Cheetah Exam Prep® for the PMP® for the PMP® during the PMP ... Try to make up your own mnemonics for the lists under each of the Life Cycle Processes. You can do this by making

Copyright ©2008 Cheetah Learning, LLC Cheetah Exam Prep® for the PMP® www.cheetahlearning.com

June 2008

Cheetah Cheetah Cheetah Cheetah

Exam Prep® Exam Prep® Exam Prep® Exam Prep®

for the PMP® for the PMP® for the PMP® for the PMP®

© 2008 Cheetah Learning LLC

www.cheetahlearning.com

““PMP” and the PMP logo are certification

marks of the Project Management

Institute which are registered in the

United States and other nations.


Read it here first!

Get ready - you’re going to be participating in an intense, week-long immersion approach to

prepare you to take PMI’s PMP exam! This course preview is a suggested pre-read, both by

candidates who came before you, and by the Cheetah Learning PMP Team. It contains

guidelines on what you can do before the course to make the best use of your time while

you’re actually taking the course. The material in this course preview was selected based

upon feedback from previous students. You should read it through in its entirety before the

first day of the course, to help prepare you for this intensive, engaging experience.

Although it is brief, reading this course preview now will have a significant, positive impact

during your preparation week.

What to expect from this preview

There are two main areas that you’ll focus on in this preview. The first area covers A Guide

to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK®), and the logic and structure

behind it. If you can understand the PMBOK® Guide logic, you’ll be more successful in

deciphering the logic behind the questions on the exam.

The second area focuses on our Memory Map. This map contains formulas and processes

that you will eventually memorize and jot down from memory on the scratch paper provided

to you in the exam before you begin. By doing this, you’ll have these formulas directly in

front of you while you are taking the exam, which will help to guide you as you move

through it.

Having the Memory Map memorized prior to your preparation week is essential to your

success throughout the week. It will also mean less homework for you in the evenings - so

start as soon as you can!

PMBOK® Guide - The information you need for your success

PMI’s A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge, or PMBOK® Guide, is now

an ANSI Standard and is generally recognized by the world’s largest organizations for

defining the accepted concepts, processes, tools, and techniques for managing projects. The

information contained in the PMBOK® Guide is the basis for most knowledge areas tested

by the PMP® Exam.

Very few questions on the exam are based on definitions or details referenced directly from

the PMBOK® Guide. Based on this fact, it isn’t very valuable for you to commit much of the

PMBOK® Guide to rote memory. However, you’ll find that most questions on the exam

require a complete and thorough understanding of PMBOK® Guide principles, processes,

and concepts. Because of this, it is very important for you to know the objectives of the

PMBOK® Guide inside and out, along with each of its component sections.

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During your preparation week, you’ll be spending a significant amount of time each day

working with the PMBOK® Guide. It will serve as your primary reference source. Fear not -

you won’t be memorizing the PMBOK® Guide! The information that you’ll need to

remember during the PMP® exam is provided for you by supplemental written materials,

graphic illustrations and audio exercises. Much of this supplemental information comes from

sources other than the PMBOK® Guide. Your work with the PMBOK® Guide will be

focused on learning and understanding processes, concepts, applications, and broad sets of

tools and techniques.

During your preparation week, your instructors will coach you through all the PMBOK®

Guide work necessary to pass your PMP® exam. However, you’ll find that it is very helpful

to come to the program prepared with a general understanding of the way in which the

PMBOK® Guide information is organized. The PMBOK® Guide is a professional standard,

not a text. Use it as more of a comprehensive reference document.

Because of its unusual format, many PMP® candidates have difficulty quickly gaining an

intuitive understanding of the PMBOK® Guide. Most people have to read it through many

times before they “get it,” so don’t be discouraged if it takes you awhile to understand it

thoroughly.

Understanding the PMBOK® Guide

This section helps you to better understand the PMBOK® Guide, by taking you through it

piece by piece. You should have a clearer picture of what is contained in the PMBOK®

Guide, and this will help you while you are reading through it on your own.

How the PMBOK® Guide is organized

The PMBOK® Guide is organized in the following way:

• 12 Chapters

• Appendices

• Glossary

• Index

Each chapter is discussed in more detail in the following sections.

