Introduction to PMP® Exam Prep

Unit 1

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Administrative
Information Start on time = End on time

• Location information:
• Emergency phone number
• Local emergency exit
procedures
• Floor layout
• Fax number
• Class time: 2:00 p.m. - 6:00
p.m.
• Student notebook and handouts
• Attendance expectations
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Agenda
Unit 1: Introduction to PMP® Examination Preparation
Unit 2: Project Management Framework and Standard for Project
Management
Unit 3: Project Integration Management
Unit 4: Project Scope Management
Unit 5: Project Time Management
Unit 6: Project Cost Management
Unit 7: Project Quality Management
Unit 8: Project Human resources Management
Unit 9: Project Communications Management
Unit 10 Project Risk Management
Unit 11: Project Procurement Management
Unit 12: Professional Responsibility 3
 Course Objectives
After completing this course, you should be
able to:
•Make the most of limited study time for taking the
PMP® exam
•Become familiar with the exam format and question
types
•Develop a personal study plan
•Identify personal areas of competency weakness
•Reinforce knowledge of the nine Project Management
Institute (PMI® ) Knowledge Areas, five Project
Management Process Groups

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Wrap-Up of PMP®
Examination
Preparation

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 About the Exam (1 of 3)

•The Project Management Professional (PMP®) Certification

Examination measures the application of knowledge, skills, tools,
and techniques that are utilized in the practice of project
management.

•25 pretest questions are randomly placed throughout the new

examination to gather statistical information on the performance
of these questions in order to determine whether they may be
used on future examinations; these

•25 pretest items are included in the 200 four-option multiple-

choice question examination, but will not be included in the
pass/fail determination

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•Candidates are scored on 175 questions; to pass, candidates
 About the Exam (2 of 3)
•The allotted time to complete the examination being 4 hours

•All candidates are given one year to take the examination, this
one-year eligibility period begins when a candidate's application is
approved

•Candidates have three opportunities to take and pass the PMP®

examination within their one-year eligibility period; if candidates
do not succeed on the third attempt, candidates have to wait one
year from their third unsuccessful attempt before being permitted
to test again

•The exam covers the six performance domains, the five project
management process groups (Initiating, Planning, Executing,
Monitoring and Controlling, and Closing) and Professional and 7
 About the Exam (3 of 3)

The examination blueprint will cover the following six domains;

breakdown of questions:
•Initiating the Project - 11%
•Planning the Project - 23%
•Executing the Project - 27%
•Monitoring and Controlling the Project - 21%
•Closing the Project - 9%
•Professional and Social Responsibility - 9%

There is no single reference for studying for the examination. You

should study and understand what PMI® has in the PMBOK®
Guide, the foundation document, but it isn't the only source you
should use
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 Study Hints and Tips (1 of 2)
•Start studying at least one month prior to when you are
scheduled to take the exam

•Pace yourself - Study a little bit at a time making sure that you
fully understand the subject matter before moving on

•Use the What did I do wrong? sheets at the end of each Study
Guide chapter to access where your stand

•Study for the exam with a group of people who are also
preparing for the exam, to leverage what they know and to
validate that you are on the right track

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 Study Hints and Tips (2 of 2)

•Where possible, have someone who has already taken the exam
facilitate the group sessions; if not possible, discuss the exam on
your own with someone who has taken it already

•Take and retake any sample examinations to which you have

access

•Review definitions daily

•The day before the exam give yourself a break......Relax

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 Getting Ready to Take the Exam
The Exam

•Food and drink have to be consumed outside of the test room

•There are no formal breaks given, the clock continues to run

while you are away

•Bring your PMI® letter with the voucher number

•Bring a picture ID

•You are not allowed to bring in pencils, an eraser or dictionary;

pencils and paper are provided, and the paper is collected when
you finish

•PMI® allows the use of a standard six-function, non-

programmable business calculator, with no text or spreadsheet 11
 Exam Taking Tips (1 of 2)
•Write down all formulas and acronyms at the start, while your
mind is fresh

•READ the question and ALL the answers

•Look for highlighted qualifiers, such as BEST, FIRST, EXCEPT,

MOST, GREATEST, MAJOR, NOT, NEVER, ALWAYS; PMI®
states that they are working to eliminate these over time

