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.

Step-by-Step Inch-by-Inch

I have completely typed PMI BA Practice Guide’s chapter. This is the biggest chapter and I am happy that I have overcome this obstacle. Tomorrow I will start typing chapter 5. My original goal is to complete chapter 5 by Saturday but starting tomorrow is even better because I’ll have a head start and will be able to take the Rita Mulachy PBA online domain exam on Saturday instead of Sunday. The online simulator is based on the BA Practice Guide so I know that my test results will mirror my actual performance. Scoring at least 75% on the simulations is my goal because it gives me significant wiggle room (61% is the minimum passage rate. The PMI-PBA exam has 200 questions just like the PMP. I know that I am more than capable of answering 150 questions correctly.). I have one month and I know that with Rita, I will pass the exam.

                I have also caught up on my Ed2Go Intro to Business Analysis course by finishing quiz 11. Quiz 12 and the final exam will be posted Friday. I will print them completing quiz 12 then highlighting the final exam. I will complete the final Saturday. Next I have completed Achieving Success with Difficult People quizzes 6 and 7. Tomorrow I will complete quizzes 8 through 12 and highlight the final. During Memorial Day weekend, I will finish these two finals putting me 2 steps closer towards renewing my PMP certification. PMI requires 60 personal development units (PDUs). Each Ed2Go course gives me 24 PDUs so when I complete these two courses, I will have 48 PDUs. High-Speed Project Management will be my only outstanding course. I will work on it after Saturday’s two finals completing my final exam on Sunday. When Memorial Day rolls around, I will have 72 PDUs completed and be able to use my PMP all the way until June 2019!

Making Strides Towards Renewing My PMP Certification

                I am making strides towards renewing my PMP certification by completing all 8 (that’s 4 apiece) of my Ed2Go High Speed Project Management and Achieving Success with Difficult People courses. With 12 courses, I am 1/3 of the way done which is a great feeling because I will be done by late May. 

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.

Back at Studying for My PMI-PBA

                Tuesday I learned that Prometric only scheduled PMI-PBA proctored test next week and the first week of the New Year but not the week of December 29^th. That meant that I would have to delay my certification until January 2015. Normally I would be disappointed that I haven’t completed it this year but given all of the things delaying me for over one week I am happy to be given an extra week. This gives me the chance to outline the PMI’s business analysis practice guide for an additional week. It’s like I have gotten this time back. Also I have learned about the January 2014 PMI’S Pulse on Requirements Management booklet which I will read because requirements are fundamental towards business analysis. I am intent on using this weekend to restart my PMI-PBA studies because earning my certification is essential towards enhancing my competitive advantage. 

PMI-PBA: Upholding the Impeccability of My Word

After scoring only 55% November 18^th, I promised myself that I would improve my performance by addressing my weaknesses and taking a full 200-problem practice exam by November 30, 2014 to decide if I am good enough to pass the PMI-PBA exam. This promise stems from reading the Four Agreements book. Ensuring the impeccability of your word is the book’s first agreement. Regardless of what is going on in my life, I will take the full practice exam by November 30^th and see where I am at. I need a 61% to pass the PMI-PBA exam. My personal goal is to score above 75% before test date to give me sufficient wiggle room.

Well, I have scored 67% on my first PMI-PBA 200-problem practice test. This is a 12% improvement from the November 18^th 55% 100-problem drill.  Outlining PMBOK chapter 5, 8 and BABOK chapter 9 have helped me immensely. I know that I am on the right track and will now reread BABOK chapter 9 writing down every technique’s definitions and outline BABOK chapter 3 (elicitation) because there are so many problems on it. Therefore, I will do this Tuesday since Monday PMI is releasing the practice guide. I am just happy to get over the hump and face my fears. Now I know that I will pass the PMI-PBA certification exam fulfilling my 2014 end-of-year goals. 

This Week in PMI-PBA Studies

                This week I will be doing something every day towards working closer towards my PMI-PBA certification. I will continue outlining PMBOK chapter 5 and BABOK chapter 6, take the RMC chapter 5 knowledge area quiz, another Watermark Learning PMI-PBA traceability & monitoring drill after outlining BABOK chapter 6, and a 100-question practice PMI-PBA exam. Furthermore, I will look at what the PMI-PBA LinkedIn study group feedback is once PMI makes the test scores available. I will learn from their mistakes and recalibrate my studies in order to better prepare. Moreover, this is the week before PMI publishes its own Business Analysis Practice Guide which will be available online October 28^th. I am working this week on positioning myself towards improving my PMI-PBA traceability knowledge and overall score by the time this PMI publication gets released. 

