erpadmin is now Project+ certified...Lessons Learned

No post-mortem post here...this "project" concluded successfully. So lets do a review of what happened.

1) erpadmin is bummed about his house burning down...his MCITP:EA studies are put on hold...this takes time away from him completing a 6CU course.

2) joshmadakor echoes the techexams.net sentiment in aforementioned thread http://www.techexams.net/forums/project/60539-project-incredibly-boring-please-help.html .

3) erpadmin has worked on numerous projects led by vendors and inhouse management utilizing standard project management methodologies (many outlined in CompTIA Project Study Guide)

4) erpadmin purchases said guide with $50 Amazon gift card on November 27, 2010 and downloads it on his 2nd Generation Kindle device.

5) erpadmin now understands why others find this book incredibly boring and dry and initially struggles with the first chapter. He immediately invokes text to speech and modifies it so that the voice is female and that the reading speed is a bit slower than the default setting.

6) erpadmin is understanding of some subjects mentioned in the books, and is not of others. He decides it best to continue just finishing the book in one pass. He then will read each chapter "Summary" and "Exam Essentials" after the initial pass is complete.

7) During the week, erpadmin invokes uCertify to assist him in being comfortable with the taking of the exam. He suspects that uCertify is more difficult than the exam itself. (He will learn that he is right).

8 ) After studying, erpadmin demands voucher from WGU mentor, without the requisite practice exam. He gets it and schedules the exam for today.

9) After a good week of studying and uCertifying, erpadmin sits for the exam. After about say 55 minutes, erpadmin concludes the exam and passes with a 794/900. After his excitement about obtaining 88 percent and his realization that "a pass is a pass" he runs home to share with the techexams.net community.

Lessons Learned

I do have 7+ years of the PM methodology that is discussed in Project+...I was very comfortable taking the exam. I had planned on doing it in 3 months, but joshmakador inspired me to take it sooner than I anticipated (thanks Josh!)

This exam is not easy by any stretch...I would not dare call myself a PM with this cert. Project+ is more of a "I'm familiar with Project Management." A PMP is more of a "I could be a decent Project Manager at worst" kind of cert. A+/Network+/Security+ knowledge will NOT help you; you will need the Sybex guide.

If you will be among the many who will find this subject boring (and you most likely will...I sure did), get yourself a Kindle ($189) and invoke Text To Speech. Then go back after you get through the mundaneness of the Project+ guide and go through the chapter summaries and exam essentials. You will want to do the practice exams in between chapters, and that's when TTS was turned off. But then at the beginning of each chapter, TTS was put right back on! The Kindle can then be used for a myriad of tech books, regular books that can be utilized on the advice...I will tell you what, if I didn't have it, I would have struggled with this exam.

Finally, everything that is on the Exam Essentials will more or less be on the exam. Make certain you familiarize yourself with whatever you'll be weak. Know the WBS, Project Charter, Ishi-hoo-hoo diagrams, Pareto this or that, etc., etc.

erpadmin...Project+ certified!

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Comments

ehnde

yay!

xenodamus

Congrats man! I can say that at this point in my life/career I have no desire to study for this cert. I'll remember all of that in the unfortunate event that I ever do, though.

earweed

Congrats, I figured you'd get it first try.
Now go celebrate and take a break.

BOTLFED1

I am seriously looking at taking this before the end of the year just to be able to say that I am familiar with PM concepts. I have a few hundred questions to review; how helpful was the Sybex book for you? I have seen a few people on here say that just reviewed the summaries at the end of the book and they were able to pass.

erpadmin

BOTLFED1 wrote: »

how helpful was the Sybex book for you? I have seen a few people on here say that just reviewed the summaries at the end of the book and they were able to pass.

That's most certainly possible, but you will have to be familiar with what is discussed in the summaries. If something seems unfamiliar, you will have to go to the chapter and review that.

BOTLFED1

erpadmin wrote: »

That's most certainly possible, but you will have to be familiar with what is discussed in the summaries. If something seems unfamiliar, you will have to go to the chapter and review that.

