Still Need Boot Camp?

myla02141982

Hi Guys,
I am bit confused and need your help and hope you can share your experience. I gained my 35 PDUs in April and also cleared the PMP application. I am all set to chose the date now.
My second round of Rita's book is done, averaging around 83% in her questions, I have now started PMBOK Guide almost half done, planning to finish PMBOK at least once. Then after either Kim Heldman's book or Head First PMP. Once done with all these, I will start practicing questions online and hoping to score better.
Question I have is, I am seeing lot of online PMP 4 days courses, ranging from $500 - $2000, having 100% guaranteed pass promisese. Any of you have taken any such courses, and does it really help? This "100% Guaranteed Pass" makes me think, that I should not risk, not spending money on this classes, and then regret if i am not able to clear exams just on basis of books and online questions.
After spending enough time (in my case around 6-7 hours daily on these 3 books), are we still missing areas which these boot camps are covering?
If you guys have taken any of these online, inclass or virtual classes, please do share your experience and recommendations.

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Comments

akbar.azwir

Well, it seems you have been preparing your self pretty seriously. To answer your question, it boils down into how confident are you? The main advantage of taking a boot camp is you'll get a chance to discuss various topics with your teacher. If you confident enough and you are comfortable enough up to the point that you can explain to yourself various topics of PMP than taking a boot camp might be an over kill for you.

You may want to invest on purchasing quality mock up test that are available on the market.

Be sure to check out free PERT Calculator and Earned Value Calculator at my site.

myla02141982

Thanks Akbar. More I am looking online for these boot camps, more fascinating these boot camps sounds. But when you look at their complains in Better Business Bureau, some participants are really having horrible experience. Some instances candidates in fact are more prepared or less content/course is covered in these camps, classes dont start on time and end too early, classes get out of control or out tracked from actual courses, these all after spending hundreds of dollars for 4 days, and then chase begins more waste of time, to get your money refund.

I am just trying to find out, honest opinion from fellow PMP aspirants and experts how was their experience with these boot camps, and a good one might be there. Not all boot camps are same. Need to find one.

akbar.azwir

In my opinion, one of the main benefits of taking a boot camp is you are able to discuss and interact directly with the instructor. It's better that you already read the materials or a couple of books before you attend the boot camp so you are not starting from blank and you will be able to get the most over the limited time of boot camp. In fact some of the boot camp or class room will send you the materials beforehand and requires you to read them before the class.

eSenpai

myla02141982 wrote: »

Thanks Akbar. More I am looking online for these boot camps, more fascinating these boot camps sounds. But when you look at their complains in Better Business Bureau, some participants are really having horrible experience. Some instances candidates in fact are more prepared or less content/course is covered in these camps, classes dont start on time and end too early, classes get out of control or out tracked from actual courses, these all after spending hundreds of dollars for 4 days, and then chase begins more waste of time, to get your money refund.

I am just trying to find out, honest opinion from fellow PMP aspirants and experts how was their experience with these boot camps, and a good one might be there. Not all boot camps are same. Need to find one.

I personally did not use a bootcamp but all of the feedback that I have gotten from colleagues who did go to one is that in hindsight they could have saved their money and just followed Rita's advice; learn to think like PMI. I did not go for the very reasons that you stated. In all honesty, during the test, I was thinking that I made a mistake by not going but the reality is that its just a bear of a test for anyone whose PM experience is not based on PMI backgrounds since you have to overcome your ingrained knee-jerk responses to situations you see and handle in the real world.