Other things (1)

About three years ago I took the APMP – that’s the APM Professional. That’s the Association for Project Managers core exam.

I did this without going on the course.

A few weeks before I had finished a PRINCE 2 course (which I passed, I’m a practitioner) but felt there was more I could learn about project management.

So, I eventually decided that the APMP was a suitable syllabus.

I phoned up the association and they told me that there was an open exam in a couple of weeks. Great, I was loathed to dish out more money on another five-day course; not cheap, especially when you’re not earning.

But they advised me that I had to enrol for the exam immediately.

Right. I jumped in my car and drove to their headquarters (quite a way out of London).

Once I arrived I realised I hadn’t asked how much the exam would cost. Most exams I’ve taken have been around £100. This one, it turned out, was £300.

Crumbs.

I wrote out a cheque.

Back at home I looked at their website and reviewed their reading list. I went to a couple of libraries. One was a general one and the other was in the Institute of Electrical Engineers. The British Computer Society shares their library, which makes sense as most of the books seem to be about computing.

I borrowed what books I could. Quite a few were by authors on the reading list but not the actual books that the list mentioned. I also bought a book on the subject.

I then went through each entry in the syllabus and tried to find each subject in the five books.

Not easy.

After a few days I decided it was going to be too difficult (I was job hunting at the same time).

I phoned the association and asked if I could post-pone the exam.

“Sure” they eagerly replied.

Just to be sure, I checked that I’d get my money back or that it would be used as payment for a later exam.

“No”, they eagerly replied.

The rest of the two weeks were spent learning and revising the contents of the syllabus from books, most of which weren’t on the reading list. Oh, and trying to find a job.

The day came and I took the exam.

It was hard. It was the hardest thing since finals which I’d taken 20 years ago. Worst, there were compulsory questions.

I’m not an exam-person. Can’t stand them.

Nevertheless I managed to pass.

About a year ago I heard about and bought “Project Management Pathways”. This more or less covers the whole APMP syllabus and would have made my study much easier.

Having bought it I used it to keep dust off the shelf.

As I didn’t have too much else to do last week I decided to read it. At last. I’m still going at it (it’s not a short read).