Project Manager Examination cheat sheet
Project Manager Examination · Keep the key ideas within reach.
Project Integration and Scope Management
Project charter authorizes the project and the PM; it is issued by the sponsor and must be signed before planning begins.
Project management plan is a single integrated document; subsidiary plans (scope, schedule, cost, quality, resource, communications, risk, procurement, stakeholder) and baselines are its components.
Change control flow: change request → perform integrated change control (assess impact on scope, schedule, cost, quality, risk) → approve/reject/defer → update plan and baselines → implement → verify → close.
Scope baseline = scope statement + WBS + WBS dictionary; approved changes to any of the three require a formal change request.
WBS rule: 100% rule (all deliverables, no extra work), 8–80 hour work package guideline, decomposition to a level where cost and duration can be reliably estimated.
Validate Scope (with customer) differs from Control Quality (with internal QA); validate scope occurs after quality control and produces formal acceptance.
Gold plating is adding unauthorized scope; scope creep is uncontrolled incremental growth; both are prevented by change control.
Requirements traceability matrix links each requirement to its source, WBS deliverable, test, and acceptance criteria.
Configuration management plan controls versions of deliverables and documents; it is part of the project management plan.
Schedule and Cost Management
PERT expected duration = (O + 4M + P) / 6; standard deviation = (P − O) / 6; variance = SD².
Critical path is the longest path through the network and has zero total float; project duration = critical path length.
Total float = LS − ES = LF − EF; free float = ES(successor) − EF(activity).
Fast tracking overlaps activities (adds risk); crashing adds resources (adds cost); both compress schedule.
Schedule compression applies only to critical path activities to shorten project duration.
Critical chain method adds buffers (project buffer, feeding buffers, resource buffers) rather than padding individual activity estimates.
EVM: CV = EV − AC; SV = EV − PV; CPI = EV/AC; SPI = EV/PV; VAC = BAC − EAC.
EAC formulas: EAC = BAC/CPI (atypical variance continued); EAC = AC + (BAC − EV) (atypical variance not continued); EAC = AC + bottom-up ETC.
TCPI = (BAC − EV) / (BAC − AC) for budget target; TCPI = (BAC − EV) / (EAC − AC) for revised target; TCPI > 1 means harder to achieve.
Quality and Resource Management
Cost of quality = cost of conformance (prevention, appraisal) + cost of nonconformance (internal failure, external failure); prevention is cheapest.
Quality assurance (Manage Quality) is process-focused; quality control is product-focused and uses inspection, testing, and statistical sampling.
Control chart: ±3 sigma control limits; a point outside limits or 7 consecutive points on one side signals a process out of control.
Pareto chart applies the 80/20 rule to prioritize defects; cause-and-effect (fishbone) diagram identifies root causes.
Tuckman ladder: Forming → Storming → Norming → Performing → Adjourning.
Conflict management modes: collaborate (win-win, preferred), compromise, accommodate, avoid, force; use force for emergencies.
Maslow hierarchy: physiological, safety, social, esteem, self-actualization; Herzberg: hygiene factors prevent dissatisfaction, motivators drive satisfaction.
Resource leveling adjusts start/finish dates to resolve over-allocation and can extend the critical path; resource smoothing uses float and does not extend it.
RACI chart assigns responsible, accountable, consulted, informed; only one accountable per activity.
Communications and Stakeholder Management
Communication channels = n(n − 1)/2 where n = number of stakeholders; adding one person adds n channels.
Communication methods: interactive (multi-directional, most effective), push (sent to recipients), pull (recipients retrieve).
Communication model: sender → encoding → message → medium → decoding → receiver → feedback, with noise as interference.
Stakeholder power/interest grid: high power-high interest = manage closely; high power-low interest = keep satisfied; low power-high interest = keep informed; low power-low interest = monitor.
Stakeholder engagement levels: unaware, resistant, neutral, supportive, leading; engagement plan targets desired level.
Communications management plan specifies who gets what information, when, in what form, and by what method.
Salience model classifies stakeholders by power, legitimacy, and urgency.
Most communication issues trace to an inadequate communications management plan, not to individual behavior.
Risk and Procurement Management
Risk management process: identify → perform qualitative analysis → perform quantitative analysis → plan responses → implement responses → monitor risks.
Risk score = probability × impact; qualitative analysis prioritizes risks; quantitative analysis (Monte Carlo, EMV) assigns numerical values.
EMV = probability × impact (positive for opportunities, negative for threats); sum of EMVs = expected monetary value of the project.
