PMP Exam Prep

Top Tips&Tricks
BEN HAMOUDA CONSULTING
by Ahmed Ben Hamouda

PMP® SCT® SAFe®

 Table of Content

● 30 Basic Mindset Tips

● 100+ Additional Success Tips
● Tips&Tricks of each chapter from the training: business environment,
stakeholders, team, adaptive, prédictive, hybrid, planning, execution,
procurement, quality, risks, measuring performance.
● Preparation Plan
● Exam Tips

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 PMI Mindset
Manage projects according to PMI’s best practices

Follow the processes that PMI describes

Use the recommended tools and templates

Some questions can be answered based on your experience

Most questions are best to be answered according to what we learn in the training

Do NOT Memorize questions from mock exams, just understand PMI’s mindset!
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 30 Basic
Mindset Points

4
 30 PMI Mindset Points
● Project Manager must have Business Acumen skills and understand that
projects are part of the company's strategy and success, and can be
impacted by the EEF’s and surrounding environment.
● Transition to Hybrid/Agile is welcomed and the Project Manager
facilitates/leads that without backing-off.
● Project Manager takes full responsibility of the project, except in case of
functional/weak matrix organization or situation exceeds their authority.
● Project Management is an art and a function, and the Project Manager must
choose and tailor the approach that fits best the project and the interests
of the initiators.
● It is recommended that the Project Manager learns different tools and
techniques to be used in each step/process/phase/etc as part of the Ways
of Working.
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 30 PMI Mindset Points
● Use of documentation depends on the project management approach but
there is no project without documentation.
● Meetings are an important part of any project and they serve for different
purposes, mainly understanding situations and clarifying disagreements.
● Project Manager must apply the right skills and solutions in order to
responsibly solve every situation in the project within the approved budget
and costs.
● The Project Manager must be capable of managing the project with the
allocated resources.
● The Project Manager must avoid any situation that might indicate a conflict
of interest or a wrong-doing.

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 30 PMI Mindset Points
● Project Manager must always assess/evaluate/review/analyse when an
event/situation occurs or whether the process is being applied correctly.
● Creating and delivering value is a must and any gaps (like not meeting
acceptance criteria) must be treated and its causes must be eliminated or
fixed (include change request if necessary).
● Compliance with Regulations, OPA, PMO Guidance and approvals structure is
a must and prioritized.
● Contracts and agreements must be respected and fulfilled by all parties.
● Use of emotional intelligence is part of leadership, and direct resolution of
conflict is important with team/stakeholders/vendors.

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 30 PMI Mindset Points
● The Project Manager must be capable of predicting and foreseeing various
scenarios/risks with the help and the expertise of the team and the
stakeholders.
● When plans are finalized, they must be baselined and respected to the
maximum. No changes without change requests approved by the CCB.
● If unsure about the efficiency of a solution/step, it is recommended that the
Project Manager performs a benefit/cost analysis.
● Project Manager must engage key stakeholders (high power/interest)
throughout the project, understand and respond to their needs and use
proper communication channels with them.
● Success factors and acceptance criterias must be set from start of
project/requirements so PM/Team can deliver correctly quality-wise and
successfully.
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 30 PMI Mindset Points
● All disagreements/conflicts must be treated with seriousness, in good
intention and with a win-win mindset through confrontation.
● Leadership is situational and it is part of the Power Skills that the Project
Manager is equipped with to deal with people of different personalities and
backgrounds.
● The Project Manager cannot succeed alone and must form their own
collaborative, cross-functional and well-organized team according to the
chosen approach.
● Work can be performed onsite or remotely and technological tools are
available to support this.
● Team development is essential for the project success and all team
members can succeed in their work with the help, mentoring and guidance
of the Project Manager.
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 30 PMI Mindset Points
● It is recommended to plan the work and deliveries in a way to find out early
if objectives are being achieved. Consider releasing MVP first.
● Each change can be a source of a risk, and the team and/or experts should
be involved to help identity such events.
● Project Manager must be capable of knowing the project performance at any
moment and take any necessary preventive/corrective action.
● Audits must take place during and after the project to ensure adherence to
processes, guidelines and rules.
● Project closure activities must be administratively correct.

