PREFACE
This book is organized in such a way as to serve as an in-depth review for the PMP® Project Management Professional exam for those with a strong foundation in project management, as well as for those who are new PMP candidates. Each chapter covers a major aspect of the exam, with an emphasis on the “why” as well as the “how to” of project management.
Downloads
For more information about the material available for download, please see Appendix A.
Exam Readiness Checklist
At the end of the Introduction, you will find an Exam Readiness Checklist. This table has been constructed to allow you to cross-reference the official exam objectives with the objectives as they are presented and covered in this book. The checklist also allows you to gauge your level of expertise on each objective at the outset of your studies. This should allow you to check your progress and make sure you spend the time you need on more difficult or unfamiliar sections. References have been provided for the objective exactly as the Project Management Institute presents it, the section of the study guide that covers that objective, and a chapter and page reference.
In Every Chapter
We’ve created a set of chapter components that call your attention to important items, reinforce important points, and provide helpful exam-taking hints. Take a look at what you’ll find in every chapter.
Every chapter begins with Certification Objectives—what you need to know in order to pass the section on the exam dealing with the chapter topic. The objective headings identify the objectives within the chapter, so you’ll always know an objective when you see it!
Exam Watch notes call attention to information about, and potential pitfalls in, the exam. These helpful hints are written by the author, who has taken the exams and received his certification—who better to tell you what to worry about? He knows what you’re about to go through!
Don’t forget that resources are more than just people. Equipment, facilities, and materials are resources, and these can affect the project duration too.
On the Job notes describe the issues that come up most often in real-world settings. They provide a valuable perspective on certification and product-related topics. They point out common mistakes and address questions that have arisen from on-the-job discussions and experience.
Inside the Exam sidebars highlight some of the most common and confusing problems that students encounter when taking a live exam. Designed to anticipate what the exam will emphasize, getting inside the exam will help ensure you know what you need to know to pass it. You can get a leg up on how to respond to those difficult-to-understand questions by focusing extra attention on these sidebars.
The PMP Coach is there to encourage you. It’s the author’s way of saying, “Keep going and don’t give up!”
The Certification Summary is a succinct review of the chapter and a restatement of salient points regarding the exam.
The Key Terms you will need to know for the exam, as well as their definitions, are listed after each Certification Summary.
The Two-Minute Drill at the end of every chapter is a checklist of the main points of the chapter. It can be used for last-minute review.
The Self Test offers questions similar to those found on the certification exams. The answers to these questions, as well as explanations of the answers, can be found at the end of each chapter. By taking the Self Test after completing each chapter, you’ll reinforce what you’ve learned from that chapter while becoming familiar with the structure of the exam questions.
Some Pointers
Once you’ve finished reading this book, set aside some time to do a thorough review. You might want to return to the book several times and make use of all the methods it offers for reviewing the material.
1. Re-read all the Two-Minute Drills, or have someone quiz you. You also can use the drills as a way to do a quick cram before the exam. You might want to make some flashcards out of 3 × 5 index cards that have the Two-Minute Drill material on them.
2. Re-read all the Exam Watch notes and Inside the Exam elements. Remember that these notes are written by authors who have taken the exam and passed. They know what you should expect—and what you should be on the lookout for.
3. Re-take the Self Tests. Taking the tests right after you’ve read the chapter is a good idea, because the questions help reinforce what you’ve just learned. However, it’s an even better idea to go back later and do all the questions in the book in one sitting. Pretend that you’re taking the live exam. When you go through the questions the first time, you should mark your answers on a separate piece of paper. That way, you can run through the questions as many times as you need to until you feel comfortable with the material.