Achieve PMP Exam Success: A Concise Study Guide for

the Busy Project Manager, 4th Edition

by Margaret Chu, Diane Altwies and Janice Preston
Core Performance Concepts, Inc.. (c) 2009. Copying Prohibited.

Reprinted for Shaun Butcher, Shell

shaun.butcher@shell.com

Reprinted with permission as a subscription benefit of Books24x7,

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All rights reserved. Reproduction and/or distribution in whole or in part in

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 i

Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................1
 Introduction
Congratulations! Your curiosity about the project management profession and what is involved in
attaining the elite status of a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) will lead you to many
achievements. As you may know, the guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge
(PMBOK® Guide), which is published by PMI, is revised every four years. The revision of the
PMBOK® Guide is followed by corresponding changes to the PMP certification exam questions. The
current edition of the PMBOK® Guide is the 2008 edition (Fourth Edition) and it is often referenced
as the PMBOK® Guide 2008. This study guide is closely related to the PMBOK® Guide and has
been revised to match the PMBOK® Guide 2008. Before you begin, make sure you know what
version of the PMBOK® Guide you need to study and determine your target time for taking the PMP
exam. However, if your purpose is simply to find out more about the project management disciplines
and the exam process, then any version will provide you with valuable information.

Our purpose in creating this study guide is to provide you with a consolidated source of material
that, used together with the material contained in the PMBOK® Guide and your experiences as a
project manager, should be all you need to pass the PMP exam. To help you succeed and to make
effective use of your study time, the chapter topics match the chapters in the PMBOK® Guide and
include material on PMI's professional responsibility performance domain. Each chapter contains a
series of sample exam questions and, where appropriate, a hands-on exercise or two.

We have structured each of the chapters to present a list of the things you need to know to pass the
exam. This list is based on 1) our personal experiences in preparing for and taking the exam, 2) our
experiences in helping others prepare for the exam and 3) what our students and workshop
participants have told us has been useful in helping them prepare for and pass the exam.

We have NOT included in the study guide all the inputs, outputs, tools and techniques described in
the PMBOK® Guide. PMI has already done that and you MUST go through the PMBOK® Guide in
detail to become familiar with the deliverables, tools and techniques of the many processes.

Our objective in providing to you this study guide is to add additional value to what is described in
the PMBOK® Guide by offering forth explanations and examples, as well as going beyond the
PMBOK® Guide to topics that reinforce these concepts and improve project manager competency.

The PMBOK® Guide, by design, is not meant to provide detailed step-by-step instructions to the
project manager in a project setting. We hope you will find that this study guide provides the
information needed to understand the concepts of the PMBOK® Guide and enable you to use its
tools, techniques and methods in a real-world environment.

Remember also that the exam tests your knowledge of generally accepted project management
processes. Your particular industry and/or area of specialization will have different ways of doing the
same thing, but PMI is administering the test, so you need to know "the PMI way."

We have included an assessment test in Chapter 1 that you should take before you continue on to
further chapters. It will help you focus on those areas of your knowledge and experience that are the
weakest and save you time by allowing you to skim over the areas where you are already
knowledgeable. These assessment questions may also help you decide if you need to take a
course on project management principles or a PMP exam preparation course before attempting the
exam. Chapter 14 is a final exam to help you confirm your understanding of the material.

PMI also administers a Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) exam. This is a shorter
exam with less experience requirements for application approval. Use our Achieve CAPM Exam
Success: A concise study guide and desk reference book to improve your project management
skills and to help you pass the CAPM Exam.

Our CD-ROM allows the student to perform practice exams for both the PMP and CAPM exams. A
key to success in passing the PMP Exam is taking several practice exams, in particular, automated
exams such as we provide.

Reprinted for FQUHM/assbu2, Shell J. Ross Publishing, Core Performance Concepts, Inc. (c) 2009, Copying Prohibited
Achieve PMP Exam Success: A Concise Study Guide for the Busy Project Manager, 4th Edition 2

Finally, we would like to emphasize that you should by no means assume that studying this book
replaces reading the PMBOK® Guide. Instead, both books should be used together. We suggest the
following method of study:

• Start by doing an overview of a chapter in the PMBOK® Guide (paging through the chapter
to get a big picture of what the chapter is about and how it is organized). This should take
about two or three minutes.

• Do the same with the equivalent chapter in this study guide. Chapters 1 and 2 of the
PMBOK® Guide are combined into Chapter 2 of this study guide.

• Now, read the PMBOK® Guide chapter carefully, asking yourself "What do I need to learn
from what I am reading?"

• Next, read the study guide chapter carefully to find the tips and important points to learn.

• Then reread the PMBOK® Guide chapter in chunks, referring back to the study guide. Note
concepts in the study guide that go beyond the PMBOK® Guide.

• Make notes or flash cards to help you remember essential information. Use these notes later
to test yourself so you can narrow your focus on the information you may need to revisit.

• Next, do the sample exam questions in the study guide. If there are any concepts that you
are weak in, you may want to read up on them by accessing the related reference material
and practicing with additional exam questions.

• Use the CD-ROM of exam questions to practice taking online tests.

• Finally, reread the PMBOK® Guide chapter, this time very quickly, so you end with the
overall picture rather than being buried in details.

Good studying and good luck with building your project management skills and knowledge. We look
forward to hearing from you and celebrating your achievement. News of your success as well as
any suggestions or comments on our study guide can be sent to us by email to
info@cpconcepts.net.

Margaret Chu, Diane Altwies and Janice Preston

Reprinted for FQUHM/assbu2, Shell J. Ross Publishing, Core Performance Concepts, Inc. (c) 2009, Copying Prohibited