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100+ Additional
Success Tips

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 Additional Mindset Points
● Always align the project with the organization’s strategic objectives and long-term vision.
● Value business outcomes and benefits over just completing deliverables.
● Lead with empathy and emotional intelligence: project teams are built on trust.
● Use servant leadership: support, coach, and remove roadblocks for your team.
● Tailor your project approach (predictive, agile, hybrid) based on project context,
complexity, and stakeholder needs.
● Understand that managing a project is not just technical; it's equally about stakeholder
relationships and communication.
● Embrace change management: changes are expected, and your job is to manage them
thoughtfully.
● Maintain a customer-centric mindset: satisfying stakeholders is as important as meeting
scope.
● Regularly engage with stakeholders to understand evolving needs and expectations.
● Proactively manage risks: identify, assess, and respond to threats and opportunities.

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 Additional Mindset Points
● Prevent issues through planning and clarity, not just respond reactively to problems.
● Collaborate with your team to co-create plans, commitments, and solutions.
● Understand the value of documentation: it’s not bureaucracy, it’s accountability and
clarity.
● Communicate often, clearly, and with the right audience: use the communication plan as a
living tool.
● Focus on delivering value early and continuously: not just finishing on time and budget.
● Use progressive elaboration: refine plans as more information becomes available.
● Know that transparency builds trust: share status honestly and early.
● Apply ethical decision-making and integrity in all project interactions.
● Understand that your role is to guide, facilitate, and integrate: not to micromanage.
● Encourage self-organizing teams: trust them to own their work and deliver.

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 Additional Mindset Points
● Engage in continuous learning and apply lessons learned throughout the project lifecycle.
● Promote a collaborative environment where ideas and concerns can be shared freely.
● Understand stakeholder motivations: tailor your communication and influence strategies
accordingly.
● Use data and metrics to inform decisions: not just intuition or opinion.
● Align all team members with the project vision and business objectives.
● Maintain focus on both project outputs (deliverables) and outcomes (benefits).
● Recognize the diversity of stakeholders: adapt style and messaging accordingly.
● Create a psychologically safe environment where failure is seen as learning.
● Ensure governance is in place: establish clear roles, decision rights, and escalation paths.
● Develop and refine a roadmap to guide high-level direction over time.

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 Additional Mindset Points
● Anticipate constraints and proactively plan workarounds.
● Encourage iterative feedback loops to drive continuous improvement.
● Always validate scope and deliverables with stakeholders to avoid misalignment.
● Reassess project viability continuously: stop or pivot if it no longer provides value.
● Make data-driven trade-off decisions between scope, time, cost, and quality.
● Recognize that uncertainty is inherent in projects: embrace adaptability.
● Understand that communication is more than just reporting: it’s engagement.
● Build stakeholder trust through consistency and follow-through.
● Set realistic expectations: underpromise and overdeliver when possible.
● Recognize that project constraints evolve: keep your plans flexible.

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 Additional Mindset Points
● Ensure that quality is planned in, not inspected in after the fact.
● Document assumptions and validate them regularly. They are often hidden risks.
● Prioritize work based on business value, not just effort or sequence.
● Don’t confuse progress with productivity: measure outcomes, not just activity.
● Use retrospectives or lessons learned reviews regularly, not just at closure.
● Balance short-term deliverables with long-term sustainability of project outcomes.
● Establish a cadence of review and alignment with the sponsor.
● Use workshops and collaborative planning to build shared ownership.
● Monitor performance using both leading and lagging indicators.
● Facilitate consensus: don’t impose decisions unless necessary.

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 Additional Mindset Points
● Foster resilience: support your team in recovering from setbacks quickly.
● Integrate project knowledge into organizational knowledge bases.
● Keep stakeholders engaged throughout: not just at the beginning and end.
● Know that clarity reduces conflict: ensure roles and expectations are well defined.
● Support cross-functional collaboration: break down silos when needed.
● Balance agility with structure: adapt processes but maintain discipline.
● Actively listen: understand before reacting.
● Maintain a risk-aware culture: normalize risk conversations.
● Always connect the work back to why it matters: reinforce purpose.
● Use tailoring as a strength: not every project needs the full PMBOK toolbox.

