Obtaining a Project Management Professional (PMP) credential

Now a days, there are so many people who appear for a Project Management Professional (PMP) credential/exam which is conducted by the Project Management Institute (PMI). The certification helps the candidates passing the exam to boost their profile and helps in their career growth.

Here is my experience in appearing for the exam and clearing it. This may help candidates who are appearing for the exam.

1. Renewed my membership (as it was expired after one year), uploaded the credentials, paid the exam fee. Took an appointment of 8.00am. Very important thing is that your name MUST MATCH EXACTLY what is there in the photo ID like passport. 
2. I never read PMBOK-4 guide even a single time.
3. I understood Simplilearn's book (slide-set) very well. Simplilearn is a Registered Education Provider (REP) which conducts training (which is a must before appearing for the exam as it entitles you with 35 PDUs)
4. Try to get clarity on each and every term because in the exam, words will be different. So, don't expect the same words from Rita M or PMBOK guide.
5. Rita Mulcahy contains a lot of stuff which is not covered in Simplilearn. This book also explains each term in detail with example if you could not understand these terms from Simplilearn's book.
6. All the questions after each chapter of Rita M are very important and are eye openers. I read Rita M in full detail 2 times initially before mock tests.
7. I didn't take single Simplilearn's mock test before I was ready with all the contents from all the resources.
8. Then, went through the dumps provided by Simplilearn. There are pdf files for each knowledge area like scope, time, cost, etc. I think totally there are around 1400 questions in these dumps.
9. I made some notes in a notebook (which will be helpful in the last 3-4 days before the exam so that you don't have search these things scattered in different documents)
10. While going through Rita pdf, I used the highlighter to highlight the contents which I will revise in the last 4 days before the exam.
11. Now, started taking the tests. First test’s score was somewhere around 67%.
12. After every test, went through the questions which I answered incorrectly and improved upon that area by re-looking at Rita M and Simplilearn book.
13. And then took the next test.
14. This way, I finished 4 tests. Note down the subtle questions from these tests in your notes so that you can revisit them just one day before the exam.
15. In some processes, you should be thorough on the order e.g., in closing process, measuring scope against Project management plan is the first step and indexing and archiving of records and releasing resources is the last step.
16. Last two weeks before the exam, started revising the dumps and whatever I had marked and highlighted.
17. Visit the prometric center to see the directions and check the travel time during one week-end.
18. Last day, went through last minute notes I had captured in my note book.
19. Before going to sleep, talk to your friends/family members or play with your kids so that you are relieved of stress and mind is a bit diverted.
20. Went to sleep early on the last day thinking that I have to get up at 5.45am to reach the Prometric centre at 7.20am. 
21. But could sleep only at 3.00am due to stress.
22. By morning, I was cool because you can't do more than this. Eat proper breakfast because you will not be able to eat for 4 hours.
23. Reach the centre at least 30 minutes before the appointment time because you have to follow some formalities (issuing tokens, verifying IDs)
24. If possible carry your passport (which is the best proof because it contains your signature, photo and name). As I mentioned before, the name on the appointment should be the same as the ID proof.
25. I had taken morning slot purposely because
1. Very less traffic to reach the centre.
2.     Fresh mind.
26. After verifying your ID, they will give you a locker. You can switch off your cell phone. Keep all the personal belongings in this locker INCLUDING YOUR WRIST WATCH.
27. Now, you will have to just carry your passport and the locker key with you to the actual seat where you will be taking the exam.
28. They will check your pockets, sleeves, socks, etc.
29. Very important - Use the rest room now so that you can save a break.
30. They will take you to the "hot" seat.
31. First 15 minutes, the computer will take you through the "get acquainted" course so that you know how to mark a question for review, list marked questions, etc.
32. After 15 minutes or you click finish the "get acquainted" steps (whichever is earlier), your test begins.
33. You will be given a set of rough papers (4 pages) stapled together and two pencils. Don't un-staple them. Don't bite the pencils. You have to return them to the invigilators after the exam.
34. If your "get acquainted" course is over before 15 minutes, then you may write some Earned Value Technique and PERT formulae in the rough paper or whatever else you think will help in the exam.
35. On the right top corner, you can see the clock ticking.
36. At the bottom of every question screen, there is a calculator.
37. A lot of GRE candidates will be sitting in the same room and you can hear a lot of keyboard noise. Head-phones are kept on every seat if you want to use it. This is the reason at home don't study in a closed room. Study in an environment where there is at least TV ON or somebody is talking so that you are used to a climate with some disturbance.
38. I tried to put the head-phone, but I was not comfortable because of the vacuum sound.
39. Read each question at least 2 times before marking the answer. Read each word carefully like "determining". "determining" indicates planning.
40. I did not take any break as I fully got engrossed in the exam. If you want to take a break, raise your hand. The invigilator will take you out after logging the out-time. When you enter, you have to again the log in-time.
41. Note that you are not allowed to read the questions loudly as it will disturb others. (some people have this habit)
42. I was reading each question 4 times initially which slowed down my speed. 
43. I had 80 questions remaining in last 60 minutes.
44. So, I started reading each question twice and finally caught up with the speed.
45. I got 5 minutes to review my marked questions.
46. Press the "end" button after you are done.
47. Answer 8 step survey on the screen.
48. The computer will show you the result.
49. Raise your hand and the invigilator will take you out after logging the out time.
50. Wait outside. They will give your signed "PMP PASS" results within 15 minutes.