Looking through Chapters 1- 3

The first three chapters of the PMBOK® Guide make up Section I, “The Project

Management Framework”. You may find that parts of this section are confusing, specifically

the information on relationships between Processes and Knowledge Areas. However, you

can relax! You’ll be coached throughout your preparation week with a number of different

illustrations, explanations, and other learning aids that will help to reinforce a proper

understanding of these concepts.

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You’ll also find some very useful Context information in this first section, which defines

precisely how and where project management “fits” in the grand scheme of modern

management science. This section also presents a brief overview of the PMBOK® Guide, along

with some key definitions that you’ll need to know.

Looking through Chapters 4-12

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Project Management Knowledge Areas

-Color Key-

• Project Integration Management

• Project Scope Management

• Project Time Management

• Project Cost Management

• Project Quality Management

• Project Human Resource Management

• Project Communications Management

• Project Risk Management

• Project Procurement Management

Closing

Processes

Executing

Processes

Planning

Processes

Initiating

Processes

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

LIFE CYCLE (aka Project Management Processes)

Processes

Performance Reporting

Manage Stakeholders

Monitor & Control

Project Work

Integrated Change Ctrl

Scope Verification

Scope Control

Perform Quality Control

Manage Project Team

Schedule Control

Risk Monitoring and Control

Cost Control

Contract Administration

Controlling

Processes

Planning Processes

Scope Planning

Scope Definition

Create WBS

Activity Definition

Activity Sequencing

Act. Duration Estimating

Act. Resource Estimating

Schedule Development

Cost Estimate

Cost Budget

Risk Management Planning

Project Plan Development

Planning Processes

Quality Planning

Human Resource Planning

Communications Planning

Risk Identification

Qualitative Risk Analysis

Quantitative Risk Assessment

Risk Response Planning

Plan Purchases & Acquisitions

Planning

Plan Contracting

Processes

Direct and Manage Project Execution

Information Distribution

Request Seller Responses

Acquire Project Team

Develop Project Team

Select Seller

Perform Quality Assurance

Processes

Develop Project Charter

Preliminary Scope Statement

Processes

Close Project

Contract Closure


Chapters 4 through 12 make up Section II, which addresses each of the defined project

management Knowledge Areas. These Knowledge Areas comprise the majority of the

PMBOK® Guide. They represent the nuts and bolts of the project management profession.

Breaking down your processes for success

The PMBOK® Guide generally defines modern project management as an accepted process

consisting of many processes. That is to say, projects are organized and carried out using an

established process, from beginning to end. Projects can also be executed in process groups.

These process groups are in order of implementation and can be seen on the next page.

1. Initiating

2. Planning

3. Executing

4. Monitoring and Controlling

5. Closing

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XYZ Software

Project

Roll Out Test System Write Manual Design

Project Life Cycle for a Simple Software Development Project

XYZ Office Building

Project

Design

Project Life Cycle for a Building Construction Project

Permitting Foundation

Framing

Marketing Finishing Site

Selection


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Each of these five primary process groups are accomplished by carrying out a series of

processes which are defined in the PMBOK® Guide. You’ll find that almost all standards in

the PMBOK® Guide are presented in terms of processes that are made up of inputs, tools and

techniques, and outputs. This conceptual format is actually very useful. It makes modern

project management much easier to understand and to practice.

Projects can sometimes be huge and extremely complex. Experienced Project Managers

understand that they cannot manage entire projects as a whole, which is why they break their

projects down into a series of manageable pieces. When all of the individual pieces are

successfully completed, then the project is successfully completed.

This is what is accomplished in the PMBOK® Guide - breaking down the whole project

management process into a series of manageable and understandable processes, in specific

knowledge areas. When all of your processes are being properly carried out, you are

successfully practicing modern project management!

The concept of Life Cycles

The PMBOK® Guide defines two Life Cycles, which are important concepts to understand.

They are the:

• Project Management Life Cycle

• Project Life Cycle

The Project Management Life Cycle

Regardless of the type of project or the phase of a project, the Project Management Life

Cycle will contain the same phases of Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring and

Controlling, and Closing (or Close Out), as described in the previous section. The Project

Management Life Cycle remains consistent within every project. See page 3 for an example

of the Project Management Life Cycle.