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 Additional Mindset Points
● Make stakeholder engagement a strategy: not just a checklist.
● View planning as a continuous activity: not a one-time task.
● Promote experimentation and innovation, especially in uncertain environments.
● Manage project interfaces and dependencies closely: problems often arise in the gaps.
● Use visual tools (Kanban, dashboards, charts) to enhance communication.
● Promote the use of automated tools for status tracking and reporting.
● Develop emotional intelligence to handle conflicts with tact and respect.
● Be aware of team dynamics and intervene early to avoid dysfunction.
● Make trade-off decisions transparently and with stakeholder input.
● Respect cultural differences on global teams: what motivates one group may demotivate
another.

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 Additional Mindset Points
● Regularly test assumptions: what was true in initiation may not hold in execution.
● Avoid gold-plating: stick to defined scope unless value is clearly justified.
● Integrate procurement, quality, and risk into your scheduling and budgeting plans.
● Recognize and (non-financial) reward contributions: motivation drives performance.
● Use simulations or modeling for high-impact decisions.
● Don’t neglect closing: formalize lessons learned, release resources, and transition
ownership.
● Focus on system thinking: optimize the whole project environment, not just parts.
● Have a backup plan: assume things will go wrong and be prepared.
● Manage stakeholder influence with transparency and diplomacy.
● Support continuous flow: remove bottlenecks to accelerate delivery.

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 Additional Mindset Points
● Promote shared leadership: let team members lead in their areas of strength.
● Update communication plans as stakeholder needs evolve.
● Separate facts from emotions in conflict resolution.
● Lead by example: demonstrate the behavior you expect.
● In Agile, facilitate rather than direct. Let the team guide delivery.
● Be accountable: own decisions and outcomes, especially when things go wrong.
● Keep the long game in mind: focus on benefits realization, not just phase deliverables.
● Make status reporting about insight, not just activity logs.
● Avoid decision fatigue: empower the team to make routine choices.
● Have structured feedback loops with users and customers.

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 Additional Mindset Points
● Know that visibility = control. Use information radiators to make work visible.
● Tailor meeting cadences and content to the audience. Not all need daily updates.
● Celebrate small wins: it builds morale and momentum.
● Be honest about project health: transparency enables support.
● Translate technical results into business language for executive stakeholders.
● Balance predictive planning with adaptive execution.
● Understand PM isn’t about knowing everything: it’s about facilitating the people who do.
● Encourage cross-pollination of ideas across teams or departments.
● Clarify what success looks like for the project and for the people.
● Keep decision-making close to the work. It’s faster and more accurate.

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 Additional Mindset Points
● A weak business case may create stakeholder disengagement, thus affecting team
morale and support.
● The project manager is accountable for integrating processes across knowledge areas,
not just managing tasks.
● Stakeholders are central to project success; engagement strategies are tailored based on
their influence and interest.
● Communication management ensures that stakeholders receive the right information at
the right time.
● Requirements gathering is connected to scope management and lays the foundation for
estimating and planning.
● Tools like interviews, focus groups, and document analysis are used to define scope
collaboratively.
● A Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) is created from the defined scope and informs cost
and schedule planning.
● Estimating techniques (analogous, parametric, bottom-up) rely on WBS outputs to
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determine cost and effort. [Link]
 Additional Mindset Points
● Risk identification happens concurrently with scope and schedule planning to account for
uncertainties.
● Tools like SWOT analysis, risk registers, and expert judgment are interdependent with
planning processes.
● Cost management processes require quality inputs, as poor quality increases project
costs.
● Quality management intersects with procurement, defining what standards vendors must
meet.
● Integration management ensures change requests are evaluated with inputs from all
knowledge areas.
● A change control board (CCB) evaluates changes using data from schedule, cost, quality,
and risk domains.
● Lessons learned from execution are documented in the knowledge register for future
projects, and are used during planning phases of future projects as historical information.

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 Additional Mindset Points
● Hybrid projects require tailoring tools from predictive and adaptive models based on the
project phase.
● Tailoring is not random; it is based on governance, complexity, and stakeholder needs.
● Team performance is monitored using both qualitative feedback and quantitative KPIs.
● Quality tools like control charts and histograms feed into performance reporting
processes.
● Procurement templates like RFPs align with scope and cost planning outputs.
● Monitoring involves comparing actuals against baselines, thus integrating all planning
outputs.
● When a schedule slips, root cause analysis might involve scope creep, quality issues, or
risk realization.
● Integration ensures all these impacts are considered before a change is approved.
● Risk response planning connects to cost and schedule buffers,thus influencing all
baselines.

