PMP in the Real World

The PMP certification and PMI membership are for project management professionals of all disciplines. Whether your professional experience is in information technology or construction, you are eligible for PMP certification; however, you must prepare for the examination. It is easy to believe that your experience performing project management in any industry will be a sufficient knowledge base for taking and passing the PMP Certification Examination.

This is not always the case, though. The PMP Certification Examination is very structured to the PMBOK and project management processes and concepts as advocated by PMI. PMI specifies an all-encompassing role for project management professions including extensive planning (project initiation) activities and project closing processes. Procurement, quality control, and risk management are also emphasized.

Depending on the size of your organization and your role on a project team, you might not have hands-on experience with all the processes deemed essential by PMI. You might not engage in, nor have experience with, implementing the complete life cycle of a project as outlined by the PMBOK. Comparably, your corporation might use a PMI-modified methodology for project management based on industry experience or even combine PMI tools with other management techniques, resulting in a hybrid model. These approaches can result in successful project implementation in your company, but they will not be effective in achieving your PMP certification. It is imperative that you understand all the PMBOK procedures and the manner in which PMI believes these processes should be practiced to pass the PMP Certification Examination.

Throughout this book, you will be asked to learn and apply PMI's vision for project management. The PMI answer is the only correct response on exam day. Your experience and qualifications might result in you tailoring the PMBOK and other project management concepts to meet your organization's needs. You might have valid hands-on job experience to support your preference, but in terms of preparing for the PMP Certification Examination, you need to reorient your thinking in terms of the PMBOK and PMI. The correct answer is the PMI answer. After you successfully achieve your PMP certification, you can resume your tailoring or modifying of the PMBOK and PMI's framework to meet the needs and goals of your organization and your practice of project management.