Gotcha! I will probably end up buying the book as a supplement. Thanks for the advice.

demonfurbie

yea this test is a pain to study for

nice score

simtech

Congrats on the pass!

rogue2shadow

Epic thread erp! Congrats man, well earned

RoadwarriorsLive

Thanks for all the help on this one. Text to speech saved me. My score wasnt as nice as yours (783) but a pass is a pass.

erpadmin

RoadwarriorsLive wrote: »

Thanks for all the help on this one. Text to speech saved me. My score wasnt as nice as yours (783) but a pass is a pass.

You took it already?! You jumped into it quicker than I did, I think. LOL.

I was reading the WGU community....even the Project+ 2003 folks were having difficulty. There is something about this exam that unless you're already a PMP, you're not getting close to 900, I don't think.

But wow, congrats to you on that one......you are definitely the brave one.

What else did you use aside from the Sybex?

TheSuperRuski

Congrats on the pass and thanks for the knowledge as usual.

citinerd

Congrats on the pass!!!

I am going to try and knock this one out in the 1st term. I will probably get the sybex book too.

erpadmin

citinerd wrote: »

Congrats on the pass!!!

I am going to try and knock this one out in the 1st term. I will probably get the sybex book too.

The only (real) alternative to that (the CompTIA one, if it's there, just sucks), is a book called Head First PMP. That one is pretty much for the PMP, but Project+ is based on PMBOK too (though obviously not as detailed). Other WGU students really liked this one as it wasn't quite so sucky. I can't say for sure one way or the other, but the Sybex will get you through the exam...just have to fight through the dryness...(Text-To-Speech for the win!

).

You'll be fine with Project+ though...just don't underestimate it.

earweed

Don't even bother with the CompTIA book, it's garbage. The Sybex book was almost bearable.

joshmadakor

Ahh Congrats dude!! Thanks for the mentions!
You have inspired me to study harder. I have my exam scheduled for next Friday, so we'll see what I can do by then. I already bought uCertify, so I'm not sure if I want to spend more $ for the TTS deal.

Geez I hope I can pass, I'm so tired of this content and I want to start on Cisco badly..

Fake Edit: hmm, come to think of it, I have access to TTS software in my place of employment

, SWEET

badboyeee

haha, enjoyed the play by play. congratulations!

eMeS

Congrats on the pass, and the write up is excellent.

There's only one point I mildly disagree with:

erpadmin wrote: »

Project+ is more of a "I'm familiar with Project Management." A PMP is more of a "I could be a decent Project Manager at worst" kind of cert.

Having taken both exams I can tell you that they are roughly the same, and the questions are very similar. About the only difference is that the PMP takes longer and requires that you demonstrate project management experience. The PMP also costs more I think.

Both exams are basically exercises in understanding project management trivia.

What makes you a PM, and what would likely make you good at project management is the experience that you mentioned. I'm sure you have enough experience to sit the PMP, and would likely do well at it.

I have a strong feeling that the Project+ will never really be recognized in the market. At least in the US PMI appears to have the market locked up, so it kind of makes me wonder why CompTIA would continue to bother with this one....

MS

erpadmin

eMeS wrote: »

Congrats on the pass, and the write up is excellent.

There's only one point I mildly disagree with:

Having taken both exams I can tell you that they are roughly the same, and the questions are very similar. About the only difference is that the PMP takes longer and requires that you demonstrate project management experience. The PMP also costs more I think.

Both exams are basically exercises in understanding project management trivia.

What makes you a PM, and what would likely make you good at project management is the experience that you mentioned. I'm sure you have enough experience to sit the PMP, and would likely do well at it.

I have a strong feeling that the Project+ will never really be recognized in the market. At least in the US PMI appears to have the market locked up, so it kind of makes me wonder why CompTIA would continue to bother with this one....

