PSP is one of the most widely recognized certificates for planning engineers. If you are a bachelor’s degree holder and have at least 4 years of relevant work experience, you qualify for the exam. By earning this credential, you can:
- PRESENT the PSP initials after your name.
- ACHIEVE professional status as an expert by earning the credential.
- CERTIFY your great knowledge.
- ADD the most widely recognized certificate in the planning field to your portfolio.
- LEARN the best practices of planning.
- ACCESS a wealth of high-quality knowledge from AACEI Recommended Practice.
- GET shortlisted for interviews and have better career opportunities.
In this article, I will demonstrate the top 3 challenges which planning engineer face when they prepare for the PSP exam and how to overcome these challenges.
Challenge# 1: You don’t practice enough calculations.
The PSP exam is FULL of questions that are related to CPM and EVM calculations. The problem is that the AACEI’s recommended material includes very few calculations-based practice questions. If you solely depend on the content of the AACEI’s recommended guides, you won’t be able to practice enough calculation questions which might im[act your chances of passing the examination.
Challenge# 2: The weight of all study materials is not equal
The above snapshot shows the high-level study areas according to the PSP Exam Guide. The challenge here is that the weight of all areas is not equal in the exam. For example, the CPM network falls under one of the above study areas. However, the CPM-related questions account for a huge proportion of the exam. Unlike the PMP exam where the knowledge areas seem to be weighted proportionally, it is not the case with the PSP certificate.
Challenge# 3: The preparation is not straightforward
The PSP Exam Guide is only the starting point in your preparation journey. The guide only highlights the key topics that you should be knowledgeable about but will offer little to no demonstration of such topics. The guide expects you to do a lot of research on your own and educate yourself about these topics before you sit for the exam. Moreover, the AACEI’s recommended material seems to “too much” in my experience as an exam taker. The exam really tests the candidate on a few subjects from the many topics that are a part of the recommended materials. In my opinion, most of the study materials will not be a part of the exam. Unless you are willing to spend the time to learn about many different topics (for the sake of learning), you should be selective in your preparation and focus on certain areas to ace the exam. While the PMBOK elaborates on the exact topics that you can expect in the exam, it seems that it is not the case with the PSP exam.
Comprehensive PSP training can build your confidence and help you ace the exam with ease. Check out my PSP course where you will master the main exam topics. The course is “to the point” and will allow you to practice +1,000 questions. Moreover, the course will save you a lot of time in your PSP exam preparation and build your confidence in the PSP exam areas.
Regards,
Osama Saad, MBA, PMP, PSP, PMI-SP
