PMI/Prometric has entered a stress test to PMP certification process...

Submitted by lugospod on Tue, 10/13/2009 - 15:42

Here are some info’s if you ever get so unlucky like me, so you know what to do /not do :) Yesterday I was supposed to take the exam at 10. 

  • 09:30 I arrive at the test site (as according to the mail instructions by Prometrics)10:00 The exam was supposed to stat…but nobody is there…
  • 10:15 The testing room is still closed.10:20 I am going across the whole building looking for anybody who could help me
  • 10:35 I found a cleaning lady who happens to have a private GSM number of one of the workers
  • 11:35 The worker shows up… It turns out that the Prometrics didn’t contact the testing site and didn’t tell them that somebody was supposed to come
  • 11:45 They are saying that I didn’t schedule the exam. This I proved right away with my confirmation mail that I received from Prometrics. (No biggy I have been waiting for 3,5h, I’m still hanging on my adrenalin that I will take the exam today)
  • 12:35 They come out and tell me that due to technical issues with their Internet Router, they can’t receive my exam through the Internet :) 21st century?
  • 12:45 They give me a ticket number (incident number) and tell me to contact the prometrics head offices in Netherlands by phone. (I am thinking, OK, I will reschedule for tomorrow)
  • 13:30 I come back to my office. I try to reschedule the exam…(nope, the exam start date passed), I try to schedule a new time for the exam (nope, the Eligibility ID has been used, so they tell me to contact PMI)
  • 13:35 I try to contact Prometric Customer service. The answering machine answer which talk for minute and half (and I am making a long distance phone call, read “expensive”) After that I hang up because it is leading nowhere.
  • 13:40 I am contacting my test center for the right phone call. She gives me the same number and says that I should wait for two minutes of bullshit talking by the machine (that keeps saying “go to our web site”, “go to out web site now”, “Do you know we have a web site?”)
  • 13:50 I contact the Prometric Customer service again. Waiting till they finish blabbing… They tell me that I will have to call them tomorrow because they have to wait for confirmation of the test site that I didn’t take the exam (Weird, but OK, getting a little pissed, through a couple of books into the wall :) feeling better )
  • 14:00 I am calling PMI EMEI. They are surprised and ask me to send them an email. I did. I got an response (you will be contacted within 5 working days) (Throwing the books from 10 minutes ago is still keeping me fresh) :)
  • 09:30 I arrive to work, and try to schedule the exam, but still the same error (eligibility id has been used)
  • 09:45 I call the Prometric Customer service. They say that they can’t reschedule the exam because the testing center didn’t confirm that I didn’t take the exam.
  • 10:00 I am calling my Prometric Test Center. They say that they can’t confirm that I didn’t take the exam because nobody sent them any information that I was SUPPOSED to take the exam.
  • 10:05 I am detecting an infinitive loop. Kicking the basket. Screeming. Cursing.
  • 10:30 I am calling back the Prometric customer Service and letting them know what I found out. They inform me that I have to ask PMI to change my Eligibility ID. I tell them that it is not PMI’s fault, but in their system. They say that they are sorry, and give me a friendly “screw you and please do call again” :) (screaming, spilling the glass of water (by accident:))
  • 11:00 I am calling PMI EMEI. They tell me that it would be better to call PMI USA. (yes, they are 6 hours behind, so it is 5 in the morningJ I am soooo happy by now :)
  • 11:30 I am checking on Prometrics Web site to see when is the next available time for PMP exam. IN TWO MONTHS!!! (and another round of “I love PMI”, “I love Prometric” followed by scream :)
  • 14:30 I am calling PMI USA (I must have spent a small fortune on long distance phone calls by now).  They say that the person that I have to talk to is coming at 09:00 (EST). They will live a message so that they contact me.
  • 16:30 I’m tired of waiting. Trying to call them again. They say “you called us already, now you have to wait till we contact you”. 
  • So now I have no clue when can I take the exam… I LOVE BIROCRACY! J
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Retire

Tue, 10/13/2009 - 18:49

Wow!! That's the first time that i ever heard such an incident. i do hope that in the end it is all worth it and you are not only allowed to take the exam but compensated in some manner.

 TC,

Retire (http://levigate.blogspot.com)

 

lugospod

Tue, 10/13/2009 - 18:57

I just got contacted by PMI. They reseted the Eligibility ID. But still they can not do antyhing about Prometrics scheduling. I have browse Prometrics web site each day and pray that somebody cancels their exam.

 As I said to the PMI, if there wasn't an monpole for testing centers and they allowed somebody else to be the competition, the service would be much better and they do their best to help the candidates.

 So in the end:

  1. I lost a lot of money for the Internetional phone calls
  2. Wasted two days at work
  3. Didn't get a chance to take the exam
  4. Have to wait and check each day to see if I could schedule the exam as soon as possible

So much about code of ethics...we have to follow it...they don't... :(

 

lugospod

Mon, 10/26/2009 - 19:32

So, after two weeks of waiting (till someone finally cancelled their exam) I finally managed to schedule the exam again.

In last two weeks I was so pissed at the Prometric and PMI that I didn't study till yesterday.

