Scrum Journal : Day 3

Okay so I awoke on time but fell back asleep. I need to get myself in gear in order to be up and Adam by Wednesday 8:30am’s training. My future certification depends upon it. This means that I will be going to sleep at 10pm. I need to awake at 6am to catch that orange line train.

                I am at Cove DuPont, a work sharing space this morning and afternoon, because my apartment is getting cleaned. This also provides me with the great opportunity to use its printers and read up on Scrum. I have read and printed the Scrum Guide authored by the discipline’s cofounders Jeff Sutherland and Kenneth Schwaber. These 16 pages crystallize a lot for me. I can absorb all of the information because it is written in plain English. It is not so jargon-filled and esoteric that it flies over my head. As I mentioned in yesterday’s journal entry, I am reading up on Scrum because I refuse to waltz into my certification training without any prior knowledge. It is the Type A in me. I just always have to know what I am walking into before it happens. I always need a contingency plan just in case something does happen. I will have a back-up for it. Furthermore, I like being able to come up with a solution as soon as possible.  Reading the Scrum guide gives me this because it is from the cofounders. Furthermore, while at Cove, I get to print more practice exams because I need to have as many CSM exam ‘looks’ as possible. I will interrupt reading Scrum for Dummies in order to read the Scrum Guide because I am learning from the masters! Finally, my ultimate goals are to master scrum, to use it as a tool applying it to my personal and professional lives, and to earn CSM by successfully passing the exam (I do want to score 80% although 68% is the minimum. I just cannot be average. That’s a dreadful habit!).

                Another yesterday update: I wrote my website announcement detailing the resources that I have used to pass the certified scrum master exam. Just a little bit of positive creative visualization to get me through today. I have printed 3 copies: one I will plaster on my wall and the other two will accompany me while I get into training. I am very dogged in my CSM pursuit because it is tech-related. I am such techie. Ever since I was little, tech and space inspired me. My mother had my brother and I watch the original StarTrek with William Shatner on WUAB-43. I still feel like I can become an astronaut even with my epilepsy. All that’s standing in my way is my getting a statistics degree and then boom I qualify! By then I not only will have my CSM certification but probably also my PMI-ACP and ITIL certifications. 

Countdown to Taking the PMI-PBA Exam

I have made significant progress during my 1-week window by typing the PMI BA Practice Guide chapters 1-2 and 4-6. I truly want to be earn my PMI-PBA certification because it has been nearly 1 year since submitting my application. Furthermore, I am now working as a Business Analyst so obtaining certification is a huge competitive advantage. This week I have scheduled my exam for June 23rd. Since the exam is based on the practice guide, I now what’s required and will reread it twice to pass the test the first time.

Certification Networking Has Paid Off

Today a fellow test taker has told the LinkedIn study group that the business analysis practice guide is the basis of the PMI-PBA certification exam. Although it is 1 ½ months later, I am glad to have confirmation about this because now I am not wasting my time. Friday morning I will start outlining chapter 4 and purchase another notebook for this endeavor. Since I have 2 ½ weeks left before starting work, I will devote time towards outlining this entire practice guide because this will prepare me for my job. Technically, for the next month, I will work solely on business analysis. This is now my livelihood. 

The Benefits of Having Like Minds

                 I am thankful for joining the PMI-PBA certification LinkedIn groups because I’ve received a wealth of resources and study tips. Today while reading a string, I’ve learned about the January 2014 PMI Pulse on Requirements Management. Requirements are huge for business analysis so reading this 20-page booklet would increase my chances of passing the PMI-PBA. Furthermore, on the same string a person who has sit for the exam opines that the business analysis practice guide will overtake the PMI reference list (I believe this too since it is a practice guide and authored by PMI.). What has astounded me is that it has only taken this commenter 2 days to read through the entire practice guide. May I should do the same dry run and just skim through it the first time to see how much I can comprehend. I have an extra week to work with so why not? At least I can say that I have gotten through it. Who knows? If I score over 75% on my second PMI-PBA online practice exam, I just might take the PMI-PBA next week instead of early January.