PMP & CAPM Exam Preparation

January 17, 2013

Sessions

1. About the exam2. Integration & Scope Management3. Time & Cost Management4. Quality & HR Management5. Communication & Risk

Management6. Procurement Management

PMP Exam Information

• Number of questions: 200 (25 pretest questions)• Maximum time allowed: 4 hours (exclude 15-minute

computer tutorial)• Domains:– Initiating (13%) 26 questions– Planning (24%) 48 questions– Executing (30%) 60 questions– Monitoring & Controlling (25%) 50 questions– Closing (8%) 16 questions

PMP Exam Information

• Situational questions• Random pretest questions• Using formal and informal terminologies• Might contain unnecessary information• Some questions might not be answerable• Tricky questions (tips: always follow PMI

process)

CAPM Exam Information

• Number of questions: 150 (15 pretest questions)• Maximum time allowed: 3 hours (exclude 15-minute

computer tutorial)• PMBOK Chapters:– 1 (4%) 6 questions– 2 (4%) 6 questions– 3 (11%) 16-17 questions– 4 (11%) 16-17 questions– 5 (11%) 16-17 questions

CAPM Exam Information

• PMBOK Chapters:– 6 (11%) 16-17 questions– 7 (9%) 13-14 questions– 8 (7%) 10-11 questions– 9 (7%) 10-11 questions– 10 (7%) 10-11 questions– 11 (11%) 16-17 questions– 12 (7%) 10-11 questions

CAPM Exam Information

• Entirely based on PMBOK• Random pretest questions• Using formal terminologies

Exam Preparation

• Primary book: PMBOK• Secondary book:– PMP in Depth by Dr. Paul Sanghera, PMP– Head First PMP– Joseph Phillips PMP/CAPM Exam Guide– PMP/CAPM Exam Prep by Rita Mulcahy, PMP– etc

Exam Preparation

• Online tests simulation:– http://www.headfirstlabs.com/PMP/pmp_exam/v

2/quiz.html

– http://www.pmstudy.com/PMP-Exam-Resources/freeSimulatedTest.asp

– http://www.simplilearn.com/slportal/test/list.do

Exam Preparation

• Online tests simulation:– http://www.edwel.com/pmp-certification-exam-pr

ep/pmp-practice-exam#usermessage4a

– http://pmzilla.com/pmp-simulation-test-free-200-questions-4-hour-test

– http://www.examcentral.net/pmp/practice-exam

Exam Preparation

• Online tests simulation:– http://www.oliverlehmann.com/pmp-self-test/75-

free-questions.htm

Study Plan

• 2 Hours per day; 4 Hours weekend• Assign mnemonic to formal terminologies• Study PMP, Exam for CAPM…• 1 Online Test as Mid Term with Passing Grade

75%• 2 Online Test as Final Term with Passing Grade

85%

General Concepts

• 5 Process Groups• 9 Knowledge Areas• Projects vs Operations• Projects vs Programs vs Portfolio• Project documents vs Project management

plan

General Concepts

• Project management processes• Input, Tools & Techniques, Output• Organizational Structure

General Concepts

• Enterprise Environment Factors– Culture and structure (environment and

management way of doing things)– Processes and standards (quality standard, legal

requirement, or other industry standard)– Infrastructures (facility, communication channel,

estimation tools, work authorization system)– Internal and external conditions (risk tolerance,

market condition, political climate)

General Concepts

• Organizational Process Assets– Standardized processes and procedures• HSE policy• Project management / ethics policy• Quality checklist

– Standard guidelines• Closure guidelines• Evaluation criteria• Acceptance criteria

General Concepts

• Organizational Process Assets– Templates• Project documents template• Project management plan template

– Knowledge base• Project files (issues log, change request document, etc)• Historical information / lessons learned• Financial database• Configuration management

General Concepts

• Formula– Link to file

Sample Questions

Which of the following are the essential characteristics that make a group of activities a project?

A. It takes multiple individuals to perform these activities and it creates a new product.

B. The work is managed by a project manager.C. The group has a plan and a budget.D. The group has a start date and a finish date, and

its outcome will be a new product.

Sample Questions

Which of the following is a project?A. Running a donut shopB. Building another library in your areaC. Keeping a network up and running in a university

departmentD. Running a warehouse

Sample Questions

Which of the following are the process groups?A. Starting, planning, executing, monitoring and

controlling, and closingB. Initiating, organizing and preparing, executing,

monitoring and controlling, and closingC. Initiating, planning, implementing, monitoring

and controlling, and closingD. Initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and

controlling, and closing

Sample Questions

Which of the following is not a project management knowledge area?A. Project procurement managementB. Project risk managementC. Project quality managementD. Project team management

Sample Questions

Which of the following is the best definition of progressive elaboration?A. Taking the project from concept to project

management planB. Taking the project to its completionC. Continuous effort to improve a plan by working

out more details as the project progressesD. Decomposing the project objectives into smaller,

more manageable work pieces

Sample Questions

In which of the following organizational structures does the project manager have the greatest authority?A. FunctionalB. ProjectizedC. MatrixD. Leveled

Sample Questions

In which of the following organizational structures does the project manager have the least authority?A. FunctionalB. ProjectizedC. MatrixD. Leveled

Sample Questions

Your project depends on two business partners: On The Fly, Inc. (OTF) and The Sure Thing, Inc. (ST) delivering their products to you on time. The chances are three out of four that OTF will make the delivery on time and two out of three that ST will not make the delivery on time. The probability that OTF and ST will both deliver on time is equal to:A. 0.25

B. 0.5C. 5/7D. 4/7

Sample Questions

All of the following are true about a project except:A. Cost is low and stakeholder influence is highest in the

beginning.B. Staffing levels and the ability to influence the product

characteristics are both low at the end of the project.C. When the project is executing, both cost and

stakeholders’ influence are at their highest.D. Uncertainty is at its highest in the beginning of the

project.

Sample Questions

Both projects and operations share all the following characteristics except:A. Performed by individualsB. Planned, executed, monitored and controlled, and closedC. Limited by constraintsD. Performed to achieve the strategic objectives of the

organization

Sample QuestionsYou are being interviewed by a functional manager who says, “We have this huge undertaking of launching an online education website that contains different components, such as designing the website; developing the content; developing the administrative system, including registration and payment; marketing the courses on the website; integrating different components of the website; and finally going live. Each component is functionally complex and large enough that it will be better served under a different management.” The manager is most likely describing a:A. ProjectB. ProgramC. OperationD. Portfolio

Sample QuestionsEffective project management requires that a project manager must have the following characteristics:A. Project management knowledge, ability to apply the

knowledge effectively to the project at hand, and computer expertise

B. Project management knowledge, leadership skills, and expertise in the application area of the project

C. Project management knowledge; ability to apply the knowledge to the project at hand; and personal style and behavior, including personal effectiveness and leadership

D. Project management knowledge, ability to apply the knowledge effectively to the project at hand, and project management experience

Sample Questions

The role of a project manager is more of a coordinator or an expediter in organizations with the following structures:A. Strong matrix and weak matrixB. ProjectizedC. Functional and weak matrixD. Hierarchical

Sample Questions

The project manager is responsible for achieving project objectives in an organization with the following structure:A. Projectized onlyB. Strong matrix and projectized onlyC. Matrix and projectized onlyD. All structures

Sample Questions

You have just joined an organization as a project manager and are studying the enterprise environmental factors of the organization to find out how you can leverage them for the success of your upcoming projects. Enterprise environmental factors may have what kind of influence on the projects?A. Positive onlyB. Negative onlyC. Positive or negativeD. None