Pre PSP certification preparation guide
So you have decided to take the PSP certification exam and need help on deciding what needs to be done to prepare or the exam. Well then you have come to the right place. This article outlines the basic requirements needed to complete the certification. This article is based on our experience and the feedback we have received from people who attend our courses and took the PSP certification exam.
What do you need?
Unlike other certifications like PMP or CCE to get PSP certified you need to have a strong understanding of the theory behind planning and scheduling as well as practical experience in planning and scheduling. This is what makes a PSP certification more valuable, where other certifications just need you to by heart a few questions and go repeat those same answers to get certified, the PSP exam actually checks your knowledge and experience.
The exam has 4 parts. The following table provides an overview of the examination questions:
| Exam section | Number of questions | Requirement |
| PART I | 80 | Answer all questions. |
| PART II | 6 | Scenarios with 8 questions each Choose 5 of the 6 scenarios and answer all questions. |
| PART III | 40 | Answer all questions. |
| PART IV | Written communication Write a memorandum to satisfy a notional situation. |
You must earn 70% in Parts I, II, and III to meet one of the criteria for PSP certification.
Part IV, the memorandum part needs knowledge on how to write reports in the field of construction or any area where planning as per AACE is in use.
In Part II, the complex situation part of the exam requires you to know CPM/PERT as theory and as used by software like Primavera or Microsoft Project.
To sum it all up we have observed that most people interested in the exam have experience or know the theory well but few know both aspects to the level at which the exam is conducted. Further there is little test materials like PMP exams where you can practice with question and answers and pass the exam as PSP is both theory and its applications in planning and scheduling that includes analysis for claims or arbitrations.
The definitions as per AACE of planning and scheduling provide the underlying basis for the AACE International certification examination:
Planning
The identification of the project objectives and the orderly activities necessary to complete the project (the thinking part) and not to be confused with scheduling; the process by which the duration of the project task is applied to the plan. It involves answering the questions:
- What must be done in the future to reach the project objective?
- How it will be done?
- Who will do it?
- When it will be done?
Scheduling
- A description of when each activity in a project can be accomplished and must be finished so as to be completed timely. The simplest of schedules depict in bar chart format the start and finish of activities of a given duration. More complex schedules, generally in CPM format, include schedule logic and show the critical path and floats associated with each activity.
- A time sequence of activities and events that represent an operating timetable. The schedule specifies the relative beginning and ending times of activities and the occurrence times of events. A schedule may be presented on a calendar framework or on an elapsed time scale.
Experience requirements
At least eight (8) full years of relevant professional experience.
- Up to four (4) of the eight (8) years may be substituted with a relevant bachelors degree.
- Relevant degrees are quantitative and include: engineering; construction (building, technology, science, management), business, economics, accounting, architecture, computer science, mathematics, etc.
To find out about our PSP course get in touch with us.
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