1. Material
- PMBOK
- Rita PMP Exam Prep, Sixth Edition
- PMP Code Of Conduct
- The following were just used for reference if I wanted to read something more about a certain topic that I missed in the test exam, or read in someones LL (Project Management Professional (PMP) Study Guide by Kim Heldman, Jim Owens PMP Exam tips, Google :), PMI library, PMP® Exam Quality Primer: The Quality Gurus,  Vijay Verma Delegation)

2. Internet sites (LL)
- pmzilla
- pmhub

3. Test exams
- Rita PMP exam prep - the questions in the book - some have stupid answers, but so does the real exam (don't buy the software because it is too expansive for a one year licence on single computer. If you fail the exam, with the same money you can retake the exam)
- Q & A on pmi web site - electronic library (you can access this adter you join PMI)
- Head First PMP - Practice PMP Exam (scored 87,5% in two hours)
- Oliver F.Lehman 175 Prep questions  (Only went through mathematical questions, because I wanted to save one test exam for later if I fail :)))
- PMzilla test were catastrofic...to many gramatical errors to make sense out of the questions
- PMStudy (first exam 74%/3h, second exam 82,29%/2.5h, fourth exam (74,5% 3h) - the questions are mostly based on PMBOK so they test your PMBOK knowledge based on direct sentences from PMBOK) - very good
- PMP bank - didn't like them


4. Learning

- First turn: first I read one chapter in PMBOK, then the same chapter in Rita plus Internet for each term that I didn't know - for example "sum of digit years - depriciation" (you will probably curse the PMBOK in this turn, but you have to stick through)
- Second turn: same as the first but trying to connect all the processes in the head, trying to see how the processes interconnect, writing out stuff that I thought might be on the exam)
- Third turn: went through the exams. I started on wednesday (Each day one big exam) - on sunday I rested, the exam was on monday - this is when my exam was cancelled - so I waited for another two weeks)

Good thing about taking practice exams is that you get in shape for 4 hours of sitting and thinking.

After finishing each exam, I went through ALL of the questons (correct and incorrect) and tryed to make sense out of each answer) - this was one of the best advices on one forum.

I went throug each Process again in which I had incorrect answers (PMStudy had excellent explanations, and it tells you in numbers in which process you suck :))

5. Exam
- Very difficult. The girl in the testing center said that in last couple of months many people failed the exam.
- First 50 questions were hard..then 50 easier, the again hard...I wasn't sure I would pass
- got the following scores : Initiation, Planning, Closing - moderatly proficient, Executing, Monitoring - proficient and as expected :) below proficient in Ethic :)
Relly people, does anyone behave like PMI says??? :)))) If someone says that he has a PMP, but he doesnt..what would you do? :) jesus crist...

- Got calculation criticle path on AOA - didnt get any questions on AON
- got a lot of questions with SPI and CPI - you have to know what it means if it is above zero, below..equals (easy)
- one question with calculation of EAC (I recommend you understand the three different formulas and why they are different, it will make sense after that)
- didn't get any questions on motivation theories and none on PM powers (legal, expert...)
- One question on delegation
- Lot of questions on risks and quality
- none of the questions on PTA or TCPI
- there were a few question were I had to guess between two answers because in my opinion the answer depended on the questions point of view...the answer could go both ways...
- around 3-4 questions were about matrix organisation
- one question on statistics - calculating the chance the project finishes on time...
- I obviously missed a lot of questions on ethics - maybe I suck at snitching/telling on people :) silly me :)
- there was one question on program management...don't know how this got into the exam
- got one questions: you are project sponsor...we are passing the PM exam, not PS exam :)))) or is it a BS exam :) heheeh

- a lot of questions on conflict
- now, the famous question "2 study ITTO, or not 2 study". I read the PMBOK three time and a half times, and I was focused on really understanding the inputs and outputs. still few days before the exam I listed them all (printed) and went through them two times a day and explaining to my self why is this input, tool or output.
- 2-4 questions on what contract would you choose, who has the most risk
- 2 questions on Expected Monetary Value Analyses
- 5 questions on risk strategies..more or less easy
- none of the questions were on Development stages of teams
- not one question on 1,2,3, 6 sigma
- a few questions on schedule compression - why, what is the result, what are the negative sides...
- one question on total and free float (know the difference)
- none of the questions on PERT - unbelieveble. All of the test exams had them.


Uf...damn, I just realiazed that this post turned into an essay :) inuff from me..

Regards,
Luka (PMP :))

Retire

Tue, 10/27/2009 - 04:28

For all your travails, it was worth seeing the word "Congratulations!" on the screen, i bet! Good write up. I liked how the story developed. But most of all congratulations and celebrations!

Retire (http://levigate.blogspot.com)

 

Nwohiri

Fri, 02/05/2010 - 08:04

The PMI website has been down for maintenance for over a month now. No update information as to when it will return into service. What is really happening to the almighty PMI and the PM methodology so much talked about. I expect this risk should have been covered from the onset of the PMI website operations project and either mitigated against or avoided. Definitely, whatever PMI is doing now is a risk workaround and it is bad project management for an institution known to be the hallmark of project management world wide.

I have friends who want to take the exams ASAP, but unable to do so because of the current challenges on PMI website. Could this be all part of the stress test before the exam so talked about by Lugospod.