Negative risk responses: avoid, transfer, mitigate, accept, escalate; positive: exploit, share, enhance, accept, escalate.
Contingency reserve covers known-unknowns (identified risks); management reserve covers unknown-unknowns; both are part of the cost baseline vs. project budget respectively.
Fallback plan is applied when the primary response is insufficient; workaround is an unplanned response to an unanticipated risk.
Contract types: fixed-price (seller bears cost risk), cost-reimbursable (buyer bears cost risk), time and materials (hybrid, used for small/labor-based work).
Procurement documents: RFI (information), RFP (price and solution), RFQ (price only); make-or-buy analysis decides whether to procure.
Procurement closing includes settled claims, formal acceptance, and final contract closure; contract changes require formal change control.
Project Initiation and Business Environment
Business case documents the need, cost-benefit analysis, and justification; it precedes the project charter.
Benefits management plan defines target benefits, metrics, and timeframes; it is created by the sponsor and helps measure project success.
Project vs. program vs. portfolio: project = temporary unique work; program = related projects managed together; portfolio = collection of projects/programs aligned with strategy.
Organizational structures: functional (PM has little authority), matrix (weak/balanced/strong), projectized (PM has high authority); PM authority increases from functional to projectized.
OPM (organizational project management) aligns projects to strategy through portfolio, program, and project management.
Enterprise environmental factors (EEFs) are internal/external conditions (culture, market, systems) that influence the project; organizational process assets (OPAs) are processes, templates, and knowledge repositories.
Benefits realization is measured against the business case and benefits management plan, not only against scope and schedule.
Project success is measured by product and project quality, schedule and budget performance, and stakeholder satisfaction; the PM should also consider the business objective.
Project Planning and Execution
Planning is iterative; the project management plan is progressively elaborated and baselined only after approval.
Direct and Manage Project Work produces deliverables, work performance data, and change requests; it also implements approved changes.
Manage Project Knowledge uses the knowledge management (tacit) and information management (explicit) approaches.
Acquire Resources obtains team members and physical resources; Develop Team improves competencies and interaction; Manage Team tracks performance and resolves conflicts.
Quality audits during Manage Quality identify process gaps and nonconformities and generate change requests.
Risk response implementation is part of Direct and Manage Project Work; risk owners are assigned in Plan Risk Responses.
Stakeholder engagement plan is executed through Manage Stakeholder Engagement; it includes communication and issue resolution.
Work performance data (raw) → work performance information (analyzed) → work performance reports (formatted for decision-makers).
Monitoring, Controlling, and Closing
Monitoring and Controlling compares actual performance to the plan and baselines; outputs are change requests and work performance reports.
Integrated change control is used for all change requests; approved changes update the plan and baselines.
Control Scope detects scope creep and verifies that only approved scope is performed; variance analysis compares baseline vs. actual.
Control Schedule uses critical path, float, and EVM (SPI, SV) to identify schedule variance; Control Costs uses CPI, CV, EAC, ETC, VAC.
Control Quality uses inspection, testing, and statistical sampling; verified deliverables are inputs to Validate Scope.
Control Resources monitors physical resource allocation and resolves shortages or over-allocation.
Control Procurements administers contracts, inspects seller work, and closes contracts; claims are resolved through negotiation, then ADR.
Close Project or Phase: final product transition, final report, update OPAs, archive records, release resources, and obtain formal acceptance.
Lessons learned are captured throughout the project and finalized in Close Project or Phase; they are stored in the organizational knowledge repository.
Project Integration and Scope Management
Project charter authorizes the project and the PM; it is issued by the sponsor and must be signed before planning begins.
Project management plan is a single integrated document; subsidiary plans and baselines are its components.
Change control flow: change request → perform integrated change control → approve/reject/defer → update plan and baselines → implement → verify → close.
Scope baseline = scope statement + WBS + WBS dictionary; approved changes to any of the three require a formal change request.
WBS rule: 100% rule, 8–80 hour work package guideline, decomposition to a level where cost and duration can be reliably estimated.
Validate Scope (with customer) differs from Control Quality (with internal QA); Validate Scope occurs after quality control and produces formal acceptance.
Gold plating is adding unauthorized scope; scope creep is uncontrolled incremental growth.
Requirements traceability matrix links each requirement to its source, WBS deliverable, test, and acceptance criteria.
Schedule and Cost Management
PERT expected duration = (O + 4M + P) / 6; standard deviation = (P − O) / 6.
Critical path is the longest path through the network and has zero total float.
Total float = LS − ES = LF − EF; free float = ES(successor) − EF(activity).