  

Here are the directions of the Pro-metric Center in Bangalore, India.

If you are coming from old airport, cross the Domlur Flyover.

Then, take left on the first signal.

You can see New Shanthi Sagar on right immediately after the turn (just to make sure you have taken the correct left turn)

Go straight till dead-end.

Before the dead-end, you get a ramp/slope (just to make sure you are on the right street)

At the dead-end, take left and go about 50 meters. You can see Pro-metric center C/O Alchemy solutions on your right.

All the best.

Note that whatever I listed are just my personal views. There may be better approaches than what I described above.  

Electing The Right Government

In my childhood, when I used to see my parents and grandmother going to a polling booth to caste their votes, I was not grown enough to understand the meaning of voting nor the need for voting. However, when I grew 18 and got my EPIC/voter card, I was excited that I am eligible to caste vote. 

                                 

Gradually, as I started meeting people with different experience, age, sex, city, I came to know to that election process and its value bring different perceptions to different kind of people.

Some personal observations:

• I want an EPIC card only as an address proof for my spouse as she is married to me and she does not have an address proof of her own.
• My name is not included in the voter ID list. So, why should I take pain to submit form 6 and get a voter ID. What do I get in return?
• I have a voter ID in a different location (my native) where I get a lot of free bees, why should I apply for a new card here and cancel the existing one?
• Whichever government I vote for, the response/development in our area would be the same in the next 5 years. So, why waste time in getting involved in the voting process?
• I had some other appointment on the same day, so, could not caste my vote.
• I am a female, I am not interested in politics. 

What are the advantages of voting?

The nation (or state) spends so many crores of rupees to complete one election process. Remember that it is taxpayers' money and if we don't vote, then we do not participate in forming the right democratic government. I have seen so many poor people in backward rural places standing in queues to caste their votes. Some time, I feel, educated people abstain themselves from casting their valuable votes and later crib that development is not shown by their political leaders in their areas. 

By going with a simple math, if in a constituency containing 10000 eligible voters, a particular area has 1000 eligible voters, thereby governing 10% of the total election weight-age. If another 1000 more voters in the same area register in next round of elections, then it boosts the percentage to 16% of the total election weight-age in that constituency. This means that would-be political leaders who file their nominations in the next election are well aware that 16% of the stake lies in this area. Therefore, it becomes a compulsion for these political leaders to provide development in this area. 

                                       

However, on the other side, if percentage of eligible voters increases, and if these voters do not caste their votes, then it reflects poorly on that area. The elected member will notice that the percentage of voter turn out is poor, and it is safe not to provide development works to this area. It is based on the assumption that his/her selection in the next round of election would not be governed by the voters in this particular area. This way, the development work gets focused in the areas where there is a larger voter turn out on the election day.

Is it a good idea to make voting mandatory?

If people do not understand the value of casting their vote, is it a good idea to make voting compulsory  One of the best examples is Australia where citizens are penalized for not voting.

Options are:

• The government may decide not to provide some facilities to those who do not caste their votes. 
• The government may decide not to provide subsidies to those who do not caste their votes.
• The government may impose fines on those who abstain from casting their votes.
• The government may link ration card/PAN cards/Aadhar cards, etc. with the acknowledgement number that the voter has caste his/her vote.
• The government may provide tax rebate if vote is caste.

There are so many ways the government can make voting compulsory. However, what about people who cannot go to a polling booth due an emergency, a sudden travel, out of the country and other genuine reasons. Some alternatives may include allowing voting by an e-mail, through the Internet or allowing voting on multiple days.

On the other hand, the question is whether forcing somebody to vote is depriving him/her from his/her liberty? 

Whether the government will make voting compulsory or not, nobody knows. However, spreading the awareness of the voting process and its advantages can influence/boost the voter turn-out percentage on the election day.