•Use elimination, only one answer is correct

•Rank the answers by correctness or always true

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 Exam Taking Tips (2 of 2)

•Look for PMBOK® Guide phrases

•Ask yourself what would the PMBOK® Guide say ... before your
experience

•Use multiple passes:

•Answers are often in other questions; read ALL the questions and
answers

•Do all you are sure of first

•Then those you have narrowed to two answers

•Use a matrix scoring approach for those left

•Finally, a guess is better than no answer; there is no penalty for

wrong answers 13
 Project management framework
and
Standards for Project Management

Unit 3
 PM Framework
• What is a Project?
A project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a
unique product, service, or result.
• Temporary
( definite beginning and definite end)
Most projects are undertaken to create a lasting
outcome.

• Unique
( different location, different design, different
circumstances, different contractors etc.)
• Progressive Elaboration
Continuously improving and detailing a plan as more detailed
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and specific information and more accurate estimates become
 What is Project Management?

The application of knowledge, skills, tools and

techniques to project activities to meet the
project requirements.
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 What is a Project Manager?
Project Manager - Is the individual assigned by
the performing organization as responsible for
accomplishing the project objectives

A project manager's responsibility includes:

• Planning the project
• Organizing the day-to-day activities of a
project
• Leading the project team
• Controlling project progress &
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performance
Project Team Member
The individuals who report either directly or indirectly
to the project manager, and who are responsible for
performing project work as a regular part of their
assigned duties

Project Team
All the project team members, including the project
management team, the project manager and, for some
projects, the project sponsor
Project Management Team
The members of the project team who are directly
involved in project management activities; on some
smaller projects, the project management team may 18
Areas of Expertise

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 Project Management Knowledge Areas

• Project Integration Management

• Project Scope Management
• Project Time Management
• Project Cost Management
• Project Quality Management
• Project Human Resources Management
• Project Communications Management
• Project Risk Management
• Project Procurement Management
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 Triple constraints
• Scope
cost
• Time
scope time
• Cost
Project
constraints
• Quality
Customer
satisfaction quality
• Risk
risk
• Customer satisfaction

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• Project Management and Operations
Management
– Operations are an organizational function performing the
ongoing execution of activities that produce the same product
or provide a repetitive service.

– At each point, deliverables and knowledge are transferred

between the project and operations for implementation of the
delivered work.

– Unlike the ongoing nature of operations, projects are

temporary endeavors.
– Operations Management Examples
• Administrative operations,
• Manufacturing operations,
• Accounting operations 23
• Projects and strategic planning

Projects are often utilized as a means of achieving an

organization’s strategic plan.

Projects are typically authorized as a result of one or more of the

following strategic considerations:

– Market demand (e.g., Build more fuel-efficient cars in response to

gasoline shortages),
– Business need (e.g., A training company authorizing a project to
create a new course to increase its revenues),
– Customer request (e.g., an electric utility authorizing a project to
build a new substation to serve a new industrial park),
– Technological advance (e.g., an electronics firm authorizing a new
project to develop a faster, cheaper, and smaller laptop after
advances in computer memory and electronics technology)
– Legal requirements (e.g., a chemical manufacturer authorizes a
project to establish guidelines for the handling of a new toxic 24
material).
• Project management office (PMO)

A (PMO) is an organizational body or entity assigned various

responsibilities related to the management of those projects under its
domain.

A primary function of a PMO is to support project managers in a

variety of ways which may include

– Managing shared resources across all projects administered by the PMO

– Identifying and developing project management methodology, best

practices, and standards;

– Coaching, mentoring, training, and oversight;

– Developing and managing project policies, procedures, templates, and

other shared documentation (organizational process assets); and

– Coordinating communication across projects. 25

• Program Management

A program is defined as a group of related projects managed in

a coordinated way to obtain benefits and control not available
from managing them individually.

• Portfolio Management
A portfolio is a collection of projects or programs and other
work that are grouped together to facilitate effective
management of that work to meet strategic business
objectives.

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• Enterprise Environmental Factors
Refer to both internal and external environmental factors that surround
or influence a project’s success.

These factors may come from any or all of the enterprises involved in
the project.

