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Review (part 2): the Project Management Prepcast

June 27, 2007 @ pm411.org Project Management Podcast from show@pm411.org (Ron Holohan)

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Website:  The Project Management PrepCast (www.pmprepcast.com)
Price:  $39.99 per annual subscription
Rating:  5 out of 5 milestones
 

Back in May I did a review of The Project Management PrepCast hosted by Cornelius Fichtner as I started preparing to take the PMP Certification Exam.  At that time I had only listened to the first few episodes, but was very impressed with the content, the framework in which the material was covered, and the benefit I received from listening/studying via the prepcast during the 3 hours I commute to work each day.

Now that I have used the PM PrepCast daily for the past month, I have to tell you that this tool, in my opinion, is a must for anyone studying for the exam who leads an active life (walking, jogging, biking, swimming…  okay, maybe it wouldn’t work so well while swimming) or finds themselves with lots of “dead time” commuting or traveling.  I feel that this prepcast has “filled in the gaps” for me on the 44 processes found in the PMBOK Guide that a lot of other study guides and video resources don’t cover.  I unfortunately spent a few hundred dollars on a PMP Prep DVD collection from a particular company that didn’t even scratch the surface of what I feel I will need to know in preparation to take the exam.  Conversely, the PM PrepCast covers the inputs, tools and techniques, and outputs of each process in great detail with easy to understand examples, exam tips, and even suggestions from those who have recently taken the exam on how to best prepare!  For example, did you know you can use a calculator and a “brain dump sheet” during the exam?  I had no idea this was allowed until I listened to the PM PrepCast!

My only mild “gripe” on my last review, which kept me from giving this excellent tool 5 out of 5 milestones, was that a listener could only download 1 or so episodes per day…  For 77 episodes that is over 2 1/2 months to get all the material!  However, I was recently contacted by Mr. Fichtner a few days ago and he has changed his episode distribution method for the PM PrepCast (perhaps a few others had the same complaint that I did) so now you can download all 77 episodes (30+ hours) of material at once!  For those of us that commute or exercise longer than a typical 20 minute episode this is wonderful!

In order to provide this service, the price has increased slightly from $24.99 to $39.99, but let me tell you that this price is still an excellent bargain for the amount of time you will save by using your “dead time” to help you study.  Especially when you consider that many videos and prep courses can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars.   I believe that the PM PrepCast combined with the PMBOK guide and Andy Crowe’s The PMP Exam:  How to Pass on Your First Try has given me most of the study material I need to fully prepare to take this very challenging exam.  At just about $0.50 per episode, there is no reason why you shouldn’t run to the internet and subscribe to the PM PrepCast now!

So, in light of my enjoyment of listening to Cornelius’ very informative discussions into every nook and cranny of the PMBOK guide and the ability to now download all 77 episodes at once, I am changing my initial rating back in May from 4 out of 5 milestones to 5 out of 5 milestones!

Now if Cornelius could just make a prepcast series for PMI’s new PgMP certification, I would be all set!

Enjoy,

Ron

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