Tag: rmsm studio

PMP Pass: Study Materials and Methods

Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions remain my own.

It’s been a while since I have done one of these, but a lot has changed. Since passing the ARE, I have gone on to obtain my architecture license (in 2 states), work as a principal architect, discipline lead and project manager. Project management and organization is definitely an interest of mine, if you can’t tell by my detailed breakdown and structure of my ARE exam process.

With this in mind, and also to improve my skills in the leadership of architecture projects, I decided to obtain the Project Management Institute (PMI) Project Management Professional Certification. I was initially aiming for the CAPM, which is for associates, since that appeared to be easier and faster, but in reviewing the material, I thought I would be better served in both effort and time to go straight to the PMP. Using the methods here, I was able to obtain Above Target on all 3 exam areas, Process, People and Business Environment.

In true RMSM Studio fashion, even though it is not specifically architecture related, I decided to share my materials and process in case anyone else was interested in going down this path. One thing that I did early on in the process was becoming a member of the PMI, which provides a substantial exam discount.

Application Process

There are a number of paths towards the PMP, Set A, Set B, and Set C:

PMP Exam Requirements directly from the PMP website.

Most architecture professionals will fall under the Set B requirements, which is what I used. The creation of the project register for past experience was the most stressful part of this experience of this exam outside of the actual exam.

One of my big concerns was my project experience being audited, but the tips provided in Andrew Ramdayal’s course (more on that below) for this portion of the application were very helpful. I actually had more project experience than they required, but I decided to focus on presenting the most compelling and relevant projects to showcase the specific PM skills that I knew PMI was looking for.

It was interesting that after this course explained how the experience was proven and counted, I realized I could have sat for this exam several years earlier. There was nothing I could do at the time, but it leads me to recommend that you take this course as soon as possible, for this section alone, because you might be closer to being qualified than you think. You could shave off years waiting for the perfect portfolio of projects by understanding how experience is actually calculated.

Study Materials

PMP Certification Exam Prep Course 35 PDU Contact Hours/PDU – Udemy course by Andrew Ramdayal (TIA Education)

This is a premium course on Udemy, including the 35 hours of PDU as required by PMI above, but it is so much more than that. It teaches you the correct mindset to take with this exam, which is very similar to the ARE exam. Situations in this exam, even if you have experience and dealt with them in the real world, they still want you to apply the answers based on the ideal PMI mindset or process. This course discusses and hammers this home in a very helpful way.

Another great element of the course is that he provides a 30 day study plan, which I used as a guideline when I booked my exam with only a month to study. Trying to fit my social and personal life around studying was a real challenge. I tried to incorporate elements from my previous study time rules from the ARE exam, and it was helpful to already have that framework to reference.

I won’t refer to the price for this resource, as Udemy has different deals and promotions on a regular basis, but it is currently listed as $22.99.

PMI Study Hall – Essentials only, focusing on the practice questions

I only took one PMI practice exam where I got 72%, and for the practice exams I scored around 70%

Rita Mulcahey PMP Text book, which I read through once. This book was recommended to me by MY project manager, as he said it was essentials to passing his exams.

Earned Value Management Video: Andrew Ramdayal created a video with tips on tips for memorizing the earned value management formulas. This is part of his course but I wanted to highlight this video specifically as being crucial to understanding the concept. He also has a version on Youtube, which I have linked to here.

Scrum Fieldbook: I felt weak in Agile practices so I got the Scrum Fieldbook, which had practical application of Scrum and Agile principles in the real world. I got my copy at the library for free, but it’s available for under $20 on Amazon.

Quizlet: I used 4 different Quizlet decks to assist with my studying. The goal with Quizlet is to keep drilling until you get everything right on a consistent basis. There is a great app, and this is a great way to study when you have a little pocket of time available during the day.

PMP ITTO Rules and Patterns

Equations PMP

PMP Exam

PMP: Documents

Overview

I tried to follow the Andrew Ramdayal study plan, but ended up taking a different path based on where I thought my gaps were. His course is very comprehensive, but I also realized that since I had been working in the industry a while, I needed to double down on what I was not familiar with. This is why I made a special effort with Scrum and memorizing some of the terminology and getting more deliberate and specific.