– Organizational culture, structure, and processes

– Government or industry standards
– Infrastructure (e.g., existing facilities and capital equipment)
– Existing human resources
– Personnel administration (e.g. staffing guidelines, overtime policy)
– Company work authorization systems
– Marketplace conditions
– Stakeholder risk tolerances
– Political climate
– Organization’s established communications channels
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 The Project Life Cycle

A project life cycle is a collection of generally

sequential and sometimes overlapping project
phases whose name and number are
determined by the management and control
needs of the organization or organizations
involved in the project, the nature of the
project itself, and its area of application.

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Project Life Cycle Model

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Characteristics of a Project Life Cycle

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 Stakeholders
Stakeholders are persons or organizations (e.g., customers, sponsors,
the performing organization, or the public), who are actively involved in
the project or whose interests may be positively or negatively affected
by the performance or completion of the project.

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 Organizational Influences
Since projects are typically part of an organization that is
larger than the project, the project is influenced by a
number of aspects of the larger organizational structure:

Organizational process assets

include any or all process related assets, from any or all of the
organizations involved in the project that can be used to influence the
project’s success

Organizational Cultures and Styles

Most organizations have developed unique and describable cultures
that often have a direct influence on the project.

Organizational Structure
The structure of the performing organization often constrains the
availability of resources.

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 Organizational Influences

Organizational process assets

Organizational process assets may be grouped into two categories:

Processes and Procedures

• Organizational standard processes such as standards, policies
• Organization communication requirements
• Financial controls procedures
• Change control procedures,

Corporate Knowledge Base

• Process measurement databases
• Project files
• Historical information
• Lessons learned knowledge bases

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 Types of Organizational Structures

The three types of organizational structures are:

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Organizational Influence on Projects

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 Project Management Process
Groups
• A project consists of project management processes that are
defined by its inputs, tools and techniques, and outputs

• The Project Manager and the project team are responsible for
determining what processes from the Process Groups will be
employed and the degree of rigor to be applied to the
execution of the processes to achieve the objectives of the
project

• Project Management processes address the description and

organization of the work of the project

• Product-Oriented processes address the specification and

creation of the project product

• Project management processes and product-oriented

processes overlap one another and interact throughout the 36
project life cycle
 Project Management Process
• Groups
Initiating process group
Performed to define a new project or a new phase of an existing
project by obtaining authorization to start the project or phase.
• Planning process group
Performed to establish the total scope of the effort, define and refine
the objectives, and develop the course of action required to attain
those objectives.
• Executing process group
Performed to complete the work defined in the project management
plan to satisfy the project specifications.
• Monitoring and Controlling process group
The processes required to track, review, and regulate the progress
and performance of the project; identify any areas in which changes
to the plan are required; and initiate the corresponding changes.
• Closing process group
Performed to finalize all activities across all project management
process groups to formally complete the project, phase, or
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contractual obligations.
Project Management Process Groups

Mapped to the Plan-Do-Check-Act

Cycle

Plan what you DO and Do what you 38

Project Management Process Groups

Mapped to the Plan-Do-Check-Act

Cycle

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 Process Interactions
Project Management Process Groups are linked by the objectives
they produce, with the results or outcomes of one generally
becoming an input to another or is a deliverable of the project

Note: Many of the Inputs, Tools & Techniques, and Outputs for the 42 Project
Management processes appear in more than one of the Project Management
Process Groups; many of these will be addressed only once in the following Units
unless additional information specific to a Process Group needs to be addressed
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Process Groups Interact in a Project

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Project Management Process
Groups
Initiating Process Group

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Project Management Process Groups

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Project Management Process Groups
Executing Process Group

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 Project Management Process Groups
Monitoring & Controlling Process Group

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Project Management Process Groups

Closing Process Group

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Questions

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 1 ) progressive elaboration
means:
A ) Implementation of the project must progress
strictly according to the initial project
management plan.

B ) Project processes are iterated as more detailed as

more information is uncovered throughout the
project life cycle.

C ) Project management plans must be elaborate in

order to be effective.

D ) Distinct processes are developed for each project.

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 1 ) progressive elaboration
means:
A ) Implementation of the project must progress
strictly according to the initial project
management plan.

B ) Project processes are iterated as more detailed as

more information is uncovered throughout the
project life cycle.

C ) Project management plans must be elaborate in

order to be effective.

D ) Distinct processes are developed for each project.

