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IPMA Certification Training

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REGISTER FOR IPMA CERTIFICATION TRAINING

Learn about the model and competency assessment system of IPMA Competence Baseline for individuals in project management.  Let’s get you ready to demonstrate your project management before the robust IPMA certification: For All Domains! For All Levels!

IPMA 4 LEVEL CERTIFICATION

BASED ON THE IPMA INDIVIDUAL COMPETENCE BASELINE VERSION 4

ICB4 describes 29 competence elements that a project manager has to master, and against which he can measure his competence.

FOUR LEVELS:

D: for project team members
C: for project managers with at least 3 years experience
B: for experienced project/programme managers with at least 5 years experience
A: for experienced programme or portfolio managers with at least 5 years experience.

For the D, C and B levels, the candidates must take a theory exam, and for levels C, B and A there is also a practical test, in which the candidates have an assessment interview related to a specific project or programme.

Dependent on your experience, with our course we bring you to the desired level for the IPMA certification

4-DAY IPMA TRAINING COURSE

AFTER COMPLETING THIS COURSE, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO:

  • Explain the drivers of every project or programme.
  • Explain The formal and explicit goals and needs of the organisation and/or society, and informal and implicit motives and interests that bring projects and programmes to life.
  • Describe the personal and social competences an individual working in the project, programme or portfolio needs to possess to be able to realise success.
  • Consider contextual influences and demands that come together when the organisation initiates a new project, programme or portfolio.
  • Take into account influences and demands when working in project, programme or portfolio management

IPMA LEVEL D

CERTIFICATION PROCESS

CERTIFICATION PROCESS TOPIC

  1. Structure of the ICB
  2. Application
  3. Self-Assessment
  4. Exam

2. Application (Level D)

Application form includes the following sections:

  1. General information
  2. Assurances and releases
  3. Personal information
  4. Exam and interview dates
  5. Required supporting information
  6. Pre-submittal checklist and payment.

Download your Application form here.

 

Start your application by checking the box for Level D. If you think you might be eligible for a higher level, contact PMDAN Certification Body at [email protected] for advice before submitting your application.

The General Information section has links to all the documents you will need. Your assessment must be completed within 18 months.

All assurances must be marked “yes” or your application will be rejected. Releases are your choice.

Personal Information should all be self-explanatory. Starred fields are required. Provide professional references, not personal references. References must be familiar with your work. References are normally contacted via email.

Section 4 is for individual applicants only. Individuals applicants must provide 3 options.

Check the boxes as indicated; sign and date your application. Make your payment online.

3. Self-assessment (Level D)

What do you see as your strengths and weaknesses?

 

Structure— competence elements by group
Purpose— get you familiar with the ICB
Why you should care — self-assessment may alert you to weaknesses before:
  • You sit for your exam

Download your Self-assessment form here.

 

First page has General Information and Instructions. Contact PMDAN Certification Body at [email protected] if you have questions or problems.

Scoring instructions are repeated in lavender block: S = strengths; W = weaknesses. Identify 6-8 strengths and 6-8 weaknesses.

As you enter your scores, the Overall sections will display your current totals. There is one Overall section at the top of the worksheet and another at the bottom.

4. Exam (Level D)

Sample Questions and Scoring

The exam has Two Parts:

60 multiple-choice questions in 50 minutes:

Could address any competence element

  • 4 options and one right answer
10 short-essay questions in 120 minutes:
  • Could address any competence element
All 29 competence elements addressed by at least one question
Multiple-Choice Question Design 
  • One, and only one, right answer
  • Key words (not, least, except) underlined
  • Correct answers balanced (usually 12-18 of each)
  • All questions conform to best practices:
    • No excess text
    • No trick questions
    • No obscure references
Sample Multiple-Choice Question

Cost and schedule risk can be directly mitigated through the use of:

a. simulations.
b. decision trees.
c. reserves.
d. status reports
Explanation for Answer
  • Directly is the keyword in the question stem, and that is why it is underlined.
  • Options a, b, and c may all be used in risk analysis, but c would directly mitigate any identified risk.
Sample Short-Essay Question

Draw and label a probability-impact matrix. Describe how it is used.

Scoring Guidance (Max Pts.)

  • Drawing: probability on one axis (2)
  • Drawing: impact (or effect) on the other axis (2)
  • Drawing: at least 3 columns and at least 3 rows (1)
  • Description: estimate/evaluate probability and impact (4)
  • Description: place risks in correct cell (4)
  • Description: use to prioritize risks (7)
  • Total (20)

Short-Essay Discussion

  • Scoring Guidance ensures consistency
  • Assessors can award 0 to maximum points
  • Maximum of 20 points for each question
  • Grammar and punctuation are not scored

Passing Scores 70%

  • Multiple-choice section is worth 50 points
  • Short-essay section is worth 200 points
  • Total score of 175 required to pass

Key Advise!

Do not Panic! 

  • Do not dwell on questions you find challenging. Move on to less challenging questions and come back later. That way you accumulate more time for questions you may find challenging.

IPMA LEVEL A,B,C

CERTIFICATION PROCESS

CERTIFICATION PROCESS TOPIC (ALL DOMAINS)

  1. Structure of the ICB (Levels A,B,C)
  2. Evidence-Based Assessment (Levels A,B,C)
  3. Experience Check (Levels A,B,C)
  4. Application (Levels A,B,C)
  5. Self-assessment (Levels A,B,C)
  6. Experience Summary (Levels A,B,C)
  7. Management Complexity Ratings (Levels A,B,C)
  8. Exam (Levels B,C)
  9. Report (Levels A,B)
  10. Interview (Levels A,B,C)

d on Evidence.