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 Additional Mindset Points
● Stakeholder feedback may initiate change requests that trigger new planning cycles.
● A stakeholder’s dissatisfaction may be a quality issue, a scope issue, or a communication
issue.
● The issue log, risk register, and change log are all linked and should be cross-validated.
● Team development tools like recognition and training impact morale, which affects
velocity or productivity.
● Scrum events (planning, review, retrospective) align with PMI’s iterative planning
principles.
● All planning documents should be considered living. They evolve as the project progresses.
● Templates standardize inputs, but tailoring ensures they fit specific project needs.
● Process groups are not linear: they loop based on feedback and change.
● Continuous monitoring allows adaptive action, whether you're in an Agile or predictive
model.

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 Additional Mindset Points
● Quality assurance practices inform future risk responses, preventing quality-related risks.
● Hiring delays might be a resource risk or a procurement failure. Analysis must cross
domains.
● Each PMP question can include techniques from multiple domains, testing your ability to
integrate them.
● Scenario-based questions often combine process tools with leadership actions.
● You may be asked to diagnose a problem: linking symptoms to the right domain/tool.
● Many techniques like brainstorming, expert judgment, and interviews apply across
multiple processes.
● Many Agile tools are used in hybrid models alongside Gantt charts.
● PMI questions often test your ability to apply tools in context, not just define them.
● PMP exams test judgment under ambiguity. Tools are clues, not always answers.

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 Additional Mindset Points
● PMs must link symptoms to the right processes (e.g., dropped baton = lack of
responsibility definition).
● Exam options often include distractors that are valid tools but wrong for the situation.
● The PM is a communicator, integrator, risk manager, and change leader, not just a task
scheduler.
● The PM must ensure that outputs of one process become inputs to the next.
● PMP questions may disguise tools, e.g., “engage users in defining requirements” =
interviews/workshops.
● Multidomain questions are common, e.g., involving a stakeholder complaint, risk impact,
and schedule delay.
● Knowing the function of a tool is not enough. You must know when, why, and how to use
it.
● Always ask: what value is this tool/process/role providing to this situation?
● In the PMP exam, real mastery shows in how you connect tools, people, and outcomes
under pressure.
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 Tips&Tricks
of each chapter

28
 Business Environment
● Code of ethics : Honesty, Respect, Fairness, Responsibility.
● Key skills : Business acumen, Ways of working, Power skills
● Compliance (with law, regulations, obligations, rules, etc) is a mindset. For implementing
regulations, seek guidance (refer to governance, escalation path).
● Project Management Information System can be used in various project aspects.
● The project manager chooses the project management methodology/approach.
● Project must deliver Business Value which can be: Financial Gain, New Customers, Social Benefit,
First to market, Improvement, Regularization
● Project Management Plan (waterfall) explains how the project will be managed, and so do “all
knowledge areas' plans” . It is effective when it guides the project to deliver within the
baselines (scope, budget and schedule), and maintains quality, risks and changes, leading to
stakeholder satisfaction.
● Baselines are approved plans and are used for measuring [Link] 29
● The Project is temporary and unique , operations are ongoing and repetitive .
● The project charter authorizes the existence of the project. If the project is not aligned with
the company’s strategy anymore, review the project charter.
● PMO regulates project management and can be:
PMO

Supportive Controlling Directive

(Low Control) (Moderate) (High Control)

Organizations

Matrix Projectized
Functional
(weak/balanced/strong) (PM with 100% power)

In Functional/Weak matrix In Strong matrix /Projectized

Functional Manager decides PM leads and decides.

