this schedule and list to suit your particular circumstances. Note that when our group went through preparation, we had many members with schedule conflicts who missed a significant number of sessions. If you think that this will happen to you, you might want to 1) schedule your meetings on a weekend 2) focus the group down to a "hard core" of dedicated individuals who really want to pass the exam 3) meet in a location that is convenient for the group (i.e. a central office) and 4) pick a time either before work in the morning or after work at night (preferable). To increase attendance if you can get your company to pay for dinner (sandwiches or pizza) this also helps to boost attendance. I am assuming that meeting during the work day or at lunch is not an option; if it can be arranged, this would also be a great attendance increase (i.e. the PMBOK http://clk.im/pmpbargain is boring, but probably less boring than your current job :O) ). I am assuming that the meetings are 1 1/2 to 2 hours at night - I would add in an extra 1/2 hour (to two hours) if a meal is served because this is usually "dead time". Our group met from 6 to 7:30 every Wednesday, at our central office. Week One 1) Introduction to PMI 2) Introduction to PMP 3) speech from individuals who passed the PMP (if available) 4) preliminary assessment test (use the PMBOK practice exam questions) 5) Introduction of Team Members Week Two 1) Preliminary walk-through of preparation materials (i.e. does everyone have everything they need) 2) Hand out PMP Exam application and completed application for each member to complete offline 3) Answer questions about logistics, costs, reimbursements 4) Confirmation that team members are available to attend 5) High level walk through of PMBOK 6) High level walk through of professional responsibility 7) Week Three Project Integration Management - materials and practice exam Week Four Project Scope Management - materials and practice exam Week Five Project Time Management - materials and practice exam Week Six Project Cost Management - materials and practice exam Week Seven Project Quality Management - materials and practice exam Week Eight Project Human Resources Management - materials and practice exam Week Nine Project Communications Management - materials and practice exam Week Ten Project Risk Management - materials and practice exam Week Eleven Project Procurement Management - materials and practice exam Week Twelve Practice Exam - 200 questions (use a resource that "mixes up" the questions from all areas of the exam, above) GoodLuck, PMP Resources P.S: HIGH DEMAND RESOURCES FOR PMP EXAM 1000's of PMP Exam Questions, Free Guide for PMP Exam Loads of Reference Materials, Hidden Entry to Download Area http://clk.im/pmdownload Get Least Expensive 35 Contact Hours from the comfort of your home http://pm-best.com/page.php?2 ---->Discount Resources<---- Link shorten for your convenience 'Feel free to share it, tweet it, blog it' http://clk.im/pmbootcamp 2400+ PMP(r) New Simulated Question Banks http://clk.im/pmdownload Hidden link to free PMP(r) Questions and Tools http://clk.im/pducast Earn monthly PDU's from home or from the beach http://clk.im/pmprepcast PM PrepCast Get 35hrs-Cheapest Way http://clk.im/pmsimulator PMP Exam Simulator http://clk.im/pmsimfree Limited FREE PMP Exam Simulator http://clk.im/pmformulas PMP(r) Exam Formula Study Guide http://clk.im/pmflashcard Over 1750+ PMP(r) Exam Flash Cards http://clk.im/pmpbargain Discounted PMP Books -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "project managment" group. 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