IT Project+ - Certification for Computer Proj. Managers

[Tarbuza]

Has anyone taken a IT Project+ test from

http://www.comptia.org?

I saw two book published at

http://www.amazon.com

on IT Project+. This test was apparently developed by Gartner Research and was then given to comptia to administer.

The following is the comparision made and would like to hear unbiased comments.

http://www.cpcctraining.org/ComputerTraining/Project Management/pmicompare.htm

If anybody has taken the test, I would like to hear about the level of difficulty. Thanks in advance.

 

[elizabeth]

I have no experience with the IT Project + but am a PMP (PMI certified). I just glanced at this chart and feel it is misleading. Although construction is a large SIG (Special Interest Group) in PMI, I think about 30 to 40 % of members are IT. These people are contributing to the current literature and standards. They have tried without success to put together an IS-industry extention to the PMBOK, so it's a known problem.

On the individual points themselves, several are inaccurate. It claims that construction is linear and uses only known/tested components while IT is non-linear and totally built from scratch. The truth is that both have some linear and non-linear paths, and both use components, but construction uses them more heavily, and the components that IT does use tend to change much more quickly. Also the nature of the IT components is they may not be usable with other IT components due to lack of standards or product maturity.

The last item is incorrect too. This year PMI is debuting an Asso. in PM certificate, for which you need only 1500 hours of experience. Although I feel the experience requirement means a higher professional standard than none. And speaking of professionalism, PMI is the standard for Project Mgmt Worldwide, with about 80,000 members and over 32,000 PMPs.

All that said, it sure doesn't hurt to have multiple certifications. If you have no experience, getting the IT Project+ might be helpful in getting you into the profession.

I'd also be interested in hearing about IT Project+ from anyone who has taken both.

 

[jbaugh]

I earned my PMP certification last year and do not have any experience with the Project+ cert, but I have looked into it. I am just wrapping up a PM course with an IT focus that I have taught to the employees of a System Integration company. Most of the PMBOK concepts are directly applicable to the projects that they run. However, they are in the same quandary, in that most of them do not have degrees and little formal documented PM experience. I am working with this company to get a couple of their key personnel through the Project+ exam and then they plan to work towards the PMP. I will probably go ahead and take the Project+ exam this summer to gain the experience and to help prep them for the test, while still observing the CompTIA NDA.
I agree with Elizabeth, however, that the matrix from your link was misleading. It seems to me to be designed to lure students over to the Project+ certification path. IT projects are not that different from other projects and as my experience has taught me, the PMBOK concepts are easily translated to the IT sector. I believe the new Certified Associate in Project Management [CAPM] cert from PMI

http://www.pmi.org/certification/CAPM/overview.htm

is a logical next step on the certification path from ad-hoc PM to Project+ to CAPM to PMP.

Good luck on whatever path you choose.
Joe

Joseph B. Baugh PMP, CCSE, CUE, CCNP, CCDA
Network Services Manager, Sierra Southwest Cooperative Services, Inc.