After the course’s Practice Exam I wrote down all the terms and concepts in the questions I got wrong and reviewed them. This is another technique I learned while studying for the ARE exam.

For the exam day itself, I had to drive almost 2 hours out to take the exam first thing in the morning. I was nervous that I would be thrown off by taking the exam in an unfamiliar place, but I would always rather take an exam in person. If anything goes wrong with my laptop, internet, or my general surroundings, I can instantly fail, through no fault of my own. I prefer to do it in a proctored environment and remove some variables. I brought my own snacks for the break and used the time to remain calm and stay grounded. I felt reasonably confident that I knew the material, but getting anxious would make my recall worse.

I ultimately ended up passing the exam with Above Target in all areas. I made sure to have a small celebration for myself to celebrate the win on a personal level. It has been a goal of mine to obtain my PMP since I was a kid (I know, weird dreams for a kid, but I really love managing), so it felt really satisfying to finally achieve it.

I wish you the best in your study journey, and all the success as you study for this exam.

Facebook Live: 6 Ways To Study Construction Details

I’ll be doing Facebook Live sessions this entire week, going over common questions and frustrations for the ARE 5.0 exams. Today’s session, hosted on the RMSM Studio Facebook Page, focused on ways to fill in those construction detail gaps that exist in the references for the ARE 5.0 Construction & Evaluation exam.

Tune in tomorrow afternoon for the next Facebook Live Talk. If you’re not already follow me on Facebook and Instagram for all of my upcoming live sessions, sharing key study tips for the ARE exams.

A201 – Substantial Completion Process for Construction

Understanding the process for Substantial Completion based on the AIA A201

So I recently passed my CE exam, and as part of my studying for it, I actually created a list of what has to take place in Substantial Completion. This list was based off of reading the A201 – General Conditions of Contract, and really trying to understand the progression of each action.

A good document to help you understand this concept further is the G704 – Certificate of Substantial Completion itself. Here’s a video from the AIA on how to fill one out:

So after I created my list, I thought, “This would be really great to have in the form of an infographic.”, so I decided to share this with you all. I highly recommend that you read the A201 yourself, try out some practice questions for it, and listen to the lectures for it as well for a deeper understanding. Lectures on the A201 General Conditions of Contract are provided from Michael Hanahan, Young Architect Academy Contracts Course, and Pluralsight Project Management Course, so it’s really up to you which platform works best.

Substantial Completion Infographic
download jpeg
download pdf

Did you find the graphic helpful, or do you remember the difference between substantial completion and final completion in a different way? Let me know in the comments!

I Passed Construction and Evaluation!

My challenges with the Construction & Evaluation Exam.

I got the official score report from NCARB last night, so excited to share that I passed CE this Tuesday! I was really nervous about this exam, since it had been my only fail so far, and I did NOT want to pay that $235 again. My major challenges for this test were:

  • A definite lack of clarity from NCARB’s side on the inclusion of the construction & detail sections of this exam, for examples, details, sections, etc, that they showed in the Handbook practice questions, but not in their reference lists.
  • Struggling to read these contracts all over again. When I feel like I know something already, my brain starts to shut it out, because it feels like I already know this information. But rereading and rewriting the contracts was definitely helpful for me.
  • A lack of practice questions that dealt with those construction sections that I mentioned above, but I’ll be sharing some resources I found in my normal detailed blog post that I do after every passed exam.
  • Figuring out what was or was not important in terms of contracts. Do I need to memorize all the contract times and time limits, or is that going too deep? I know there’s no such thing as over-studying for this exam, but I felt like sometimes I was focusing on the wrong things. At some point my study group found a video on deciphering welding symbols, and we were like, you never know, this might come up!
  • Worrying about any distractions and the effect it will have on my exam result. I decided to pursue my LEED Green Associate credential (which I got) as an additional certification that I can use for work. I’m already a Green Star accredited professional in Namibia and South Africa, but I felt like I needed the certification in the U.S. as well. But I was really worried that the two weeks I took off to study for the LEED Green Associate exams would make or break me for CE.
  • Do I need more experience in residential construction? A lot of the projects that I’ve worked on have been institutional, educational, healthcare, and I’ve never worked on a building that used wood structure before. I was worried that the lack of experience in this specific area would hurt me in the exam, but my study group made sure to look at examples of actual construction sets, so i was at least familiar with how things would actually look, and of course, there are the textbooks that cover those things as well.
  • What will my timeline be like if I fail? I’m currently trying to take and pass all of my exams before NCARB transitions into the new testing provider PSI. If I failed CE, would I have to further delay taking my PPD and PDD? Luckily it didn’t come to that, but it was a genuine worry that I had.
  • Do you know this famous quote from Muhammad Ali?

