Are you planning for the PMP certification exam to climb the career ladder? Do you want a focused training to help you in PMP preparation? Let us see how a PMP Boot camp helps you in cracking the PMP Exam.
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What is PMP Boot Camp?
PMP Boot Camp is a very rigorous, focused training that will prepare you for the PMP certification exam. Did you know how this boot camp concept started and what it means? Boot camp is a slang word that comes from the US Navy/Marine Corps. It meant the basic training given to new recruits which is very rigorous, intensive, disciplined to help them understand the basics. Therefore, in terms of PMP training, a boot camp is an intensive training to give you a 35-hour project management education.
Why PMP Boot Camp?
You have to be aware that there are PMP certification requirements. You know that you need 35 hours of PMP training as a prerequisite for the PMP certification exam. Added to this, you should have 4500 hours of experience in leading and directing projects. What else? Your education, a 4-year bachelor’s degree is also needed. Of the three prerequisites, you should already have had the degree and experience. Therefore, you now need to equip yourself with 35 hours of project management education. Hence, you are concerned about the one that is most useful and suitable for you. If you are with me so far, let’s move further to discuss how to choose the right course for you and the mode of offering.
Some organizations conduct the PMP training for 3-5 days. What happens in this PMP training program? They teach you the concepts of project management. These are based on the PMBOK or the Project Management Body of Knowledge.
You can learn more about the PMBOK pdf in our article.
What can you get from the PMP Boot Camp?
The PMP Boot Camp will cover the Five Process groups of Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring & Controlling, and Closing. Knowledge of Project Management is dealt with through process orientation as PMP exam training. You will be taught about the 47 processes and their interactions. What would be the inputs to a process, the tools, and techniques you use to perform the process to get the desired output.
Along with this, you would also learn how the processes interact across the 10 Project Management Knowledge Areas and the 5 Process Groups. Some providers give you tests to check your understanding and knowledge. You are also taught the tips and tricks of cracking the PMP certification exam.
How is a PMP Boot Camp Conducted?
But, this is going to be a grueling 12-6 hours per day that you will be breathing, eating, drinking project management during the PMP training program. If you are sure you can spare full 3-5 days and want to make sure the project management education is internalized, go for it. But if you cannot spare the time or sit continuously for that long is taxing you can choose PMP Boot Camp Online.
Some PMP training programs also promise that they will gear you up to take the PMP certification exam the day after the boot camp. As we already discussed earlier, PMP Boot Camp is a very rigorous fast-track program that you should be able to take.
It will work for you if you are having a career break. Moreover, in this case, you would quickly want to get yourself certified. The PMP certification from PMI Institute would give you an edge over others. The icing on the cake is: PMI survey says the PMP Salary would be generally 20 % higher than compared to a non-certified person.
Pros and Cons of the PMP Boot Camp
Firstly, let me tell you the good and bad are only subjective. There is no ‘one size fits all’ concept. You may be the type who wants an accelerated program so that you can quickly grasp the whole concept and finish the certification.
- The time that you can spare: Like I said, you could be on a career break or having an off-project time. Or, you have a vacation that you want to put to good use. Then this PMP training option is a good choice. Moreover, PMP Boot Camps help you to have an uninterrupted focused study to get to your goal. But, make sure the announced schedule is suitable for you. In addition to predefined schedules, there is also a cap on the total number of students. So think well before you commit!
- The money involved: You need to pay the fee well in advance for the scheduled session. While this makes you more motivated (in some cases) as big money is at stake. By the way, the not-so-great aspect of Boot Camp is, it is expensive compared to other online project manager certification options. Though it is expensive, you find some offering money back if you don’t pass. Yes, of course! there is always the fine print to watch out for!
On the flip side, there are professionals who can’t spare full days. If you are that type of project manager juggling various things and cannot spare 3-5 days at a stretch, what is to be done? You also have options. You can go for PMP Online Certification, a PMP Boot camp online, or a virtual classroom session.
What to look for in a PMP Training Program?
- Instructor experience and testimonials from past participants
- Study Material you get: Could be a PMP Bundle that includes study material and tests.
- PMP Question Bank to practice the questions
- Can you reschedule the class or attend the days that you may miss? You are a busy project manager, so you never know when you are called back to work!
- Support after the PMP Training. Can you contact the instructor if you need clarifications? Very important! It is generally when you start your preparation that you start getting many queries.
- Money-back guarantee and what it means. Go through all the terms and conditions.
Watch our “How should I choose my PMP training?” video
Best PMP Boot Camps
You might be wondering about the best PMP boot camp option that you can enroll in to maximize your chance to pass the PMP exam in your first attempt. You might be searching for the best PMP training or best PMP programs close to your location. Note that, this is not an athleticism or sports game! A very good boot camp course might be a good option for your colleague or friend while it might not be the best option for you. Therefore, before choosing your PMP course, make sure it will fit into your needs accordingly. Look at the following points when choosing your own best PMP training tailored for you.
1-Classroom or Online PMP Boot Camp Training
There are several boot camp training options. You must determine whether you will attend in a classroom or online PMP training. There are pros and cons of each method. The main advantage of a classroom PMP training is that the instructor is with you in the classroom to get your answers in an interactive way throughout the course. However, these programs are generally four or five-day intensive programs and you have to schedule your work and maybe you have to take a week off in order to attend these courses. Attending in a five-day PMP classroom training requires dedication. You have to grasp all you have learned in a short amount of time.
Online PMP training programs are flexible. In most of the online PMP programs, you attend in a course curriculum and you follow the lectures on your own pace. As long as you have a stable internet connection and dedication to study, you will be able to get ready for the PMP exam on your own. However, you must make sure that the PMP online training you will attend satisfies the PMP exam eligibility requirements.
You can read the PMP boot camp online article to learn all details.
2-Previous Success Stories & Student Testimonials
Past success will be the assurance of future success. When you are choosing your PMP training, ask the previous student testimonials, stories, experiences and make sure that the students are real profiles. You can try to contact past students and get their opinion about how was the PMP boot camp training option and how they studied for the PMP exam.
You can read the TrustPilot reviews of the previous Master of Project students here.
3-Satisfying PMP Exam Eligibility
One of the requirements of PMP exam is attending a 35 contact hours project management training. You have to be careful when attending a PMP training to satisfy the PMP exam requirements. Especially, the online PMP options promote that they satisfy the 35 contact hours requirement however when you dig in, their instructional hours are far below the 35 hours. In this case, PMI might not accept your PM education submission.
- Read more about PMP certification requirements.
- Check out our 4-day virtual PMP class training.
- Check out our self-paced 100% online PMP training.
Author Biography:
Sunanda Gundavajhala, B.Tech, M.B.A, PMP has over 25 years of project management. She is a consultant, trainer on project management for different sectors and is the recipient of the “Recognition of Excellence” award from PMI, USA, and Woman Volunteer award from Hyderabad, India Chapter of PMI. She has contributed to the “Practice Standard on Scheduling, PMI”. Sunanda has worked as the Liaison officer for PMIEF (Education Foundation) for the Hyderabad, India Chapter of PMI.
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