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● OPA are company's internal processes, guidelines and lessons learned.
● EEF are conditions surrounding the company and its environment.
● Iron triangle constraints : Scope , Cost , Schedule .
● Project success criteria must be defined at project start . Projects must align with
company strategy, meet constraints and create/Deliver value.
● Product Life Cycle > Project Life Cycle .
● Project < Program < Portfolio .
● Business Case = Study Phase (before project ). Justifies the existence of the project.
● PM is not necessarily involved in project study phase, but must consult business case if at
start of project stakeholders are not aligned on the objectives and deliverables. Projects
should never harm the company.
● The benefits management/realization plan defines the process for creating, maximizing
and sustaining the benefits realized within the project. it can be referred to
throughout the project life-cycle. [Link] 31
● Assumption log for tracking validity of assumptions.
● Configuration management plan for tracking updates and versions of documentation.
● Projects must sustain Planet , People , Profit .
● SWOT : Strengths/Weaknesses (internal factors ) consider when deciding on solution
Opportunities/Threats (are +/- risks ).
● When unsure about whether the company has got the necessary competencies to undertake
the new project, conduct a SWOT analysis, mainly if the company considers a new
technology project.
● In case of transition project (from Waterfall to Agile), assess company culture/change
acceptance.
● Postmortem is studying the reasons that could lead to project failure.
● Always collect approvals on deliverables before closing the projects. Other
actions: documenting lessons learned, paying bills and closing contracts, disbanding the team,
moving to operations. [Link] 32
 Stakeholders
● A Stakeholder is anyone who is interested/involved in the project, can influence the project work,
might be impacted by the project results.
● Stakeholder can be Supportive , Resistant , Neutral .
● Key stakeholders must be involved throughout the project to capture all their requirements and
expectations and to be able to deliver value/project work to them correctly . Stakeholders have
highest influence at beginning of the project.
● The Sponsor assigns the PM, provides him/her with authority, supports the team and is the first
escalation point in case the matter is beyond PM power/authority.
● The sponsor is part of the SteeCo. The customer is a key stakeholder .
● When there is a new key stakeholder , update the stakeholder register,
the communications plan and the engagement plan.
● If a deliverable is complete but it does not respond to the expectations of stakeholders, check33
acceptance criteria, correct the deliverable and review the scope management plan.
● Key Stakeholders = high power + high interest.
● All data about stakeholders are recorded in Stakeholders Register .
● Change Control Board ( CCB) reviews and approves/rejects changes in
Waterfall .
● In case of disagreement with a stakeholder , review the gap between deliverables
and acceptance criteria / analyze root cause --> Take action and inform the
stakeholder.
● NPS and mood chart for measuring stakeholder satisfaction.
● Direct communication with stakeholders is encouraged.
● When stakeholder is not committed / skips meetings, review stakeholder
engagement plan. RACI can be used here.
● In case of missing information in project report, review communications
management plan.
● PM engages stakeholders based on their power/interest levels , and can use
the stakeholder engagement assessment matrix for monitoring.
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● Different matrices for stakeholder analysis: power/interest, influence/power,
 Project Team
● Terminology: project team can be used in all types of project management. In Agile, sometimes
the term development team is used.
● The Team can be Functional (divided per speciality like in operations) or Cross-functional in a
project.
● Remote/Virtual team is the new normal. PM and team can use various online collaboration
tools including video-conferencing, meeting recording, digital information sharing, etc.
● The PM uses various skills assessment techniques to hire people with the right skills.
● PM ensures team development and improvement of their skills through training , mentoring and
coaching , especially if a member has a poor performance.
● Hiring external consultants/SME’s can be an option only in case the skills are not available
among the team, mainly in critical project activities.
● Tuckman Team Development stages (and relevant leadership style): forming (directing),
storming (coaching), norming (supporting), performing (serving), adjourning (releasing).
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● People have different personalities (according to MBTI) and cultural background and PM helps
them to improve their collaboration through Team-building activities.
● Empowering team members is important => participating in decision-making and taking
ownership of actions helps to improve team productivity and realize more effective and
efficient results.
● Resource Management Plan includes tools and techniques to manage resources (human
and non-human ).
● Capacity management is the process of planning, managing, and optimizing resource usage
to ensure project activities are completed on time and within budget.
● If the Team is confused => Review with them project goals , roles and responsibilities .
● When a team member refuses to join team meetings, understand the reason , remind them of
team spirit and organize a team-building if necessary.
● When a team member is leaving the project, ensure a knowledge transfer to the replacement.
● When the team is complaining about missing or unclear information, review/update the
communications management plan. [Link] 36
● RACI : When a new member joins the team, review/update the RACI matrix.

