PMP Certification seems to be the ultimate stop for all those who want to make a career as a Project Manager. This presentation dispels some myths about PMP Certification and explains why PMP Certification may not be the best option to become good project managers.

1. Project Management
without PMP
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MANAGEMENT WITHOUT PMP

2. Disclaimer
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Project Management without PMP is an independent work of the author of this module, C.
Vishwanathan. The work doesn’t discredit PMP certification, nor the training institutions that offer
PMP training curricula. PMI, the regulatory body for PMP certifications, is an equally creditable body
as well.
World over, jobs and vacancies are posted where Project Managers are sought with PMP
Certification. The question needs to be asked, “Does a PMP certified guy become a good project
manager?” or “Does a manager perform better in his projects after PMP Certification?
This work takes a neutral aspect towards the subject of Project Management and questions the need
of doing a PMP to get validated as a good project manager.

3. The PMP Body of Knowledge
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Process Groups
1. Project Initiating
2. Project Planning
3. Executing
4. Monitoring and Controlling
5. Closing
Knowledge Areas
1. Project Integration Management
2. Project Scope Management
3. Project time management
4. Project cost management
5. Project quality management
6. Project HR management
7. Project communications management
8. Project risk management
9. Project procurement management
10. Project stakeholders’ management
The 10 Knowledge areas overlap with the 5
process groups and thus studying all of these
subjects is vital for an individual to gain
technical expertise in the concept of project
management.

4. Is the start-end project
management lifecycle tough?
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I am not PMP certified and yet I understand that
1. Projects need to be initiated and planned
2. Projects need to monitored and controlled for factors
3. Projects need to be closed
4. Projects have risks
5. Communication is critical to stakeholders
6. Every project has constraints which are:
a. Quality
b. Cost Schedule

5. PMP Certification
requirements
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With the kind of pre-requisites listed
here, would you need a certificate to
attest your project management
credentials?
Assuming an average project runs for 3
full time business months, i.e.
approximately 500 hours, completion
of 4,500 hours of leading and directing
projects mean, 9 full scale projects
done.
Seriously do you need a certificate to
attest that kind of project credentials?

6. Reality check – Some
questions
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I sampled 494 professionals who had
taken their PMP examinations and
asked them their age when they took
the examinations.
From the graph, it can be seen that
approximately 66% of the
participants took the examination
before the age of 30.

7. Reality check – Some
questions
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1. The first official title most organizations give to
project leaders is “Project Leader/ Project
Manager.”
2. Based on my interviews with HR professionals,
in an ever-growing company, it would take a
minimum of 4 years in the role to promote a
Band I employee to reach to the level of a
Project Leader.
3. Most individuals start working at the age of
21. The first exposure to leading projects
wouldn’t happen before 24-27.
4. As per the certification requirements, it would
need at least 4 years to complete 9 projects,
calculating full time man hours equivalent.
In a rush to add certifications to their names, people are probably rushing to take PMP exams.

8. The exam
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I don’t have access to live PMP exam questions, but based on a sample test provided by a leading
resource, here are some sample questions

9. The exam
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I don’t have access to live PMP exam questions, but based on a sample test provided by a leading
resource, here are some sample questions

10. The exam
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I don’t have access to live PMP exam questions, but based on a sample test provided by a leading
resource, here are some sample questions

11. The exam - Summary
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1. The certification tests theoretical understanding of PM concepts and tools.
2. The certification examination has 200 Multiple choice questions, where people are supposed to
select the right answer, or the most applicable answer.
3. Few of these questions test the practical understanding of project management of people.
4. The best way of passing the examinations as informed to me by the people who passed the
exams is to:
a. Read the PMBOK 2-3 times
b. Take 3-4 practice examinations (Full scale) in a 1-2 month gap
c. Assess your areas of opportunities based on results
d. Re-read the PMBOK
e. Attempt the final examination
I don’t see how this certification process described above will churn out
effective project managers.

12. Pre-post impact
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Rating Completely
disagree
Agree Completely
agree
Ability to handle projects more
effectively than before PMP
certification
70% 12% 18%
Addition of new project management
skills
75% 10% 15%
Impact in workplace by means of extra
responsibilities/ promotions.
82% 12% 6%
Impact in job searches (Since 2012) 77% 10% 13%
I did a survey amongst 1,200 PMP certified professionals all over the world. It was an open survey
where participants enrolled and completed the survey. All the data has been taken for consideration,
with results below:
About 70% professionals who got certified with PMP credentials believed that the PMP certificate
was of no practical use to them.

13. The changing scenario
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14. Project Management without
PMP
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1. It can be on the basis of the evidence submitted earlier concluded that to be an effective project
manager, you don’t need to be PMP certified.
2. Vice versa, PMP Certification will not make you an effective project manager. It will only certify
that you are aware of project management fundamentals.
3. Project Management is a highly practical discipline, one that cannot be certified purely on the
basis of passing a 200 question Multiple choice question assessment where theoretical
understanding is checked up to 80%.
4. If you really have the credentials as mentioned in the requisites for PMP certification, you don’t
really need a PMP certification. This will not add value to your CV. The projects you handled and
the results will speak up.
If you want to get trained, train to become a Project Manager and not just get a
PMP certification.

15. Project Management without
PMP
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If you have any questions/ clarifications, please
email us at vishy@theschoolofci.org