This Project Management Life Cycle actually exists within every Project Life Cycle. Most

Project Managers and Project Stakeholders focus on the Project Life Cycle for planning and

tracking purposes.

One of the first topics we will cover during the first morning of your preparation week is this

Project Management Life Cycle, which is considered to be the overall Project Management

Process.

The Project Life Cycle

The Project Life Cycle defines the beginning and end of a particular project. For example,

the Project Life Cycle for the construction of a new cabin cruiser, might consider designing

the cruiser as phase 1. Phase 2 would be construction of the cruiser. In technology, a Project

Life Cycle may just be designing the infrastructure and then handing the design over to a

contractor to implement.

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The number of phases within a Project Life Cycle is dependent on the specific project.

Some projects could have three or four phases in their Life Cycles. Others could have six or

eight or more. See page 4 for two illustrations of different project types and their project life

cycles.

Please Note: During the Accelerated PMP Course, you will be shown how you can

memorize the Project Management Life Cycle. You may want to start on this ahead

of time. Try to make up your own mnemonics for the lists under each of the Life

Cycle Processes. You can do this by making up a string of funny and relevant

phrases that start with the first letter of each word.

Project Management Knowledge Areas

You should now have a pretty good understanding of how the PMBOK® Guide addresses the

project management process. But the project management process is really only the

framework for the practice of modern project management. What about the nuts and bolts of

the profession? The working tools? The PMBOK® Guide presents these tools as Knowledge

Areas.

There are nine defined Knowledge Areas in the PMBOK® Guide. Each addresses a specific

key project management discipline. For example, Chapter 5 of the PMBOK® Guide

addresses the Knowledge Area of Project Scope Management, where you learn the

accepted standards, tools and techniques used to complete:

• Scope Planning

• Scope Definition

• Create the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

• Manage formal acceptance of the completed work

• Manage Scope Change Control

In keeping with the PMBOK® Guide’s process theme, the tools and techniques addressed in

each of the Knowledge Areas are presented as processes. To continue with our Chapter 5

example, the PMBOK® Guide defines Project Scope Management as a set of five major

processes:

• Scope Planning: The process designed to produce the Scope Management Plan.

• Scope Definition: The process designed to produce the Scope Statement

• Create WBS: The process of elaborating all the work to be completed to create the

WBS

• Scope Verification: The process designed to ensure formal acceptance of the completed

work

• Scope Change Control: The process designed to effectively manage and control Scope

changes

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The nine Knowledge Areas are presented in PMBOK® Guide Chapters 4 through 12 as

follows:

• Chapter 4: Project Integration Management - Defines the seven major processes used

to integrate all the component pieces of a project into a whole

•••• Chapter 5: Project Scope Management - Defines the five major processes used to

carefully define, execute, and control the scope of a project

• Chapter 6: Project Time Management - Defines the six major processes used to

carefully characterize project activities, identify their interdependencies, schedule their

performance, and control the project schedule

• Chapter 7: Project Cost Management - Defines the three major processes used to plan

project resources, estimate costs and budgets, and control project costs

• Chapter 8: Project Quality Management - Defines the three major processes used to

plan, guarantee, and control project quality

• Chapter 9: Project Human Resource Management - Defines the four major processes

used to plan project organization, staff acquisition, and project team development

• Chapter 10: Project Communications Management - Defines the four major

processes used to develop a communication plan, distribute information, report project

performance, and perform administrative closure

• Chapter 11: Project Risk Management - Defines the six major processes used to

identify and quantify project risks, as well as to develop responses and control responses

to project risks

• Chapter 12: Project Procurement Management - Defines the six major processes

used to plan, solicit, select, administer, and close out contracts with project suppliers and

sub-contractors

Following through with your process: Inputs, Tools and Techniques, and Outputs

You’ll find that Chapters 4-12 of the PMBOK® Guide are presented in an identical format.

Each chapter begins with a brief overview of every major process within the Knowledge

Area, and then presents a more detailed treatment of the specific Knowledge Area. Each

detailed treatment is presented in three parts, which include a set of:

1. Inputs

2. Tools and Techniques

3. Outputs

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It’s important for you to understand this PMBOK® Guide format of these three sets. Take a

look at the PMBOK® Guide anywhere within Chapters 4-12, to see the way in which Inputs,

Tools and Techniques, and Outputs are presented.