Responsible Accountable Consulted Informed

(does the task) (asked about
with updated
outcome/results)

● Theory X and Y (for leadership), Z (for well being/life-balance) and Expectancy (do more/less).
● Herzberg's intrinsic motivators and extrinsic hygiene factors .
● Emotional intelligence is about understanding others and sympathizing with them. It can be used
to resolve personal conflicts between people.
● Team-building is used in forming and also in storming.
● Team charter contains Ground Rules and is built during forming and enhanced during Norming.
● Communication channels: n (n - 1) / 2 (n: number of participants).
● Never select an answer that involves punishing a team member.
● Never select answer that implies rewarding 1 team member only.
● Avoid financial rewards, do not reward in private and avoid zero-sum reward. 37
● Communication Management Plan contains which information to share with whom in which
format and when (frequency), and who should attend which meeting.
● PM must understand communication needs of team / stakeholders.
● Avoid answers with adding resources (leads to extra cost).
● In case of an issue/situation, discussing it with the team can be favoured.
● In case of Conflict , first find root cause and use direct /face to face communication .
Discussing in private is better than in front of others.
● Conflict Management :
➢ Confronting/problem solving (win/win).
➢ Collaborating through PM/team (win/win).
➢ Compromising/reconciling (lose/lose), but we keep the relationship.
➢ Accommodating/smoothing (yield/lose).
➢ Forcing/directing (win/lose).
➢ Withdrawal/avoiding (lose/leave), end of relationship.

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 Most Common Leaderships Styles:
● Situational : employs the appropriate type of leadership depending on situation.
● Servant : providing well-being, mentoring, coaching, removing impediments. Most favoured.
● Democratic : taking decision jointly.
● Transformational : empowering others.
● Laissez-faire : team take decisions.
● Transactional : uses reward and sanction.
● Charismatic : inspires and uses storytelling.
● Authentic : transparent with info and data.
● Autocratic : decides alone.
● Interactional : mix between Charismatic, Transactional and Transformational.

Power Types
Legitimate, Reward, Punish, Referent, Expert, Situational.

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 Agile & Scrum

● Scope
Waterfall Agile

Fixed Flexible

● Delivery cadence/release is defined by the PM/PO in consultation with the team , and
taking customer contract into consideration.
● Agile values are: Collaborative team , Incremental Product , Customer involvement ,
Welcoming changes .
● Customer involvement is a source of feedback and reduces disagreements about
deliverables.
● Transition to Agile is encouraged and no backing off of it.
● When there are a lot of change requests in the project, switch from Waterfall to Agile .
● In Agile, the main focus is on creating and delivering value continuously .
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In Agile:
Iterative Approach Incremental Approach
goals is to refine product Goal is Time2Market

Scope not defined Scope defined

Many changes Minimum changes
Using Experimentation Completed increments
Welcoming feedback to improve Early ROI
Delivery at the end Delivery possible after each
iteration .
● Full Agile Approach : mix between iterative and incremental.
● Lean is about continuous improvement of existing processes.
● KanBan is a flow/pull-based approach with limiting WIP .
● Agile prioritization techniques such as MoSCoW, Kano Model, Story Map, etc.
● Different types of software testing: Unit Test, Integration Testing, System Test,
Acceptance Testing, Regression Testing, Performance Test, Exploratory Test. 41
In SCRUM:
● Scrum values transparency in information. Key Scrum roles:
Product Owner Voice of the customer Prioritizes the value to be
delivered and refines the project
backlog.