MS

That is terribly valid and I have to +1 this. I went to Barnes & Noble today because I wanted to look at some PMP books. The material on Heads First PMP is pretty much the same (you have to know the PMBOK domains, etc.) and it's a bit on the flashy side with activities. That book would definitely help pass Project+, but it's not available on Kindle...but it is illustrated very well. (I only skimmed through it, but enough to know I would have liked it.)

CompTIA is pretty much trying to its hardest to be relevant outside of certs like A+, Network+, etc. Mind you I can definitely understand the hustle, but PMI, as you stated (and I'll paraphrase in the vernacular I grew up around) "got the market on lock, son!" (LMAO)

I do want my PMP hat, as I see value in it, and Project+ definitely helped me prepare to get started, but I'd rather wait until I graduate from WGU so the education requirement is out of the way. Experience is there, and I can quantify it, just not the education. I can at least use the Project+ guide as a reference now and read it more for informative value instead of cramming for this exam.

erpadmin

joshmadakor wrote: »

Ahh Congrats dude!! Thanks for the mentions!
You have inspired me to study harder. I have my exam scheduled for next Friday, so we'll see what I can do by then. I already bought uCertify, so I'm not sure if I want to spend more $ for the TTS deal.

Geez I hope I can pass, I'm so tired of this content and I want to start on Cisco badly..

Fake Edit: hmm, come to think of it, I have access to TTS software in my place of employment , SWEET

You can do it, buddy...uCertify is much harder than the real exam, I can promise you that much. The bad english really on uCertify sucks, but I was able to read past that. (Didn't want to be annoyed unnecessarily.) The only thing I was looking forward to was getting my refund, but I did in good faith use uCertify. LOL.

I look forward to your pass. In truth, in you inspiring me to take this exam, I do hope that I was able to show that it can be done...prior to that post, I did not study a lick of it...much of it was from my experience. You'll do fine, and I wish the best of luck.

erpadmin

Thanks all for the congrats and I remain much humbled. Just wanted to give back to this community as much as I've received.

(In my most sincere voice) You guys do push me to push myself.

cyberguypr

Great job. I'm sure #9 was the most enjoyable.

Psoasman

Psoasman congratulates erpadmin on his stunning victory over the Project+.

joshmadakor

erpadmin wrote: »

You can do it, buddy...uCertify is much harder than the real exam, I can promise you that much. The bad english really on uCertify sucks, but I was able to read past that. (Didn't want to be annoyed unnecessarily.) The only thing I was looking forward to was getting my refund, but I did in good faith use uCertify. LOL.

I look forward to your pass. In truth, in you inspiring me to take this exam, I do hope that I was able to show that it can be done...prior to that post, I did not study a lick of it...much of it was from my experience. You'll do fine, and I wish the best of luck.

Thanks

I noticed the grammar/spelling etc in uCertify. It has been kind of appalling...lol. I've noticed really weird errors too, like someone was listening to someone else talk and then typing what they thought they heard or something. I did notice the "Study Helper" portion of uCertify to be pretty darn helpful though.. And reading along with TTS is awesome. I'm feeling more confident about this.

NinjaBoy

Congrats on the pass, failed the beta of the exam and decided not to go for it. Deciding now that maybe I made my mind up to fast...

-ken

erpadmin

Psoasman wrote: »

Psoasman congratulates erpadmin on his stunning victory over the Project+.

LMAO...I guess I found it hard to do a regular post-project review in the first person. LMAO.

Yes I could have done it, but figured it would look better in the third person.

(If not better, definitely funnier...

)

Excellent1

Congratulations! What's up next for you?

erpadmin

Excellent1 wrote: »

Congratulations! What's up next for you?

Thank you & the 70-642 and then the CIW JavaScript exam before completing the rest of the MCITP:EA. No more classes at WGU until 2/1 (for real this time) as my last day for classes are 12/31 and then the sixth month of the term is dead time. QLC1,QLT1, and AIV1 will be my first classes of the term. Then INT1 will be done as soon as I'm done with one of those. After the completion of the math and science, no more gen-eds.