This article introduces the PMI-PgMP exam preparation books that I used to pass the PMI-PgMP exam. Highly recommended for PMI-PgMP certification aspirants, considering I passed the PMI-PgMP exam from my first attempt.
Reference one: Must use
THE STANDARD FOR PROGRAM MANAGEMENT. 4th EDITION BY PMI
The Standard for Program Management – Fourth Edition differs from prior editions by focusing on the principles of good program management. Program activities have been realigned to program lifecycle phases rather than topics, and the first section was expanded to address the key roles of program manager, program sponsor and program management office. It has also been updated to better align with PMI’s Governance of Portfolios, Programs, and Projects: A Practice Guide.
The Standard for Portfolio Management also provides and promotes a common vocabulary within the portfolio management profession for discussing, writing, and applying portfolio management concepts.
The Standard for Program Management – Fourth Edition provides guidance on the principles of program management. It provides generally accepted definitions of programs and program management and concepts important to their success—program management performance domains, the program life cycle, and important program management principles, practices, and activities. This edition of The Standard for Program Management expands and clarifies concepts presented in previous editions. It complements and aligns with the Project Management Institute’s (PMI’s)
core foundational standards and guidance documents, including the latest edition of A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) [1],1 The Standard for Portfolio Management [2], Implementing Organizational Project Management: A Practice Guide [3], and the PMI Lexicon of Project Management Terms [4].
The Standard for Program Management provides guidance on principles, practices, and activities of program management that are generally recognized to support good program management practices and that are applicable to most programs, most of the time.
- Principles of program management are tenets that are held to be true and important for the effective management of programs.
- Generally recognized means there is general consensus that the described principles, knowledge, and practices are valuable and useful.
- Good practice means there is general agreement that application of the principles, knowledge, and practices improves the management of programs and enhances the chances of program success, as measured by the extent and effectiveness of benefits delivery and realization. Good practice does not mean that all provisions of the standard are required to be applied to every program; an organization’s leaders, its program managers, its program teams, and its program management office (when one is employed) are responsible for determining what is most appropriate for any given program, based on the unique or specific requirements of the program and its sponsoring organization.
My learning experience with this guide
This book definitely helped me to understand the topics of the PMI-PgMP® exam as well as form a mental picture of the program management performance domains. In total, I spent about four weeks reading this study guide and making my notes, about one hour a weekday and four hours on weekend days. Keep in mind that this is the first and must-read reference for the PMI-PgMP exam preparation as recommended by PMI.
About the author
The PMI provides services including the development of standards, research, education, publication, networking-opportunities in local chapters, hosting conferences and training seminars, and providing accreditation in project management.
Preview the Standard for program management
You can take a look and read dozens of pages of this standard by clicking the link below. You will be redirected to amazon website where you can flip through the book just as you are holding it in a bookstore, refer to the link here for FREE preview. If you don’t prefer a paper book, you can preview the Kindle Edition here.
Reference two: Optional!
PgMP EXAM CRAM: A SMART COMPANION FOR ACHIEVING PgMP EXAM SUCCESS BY ANAND VIJAY
The demand for competent program managers who can help organizations achieve their strategic objectives is growing and holding this PgMP credential helps you demonstrate strong subject matter knowledge and expertise in this area and become an invaluable asset to any organization. While my previous book, the Program Management Professional (PgMP) Handbook, covered the concepts you need to understand to prepare for the PgMP exam, it did not include sample test questions that you could use to assess your preparedness for the exam itself. In order to succeed in the exam, practicing with good quality sample questions is vital. The book consists of five sections, each of which corresponds to one of the five domains described in the ECO. Each section includes study hints, a list of major topics that may be encountered on the exam, and 20 multiple-choice practice questions that illustrate the applicable task from the ECO. Each section also includes an answer sheet and answer key with the rationale for each correct answer and references to the Standard. Supporting references are also listed at the end of the book for each of the domains covered on the exam.
This book will help you:
- Assess your readiness for the PgMP Exam
- Test your understanding of the Program Management concepts that would be tested in the PgMP Exam
- Practice with 400+ sample questions that vary in length, complexity, and topics to prepare you for the PgMP Exam
- Review the key points you should remember from an exam perspective
You can take a look and read dozens of pages of the PgMP® Exam Cram by clicking the link below. You will be redirected to amazon website where you can flip through the book just as you are holding it in a bookstore, refer to the link here for FREE preview. If you don’t prefer a paper book, you can preview the Kindle Edition here.
Reference three: Optional!
In addition to test questions in each of the five domains and two practice tests in print and online, this all-in-one study guide also contains flashcards for learning terms. This book is current with The Standard for Program Management, Fourth Edition, and its author is the second person in the world to have earned the PgMP® certification. The online versions of the practice test simulate taking the actual exams and provide scoring as above target, target, below target, or needs improvement. Answers come with explanations and references. Questions are written to improve reading skills and teach how to select the best answer, which are key to passing the exam.
About the author
Dr. Ginger Levin, PMP, PgMP has more than 50 years’ experience specializing in consulting and training in portfolio and program management, organizational project management, change management, and knowledge transfer. Dr. Levin had a career in the U.S. Government working in six agencies in transportation, including in the first agency-wide PMO at the Federal Aviation Administration and had a consulting firm in Washington, DC, focused on project management, maturity models and assessments, and organizational development. Since 1996, she works on her own in the project management field and is a PMI active volunteer. Dr. Levin also is an Adjunct Professor in project management for the University of Wisconsin-Platteville’s MSPM program and at the SKEMA Business School in Lille, France in its doctoral program. She is the author, editor, or co-author of 21 books and has a book series with Taylor & Francis. She works with UT-Dallas in its PgMP and PfMP boot camps. In 2014, she won PMI’s Eric Jenett Award for her contributions to the field. She received her doctoral degree from The George Washington University and won the outstanding dissertation award.
Preview the PgMP Exam Test Preparation: Test Questions, Practice Tests, and Simulation Exams
You can take a look and read dozens of pages of the PgMP® Exam Test Preparation: Test Questions, Practice Tests, and Simulated Exams by clicking the link below. You will be redirected to amazon website where you can flip through the book just as you are holding it in a bookstore, refer to the link here for FREE preview. If you don’t prefer a paper book, you can preview the Kindle Edition here