Fast tracking overlaps activities (adds risk); crashing adds resources (adds cost).
Schedule compression applies only to critical path activities to shorten project duration.
EVM: CV = EV − AC; SV = EV − PV; CPI = EV/AC; SPI = EV/PV; VAC = BAC − EAC.
EAC = BAC/CPI when variance continues; EAC = AC + (BAC − EV) when variance does not continue.
TCPI = (BAC − EV) / (BAC − AC); TCPI > 1 means the remaining work is harder to achieve.
Quality and Resource Management
Cost of quality = cost of conformance (prevention, appraisal) + cost of nonconformance (internal and external failure).
Quality assurance is process-focused; quality control is product-focused and uses inspection and testing.
Control chart: ±3 sigma limits; a point outside limits or 7 consecutive points on one side signals an out-of-control process.
Pareto chart applies the 80/20 rule to prioritize defects; fishbone diagram identifies root causes.
Tuckman ladder: Forming → Storming → Norming → Performing → Adjourning.
Conflict modes: collaborate (win-win, preferred), compromise, accommodate, avoid, force; force for emergencies.
Resource leveling can extend the critical path; resource smoothing uses float and does not extend it.
RACI chart: only one accountable per activity; responsible does the work.
Communications and Stakeholder Management
Communication channels = n(n − 1)/2 where n = number of stakeholders.
Communication methods: interactive (most effective), push, pull.
Communication model: sender → encoding → message → medium → decoding → receiver → feedback, with noise as interference.
Power/interest grid: high power-high interest = manage closely; high power-low interest = keep satisfied; low power-high interest = keep informed; low power-low interest = monitor.
Stakeholder engagement levels: unaware, resistant, neutral, supportive, leading.
Communications management plan specifies who gets what information, when, in what form, and by what method.
Salience model classifies stakeholders by power, legitimacy, and urgency.
Most communication issues trace to an inadequate communications management plan.
Risk and Procurement Management
Risk process: identify → qualitative analysis → quantitative analysis → plan responses → implement responses → monitor risks.
EMV = probability × impact; negative for threats, positive for opportunities.
Negative responses: avoid, transfer, mitigate, accept, escalate; positive: exploit, share, enhance, accept, escalate.
Contingency reserve covers known-unknowns; management reserve covers unknown-unknowns.
Fallback plan is applied when the primary response is insufficient; workaround is unplanned.
Contract types: fixed-price (seller bears cost risk), cost-reimbursable (buyer bears cost risk), time and materials (hybrid).
RFI = information; RFP = price and solution; RFQ = price only.
Procurement closing includes settled claims, formal acceptance, and final contract closure.
Project Initiation and Business Environment
Business case documents need, cost-benefit analysis, and justification; it precedes the project charter.
Benefits management plan defines target benefits, metrics, and timeframes.
Project = temporary unique work; program = related projects; portfolio = projects/programs aligned with strategy.
PM authority increases from functional to matrix to projectized structures.
EEFs are conditions that influence the project; OPAs are processes, templates, and knowledge repositories.
Benefits realization is measured against the business case and benefits management plan.
OPM aligns projects to strategy through portfolio, program, and project management.
Project success includes product and project quality, schedule and budget performance, and stakeholder satisfaction.
Project Planning and Execution
Planning is iterative; the project management plan is progressively elaborated and baselined after approval.
Direct and Manage Project Work produces deliverables, work performance data, and change requests.
Manage Project Knowledge uses knowledge management (tacit) and information management (explicit) approaches.
Acquire Resources obtains team members and physical resources; Develop Team improves competencies.
Quality audits during Manage Quality identify process gaps and generate change requests.
Risk response implementation is part of Direct and Manage Project Work.
Work performance data → work performance information → work performance reports.
Manage Stakeholder Engagement includes communication and issue resolution.
Monitoring, Controlling, and Closing
Monitoring and Controlling compares actual performance to the plan and baselines.
Integrated change control is used for all change requests; approved changes update the plan and baselines.
Control Scope detects scope creep and verifies that only approved scope is performed.
Control Schedule uses critical path and EVM; Control Costs uses CPI, CV, EAC, ETC, VAC.
Control Quality uses inspection, testing, and statistical sampling; verified deliverables are inputs to Validate Scope.
Control Resources monitors physical resource allocation and resolves shortages.
Control Procurements administers contracts and closes contracts; claims are resolved through negotiation, then ADR.
Close Project or Phase: final product transition, final report, update OPAs, archive records, release resources, obtain formal acceptance.