  • Written evidence – To prove that you did what you were supposed to do
  • Oral evidence – to show that you knew what you were doing and why

Sources of Evidence.

Written evidence:
  • Project, program, or portfolio report (Levels A and B)
  • Experience summary
  • Resume
  • Exam (Levels B and C)
Oral evidence:
  • Interview
Evidence must be clear and convincing:
  • Substantially more likely to be true than not
  • So clear as to leave no substantial doubt
  • Sufficiently strong to command the belief of a reasonable mind

3. Experience Check

Purpose

Here, you evaluate your experience prior to submitting an application.

Download your experience check here, and

Enter the requested information about the experience you plan to use in your application.

Complete the Management Complexity Ratings (MCR) form for this work and enter those values as well.

Review the worksheet for the domain you plan to apply for
to see if you have sufficient experience.

4. Application

Applies to all Domains and Levels and includes the following sections:

  1. General information
  2. Assurances and releases
  3. Personal information
  4. Exam and interview dates
  5. Required supporting information
  6. Pre-submittal checklist and payment.

Download your Application form here.

5. Self-assessment

Applies to all Domains and Levels

Structure— competence elements by group
Purpose— get you familiar with the ICB
Why you should care — self-assessment should alert you to possible weaknesses before:
  • You take your exam (Levels B and C)
  • Prepare for your interview (all advanced levels)
  • Develop your report (Levels A and B)

Download your Self-assessment form here.

6. Experience Summary

Applies to all Domains and Levels and includes the following sections:

Overview
Instructions
Work environment (3 occurrences)
Experience items (8 occurrences):
  • Context
  • Outputs or results
  • Responsibilities.

Download your Experience Summary form here.

 

  • Use the Management Complexity Ratings form to verify the eligibility of your experience
  • Include only those projects, programs, and portfolios that you will use to satisfy your experience requirements
  • Enter the characteristics of the work environment(s), where you obtained your experience.
  • If your experience extends over more than four employers, enter information for the four most recent.
  • Complete one worksheet (A, B, C, etc.) for each experience item. Numbers and dates can be approximate.
  • Enter detail information for up to eight (8) items that you will use to meet your experience requirements. Entries should be no more than three paragraphs.

7. Management Complexity Ratings

Applies to all Domains and Levels and includes the following sections:

  • Instructions
  • Candidate ratings
  • Assessor ratings
  • Rating summary

Download your Experience Summary form here.

Enter your information in the
Assessment Details worksheet.

Do not enter information into the Assessor fields!

  • Complete the appropriate Detail Ratings worksheet(s) based on how you plan to satisfy your experience requirements.
  • Candidates for Level C will always provide only project details.
  • Candidates for Levels A and B will need to use multiple
  • Detail Ratings worksheets if they are using experience from multiple domains.

 

  • Columns (A, B, C, etc.) correspond to the Experience Items in your Experience Summary.
  • You must provide ratings for each of the sub-indicators.

 

  • The average of your detail ratings are always rounded down.
  • You can override this default by entering a value in the appropriate Rater override cell.

 

  • The Ratings Summary worksheet displays your ratings for review.

8. Exam

Applies to all Domains and Levels B, C and includes the following Parts:

 

  • Level B: one part
  • Level C: two parts

 

Level B: one part

 

  • Oral exam
  • 90 minutes
  • Responses must describe projects, programs, or portfolios that satisfy the minimum complexity requirements for Level B

Typical Level B Questions:

  • Describe what you did on a recent project to ensure ethical behaviour from your suppliers.
  • Describe how you interfaced with the finance function of your parent organization. Describe how those interfaces affected your project.
  • Explain how you ensure that the justification for your project remains valid.

 

Level C: two parts:

 

  • 8 short-essay questions in 90 minutes
  • 6 short-essay questions in 70 minutes
  • Questions can address any competence element in the Project Management Domain

 

Typical Level C Questions

 

  • Explain how you ensure that your project is aligned with the mission and vision of your employer.
  • Describe how you evaluated risks on your last project.
  • Describe how you would deal with a conflict between two team members.

 

Passing Scores

  • The Level B and Level C exams are used by your assessors as evidence of your skills and abilities
  • You are not given a pass/fail score

Download your Sample Exam here

9. Report

Applies to all Domains and Levels A, B and includes the following sections:

  • Experience requirements
  • Technical requirements
  • Content requirements
  • Structural options

Everything in your report must come from the projects, programs, or portfolios that you used to satisfy your experience requirements

Technical requirements are pretty basic …but you still have to comply with them!

Your report should describe what you personally did to address the challenges you faced.

Choose the option that is easiest for you, or the one that gives you the best chance to shine!

Download your Report template here

10. Interview

Applies to all Domains and Levels A, B, C

Interview Durations

  • Level A — 120 minutes
  • Level B — 120 minutes
  • Level C — 90 minutes

If you select a video assessment, one of your assessors will work with you to test your configuration in advance of the interview.

Assessors will choose questions that help them:

  • validate your written evidence and
  • obtain additional evidence where the written evidence is weak.

Meet Your Facilitator,

Dr. Chinwi Mgbere, IPMA-A

 

You’ll learn How To…

Z

Assess The Adaptability of The organization

Change history is taken into account; Potential areas of resistance are identified; Adaptability is assessed

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Identify Change Requirements And Options

Stakeholders are identified; Interests are analyzed; Change requirements are identified

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Develop Change Strategy

Change strategy is validated; Strategy is documented; Lessons learned is include; A flexible approach to the strategy is implemented

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Implement The Change

Interventions are coordinated; Interventions are implemented; Resistance is discussed