
Route 172. This is how I named my experience with the PMP certification process. You will understand why.
One month before the PMP ExamPrep course started, I wrote an email to Ilie Dragan, the Romanian trainer that I read to be the no 1 in this matter. A few days before the course I met him. He gave me Rita Mulcahy’s book. “Don’t worry!” he said, following the input of my face, “Don’t worry about the 600 pages, you will read them and you will understand! Trust me!”
He had the same attitude during our classes. You know, I’ve seen some trainers before, but I can say for sure that Ilie has that passion and that sparkling in his eyes, so necessary to build the confidence that you can create solid products. “It’s ok to see you don’t know things, it’s a good thing! You get the chance to learn something new!”
About his teaching method, I think it is something between the old and new styles – no PowerPoint slides, only flipcharts where he meticulously wrote and explained everything. Those pictures were a good instrument of understanding later when I prepared the exam. He answered all our questions, in a precise and simple manner, progressively adapting to our level of knowledge 🙂 He applies some kind of progressive elaboration in his teaching method!
He permanently stayed connected to all of us, even after the course and his contract ended. I think that happened because he applies to people what PMP says about the lifecycle of the product – ending a project is followed by the ongoing and maintenance activities.
PMP Exam Prep was quite a journey!
Ilie Dragan is a very well organized trainer. He made a plan for each of us, he adapted himself to our needs of improvement and explained a lot of concepts. Now, being a PMP certified, I know for sure that he did that because for passing the exam it is necessary to understand the practical and theoretical concepts and after that, to learn them. This is not an exam based 100% on practice and for sure it is not one based 100% on theory. This exam is somewhere in the middle and it requires your efforts.
In this process, the exam simulation soft that Ilie offered us was very much helpful. Not only for understanding but for getting familiar with the way PMI interprets situational and even theoretical questions. I recommend you to resolve tests. I used more the “keyword” search function, for understanding terms and formulas both in theory and in situational contexts.
PMP standard was created, long time ago, for the defence industry use. From the perspective of being a professional in this field and managing projects in order to follow the interests of the most important stakeholders – the citizens – I can feel its immediate utility, deriving from the fact that PMP is about rules and ethics, it’s about organizing processes, activities and resources. Also, I feel that PMP might influence one’s life, balancing individual thoughts and actions.
Yeah, the PMP certification process was quite a journey! And Route 172 is named after the number of emails Ilie Dragan answered me, in order to help me to prepare for the exam.
Always there, always in a good mood. I know he is quite a trainer!
Lucia Tudorita – PMP