How Hard Is The PTCB Exam And What To Study?

Best way to study for the CAMP exam?

• Looking for book recommendations or self-directed online prep courses to aid in studying to take the CAPM exam. Hey folks. I'm going to sit for the CAPM (Certified Associate in Project Management) exam at some point in the next few months (I haven't scheduled my test date yet). I have three years of project related work under my belt (including a stint as a PM for a fairly big project), but I'm not quite experienced enough for the full-blown PMP exam quite yet. My mentor has been pushing me towards the CAPM for a while and I have decided to take the plunge. Woo! I am excited. But I need to figure out the best way to study for this, given the fact that I work full time and my schedule doesn't allow for me to register in any sort of formal prep classes. (Does this mean I am doomed?) Googling "CAPM prep" gives me tons of links to various websites that want to take giant sums of my money to give me online prep classes. I can't tell which of these sites offers legitimately good preparation for the exam and which are just sketchy and/or stupid. Google also gives me hundreds of books I could buy. It's too many options and my brain is overwhelmed. I think I need some personal recommendations from people who have taken this exam (or the PMP exam). So...do any of you PM types have any recommendations for ways to prepare for this exam, or recommendations for online prep courses or books for this? I have the PMBoK but I don't think reading it cover to cover (again) and hoping for the best is the way to go here... The last time I've taken any sort of formal sit-down exam was my junior year of college, which was six years ago at this point. I never had the greatest study habits back then (I can write an excellent essay, term paper, or thesis without much effort, which is why I succeeded in college despite my exam experiences being rather fraught in comparison). So general study tips from anyone who has taken a certification exam (or something like the GRE, LSAT, GMAT etc.) would be welcome and appreciated as well. Thanks in advance.

• Answer:

  I went to a 3-day boot camp just prior to taking the PMP exam. That was very helpful. I went to http://www.velociteach.com/, but I really think that one would be as good as the next. The advantage of a boot camp is that it forces you to study hard and with structure 8 or 9 hours a day for 3-5 days. The methodology is much less important than the time you spend with your butt in a chair. Before and after the boot camp, I used http://www.rmcproject.com/about/rita.aspx's PMP exam prep book. In an unscientific survey of myself and my PMP friends, her books are the most helpful. Looking at her site, it seems she's also got CAPM prep materials too. Good luck!