The Bottom Line
This book will prepare you for the IT Project+ exam and hopefully teach you a thing or two about project management.
Pros
- Does an excellent job of covering exam objectives.
- Excellent CD-ROM.
- Understandable, real-world IT scenarios.
Cons
- Sometimes difficult to follow due to diligent adherence to the order of exam objectives.
Description
- Covers all Project+ exam objectives and provides real-world scenarios and a project case study.
- Includes an assessment test and chapter review questions.
- Also includes a 50-question practice exam in the book, and an additional 50-question exam on CD-ROM.
Guide Review - IT Project+ Study Guide
The topic is very subjective and the exam is vendor-neutral. These two factors put together create a gray area that this author must try to fill in to create a cohesive, understandable, and not too dull guide to project management. William Heldman does an admirable job of all three. Speaking from extensive experience in PM, he not only points out how to run a successful project but explains why many projects fail. He also follows, almost to a fault, the Project+ exam objectives. While this make sense for a study guide, it also creates a level of discontinuity. You may have to flip around a bit as you study to ensure you can distinguish the difference between the exam objectives and the subjectiveness of the author's writing. He is fond of pointing out his opinion on various subjects and uses "I" more frequently than is typical in a manual of this type. But, then again, project management is a people-oriented subject and it is often helpful to learn from another's experience.
Overall, this is a useful guide for getting the Project+ certification, especially if you take advantage of the numerous practice questions. The CD-ROM provides some very helpful study tools, in typical Sybex fashion. The material is solid, if a bit rambling, and the book will certainly give you an excellent post-exam PM reference tool.
