There are 47 processes spread across 10 knowledge areas.
At first glance, it might look intimidating - how do I remember all those processes for the exam? Do I have to memorize? Well, I would say don't panic. I have devised a method which I used for my learning, found it very effective to plot all the 47 processes in the Grid, under less than 3 minutes.
When you appear for the PMP Exam, at the exam centre, before 15 minutes for your exam start time, you are given some scrap paper. The first thing I did, was to plot the 47 processes in one of the paper. 3 Minutes of 15 minutes time is gone.
Let's start...
Step 1: Draw the grid with 6 columns and 11 rows. Leave enough width and height for each row and column.
| Knowledge Area/Progress Group | Initiating | Planning | Executing | Monitoring and Controlling | Closing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Integration | |||||
| Scope | |||||
| Time | |||||
| Cost | |||||
| Quality | |||||
| HR | |||||
| Communications | |||||
| Risk | |||||
| Procurement | |||||
| Stakeholder |
If you are worried that how you can remember the names of Knowledge Areas and/or process groups, here is the trick:
Process Groups: IPEM&CC
Knowledge Areas: I Scoped Time Cost and Quality with my HR to Communicate Risks on Procurement to our Stakeholders.
Its pretty simple. Isn't it. Remember that the first I is for Integration.
Step 2: Write the number of processes across each knowledge area
You can remember these numbers bit easily.
Communicating Quality is 3.
Cost of Procurement to HR and Stakeholders is 4.
Integrating Risk and Scope is 6.
Time is more costly at 7.
| Knowledge Area/Progress Group | Initiating | Planning | Executing | Monitoring and Controlling | Closing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Integration (6) | |||||
| Scope (6) | |||||
| Time (7) | |||||
| Cost (4) | |||||
| Quality (3) | |||||
| HR (4) | |||||
| Communications (3) | |||||
| Risk (6) | |||||
| Procurement (4) | |||||
| Stakeholder (4) |
Step 3: Mark the boundaries for Process Groups. You score 4.
Mark the four boundaries for the progress groups. One small thing to note is the bottom right boundary is one row above. Remember this. At these boundary locations, write the four processes as shown.
| Score 4/47 | |||||
| Knowledge Area/Progress Group | Initiating | Planning | Executing | Monitoring and Controlling | Closing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Integration (6) | Develop Project Charter | Close Project or Phase | |||
| Scope (6) | |||||
| Time (7) | |||||
| Cost (4) | |||||
| Quality (3) | |||||
| HR (4) | |||||
| Communications (3) | |||||
| Risk (6) | |||||
| Procurement (4) | Close Procurements | ||||
| Stakeholder (4) | Identify Stakeholders | ||||
You have done the marking for Initiating and Closing process groups. Two process groups knocked down.
Step 4: Knock off Management Plans for each Knowledge Area. You score 10.
For each knowledge area, there is a corresponding management plan. Remember that a Project Manager must Plan before actually doing any work. Each of these management plans helps you to device strategies for managing the respective knowledge areas. Two things to keep in mind here are:
- Integrating all the processes the main work for the Project Manager. So the Management Plan for Integration is the Project Plan.
- Time is represented as Schedule in Management Plan.
| Score 14/47 | |||||
| Knowledge Area/Progress Group | Initiating | Planning | Executing | Monitoring and Controlling | Closing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Integration (6) | Develop Project Charter | Develop Project Management Plan | Close Project or Phase | ||
| Scope (6) | Plan Scope Management | ||||
| Time (7) | Plan Schedule Management | ||||
| Cost (4) | Plan Cost Management | ||||
| Quality (3) | Plan Quality Management | ||||
| HR (4) | Plan HR Management | ||||
| Communications (3) | Plan Communications Management | ||||
| Risk (6) | Plan Risk Management | ||||
| Procurement (4) | Plan Procurement Management | Close Procurements | |||
| Stakeholder (4) | Identify Stakeholders | Plan Stakeholder Management | |||
Step 4: Knock off Controlling Processes for each Knowledge Area. You score 10.
Just like there is a management plan processes for each knowledge area, there are controlling processes for all but one knowledge areas. The following points must be kept in mind.
- Integration has two controlling processes: Monitor and Control Project work and Perform Integrated Change Control.
- Time is again represented as Schedule.
- There is no Controlling process for HR
| Score 24/47 | |||||
| Knowledge Area/Progress Group | Initiating | Planning | Executing | Monitoring and Controlling | Closing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Integration (6) | Develop Project Charter | Develop Project Management Plan |
| Close Project or Phase | |
| Scope (6) | Plan Scope Management | Control Scope | |||
| Time (7) | Plan Schedule Management | Control Schedule | |||
| Cost (4) | Plan Cost Management | Control Cost | |||
| Quality (3) | Plan Quality Management | Control Quality | |||
| HR (4) | Plan HR Management | ||||
| Communications (3) | Plan Communications Management | Control Communications | |||
| Risk (6) | Plan Risk Management | Control Risks | |||
| Procurement (4) | Plan Procurement Management | Control Procurements | Close Procurements | ||
| Stakeholder (4) | Identify Stakeholders | Plan Stakeholder Management | Control Stakeholder Engagement | ||
Step 5: Knock off Executing Processes for each knowledge area. You score 8.
