8/26/2020 PMP Certification All-In-One For Dummies Cheat Sheet

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Cheat Sheet

PMP Certi cation All-In-One For

Dummies Cheat Sheet
By Cynthia Snyder Stackpole

Looking at a career as a certi ed Project Management Professional (PMP)? This Cheat Sheet
gives you quick, handy PMP certi cation facts to remember on test day to help you answer
exam questions. You can review major project management concepts; key tools, techniques,
outputs, and processes; and and some common equations found on the exam. Many key terms
are de ned in the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) Guide Glossary.

Understand Scheduling Relationships for the PMP Certi cation

Exam

When you’re ready to take the PMP (Project Management Professional) Certi cation exam,
expect to see up to ten questions dealing with network diagrams, precedence diagramming,
and scheduling issues. Here are some PMP details you need to know:

FS = Finish-to-start

FF = Finish-to- nish

SS = Start-to-start

SF = Start-to- nish

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Lead = The amount of time an activity can be advanced with respect to a predecessor
activity

Lag = The amount of time a successor activity is required to be delayed with respect to a
predecessor activity

A mandatory dependency is based on the nature of the work.

A discretionary dependency is based on a best practice or preferred way of doing

something.

An external dependency is based on relationships outside the project.

An internal dependency is based on dependencies inside the project.

PMP Certi cation: 4 Estimating Techniques for Project Managers

You can apply PMP (project management professional) estimating techniques to resources,
e ort, duration, and costs. PMPs use di erent methods of estimating, depending on the
situation.

Estimating method Description

Analogous estimating Generally used at the start of the project when not much is
known. Compares the current project with past similar projects. A
quick and relatively easy method of estimating, although not
terribly accurate.

Parametric estimating Used for estimates that are quantitatively based, such as
dollars per square foot or number of installations per day. A
relatively simple method, but not every activity or cost can be
estimated quantitatively.

Three-point estimating Accounts for uncertainty associated with estimating by

determining an optimistic (best case, represented by O), most
likely (represented by M), and pessimistic (worst case, represented
by P) scenario. The most likely estimate is weighted most
heavily.
The equation is
(O + 4M + P) / 6

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Bottom-up estimating Used when there is signi cant detail about the activity. A
detailed assessment of the resources, capabilities, and amounts are
used to determine an accurate duration or cost estimate. This is
the most accurate method but also the most time-consuming and
expensive form of estimating.

PMP Exam: Statistics for Normal and Cumulative Distributions

PMPs (project management professionals) often apply basic statistics to their projects. For the
PMP certi cation exam, here’s what you need to know when dealing with normal and
cumulative distributions:

Equations are based on a normal distribution. In a normal distribution, keep the following in
mind:

68.3% of the data points fall within one standard deviation.

95.5% of the data points fall within two standard deviations.

99.7% of the data points fall within three standard deviations.

If you’re looking at a normal curve and need a cumulative distribution, you should remember
these values:

0.15% of the data points fall between 0 and –3 from the mean.

2.25% of the data points fall between 0 and –2 from the mean.

16% of the data points fall between 0 and –1 from the mean.

84% of the data points fall between 0 and +1 from the mean.

97.75% of the data points fall between 0 and +2 from the mean

99.85% of the data points fall between 0 and +3 from the mean.

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PMP Certi cation: 6 Strategies for Con ict Resolution

Experienced project management professionals (PMPs) know that as they plan and execute
projects, they’ll encounter con icts and di erences of opinion. As you study for your PMP
certi cation exam, become familiar with these six strategies to resolve con ict.

Strategy Description Situation

Confronting / Confronting the con ict as a problem to When you have con dence in the
Problem-solving be solved other party’s ability to
problem solve
When the relationship is important
When you need a win-win solution

Collaborating Win-win through collaboration and When there is time and trust
meeting to resolve When the objective is to learn
issues When you want to incorporate
multiple views
When there is time to come to
consensus

Compromising When you are looking for some degree When there is a willingness to give
of satisfaction for both and take
parties When both parties need to win
When you can’t win
When an equal relationship exists
between the parties in
con ict
When the stakes are moderate
To avoid a ght

Smoothing / Emphasize areas of agreement To reach an overarching goal

Accommodating To maintain harmony
When any solution will be adequate
When you will lose anyway
To create goodwill

Forcing Win-lose; impose the resolution When you are right

In a do-or-die situation
When the stakes are high
To gain power
If the relationship is not important
When time is of the essence

Withdrawal / Retreat; cool o When you can’t win

Avoiding When the stakes are low
To preserve neutrality or reputation
If the problem will go away on its
own

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PMP Earned Value: Variances and Indexes

On the PMP certi cation exam, you’ll see ve to ten questions on variances and indexes. Here’s
fundamental information that project managers need to determine cost and schedule variances
and indexes.

For variance and indexes, always start with EV.

When looking for information on schedule, use PV.

When looking for information on cost, use AC.

For a variance, subtract.

SV = EV – PV

CV = EV – AC

Negative is bad; positive is good.

For an index, divide.

SPI = EV / PV

CPI = EV / AC

Less than 1.0 is bad, greater than 1.0 is good.

8 Quality Control Tools to Know for PMP Certi cation

There are many ways to assess quality control, and professional project managers (PMPs) make
good use of them. When you take the PMP certi cation exam, you should be able to apply the
following quality control tools:

Cause and e ect diagram. Diagrams that de ne the inputs to a process or product in
order to identify potential causes of defects.

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Histogram. A bar chart showing a distribution of variables.

Run chart. Show trends in the variation of a process over time.

Scatter diagram. Shows the relationship between two variables.

Control chart. A graphic display of process data over time and against established control
limits, and that has a centerline that assists in detecting a trend of plotted values toward
either control limit.

Flowcharting. The depiction in a diagram format of the inputs, process actions, and
outputs of one or more processes within a system.

Pareto chart. A histogram, ordered by frequency of occurrence, that shows how many
results were generated by each identi ed cause.

Inspection. Examining or measuring to verify whether an activity or a component, product,

result, or service conforms to speci ed requirements.

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