This is me right now. I hate studying so much! I feel like I watched summer pass me by through the window by my desk. This test takes so much out of you in terms of time and mental load, and it bothers me that I feel like I can’t be fully present for my family and friends. But I think that the end result is definitely worth it.

Overall, I would say that I’m super happy and relieved that I have this exam under my belt, and ecstatic that I am halfway through this process. I am trying to make sure that this time I intentionally celebrate my win, and properly rest before I dive into PA. Stay tuned for my detailed blog post, and I wish you guys all the best in your ARE journey’s as well. If you have any specific questions about CE, make sure to ask me in the comments, and I may be able to address them in my upcoming blog post.

I Passed PJM!

So excited to announce that I passed my project management exam just last week. This is another great step forward in my ARE journey, and thank you for following me this far. I’m still getting over my post-exam jitters. I will be sharing my detailed study list and study methods in a few days. Keep your eyes peeled for my detailed study materials blog post, try out some of my PjM practice questions, and happy studying!

Mini Quiz: CM Project Delivery Methods

Mini Quiz from RMSM Studio on Construction Manager Project Delivery Methods

I haven’t had any experience in the past with working with Construction Managers, so I feel like I really had to go the extra mile to understand all the differences and roles & responsibilities in the different CM project delivery methods. I’ve created some very handy charts to help explain the differences between CMa and CMc, I may release it later when I’m less overwhelmed.

I’m also trying to get back into the habit of regular note taking instead of being so focused on watching the explanatory videos. I was really inspired by this video I watched today by Jorge Herrera on quick study tips. I’ll probably be buying an assortment of notebooks and binders for my path forward, and take advantage of some of these back to school sales.

Question 01

Joanne Bowman is the manager of a government branch looking to expand in the near future. She is looking for a high-quality design, with low risk. Which project delivery methods would you, as her architect, recommend to her? (Select two)

  • Design-Bid-Build
  • Construction Manager as Advisor
  • Construction Manager as Constructor
  • Integrated Project Delivery

Question 02

While on the construction site, the Project Architect Maryam Lanoir notices a defect in the work. Since this project is a Construction Manager as Advisor project delivery method, what should be her next steps?

  • Instruct the superintendent to correct the deficiency, as per the contract drawings
  • Notify the Owner
  • Notify the Contractor
  • Notify the Construction manager
  • All of the above

Question 03

Jessica Trevi is an architect providing construction administration services on a Construction Manager as Advisor project. What is not a joint service that she provides?

  • Certifying applications for payment
  • Preparing change orders
  • Reviewing RFIs
  • Rejecting work

Question 01

CORRECT ANSWERS

  • Construction Manager as Constructor
  • Integrated Project Delivery

Both CMc and IPD are preferred in projects with high building quality standards, and where owners want to reduce their risk.

inCORRECT ANSWERS

Construction Manager as Adviser is a preferred choice for reducing project risk, but it is not always used for high building quality. Design-bid-build, is known for being low cost, which also can create low quality, as well as being high risk.

For reference, read Ballast Chapter 3.

Question 02

While on the construction site, the Project Architect Maryam Lanoir notices a defect in the work. Since this project is a Construction Manager as Advisor project delivery method, what should be her next steps?