Inputs: The ingredients for your recipe

Each major process begins with a set of Inputs. These are the factors that initially go into the

particular process - the documents, information, procedures, policies, supporting detail, etc.

You may view these Inputs as the ingredients necessary to successfully perform the process.

If the process at hand was to bake bread, then the Inputs might be flour, yeast, water, and

salt.

Tools and Techniques: All that you need for your kitchen

Following Inputs comes a set of Tools and Techniques. These Tools and Techniques are the

project management methodologies and systems, such as network diagramming, earned

value analysis, PERT, estimating tools, etc. In the bread-baking example, Tools and

Techniques might include general cooking skills, an oven, oven temperature control systems,

baking utensils, and quality control systems.

Outputs: Fresh bread, straight from the oven!

Following Tools and Techniques is a set of Outputs. Outputs are deliverables - the tangible

results from each major process. In the bread-baking example, the Output would be the

loaves of bread, fresh from the oven!

The forty-four processes

Within all nine Knowledge Areas, there are a total of forty-four (44) major processes. Each

of these major processes contains a set of Inputs, a set of Tools and Techniques, and a set of

Outputs. The precise number of items in each set varies - there are usually about two to five

items per set.

To give you an example, in Chapter 7: Project Cost Management, Cost Budgeting is

identified as one of three major Cost Management processes. Below is a run-down of what is

included in each set for this process:

1. Inputs to the Cost Budgeting process are listed as:

• Cost Estimates

• Work Breakdown Structure

• Project Schedule

2. Tools and Techniques are listed as:

• Cost Estimating Tools and Techniques

3. Outputs are listed as:

• Cost Baseline

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From this example, you can see that the Cost Budgeting process is designed to ultimately

produce the project’s output of the Cost Baseline. In order to develop this Cost Baseline, Cost

Estimating Tools and Techniques are used. But before the project is started, the Cost Estimates,

Work Breakdown Structure, and Project Schedule, or the Inputs, are needed to use for reference.

So you can see that each step, or set, in the process is reliant on the other, in order to produce the

desired outcome, deliverable, or Output.

The PMBOK® Guide goes on to provide much more detailed discussions for each listing of

Inputs, Tools and Techniques, and Outputs. These are the details with which you will be

spending significant time during your preparation week.

Are you confused yet? Getting past those “problem” areas

There are a couple of distinct areas and/or concepts in the PMBOK® Guide that can be very

confusing. This section addresses some of these areas and concepts, and may help to clear up

any confusion you may have while reading through the PMBOK® Guide .

Project Management Life Cycle vs. Project Life Cycle

There are two distinctly different Life Cycles, each of equal importance. Remember that every

project has both a Project Life Cycle and a Project Management Life Cycle.

A good way to understand this concept is for you to look at the Project Life Cycle as an

illustration of the flow of a particular project from beginning to end, with all of the major

technical phases, processes, and activities necessary to complete the project. Look at the Project

Management Life Cycle as an illustration of the flow of project management phases,

processes, and activities during the course of the project, from beginning to end.

Take the example of building a house. Here is a breakdown of what each cycle focuses on in this

particular project:

Project Life Cycle - Technical aspects:

• Designing the architecture

• Pouring the concrete

• Framing the building

• Constructing the roof

Project Management Life Cycle - Management aspects:

• Developing the Scope Statement

• Developing the Work Breakdown Structure

• Developing the Network Diagram, and Identifying the Critical Path

• Developing the Cost Baseline

Take another look at the differences between the illustrations on Pages 4 and 5, to further help

you with this concept.

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The run-down on Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring and Controlling, and

Closing Processes

Project Life Cycle - The PMBOK® Guide states that each phase in a Project Life Cycle should

contain all five primary Project Management Processes - Initiating, Planning, Executing,

Monitoring and Controlling, and Closing. A good way to help understand this concept is for

you to look at each phase in a Project Life Cycle as a sort of sub-project all on its own.

Knowledge Areas - The Project Management Knowledge Areas represent the “tools of the

trade.” Some of these tools are used during one distinct phase in the Project Management Life

Cycle. Others are used in several or all of the phases. For example, some aspects of Project Risk

Management are performed during four of the five phases - Initiating, Planning, Executing and

Monitoring and Controlling.