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2 ) the project manager’s role during the
executing process group of the project can
BEST be described as a (an) :
A ) Director.

B ) Integrator.

C ) Coordinator.

D ) leader.

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2 ) the project manager’s role during the
executing process group of the project can
BEST be described as a (an) :
A ) Director.

B ) Integrator.

C ) Coordinator.

D ) leader.

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3 ) Which of the following would be the MOST
appropriate thing to do during the planning process
group?

A ) work with stakeholders to determine their

communication preferences.

B ) Determine the initial project organization.

C ) refine control limits.

D ) complete scope verification.

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3 ) Which of the following would be the MOST
appropriate thing to do during the planning process
group?

A ) work with stakeholders to determine their

communication preferences.

B ) Determine the initial project organization.

C ) refine control limits.

D ) complete scope verification.

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4 ) The high-level project schedule constraints have
just been determined. What project management
process group are you in?
A ) Initiating.

B ) planning.

C ) Executing.

D ) Monitoring and controlling.

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4 ) The high-level project schedule constraints have
just been determined. What project management
process group are you in?
A ) Initiating.

B ) planning.

C ) Executing.

D ) Monitoring and controlling.

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5 ) The project charter is created in which
project management process group?
A ) Executing.

B ) Planning.

C ) Closing.

D ) Initiating.

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5 ) The project charter is created in which
project management process group?
A ) Executing.

B ) Planning.

C ) Closing.

D ) Initiating.

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6 ) One of your team members informs you that he
does not know which of the many projects he is
working on is the most important. Who should
determine the priorities among projects in a company?

A ) Project manager.

B ) Sponsor.

C ) PMO.

D ) Team.
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6 ) One of your team members informs you that he
does not know which of the many projects he is
working on is the most important. Who should
determine the priorities among projects in a company?

A ) Project manager.

B ) Sponsor.

C ) PMO.

D ) Team.
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7 ) Which of the following BEST describes
the major constraints on a project?
A ) Scope, number of resources, and cost.

B ) Scope, cost, and time

C ) Scope, time, cost, quality, risk, and

customer satisfaction.

D ) Time, cost, and number of changes.

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7 ) Which of the following BEST describes
the major constraints on a project?
A ) Scope, number of resources, and cost.

B ) Scope, cost, and time

C ) Scope, time, cost, quality, risk, and

customer satisfaction.

D ) Time, cost, and number of changes.

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8 )A frequent complaint about matrix
organizations is that communications are:

A ) Hard to automate.

B ) Closed and inaccurate.

C ) Complex.

D ) Misleading.

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8 )A frequent complaint about matrix
organizations is that communications are:

A ) Hard to automate.

B ) Closed and inaccurate.

C ) Complex.

D ) Misleading.

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9 ) To obtain support for the project throughout the
performing organization. It’s BEST if the project
manager:

A ) Ensure there is a communication management

plan.

B ) Correlates the need for the project to the

organization’s strategic plan.

C ) Connects the project to the personal objectives of

the sponsor.

D ) Ensures that the management plan includes the

management of the team members.
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9 ) To obtain support for the project throughout the
performing organization. It’s BEST if the project
manager:

A ) Ensure there is a communication management

plan.

B ) Correlates the need for the project to the

organization’s strategic plan.

C ) Connects the project to the personal objectives of

the sponsor.

D ) Ensures that the management plan includes the

management of the team members.
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10 ) Who has the MOST power in a
projectized organization?
A ) The project manager

B ) the functional manager

C ) The team

D ) They all share power.

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10 ) Who has the MOST power in a
projectized organization?
A ) The project manager

B ) the functional manager

C ) The team

D ) They all share power.

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 Key Messages for Unit 3
•Project Management Framework and Project Integration Management
Study Notes from the PMP® Exam Prep Study Guide

•The PMBOK® Framework (first three chapters): Introduction, The Project

Life Cycle and Organization; and The Standard for Project Management
of a Project

•The mapping of the nine Knowledge Areas to the five Process Groups
It's very important for exam takers to understand this mapping! This is
at the heart of the PMI® exam

•Know the linkages between the five Project Management Process

Groups

•Know the difference between a project and a program

•Know key definitions (refer to list in study notes or PMBOK® Guide

Glossary)
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•Know the phases of a generic life cycle
Thank you

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