  • Notify the Owner
  • Notify the Contractor
  • Notify the Construction Manager

With CMa projects, it is the architect’s responsibility to notify the Owner and the Construction Manager of any observed defects and deficiencies. See A232 – Article 4.2.2

The architect is not able to issue instructions to the superintendent. According to A232 – Article 3.9.1, it is only communications, not instructions that can be given to the superintendent.

Question 03

Jessica Trevi is an architect providing construction administration services on a Construction Manager as Advisor project. What is not a joint service that she provides?

Preparing change orders

CORRECT ANSWER

Preparing change orders or construction change directives is not a joint service provided the architect in construction administration.

Certifying applications for payment, RFI review and rejecting work is something that is done by both the CM and architect in a CMa project delivery.

I hope you like this mini quiz. Let me know how you did in the comments, or on the RMSM Studio Facebook page.

All of my recent practice questions are now available in one place, on the Practice Questions page in the top menu.

If you want to find other great practice tests, you can also have a look at my One Minute Reviews, where I give my feedback on ARE study materials in under a minute.

Mini Quiz: Risk Management

Mini Quiz from RMSM Studio on the Management of Risk For Architects

Risk Management is one of the key concepts in all stages of design. This is because whenever you are creating a building, you must always assume some risk. This is an essential concept for both Practice Management and Project Management. In the Wiley AHPP Guide for the Project Management (PjM) Exam, under the Risk Management chapter, they just say “All”. It’s that important. I hope you enjoy this mini quiz and as always, let me know how you did in the comments.

Question 01

Which types of firms will some underwriters have hesitation insuring?

  • Those with low deductibles
  • Those that don’t provide construction administration services
  • Those with a high number of inexperienced employees
  • Those using the AIA contract document suite

Question 02

Jay York, Esq. is an attorney who has been hired by Jasmine Board Architects. They have been hired to review their proposed insurance policies. Which of the following policy’s should Jay mark for further review with Jasmine Board Architects?

  • Indemnification for those not party to the Agreement
  • Client indemnity to architect for misuse of the architect’s drawings
  • Defending the Owner against third-party claims
  • Mutual indemnities between architects and consultants
  • All of the above

Question 03

Select all problematic words from the advertisement below created by Diedre Lock Associates:

Question 01

Those that don’t provide construction administration services

There is a high number of claims that arise when an architect only provides pre-construction services, as they are not there to defend themselves or their drawings.

Incorrect Answers

  • Those with low deductibles – Deductibles with another insurer would not affect another company’s coverage.
  • Those with a high number of inexperienced employees – As long as there are staff available that are qualified to complete the projects on hand, the number of inexperienced employees is irrelevant.
  • Those using the AIA contract document suite – Using a the standard AIA contract documents means that an insurer specializing in construction would be more likely to insure you, due to the industry’s familiarity with them.

Question 02

Policies that should be reviewed, due to being unmanageable risks, are:

  • Indemnification for those not party to the Agreement
  • Client indemnity to architect for misuse of the architect’s drawings
  • Defending the Owner against third-party claims

Incorrect Answers

Mutual indemnities between architects and consultants is actually a beneficial policy for an architect’s agreement. Study B101 8.4 for a good model of policies.

Question 03

The problematic words in this advertisement were:

  • Ensure
  • Best
  • 100% Completion
  • All
  • Assured
  • Thorough
  • Best
  • Guaranteed

I hope you like this mini quiz. Let me know how you did in the comments, or on the RMSM Studio Facebook page.

If you’re studying for Practice Management, feel free to check out my other Mini Quiz on the AIA A201 Document and my post on passing the PcM Exam. I have also created a one-page study guide based on the methods I used to pass PcM on the first try.

If you’re studying for Construction & Evaluation or Project Management, check out my Mini Quiz on the AIA C401 Contract.

All of my recent practice questions are also available for you to scroll through below, or on the specific page I’ve created for them at the top of the website:

If you want to find other great practice tests, you can also have a look at my One Minute Reviews, where I give my feedback on ARE study materials in under a minute.