The column without any single entry is our Executing Process group. Lets look at it.
Remember that Executing Process Group is where your team carries out the work to produce the deliverable towards the project.
Its interesting to note that Scope, Time, Cost and Risk knowledge areas doesn't have any executing processes. It is quite obvious that the Project Manager's primary focus on these constraints: Cost, Time, Scope is Planning and Monitoring/Control.
The processes in Executing Group are:
- Integration: Direct and Manage Project Work (to control your team and activities they do)
- Quality: Perform Quality Assurance (to check adherence to Quality Standards, policies etc.)
- HR: Acquire, Develop and Manage Project Team (Executing is the team's stage to perform)
- Communications: Manage Communications (Manage efficient and effective communications flow)
- Procurements: Conduct procurements (Get the resources and/or material as required by the PM Plan)
- Stakeholder: Manage Stakeholder Engagement (Update them regularly)
| Score 32/47 | |||||
| Knowledge Area/Progress Group | Initiating | Planning | Executing | Monitoring and Controlling | Closing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Integration (6) | Develop Project Charter | Develop Project Management Plan | Direct and Manage Project Work |
| Close Project or Phase |
| Scope (6) | Plan Scope Management | Control Scope | |||
| Time (7) | Plan Schedule Management | Control Schedule | |||
| Cost (4) | Plan Cost Management | Control Cost | |||
| Quality (3) | Plan Quality Management | Perform Quality Assurance | Control Quality | ||
| HR (4) | Plan HR Management |
| |||
| Communications (3) | Plan Communications Management | Manage Communications | Control Communications | ||
| Risk (6) | Plan Risk Management | Control Risks | |||
| Procurement (4) | Plan Procurement Management | Conduct Procurements | Control Procurements | Close Procurements | |
| Stakeholder (4) | Identify Stakeholders | Plan Stakeholder Management | Manage Stakeholder Engagement | Control Stakeholder Engagement | |
What is left is: 4 in Scope, 5 in Time, 2 in Cost and 4 in Risk - a total of 15. So 32+15=47 our final score.
Step 6: Complete Scope, Time, Cost and Risk to get your score to 47.
Its good that we are dealing with most important things for a PM now. Since we do here, we remember them better - whey we need these processes and the order in which we do them.
- Scope: Collect Requirements, Define Scope, Create WBS, Validate Scope. Wait a minute here. Collecting Reks, Defining Scope and Create WBS all are planning tasks. When you do validate scope? When a deliverable is produced to validate it. So obviously after Executing. So Validate Scope goes to Monitoring and Controlling Process Group. Before Controlling Scope.
- Time: All about activities here. Define Activities, Sequence Activities, Estimate Activity Resources, Estimate Activity Duration's and Develop Schedule. All are planning tasks - isn't it?
- Cost: Estimate Costs and Determine Budget. Again - lot of planning.
- Risk: Identify Risks, Perform Qualitative Risk Analysis, Perform Quantitative Risk Analysis, Plan Risk Responses. Again - lot of planning.
Lets complete our grid....
| Score 47/47 | |||||
| Knowledge Area/Progress Group | Initiating | Planning | Executing | Monitoring and Controlling | Closing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Integration (6) | Develop Project Charter | Develop Project Management Plan | Direct and Manage Project Work |
| Close Project or Phase |
| Scope (6) |
|
| |||
| Time (7) |
| Control Schedule | |||
| Cost (4) |
| Control Cost | |||
| Quality (3) | Plan Quality Management | Perform Quality Assurance | Control Quality | ||
| HR (4) | Plan HR Management |
| |||
| Communications (3) | Plan Communications Management | Manage Communications | Control Communications | ||
| Risk (6) |
| Control Risks | |||
| Procurement (4) | Plan Procurement Management | Conduct Procurements | Control Procurements | Close Procurements | |
| Stakeholder (4) | Identify Stakeholders | Plan Stakeholder Management | Manage Stakeholder Engagement | Control Stakeholder Engagement | |
Practice this two to three times to get it right. Having this in front of you in the exam, should make you to answer more questions right. And it gives confidence. And it saves quite a lot of time.
Important Points to consider:
- Integration knowledge area is the only knowledge area that has processes in each process group. This makes sense as a Project Manager your primarily integrating all the other process together to deliver the project.
- Scope, Time, Cost and Risk knowledge areas have all Planning and Monitoring & Controlling processes. The primary focus of the Project Manager.
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