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PMP Certification - Experience Verification Form Queries

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thetestanalyst

Technical User
Aug 21, 2011
1
Hi all,

I am strongly interested in the PMP certification. I'd like to give you a brief introduction about my career - I'm holding a Bachelor of Technology degree and I've almost 7+ years of total project experience. In these years of my experience, I've played various roles like software developer, business systems analyst, test team member and test lead but never worked as Project Manager as such.

When I was looking at the experience verification form, I roughly calculated Total PDUs as 5589 categorized as below:

1. Initiating 3.24%
Activities: Identify and document high level risks, assumptions and constraints using historical data and expert judgment

2. Planning 13.47%
Activities:
Identify project risks to define risk strategies and develop the risk management plan.
Obtain project plan approval from the customer and conduct a kick off meeting with all key stakeholders.
Define and record detail project requirements, constraints and assumptions with the stakeholders to establish the project deliverables.

3. Executing 69.87%
Activities:
Execute the tasks defined in the project plan in order to achieve the project goals.
Ensure a common understanding and set expectations through communication to align the stakeholders and team members.
Improve team performance by building team cohesiveness, leading, mentoring, training, and motivating in order to facilitate cooperation, ensure project efficiency and boost morale.

4. Monitor & Control 10.56%
Activities:
Measure project performance using appropriate tools and techniques.
Ensure the project deliverables conform to quality standards established in the project quality plan.

5. Closing 2.86%
Activities: Identify, document and communicate lessons learned.


My questions are -
1. Am I eligible for PMP exam even if I haven't work as PM? If so, should all my experience come under "Project Contributor" (for dev/test activities) and "Supervisor" (for test lead activities) roles?
2. While calculating PDUs I've considered the data for last 3-4 years as the previous experience is limited to "Execute the tasks defined in the project plan in order to achieve the project goals" activity only (for developer or tester role)
Should I also include those hours? As I've a total project experience of 7+ years which roughly comes about 10300 hours (counting 6 hours per day devoted in project works), can I show all of that?
3. As "Primary Contact" for my projects, can I give someone's name (for one or more projects) who was not my manager, but was involved in my past projects. This is important because I'm not in touch with some of my past managers and don't even have their contact information. In that case, what should I fill for "Contact Relationship" in the application form? Should it be "Primary Stakeholder"?

Please clarify my doubts. Thanks a tonne in advance!
 
1. As far as I can tell, there is nothing to preclude you from taking the exam and earning a certification. The fact that you have no direct PM experience may be an issue with some employers and contracts. Nevertheless, PM's must start somewhere - we aren't born as experienced PM's.
2. You don't need PDU's until after you pass the exam. You do, however, need a certain amount of eduction credits. Or at least you did previously. 30 hours I believe.
3. You can list anyone you want. However, if you are audited, they may want to delve deeper.

Good Luck on the exam.


The trouble with doing something right the first time is that nobody appreciates how difficult it was - Steven Wright
 
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