Some of them include:

• Carrying out procession/rallies by social workers in areas where there is a poor turn-out.
• Meeting representatives of apartments/houses
• Distributing pamphlets
• Social networking web sites like Facebook.
• Spreading awareness of candidates who are contesting the election.
• Spreading awareness about polling booths, their addresses.
• Helping voters to trace their part number and serial number in the voters' list.
• Car pooling to the polling booths.
• Individual apartment associations compiling a list of voters from their buildings and encouraging them to caste their votes.
• Parents convincing/insisting youngsters to caste their votes.
• Providing polling booths in colleges so that the younger generation utilizes this opportunity.

The government spends so much money on elections, let us make use of it. Let's vote. More than the right, it is our duty to caste our vote. I caste vote, do you?

Online Property Tax Payment In Bangalore

Now a days, I have observed that a lot of people are evading property tax either due to ignorance or because they think that it is painful to stand in a queue in BBMP offices and converse in the local language. However, the reality is, evading or deferring the payment of property tax has its own disadvantages.

1.       The tax payer loses the benefit of rebate if the tax is paid after certain specified date (most of the time, it is 30^th April of that assessment year)

2.       The tax payer has to pay to the middleman commission charges along with the penalty/interest over and above the original property tax payable.

3.       The tax payer has to run around to pay the dues in urgency when it becomes mandatory to apply for some other amenities like Cauvery water connection.

As Cauvery water connections are on spree, a lot of people are catching hold of middlemen/agents to pay their property tax when BBMP has made life of its citizens so easy to pay the property tax online. Let me try to explain these simple steps to pay the property tax sitting at home in a few mouse clicks.

Pre-requisite:

One should have the application number of the property tax paid for the assessment year 2008-09.

Here are the steps to pay the property tax online:

1.       In your browser (Google chrome/Internet Explorer/Safari, etc.), go to the URL

http://1113.sasbbmp.com/Forms/frm_OnlinePayment_MainPage.aspx

2.       If there are no changes in your property details within the last year, click Form IV. Otherwise, click Form V.

3.       Click on “Year 2013-14” under the “Current Assessment Year”

4.       It will open the following page:

5.       Provide your 2008-09 assessment year’s property tax payment application number in the text box as shown below and press “Find” button in blue color.

6.       It will show the name of the property owner. For illustration, it is shown as “MARUTI HARIDAS KAMAT $ 459 $ 2093738”

7.       Click on the owner in the list as shown below and press the “Continue” button.

8.       It will open your application form for the assessment year 2013-14 as shown below. You may update your contact number(s) and the postal address for correspondence. Other grayed out fields cannot be changed for the online payment.

9.       Provide your BESCOM R. R. Number and BWSSB R. R. Number from the electricity bill and water bill respectively as highlighted. Also, if a borewell exists in the premises, select “Yes” radio button for “BOREWELL AVAILABILITY”

10.    

11.   Select the checkbox “I hereby agree for the above terms and conditions…” at the bottom and click the “Online Payment” button.

12.   It will take you to the next page as shown below.

13.   Select IDBI Bank option if and only if you want to pay through credit card or debit cards supporting VISA and Mastercard. Select ICICI Netbanking option only if you have a valid ICICI online account.

14.   After clicking the “Proceed” button, it will take you to the gateway page where in you will have to specify the card details.

15.   Fill in the required details and word verification as displayed and press the “Pay” button.

16.   After the online password is verified, the payment will be successful which will take you to the following page. You may take a printout of the receipt by clicking the button “Print Receipt” which will download the “PDF” format of the receipt. It will require Acrobat Reader to open the document and take a printout. Save the details of Bank Transaction Number and Application Numbers (2008-09 and 2013-14) somewhere for later use.

17.   For the receipt, you may alternatively click “Online Paid Form-IV Application Print” link on the left and click “Year 2013-14” in the list.

18.   Specify the application number (2013-14) you got in step 16 and press “Show”. It will download the receipt.

You have to choose “Form V” only if there are changes in the property details within the last year.

My First Blog Post

This is my first blog post. I am planning to write a lot of things which come to my mind. I have observed a lot of issues which public around me face and a lot of thoughts come to my mind to help them. You might have heard that "A pen is mightier than sword". So I will use this blog to voice my opinion and also to write certain things which bubble in my mind.

Also, I will use this blog as a medium for sharing my knowledge with everyone. I am sure that whatever I share here will be very much useful to everyone around.

I request everyone to leave their wonderful comments which will help me in refining my ideas and make the blog a productive one for me and for the readers.

Thanks.

Disclaimer:

The opinions/views expressed in the blog posts/articles are those of the author and may be used for informational purpose only. The author should not be held liable if someone uses his posts/articles as facts. All similarities between the views and opinions expressed on this blog and the views and opinions held by any person, real or fictional, living or dead, including the author of such views and opinions, are purely coincidental and may or may not necessarily reflect any actual views and opinions ever held by anyone during any period of world history, including but not limited to past, present, and future.

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