PMP & CAPM

Exam Preparation
January 17, 2013
Sessions
1. About the exam
2. Integration & Scope Management
3. Time & Cost Management
4. Quality & HR Management
5. Communication & Risk
Management
6. 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/f
reeSimulatedTest.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 shop
B. Building another library in your area
C. Keeping a network up and running in a university
department
D. Running a warehouse
 Sample Questions

Which of the following are the process

groups?
A. Starting, planning, executing, monitoring and
controlling, and closing
B. Initiating, organizing and preparing, executing,
monitoring and controlling, and closing
C. Initiating, planning, implementing, monitoring
and controlling, and closing
D. Initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and
controlling, and closing
 Sample Questions

Which of the following is not a project

management knowledge area?
A. Project procurement management
B. Project risk management
C. Project quality management
D. 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 plan
B. Taking the project to its completion
C. Continuous effort to improve a plan by working
out more details as the project progresses
D. 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. Functional
B. Projectized
C. Matrix
D. Leveled
 Sample Questions

In which of the following organizational

structures does the project manager have the
least authority?
A. Functional
B. Projectized
C. Matrix
D. 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. 0.5
C. 5/7
D. 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 individuals
B. Planned, executed, monitored and controlled, and closed
C. Limited by constraints
D. Performed to achieve the strategic objectives of the
organization
 Sample Questions
You 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. Project
B. Program
C. Operation
D. Portfolio
 Sample Questions
Effective 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 matrix
B. Projectized
C. Functional and weak matrix
D. Hierarchical
 Sample Questions

The project manager is responsible for achieving project

objectives in an organization with the following structure:
A. Projectized only
B. Strong matrix and projectized only
C. Matrix and projectized only
D. 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 only
B. Negative only
C. Positive or negative
D. None