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Excel

Tips on:

• Visual basic for application (VBA) development
• Macros
• Formulas
• Automation
• Modeling
• Reports
• Graphs/Charts

Excel is a very simple application but there's endless things that you can do with it. Automating some routine day to day functions, writing formulas for doing simple to advanced calculations, macros, reports to includes graphs and charts, etc.

Coming soon!!!

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PMP Certification Preparation Guidance

PMP Preparation Tips
To all PMP aspirants, I listed some of questions (along with my comments) that you may have hoping to help you prepare for PMP exam.

This is a free resource but I would request you to drop a few words under comments section if the content has helped you prepare and pass the exam.

PMP Preparation Tips and Material to read
Is the exam really hard?
How much time do i need to prepare for the exam?
How much would it cost?
Exam day: what to take, test center, how do i know if i pass or fail, etc..?

PMP Exam Preparation Steps:
1. Read PMBOK Guide (Fourth edition) at least 2 times before you take the exam. You must understand the concept, that's the bottom line.
2. Do as many practice questions as possible and with different sources.
Don't rely on one source for practice questions, Period!!!!! After you finish each set of questions, it is MUST to review all the questions you answered, including the ones you got right and ones you got wrong.
3. Review PRAXE PMP Basic Concepts a day before you take the exam.
4. Take the exam.

Read PMBOK Guide
It took me a week to read PMBOK guide the first time. It will be a boring read but just bear it. Try to grasp the concept as you read. Page 43, project management processes and knowledge areas will be an important part throughout the preparation. Actually, before you start reading the PMBOK Guide, I would suggest start with page 43. Spend few minutes to get a sense of the project management process flow. This should make your preparation task easy. Read the table top to bottom, rather than left to right, this is the key to read that table on page 43.
Second time you read PMBOK Guide you will cruise through.

Practice questions
• RMC’s PM FASTrack® Exam Simulation Software, Demo version.
>http://www.rmcproject.com/index.aspx?id=PMFASTrack_6.0.0.3&uid=Demo
This has 1000+ question and answers. Keep this for the end.
• 175 free PMP Sample questions
>http://www.oliverlehmann.com/contents/free-downloads/175_PMP_Sample_Questions.pdf
• 200 Q & As for the PMBOK Guide, third edition. This is accessible from the PMI.org website. There is lot of good reading material available on PMI website as well.
• 70 free mock exam question and answers at www.preparepm.com
• Free Q & A from PODprepcast, http://www.project-management-prepcast.com/. You will have to sign up for the free tips and questions.
• Q & A from Project management professional certification exam book by Michael W. Newell. This book should be available in your local library.

Just with the above listed Q & As sources you should cover all the variety of questions covering different processes and knowledge areas that you can except in the exam.

During your preparation, make sure to spend 4 hours at a stretch doing practice questions at least once in your preparation. This should help you get tuned to the real exam. Make sure to work on your time, if you feel like you are taking more time answering a question, start practicing on lengthy questions. This is exactly what I did, and it helped me in real exam.

PRAXE PMP Basic concepts
This material is a list of 240 pointers that I felt were very helpful for the exam. I can't re-track the source of this material. Looks like the author has removed this material but if you can find this material it will come real handy. Good luck searching !
Above 3 steps should give you enough confidence to take the exam.

Is the exam really hard?
No!!. If you prepare well Real exam is no different than the practice exams. Take the exam with confidence.

How much time do i need to prepare for the exam?
For some or for those who are already practicing project management it may take 1-2 weeks. For those who are new to the field, i would recommend 2-4 months of prep time, assuming you will study on and off.

How much would it cost?
There is no reason to spend when you have plenty of resources available for free. But it is your choice. I spent $49.99 (now it is $129.99) on Pod prepcast and got my 35 credits to take the exam, that's pretty much it. POD Prepcast is by Cornelius Fichtner. If you like to learn through audio, Prepcast is excellent. I prefer to read than listen but it could be different for you.

Exam day: what do i need to take for the exam
Driver's license and nothing more. That is it.
I took the exam at prometric center, falls church, VA. My appointment was at 8:30 am, i went to center at 8:15 am, signed up and went in to another room where they would give you a booklet (4 blank pages) and 2 pencils. If you want a calculator, ask for it, you don't get it by default. I hardly used 2 pages from 4 pages.
Once you get in, do a quick brain dump. Just incase you get freaked out by some questions and your mind goes blank, your brain dump will help you get back on track. I dumped page 43 tabular diagram with all the processes & knowledge areas and it helped. You don't need to specifically memorize this page, but by the time you are ready for the exam, you will automatically memorize every bit of it :)
I answered all questions in 3 hours, then spent 1 hour reviewing all the answers. In the end when you complete the exam, you will have a survey, after that you will know if you pass or fail.

Good luck !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

PMP Free Resources

Best instruction videos:
I found Sir Ganttalot's instruction videos very helpful and are easy to understand, especially earned value management concepts.

Part 1


Part 2


Part 3


Other good resources for PMP Free question and answers

http://www.oliverlehmann.com/pmp-self-test/75-free-questions.htm

>Head First

>PM Study

Project Management

Best Practices by each knowledge area
All pointers apply to both client side PM and firm side PM.

Project intergration
Coming soon!

Human Resource Management
Communications

Communications can be both internal and external. Internal will be Project manager communicating with his/her team members and others within the company. External is between the firm and the client. All the below pointers apply for both internal and external communications. It could be very informal when it comes to internal communications but make sure to make it formal where & when necessary.

• Point of Contact: Though it may be known to all attendees at kick off, establish yourselves as the project manager and clearly state that you will be the main point of contact.
  
  PMs need to have a good plan for a second person for point of contact, just in case PM goes on a vacation or is not available for correspondence.
  
• Mode of communication: The best time to discuss expectations on communications is during the project kick off meeting. Communications is the main aspect for a successful project, 75-90% of the time PMs are communicating either with clients or internal team/s.
  Few Questions to ask client:
  
  How frequent would you like the project communications be? Most of the times it is adhoc but make sure to hear what the client has to say. It can be weekly/bi-weekly/dialy/monthly or adhoc.
  Prefered mode of communication, emails or phone (cell/landline)? Most PMs prefer written format or emails so there is a track of communication and documentation for what is said or agreed.
  Does the client like to be acknowledged? Some PMs prefer to be acknowledged but some think it is unnecessary so they don't care to be acknowlegded.
  
• Communicating with the team members: It is must for a project manager to keep in regular touch with the team members. I strongly recommend having a face to face time with team or if working remote talk over phone. Communicating just by emails isn't a effective way. Scope, important project mile stones, schedule and individual tasks should be properly communicated with the team.

Risk Management

Coming soon!