Scrum Facilitator , Coach and Removes impediments , resolves

Master/Project Servant Leader conflicts & empowers team.
Manager

Team Self-organized and Plan and estimate their work,

Cross-functional manage the sprint backlog.
● No using e-mails between SM/PO/Team, use direct communication.
● User stories US are estimated in Story Points .
● Acceptance criteria AC is part of the Definition of Done .
● US and AC are part of the product backlog which is maintained by the PO.
● Tasks are part of the sprint backlog which is maintained by the team .
● They are both part of artifacts including increments .
● Risks are addressed through iterative delivery. Contracts often emphasize flexibility and
collaboration. [Link] 42
 In SCRUM:
● MVP (for getting feedback and minimizing risks) Vs MMP (to speed up T2M).
● MVP/Prototype/PoC can mean the same in some questions. Best for 1st release to test market.
● In the sprint: first day is Planning , last day is Review (demo) and Retrospective (improving
ways of working). Every day there is a 15 minute status update and impediments meeting. It
cannot be skipped or canceled.
● No other/urgent meetings are allowed between SM/PO/Team.
● Blocking issues are raised during the stand-up meeting . Identify their root cause then decide
action. In order to ensure that a certain problem does not repeat in the future, discuss it in the
retrospective meeting.
● The SM defends the team from interruptions & empowers them to take solutions.
● No changes are allowed in the middle of the sprint. PO cancels the sprint if it
won’t deliver the expected results/value.
● DoR during Planning and DoD during Review. [Link] 43
 In SCRUM:
● Burn-down chart is for tracking remaining work in sprint by SM/PM. If the line of work
completed is below line of plan, it is good .
● Burn-up chart is for monitoring scope in release/project by PO. If the line of work completed
is above line of plan, it is good .
● Stakeholders can attend the Review meeting . if they are complaining that the team is not
delivering the expected value, ensure the product owner has clearly and correctly defined it
and reflected it in the backlog. Engage stakeholders in the review meetings.
● Scrum Master tries to re-energize the team during the Retrospective meeting .
● As a servant leader, pay attention to your team’s needs and discuss that with them.
● Team tries to maintain consistent velocity across sprints .
● Partially finished work is not counted into velocity. The Work ends when budget ends .
● Scrum of scrums is for projects with multiple teams. SM’s meet to share updates.
● Lead time (process E2E) and Cycle time (between process steps). 44
 Waterfall & Hybrid
● Project scope should not be reduced or touched (at least not without an approved CR).
● Scope/Schedule Management Plan is part of the Project Management Plan and it contains
description of which tools & techniques will be used for manage the scope/schedule.
● The scope baseline is the approved version of a Scope Statement + WBS + WBS Dictionary .
● WBS helps the project team visualize the project work and organize the project scope. It is
deliverables oriented.
● Scope control : the team verifies if deliverables are aligned with the requirements.
● Scope validation : the customer approves the deliverables.
● PM should not accept any requirements without their acceptance criteria to avoid any
conflicts/disagreements with stakeholders.
● A good deliverable is both fit for use and fit for purpose.
● Scope management steps : 1. Collect requirements, 2. Define scope, 3. Create WBS, 4.
Validate scope: by the customer, 5. Control scope: managing changes to the scope baseline.
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● Schedule Management Plan: plan schedule management, define activities, sequence
activities, estimate activity durations, develop schedule.
● Lead (starting activity earlier) and Lag (delay) are in Planning phase .
● Resource leveling (leads to expanding schedule) used for over-allocated
resources/adopting with schedule of critical resources.
● Resource smoothing uses slack .
● Float for prolonging activity and slack for delaying its start.
● The critical path is the longest path in the network diagram and the minimum duration
required to complete the project. All activities on the CP are important and without float .

● Schedule crashing through adding resources (increases cost ) # Fast-tracking

(increases risk ) are schedule compression techniques during controlling phase and
require change request .
● When the project is behind schedule, always check fast-tracking first. Avoid solutions
that increase cost !
[Link] 46
● Integrated Change Control Process
1. Need for a change (when deviating from baselines/new requirements/not meeting acceptance criteria).
2. PM creates change request with impact assessment/analysis.
3. PM logs change into change log
4. PM submits CR to CCB
5. CCB review and decide (defer/reject/approve)
6. PM updates change log with decision/explanation and informs stakeholders.
7. In case of approval, PM updates baselines and change is implemented.
8. Monitor results.

● Always evaluate before taking a decision/action. Involve the team.

● Always raise change request after checking situation with team/sponsor.
● Scope creep is the uncontrolled expansion of scope.
● Murder-board decides if project should continue after each phase/kill point.

[Link] 47
 Hybrid Project Management:
● Hybrid is a mix between Agile and Waterfall.
● When some requirements are clear and others are not, go for hybrid.
● In the exam, you know it is hybrid if it tells you explicitly or uses terms from Waterfall
and Agile at the same time.
● Always check in which part is the project currently (agile or waterfall) and choose the
answer from the respective practice.
● Tailoring happens during planning (and can be ongoing for improvement)
=> It's about choosing the suitable processes/tools for the project and according to
OPA/PMO.

[Link] 48
 Planning Techniques
● Collecting Requirements
Waterfall Agile

The acceptance criteria takes place mainly in Happens at any time during the
the planning phase . Any changes to the project.
scope that happen later during the project
must go through change process.

