PMP CERTIFICATION ALL-INONE FOR DUMMIES CHEAT
SHEET
From PMP Certification All-in-One For Dummies, 2nd Edition
By Cynthia Snyder Stackpole
Looking at a career as a certified Project Management Professional
(PMP)? This Cheat Sheet gives you quick, handy PMP certification
facts to remember on test day to help you answer exam questions.
You can review major project management concepts; key tools,
techniques, outputs, and processes; and and some common
equations found on the exam. Many key terms are defined in the
Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) Guide Glossary.
UNDERSTAND SCHEDULING RELATIONSHIPS
FOR THE PMP CERTIFICATION EXAM
When youre ready to take the PMP (Project Management
Professional) Certification exam, expect to see up to ten questions
dealing with network diagrams, precedence diagramming, and
scheduling issues. Here are some PMP details you need to know:
FS = Finish-to-start
FF = Finish-to-finish
SS = Start-to-start
SF = Start-to-finish
Lead = The amount of time an activity can be advanced with
respect to a predecessor activity
Lag = The amount of time a successor activity is required to be
delayed with respect to a predecessor activity
A mandatory dependency is based on the nature of the work.
A discretionary dependency is based on a best practice or
preferred way of doing something.
An external dependency is based on relationships outside the
project.
An internal dependency is based on dependencies inside the
project.
PMP CERTIFICATION: 4 ESTIMATING
TECHNIQUES FOR PROJECT MANAGERS
You can apply PMP (project management professional) estimating
techniques to resources, effort, duration, and costs. PMPs use
different methods of estimating, depending on the situation.
Estimating method
Description
Analogous estimating
Generally used at the start of the project when not much is
known. Compares the current project with past similar projects. A
quick and relatively easy method of estimating, although not
terribly accurate.
Parametric estimating
Used for estimates that are quantitatively based, such as
dollars per square foot or number of installations per day. A
relatively simple method, but not every activity or cost can be
estimated quantitatively.
Three-point estimating
Accounts for uncertainty associated with estimating by
determining an optimistic (best case, represented by O), most
likely (represented by M), and pessimistic (worst case, represented
by P) scenario. The most likely estimate is weighted most
heavily.
The equation is
(O + 4M + P) / 6
Bottom-up estimating
Used when there is significant detail about the activity. A
detailed assessment of the resources, capabilities, and amounts are
used to determine an accurate duration or cost estimate. This is
the most accurate method but also the most time-consuming and
expensive form of estimating.
PMP EXAM: STATISTICS FOR NORMAL AND
CUMULATIVE DISTRIBUTIONS
PMPs (project management professionals) often apply basic statistics
to their projects. For the PMP certification exam, heres what you need
to know when dealing with normal and cumulative distributions:
Equations are based on a normal distribution. In a normal distribution,
keep the following in mind:
68.3% of the data points fall within one standard deviation.
95.5% of the data points fall within two standard deviations.
99.7% of the data points fall within three standard deviations.
If youre looking at a normal curve and need a cumulative distribution,
you should remember these values:
0.15% of the data points fall between 0 and 3 from the mean.
2.25% of the data points fall between 0 and 2 from the mean.
16% of the data points fall between 0 and 1 from the mean.
84% of the data points fall between 0 and +1 from the mean.
97.75% of the data points fall between 0 and +2 from the mean
99.85% of the data points fall between 0 and +3 from the mean.
PMP CERTIFICATION: 6 STRATEGIES FOR
CONFLICT RESOLUTION
Experienced project management professionals (PMPs) know that as
they plan and execute projects, theyll encounter conflicts and
differences of opinion. As you study for your PMP certification exam,
become familiar with these six strategies to resolve conflict.
Strategy
Description
Situation
Confronting / Problemsolving
Confronting the conflict as a problem
to be solved
When you have confidence in the
other partys ability to
problem solve
When the relationship is
important
When you need a win-win
solution
Collaborating
Win-win through collaboration and
meeting to resolve
issues
When there is time and trust
When the objective is to learn
When you want to incorporate
multiple views
When there is time to come to
consensus
Compromising
When you are looking for some
degree of satisfaction for both
parties
When there is a willingness to
give and take
When both parties need to win
When you cant win
When an equal relationship exists
between the parties in
conflict
When the stakes are moderate
To avoid a fight
Smoothing /
Accommodating
Emphasize areas of agreement
To reach an overarching goal
To maintain harmony
When any solution will be
adequate
When you will lose anyway
To create goodwill
Forcing
Win-lose; impose the resolution
When you are right
In a do-or-die situation
When the stakes are high
To gain power
If the relationship is not important
When time is of the essence
Withdrawal / Avoiding
Retreat; cool off
When you cant win
When the stakes are low
To preserve neutrality or
reputation
If the problem will go away on its
own
PMP EARNED VALUE: VARIANCES AND INDEXES
On the PMP certification exam, youll see five to ten questions on
variances and indexes. Heres fundamental information that project
managers need to determine cost and schedule variances and
indexes.
For variance and indexes, always start with EV.
When looking for information on schedule, use PV.
When looking for information on cost, use AC.
For a variance, subtract.
SV = EV PV
CV = EV AC
Negative is bad; positive is good.
For an index, divide.
o
SPI = EV / PV
CPI = EV / AC
Less than 1.0 is bad, greater than 1.0 is good.
8 QUALITY CONTROL TOOLS TO KNOW FOR PMP
CERTIFICATION
There are many ways to assess quality control, and professional
project managers (PMPs) make good use of them. When you take the
PMP certification exam, you should be able to apply the following
quality control tools:
Cause and effect diagram. Diagrams that define the inputs to a
process or product in order to identify potential causes of
defects.
Histogram. A bar chart showing a distribution of variables.
Run chart. Show trends in the variation of a process over time.
Scatter diagram. Shows the relationship between two variables.
Control chart. A graphic display of process data over time and
against established control limits, and that has a centerline that
assists in detecting a trend of plotted values toward either control
limit.
Flowcharting. The depiction in a diagram format of the inputs,
process actions, and outputs of one or more processes within a
system.
Pareto chart. A histogram, ordered by frequency of occurrence,
that shows how many results were generated by each identified
cause.
Inspection. Examining or measuring to verify whether an activity
or a component, product, result, or service conforms to specified
requirements.
