Frequently Asked Questions
- Why are the courses priced so low?
The first thought someone may have is "What's missing?" The answer, "Nothing!" In fact, the student gets more than is typically offered from commercial training offerings. Why? Because the instructor is not forced to work with an inflexible off-the-shelf corporate package. Our approach is student-centric. As to why the course price is low, the fact is that NCG is not carrying - and therefore not passing along - the immense overhead associated with other training organizations. General and administrative expense, lights, copiers, desks, personnel directly or indirectly connected to the course and so forth. That is usually priced somewhere in the product, and the consumer - the student - taking the course - pays for it. The NCG "burden" rate is low, and the advantage is passed along to the student! Who wants to pay 250% more, on average?
- What is the refund policy?
The NCG policy is simple and straight forward: If there is a product or some material provided that is damaged or defective at the time of distribution, then we will replace the product or material with the same item, or if unavailable with one of like value. If necessary, we can credit seminars or workshops to be applied to similar programs in the future. For those programs involving personal consulting, we can work out a mutual agreement on delays. But our policy dictates there are no refunds, without exception. - What is the "cohort" approach in the PMP® Prep course?
The PMP Certification Exam Preparation CohortPM is an exciting, unique and very effective learning approach for preparing for the certification exam AND ongoing practitioner life afterwards. A learning cohort is an established group of folks working towards a common completion goal, in this case the PMP credential. We know that each person learns at a different pace, is faced with different work challenges, and comes into the process with different degrees of experience. That's actually true of every class taught! The difference with CohortPM is the way the course is conducted, how the content is presented, the mutual support of the members in terms of learning, the ongoing sense of encouragement without competitive comparisons, and even the networking that remains intact after the official parameters of the course has finished. The instructor is in position to teach, provide guidance, and also "scaffold" some aspects of course specifics for individuals based on their progress or need. For more information, follow the link to the PMP prep comparison page. - Who is the primary instructor?
The primary managing or lead instructor details can be found above. In summary, extended experience in the field as a project manager, in the classroom as an independent educator, adjunct professor, as well as contracted instructor, and in course and curriculum development. Additionally, he has a doctorate in education, including an emphasis on adult learning and development. - Where will the course be conducted?
The courses are conducted in the locality identified in the course advertisement and description. For example, Reston, Virginia. Because class sizes will vary, a choice is determined from a number of options according to the registration count at a particular point before the actual course date. By not opting for a one-size-fits-all limitation, unnecessary costs are not incurred nor passed on to the students. Convenience of access, commutability, and affordability are very important satisfaction criteria for students. - What materials are used in the courses?
A very good question. Having more than two decades (as a student and teaching practitioner) of experience in formal project management course delivery, the observed or utilized range of content is really relatively narrow. The fact is that we are working with standards and principles associated with a formal body of knowledge. Unfortunately, the delivery of the content often comes in a heavily constrained packaged approach, a characteristic of the industrial and mechanistic school models from the last century. To offset that defective approach, we aim at a combination of selectively choosing a very good text, utilizing the PMBOK, and coupling those with our own materials. Because of this flexibility, we don't have a one-size-fits-all approach for every course. And course development costs are lowered and savings passed along. - What if an organization wants to sponsor a course?
Great idea. Human resource professionals responsible for training now know they are able to get more training value for their training dollars. If they want to utilize a training room at their work site, we can work from several possible arrangements to maximize benefits, and minimize training costs and disruption of work flow. Knowing how these type of courses are priced out to the customer by other training organizations, there is no doubt that we can provide training at a price that represents significant savings. - What do you mean by "PLUS" when used in some of the course offerings?
The "Plus" offer means that a student attending a course shown as a "Plus" course can expect a degree of ongoing availability and support after the formal course time has finished. We don't subscribe to "guarantees" that are really no guarantee at all. (Think about it for a moment and you will see what I mean.) The fact is, it is the responsibility of the adult student to make the effort necessary to achieve the desired goal. HOWEVER, to support a student's intent to achieve that goal, we do more than offer the "tail-light guarantee." For a period of time following the course, the instructor is available to help support the student's quest, including providing ongoing input and encouragement in the form of ongoing periodic communication. That is the "plus" connection to the course. - Why don't you refer to courses as "boot camps"?
The answer is simple: the impression that any course can take a professional discipline's body of knowledge, and related domain of experiential information and associated facts, and cram all of it into a short four or five day period of time, and present that as an effective, adequate learning experience demonstrates an extraordinary lack of understanding of the learning process and how our brains actually learn. Brute memorization and recall may work for some, to a point, but in the long term the adage "too much too quick won't stick" explains exactly why there is an increase in managerial and executive complaints that "credentials" mean little more than being a successful test taker. "Boot camps" may be a useful designation for those who are looking for one last practice session before taking a certification exam. But the vast majority of students coming into those courses need more, and notions of "instant-just-add-water" preparation are not consistent with authentic brain-based learning principles and outcomes. - What do you mean by "authentic learning" and brain-based learning"?
The term "authentic learning" simply refers to the idea that our learning should be genuine and real. It should not be simply a matter of "parroting" back information or being just an imitation of someone else's understanding. When authentic learning takes place there is a creative act taking place in our brains, an organic process as it were, guided by "rules" and "procedures" consistent with the brain's design. Far too often, it seems, organizational training is concerned with external factors such as the environment or materials. But an emphasis on those has had the inevitable consequence of usurping the centrality of the student in the learning process. Much more critical in the learning process is understanding and cooperation with the brain's learning design. And that leads us back to placing the student at the center of learning, where authentic learning - or brain-based learning - can take place. The practical result: increased long-term memory and recall; and increased practitioner value back in the work space. - What about a "guarantee" to pass the PMP® or CAPM®?
- Here is our commitment: To provide an experienced (more than 10 years), knowledgeable instructor/coach (PMP credentialed), the materials that contain all (and more) of what you will need to be prepared, and an instructional outcome that will serve you back in the work space well beyond the exam itself. (As for "guarantees," ever notice how they often come with a tiny asterisk and fine print? To meet the qualifications for the guarantee, students generally have to do several things like take repeat courses, exam do-overs, etc. And then, if - after months of time and additional costs - the student is not successful, then a refund is provided. Not really much of a "guarantee," is it? ) So here is the deal: WE provide the effective instruction, materials you need, and stick with you for a period even beyond the course. YOU (the adult student) have to come with a commitment to learn, to be an active learner in the process, and to embrace the compelling reason why this will serve you now and in the long run. Now, together, that looks like a solid rock foundation for success.
Some important small print:
The designations “PMP”, “CAPM”, “PMBOK”, or “PMI”, where used on this website are registered trademarks of the Project Management Institute, Inc.
The designations “BasicPM” and “CohortPM” are trademarks of Northpoint Consulting Group, LLC.
Reston, Virginia | email: info@northpointcg.com
All Rights Reserved. Copyright 2001- 2019 NORTHPOINT Consulting Group, LLC
The designations “PMP”, “CAPM”, “PMBOK”, or “PMI”, where used on this website are registered trademarks of the Project Management Institute, Inc.
The designations “BasicPM” and “CohortPM” are trademarks of Northpoint Consulting Group, LLC.
Reston, Virginia | email: info@northpointcg.com
All Rights Reserved. Copyright 2001- 2019 NORTHPOINT Consulting Group, LLC