Time Management

Make sure you study the following key concepts in Project Time Management.

Time Management Processes
Activity Definition; Activity Sequencing; Activity Duration Estimating; Schedule DevelopmentSchedule Control

Other Key Concepts

• Diagramming Definitions
• Network Diagram: Dependencies; How to develop the network
• Methods to Draw (Diagram Techniques): Precedence Diagramming Method (PDM) or Activity-on-Node (AON), Arrow Diagram Method (ADM), I and J Networks , Conditional Diagramming Methods
• Critical Path, Slack (Float), Lead andLAG
• Estimating Methods: Critical Path Method; PERT (Program Evaluation Review Technique); Monte Carlo; Other Estimating Methods
• Resource Levelling
• Shortening the Schedule: Crashing, Fast Tracking
• Scheduling Tools: Gantt/Bar Chart; Network Diagram; Milestone Charts; Flow Charts
• Heuristics
• Schedule Variance
• Project Schedule Control
• Different Charts: Milestone Charts, Gantt Chart, Bar Chart

The PM-Mentor Study Guide covers all of the above concepts and many others in much more detail.

Scope Management

Below is an outline of the key concepts which you need to know for the exam. Our study material follows this outline.

• Project Life Cycle
• Project Selection Techniques and Criteria
• Project Charter
• Scope Management - Definition of Scope Management; Scope Planning; Scope Decomposition/Definition; Scope Verification
• Work Breakdown Structure - WBS Benefits and Importance; WBS How to do it; Work Breakdown Structure Dictionary
• Delphi Technique
• Management By Objectives (MBO)

The PM-Mentor Study Guide covers all of the above concepts and many others in much more detail.

Integration Management

Below is an outline of the key concepts which you need to know for the exam. Our study material follows this outline.

• Integration
• Historical Records
• The Project Plan
• Constraints and Assumptions
• Integrated Change Control: Overall Change Control; Change Control System; Change Control Board;
• Configuration Management
• Work Authorization System
• Project Management Information System (PMIS)
• Lessons Learned

The PM-Mentor Study Guide covers all of the above concepts and many others in much more detail.

PMP Exam Study - Project Management Framework

Make sure you study the following key concepts in Project Management Framework

1. What are the elements of a project
2. What is a program
3. Who are the stake holders
4. How do you manage stakeholders
5. What is a project life cycle
6. What is the project management life cycle
7. Organisational Theory - Types of Organisations;

• Who has the power in each type of organization
• Advantages and disadvantages of each type of organization

The PM-Mentor Study Guide covers all of the above concepts and many others in much more detail.

PMP Exam Questions - Part 4 - Self Score the Exam before You End It

Here is a method which you can follow to give you a bit more comfort. Self score your exam as follows:

1. Add together all questions which you are 100% (or almost) sure you have given the right answer and give yourself 90% for those.
2. Add together all questions where you could eliminate 2 incorrect answers and give yourself 45% for those.
3. Add together all questions which you are unsure about and give yourself 25% (make sure you have answered all questions!).
4. Add them all up and see if you have more than 122 (which equates to 61%) – remember you have answered 200 questions and you don’t know which 25 has not been taken into consideration so you need 122/200.

A good indicator (that you might be passing) at this stage is that if the “unsure” category is between 30 and 40 questions.

In the PM-Mentor Master Class you will find more details.

The PMP Exam Questions - Part 3 - Overall Guidelines for Answering Questions

Below are a number of important rules to remember for this exam. We suggest that you copy these over to a piece of paper and read it regularly. Make sure with each question that you think or refer back to these rules and the ones in Part 1 and 2.

1. The project manager is empowered and has ultimate authority and accountability for a project.
2. Projects should be strategically aligned with the high-level strategic objectives of the organization.
3. The Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) forms the basis of all estimating and project planning.
4. Project Managers spend 90% of their time communicating.
5. Planning is the most important of all the Project Management processes. Projects don’t fail at the end, they fail at the beginning.
6. The Project Team must be involved early in the Planning process and in all major decisions.
7. Lessons Learned and Historical Records are essential inputs to just about every Project Management process especially Planning.
8. Project Stakeholders and their needs/expectations are very important and should be well managed and balanced.
9. Administrative closure and Scope Verification are essential considerations with just about every project management process.
10. Adding out-of-scope extras (also called “gold plating”) to please project stakeholders adds no value and is strongly discouraged.
11. The Project Manager and Team should be pro-active, monitoring risk events, looking for difficulties early-on in the process and be on the lookout for new risks and manage them appropriately.
12. Quality is planned in and not inspected in – i.e. more inspections do not solve quality issues.
13. The closer to the beginning of a project, the more influence management (not the project manager) has on the project scope and changes.
14. The project team must be involved in almost all problem solving and planning decisions.
15. Administrative closeout must be performed at the end of each project life cycle phase.
16. Project changes should be expected, planned for and well-managed.
17. Estimating must be done by the people who will do the work.
18. Project baselines must be saved for performance assessments during execution.
19. Problem solving should be handled by the project manager and team.
20. Issues should be elevated to Senior Management only when they cannot be resolved within the team.
21. Effective project communication is all important!

In the PM-Mentor Master Class you will find more details.

The PMP Exam Questions - Part 2 - Strategy to Answer Questions

Most people who took the exam complained bitterly about the scenario/situational type questions. The better your preparation, the better your chances of passing those questions as well. While you are preparing, you should be thinking about scenarios. For each new concept or idea think about scenarios and how you can apply the knowledge.

Here is a strategy which you can follow to answer those scenario questions.

Question 1: “What has the project manager FORGOTTEN to do?” Determine what process they are referring to.

Question 2:“What is the BEST thing to do?” The correct answer should resolve the underlying problem.

Question 3: “The project manager must be MOST careful to / which is the MOST important?” Look for the choice that will have the highest impact on the project.

Always pick the one that answers the question.

Remember the problem solving processes.

Also remember that not all questions are from the PMBOK®!

Read and understand the question fully.

In the PM-Mentor Master Class you will find more details.