PMP exam has vast syllabus, and it can be overwhelming to go through everything. Here are note collected during PMP exam preparation.
A Technique used during procurement closure to find successes and failures that might be useful for other contracts and projects in organization.
is a process used to predict the probability of outcome based on input. Multiple iterations are done with the input value randomly from probability distribution (of input variable) to create probability distribution of the output. Output is generally Total cost or Completion dates. e.g. It can be determined what is the probability of achieving specific total cost or completing project on certain date.
Total Quality Management – Theory encourages everybody to continuously find ways to improve quality.
Quality Assurance tool for process improvement. Recurring Process is checked after certain time for improvements.
Lessons Learnt are created through out the project and shared. Lessons learnt are finalized in Closing process.
RFI – Request for Information is done before RFP, RFQ or IFB is sent to collect information for sellers. The information can be used to select sellers or to create procurement documents.
Used as guide to select sellers. Sellers can use the criteria to determine the buyer's need and whether to bid or not.
Standard Contract are created to be used with standard recurring type of procurement by organization. These can be used without separate legal approval. Special Provisions can be added based on Project requirement and needs legal approval before use.
Fait Accompli – A negotiating tactic for a must situation such as including meeting government regulations.
Risk Audit – A monitor and Control risk process to make sure all risks are identified, you have proper response plans etc.
Type of performance reports include Status report, Progress report, Trend report, Forecasting report, Variance report, Earned Value report.
When are resource needed showing spike in resources. This can help PM arrange resources during peaks.
Laissez Fair – A leadership style where people are left alone and manager work as consultant type as required.
Poor Hygiene factors may destroy motivation, but improving them will not improve motivation. Motivational factors are work related e.g. Responsibility, Self-actualization, professional growth, work recognition.
Phase exists are also known as phase gates, decision gates,stage gates, kill points or milestones.
A type of facilitated workshop technique used in requirement gathering to determine critical characteristics of new product. It starts by Voice of customer (collecting customer needs).
A type of Sensitivity analysis (Modelling) technique used in Quantitative risk analysis comparing relative importance and impact of variables.
Cultural differences should be considered when deciding recognition and rewards during develop team process.
Activity Attributes – information associated with an activity such as Predecessor, Successor, resources assigned etc.
Activity Duration – Time in calendar units.
Code of Accounts – Numbering system used to identify wbs elements.
Cost Performance Baseline – A specific version of time phased budget to compare actual cost to planned cost.
Duration – Time in workweeks or workdays.
Effort – The number of labor units required to complete schedule activity.
Master Schedule – Summary level schedule including major deliverable.
Project Organization Chart – A chart that shows project team members and their relationships.
Project Scope Statement – Contains description of project scope, major deliverables, assumptions, constraints and description of work.
Residual Risk – A risk that remains after risk response implementation.
Resource Breakdown Structure – A hierarchy chart used to show resources by category and type used for resource levelling.
Secondary Risk – A risk that arises as a result of implementing risk response.
Avoid – Changing Plan to avoid risks completely example changing schedule or limiting scope.
Mitigate – Reducing probability or impact.
Accept – accept the risk.
Share – Share the risks with another party who is best able to capture it.
Accept – Accept but do not actively pursue it.
Withdrawing/Avoiding – Retracting from an actual or potential conflict situation.
Compromising – Alternative where everybody compromises a little.
Confronting/Problem Solving – Treating conflict as a potential problem, best method as resolves cause.
Forming – Initial stage when team is formed and members learn about their roles and responsibilities.
Storming – The team starts to work on individual tasks. The team is not collaborative yet.
Norming – The team begins to work together and trust each other.
Performing – The team functions as a unit and performs as team.
Adjourning – The team completes the work.
Cause and Effect diagrams or Ishikawa diagram or Fishbone diagram – shows how factors can be related to effects.
Histogram – A bar chart showing how often a variable occurs.
Pareto Chart – A type of histogram showing frequency of occurrence.
Scatter diagram – shows relationship between two variables and whether these are related or not.
Precision is the degree of scatter for repeated measurement. Accuracy is how close the measure value is to expected value.
Quality and Grade are different though can be confused. Quality is the degree to which outcome meets the specified requirements and measurements. Grade is the category of the product. For example, Software can have two grades, one with limited features other with all the features.
Critical Path - Critical path is the longest duration path in the network diagram and provides shortest time to complete the project.
Near Critical Path – The path closest to the critical path. The closer near critical path is to critical path, the more risk to the project. Why? Because if thereis need to shorten critical path or lengthen the near critical path, the near critical path will become new critical path.
Analogous Estimating – Uses parameters from similar historical projects to estimate.
Total Float- The amount of time an activity can be delayed without delaying project end date or next milestone.
Project Float - The amount of time project can be delayed without delaying promised completion date.Activities on critical path have zero float.
Fast Tracking – Doing Critical path activities in parallel.
Crashing – Compressing schedule by increasing cost e.g. Adding resources.
Resource Levelling – Limiting resources by compromising schedule and cost to the project.
Critical Chain Method – A resource constrained critical path is critical chain. Network diagram is prepared and critical chain is calculated by adding resource dependencies. A buffer is added before milestones to provide cushion.
Requirements Traceability Matrix - A table that links requirement to original goal or object or objective to provide traceability.
Actions are taken during projects to mitigate or stop performance deviation.
Corrective Action – Action taken to bring future performance back to expected performance.
Preventive Action – Action taken in advance to stop performance to deviate from expected performance.
Any document that is not part of project management plan. It includes Project Charter, SOW, Contracts, Stakeholder Register, Risk Register, Issue Log, Change Log, Quality metrics etc.
Project Management Information System - Any software tools used in project management process.
An organizational process asset that includes forms, templates, procedures, software to control, track and monitor changes. This is generally a subset of Configuration management system.
Any action that would require change to the project management plan would require a change request. The change can also be requested by stakeholders. Change request would than need to go thru Integrated Change Control Process.
Create options – including Crashing, Fast tracking etc.
At the beginning of the project there is less cost and less demand for resources. Also there is a higher risk of failure at the beginning of the project. The risk reduces over the life of the project. The stakeholder influence is maximum at the beginning of the project and reduces over the life of the project.
Progressive Elaboration means adding more details in an iterative fashion. Project Management Plan is developed using progressive elaboration.
Organization Process Assets include all existing documents, templates, Historical information, Lessons learned, plans, procedures, guidelines, risk data etc that can influence project’s success.
Enterprise Environmental Factors are unique factors (internal and external) that might impact Project’s success. These are inputs to most Project Management Processes.
All projects follow a life cycle from start to close. Generic life cycle can be think of as Starting, Preparing, Executing and Closing.
Overlapping – New Phase will start before ending current phase.
Iterative – Only one phase is planned initially and new phase will be planned later as the work continues in the current phase.
The Project Management Professional Program supports the international community of project management professionals and is designed to objectively assess and measure professional knowledge.
Planning on writing my PMP exam soon and I found these notes in time to review just before the exam.
You can find more PMP terms and PMI-ism at http://pmexamready.com/pmi-isms-indispensable-terms.html.
How amazingly thoughtful to post your notes. I am getting ready to use my PMBok as a doorstop.
thank you for this notes they will really help in praparing for my coming exams.
Thank you very useful notes.
I am preparing for PMP exam and was looking for something exactly same. Thanks for keeping all important keynotes in one place.
Very nice article to remember important points from PMBOK. Good refresher before taking the PMP exam.
I must say this is very good for last day prep.
It should be exploiting the opportunity for benefits.