PMI-PBA Self-Investment and Learning that PMI Will Publish a Business Analysis Practice Guide

                Buying the Business Analyst’s Mentor Book is my best PMI-PBA investment thus far because it deciphers all of the business analysis jargon into understandable concepts. I have read 41 pages. Even though I am resting my fingers, I do see myself completing another 41 pages tomorrow and finishing the book by Wednesday when my physical book arrives.  When I get the physical book, I will reread the book and write down anything this is new. I might even write down BABOK definitions to incorporate the formal business lexicon that is on the PMI-PBA exam.  I know that this Handbook will increase my PMI-PBA online exam score. This week when I take another 50-question practice exam, I will score over 75%.  I have to because I am working on improving my scores.

                Furthermore, I have learned through my LinkedIn PMI-PBA study group that PMI will publish its Business Analysis Practice Guide online on October 28^th.  It’ll be free. In between now and then, I will read Business Analyst’s Mentor Book, BABOK, and PMBOK chapters 5, 6, 8, 10, 13. I am will be well-read and prepared to read the PMI guide. I know that following this plan gives me a very good chance of passing the PMI-PBA exam the first time.

Quick 1st Half of 2014 Assessment

                I must admit that I hadn’t expected to be where I am at today, June 21, 2014. On January 1, 2014, I expected to have my PMI-ACP certification but then PMI announced that it was having a PMI-PBA pilot program. Immediately I jump at the opportunity.  I must also admit that in the past 6 months I have become a Small Business Book Award judge, attended the White House spring garden event snapping photos, and have an article published.  With today being 9 days until the halfway mark, I do see myself accomplishing these key objectives:

·         PMI approving my PMI-PBA certification application

·         Completely outlining PMBOK chapters 5, 8 and 13 to prepare for the PMI-PBA

·         Finished reading BABOK chapters 2 and 3

·         Scored 80% on the RMC Project’s PMP scope, quality and stakeholder management knowledge area practice exams.

·         Completed Ed2Go Introduction to SQL and Advanced Excel 2010 online courses

·         Enrolled in the USDA Graduate School SQL course for in-person assistance

·         Expand my personal and professional network

·         Have fun the entire time

Although this looks like a lengthy list, I am already in the process of completing many of these tasks so I will meet all of these obligations before June 30, 2014. Furthermore, here are my prospective 2^nd half of 2014 goals below:

·         Transfer the PMI-PBA knowledge and start studying for the Certified Business Analyst Professional (CBAP) exam by October at the latest. I think that I will finish it before then.

·         Get promoted

·         Seek more challenges

·         Travel more

·         Improve my SQL and Oracle programming skills

·         Pass the PMI-ACP certification test

Preparing for the Project Management Institute's New Professional Business Analyst (PMI-PBA) Certification

Friday I learned from Project Management Institute’s Twitter that it is holding a Professional Business Analyst (PMI-PBA) certification pilot program.  This motivated to read PMBOK, BABOK and purchase a study book to prepare.  Unlike my PMI-ACP certification endeavor (which I will return to later this year), I have a lot more overlap with business analysis than agile.  I have a PMP, MBA, business analysis education and 8 years’ business analysis experience.  I would easily qualify.  

                After debating and expending much energy deciding whether or not to return to my office, I’ve discovered that I can copy and paste the BABOK to Word enabling me to create a chapter 1 summary sheet. There is a whole lot of information that I must grasp but I am ready to absorb everything in order to pass the PMI-BPA pilot program.  Though 61% is probably the passage rate, I am aiming for 80% and will accomplish this through using CBAP exam materials.  I do think that buying the Rita Mulachy CBAP flashcards and writing down a couple per day will help me become stronger in the business analysis area. Even though this is chapter 1, there is so many differences between business analysis and project management. I have to learn the lingo. My brain is expanding with blood circulating through parts of my brain I probably haven’t used since studying for my PMP last year.