Overlapping - There is no neat order for placing specific Knowledge Areas with specific

Project Management Life Cycle Processes. There is room for variation, and sometimes these

processes intersect with one another. This is an important concept for you to learn, and to

understand.

See the illustration on page 3, which shows the relationship between the defined Project

Management Processes and the Project Management Knowledge Areas.

Most project management processes are iterative by nature. That is to say, many processes are

revisited many times before a project is complete. Because of this, there is no distinct

delineation between primary Project Management Life Cycle phases. For example, Initiating

does not always end cleanly before Planning begins. During the Planning phase of some

projects, Initiating may have to be revisited many times for clarifications or changes.

In practice, project planning processes may be revisited at any time during the Executing and

Monitoring and Controlling phases. Executing and Monitoring and Controlling phases are

essentially performed at the same time. Closing processes are used many times during the

Execution phase, as individual work packages are completed and accepted. It may even be

necessary to completely re-initiate a project deep into the Execution phase if major scope

changes are found to be warranted.

As a result of all of this, phases in the Project Management Life Cycle are expected to overlap.

See the illustration on Page 3, which helps to show the iterative, back-and-forth, interplay

between phases/processes.

How much should I study the PMBOK® Guide?

It is not mandatory for you to study the PMBOK® Guide before your preparation week. You’ll

be spending significant time each day studying the PMBOK® Guide in class. However, after

reading this Course Review, it will be very helpful for you to at least scan through the

PMBOK® Guide a couple of times before the class convenes on the first day. Also, bring your

PMBOK® Guide to class.

You will be performing a “rapid synthesis” note-taking technique, which some people have

found helpful to use for delineating significant concepts. But by looking through the PMBOK®

Guide beforehand, you’ll have a good understanding of its layout, format, intent, and general

content, and your study time in class will be that much more effective.

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The Memory Map

In the course preview page, you’ll find a link to a Memory Map. It is strongly advised to

have this memorized before you come to class. This map shows you which tasks/activities

come before others and will help you answer questions on the exam. For example:

Your sponsor has asked for a project schedule. You’ve completed the risk management plan,

the quality plan, and the scope definition. All of the following must be completed before you

can give your sponsor the project schedule except?

A. Cost baseline

B. WBS

C. Network diagrams

D. Kickoff Meeting

Do you know the answer? Check it against the Memory Map and remember—you’ll be

tested on this Monday morning.

Good Luck!


A Final Note

This exam is hard for even the most prepared candidates but we’ve had great success and

many classes have had 100% success rates. During your four days of class, you’ll develop

the knowledge and techniques needed for you to be successful in passing the exam, but it

will require a tremendous amount of work and commitment on your part during those four

days.

In the other preview material provided in your course orientation kit, you’ll see how you can

get your mind and body in peak performance to maximize your chances of passing this

exam. You will need to completely dedicate yourself and focus on the task at hand the days

you are in class. Many people, even those who live nearby, choose to stay in the hotel at or

near the course location so they can completely focus on preparing for the exam. To

maximize your chances for passing the exam, you may want to follow the lead of those who

participated before you.

We have many students, while they have years of Project Management experience, have

never read the PMBOK® Guide . They have very good luck with our program. At the other

end of the spectrum we have students who are very well read in project management, who

even bring other organization’s PMP exam prep study material to class. Strangely enough,

some of these people don’t pass the exam. In the class you are about to participate in, you

will learn what you need to know to pass the PMP exam. It is preferred that you don’t study

these other organization’s PMP exam prep material—especially during the week of your

class. Not only will it detract from your ability to perform well using the techniques you will

be learning in class, but it will also take up valuable time that you should be studying the

material in a way that we have found works for most people.

About two weeks before class, you’ll receive an email note from your trainer or someone

from the office. Please read it carefully as it has valuable information. Any questions you

have can be directed to your trainer at any time.

Happy studying, and see you in class!

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Documents

Cheetah Exam Prep® for the PMP® for the PMP® during the PMP ... Try to make up your own mnemonics for the lists under each of the Life Cycle Processes. You can do this by making