Eight Steps to becoming a PgMP®

Eight Steps to becoming a PgMP®

If you have made up your mind take PMI’s Program Management (PgMP®) Accreditation , how should you go about it? Here I put forth some pointers based on my experience.

1. Go through the certification handbook. Get to grips with what is required and what you need to do. This is available on the PMI® website.
2. Ascertain your eligibility: Go through the PgMP® eligibility criteria in the handbook. The experience requirements call for 4 years of project and 4 years of program management experience. If you do apply and have your application rejected, be aware that you will lose 50% of the application fee.
3. Join PMI® (www.pmi.org) and  download the Program Management standard and read through it quickly to get an idea of how PMI® positions Program Management. I will guarantee that it will be very different to how you may see Program Management been practiced. Go to the appendix and look at the long list of artefacts used on a program. Take note of the terminology.
4. Start building your application. Choose programs that have had a strategic value to the organisation you worked in. There are three key points you will have to discuss: –
   • what the program delivered
   • how the program was delivered
   • examples of the program processes / procedures
5. Once your application is ready, get a current PgMP® to review and comments on the application. This is a crucial step for success.
6. Post application review, you will receive instructions about audit requirements. The application will undergo a panel review and this is where your application will be fully scrutinized with respect to the application of program management.
7. Once the application is successful, start to think about the exam. Schedule a date and begin the study process.
   • Read the Program Management Standard fully
   • Go through the PgMP® Exam Specification document. It gives lot of information about the exam and topics that you need to study. Make sure you are at least familiar with all those topics.
   • Look for other practice exams, reference material and possibly PgMP® Preparation courses.
   • Don’t be afraid to practice the same question because there is a lot to be got from understand why you may be getting questions wrong
   • Contact admin@turlon.com for a free sample of PgMP® questions
8. Go do the exam and be a success

Submitted by our Project Management Tutor, Liam Dillon