● Techniques
❏ Expert Opinion : senior members / specialists.
❏ Delphi : anonymous questionnaire to experts.
❏ Affinity: grouping related ideas.
❏ Nominal group : ranking grouped ideas.
❏ Brainstorming : gathering max ideas.
❏ Focus group : meeting facilitated by PM with stakeholders.
❏ Benchmarking : comparing between products.
❏ Voting : Unanimity (100% ), Majority (51%+ ), Plurality (most votes ),
Dictatorship (one decides ). [Link] 49
Estimation Techniques
❏ Preliminary Estimate (Rough Order of Magnitude): -25% / +75%
❏ Conceptual Estimate (Budgetary): -10% / +25%
❏ Definitive Estimate: -5% / +10%
❏ Analogous Estimating (Top-down ): comparing with previous project based on total
duration and complete cost. Can be single point or range . When you’re assigned on a
new project and incapable of estimating, review the estimates of previous similar
projects.
❏ Bottom-Up Estimating : most accurate estimating technique.
❏ Parametric Estimating : multiplying through measurement units.
❏ Three-Point Estimating is used when there are no certain estimates or insufficient
historical data:
Triangular (P+M+O)/3 or BETA distribution (PERT) (P+4M+O)/6 (used when we have
[Link] 50
● In Agile , estimating is based on average velocity of previous
sprints.
● Wideband Delphi : Team members discuss estimations after
each round until convergence is achieved.
● Alternatives analysis: checking time & cost of various
options .
● Spike : additional research time.
● A sunk cost is a cost that has already been incurred and
cannot be recovered. It is not relevant to future
decision-making.
● A predefined budget/schedule is a project constraint.

[Link] 51
 Performing Work
● Gold Plating : adding unneeded quality. Customer won’t pay for.
● Customer Obsession : Responding to all customer requests .
● Multi-tasking : Starting many tasks without finishing them according to plan. Can impact
project schedule.
● Pareto: 20% of the time give 80% of the outcome.
● Parkinson's law : Dividing effort according to allotted time.
● Student Syndrome : Delaying start of task.
● Dropped Baton : One team member is late and this impacts project timeline.
● Sandbagging : refers to the practice of holding a complete work until the true due date
arrives.
● Self-protection : Team members fail to report early completion of activities out of fear that
PM will adjust future standards and demand more next time.
● Tacit Knowledge : Experience based and not easily transferred or recorded.
● Explicit Knowledge : Codified and easily expressed.
[Link] 52
● Compliance requirements are always prioritized . Consult with sponsor first.
● KanBan is an information sharing radiator. Can be exposed in a central , visible place
for easy access
● In case of Resource conflict on projects in functional/weak matrix organization , first
discuss with functional managers.
● Meetings are important for:
➢ Sharing information
➢ Clarifying disagreements
➢ Finding root cause of issue
➢ Resolving conflicts .

● Lessons Learned are for recording how issues were solved and can be source of info for
future projects (ex. predict risks).
● When starting a new project, review lessons learned register of previous similar
projects.

[Link] 53
 Procurement Management
● Procurement Management plan is part of Project Management Plan in Waterfall and
contains the approach, processes, guidelines, tools and templates for managing
procurement.

● In bidder conference , the buyer answers the questions of the sellers , clarifies any
doubts and explains the bid terms and conditions.

RFQ RFP RFI

Request For Request For Request For
Quotation Proposal Information

● SoW: Statement of Work and it explains how the work will be performed and all
conditions. [Link] 54
● Process of selecting vendors :
Screening Weighting/Scoring Awarding

(Filtering) The contract to

According to evaluation
criteria vendor with
(qualitative/quantitative). highest score.

● Exit criteria are the conditions that must be met before a contract/project can be
considered complete.
● Procurement documents :

Letter of Memorandum Of Service Level

Intent Understanding Agreement Contract
(MOU) (SLA)

Memorandum Purchase Basic Ordering

of Agreement Order (PO) Agreement
(MOA) (BOA)
[Link] 55
● Inspection is a review of the seller’s delivery and/or performance.
● Statistical sampling is an inspection technique.
● When dealing with new vendors, assess the risks related to them.
● When a contract threatens the project, cancel it.
● Fixed Price Contract is used when scope is defined and changes are not expected.
The risk of cost increase on the seller's side .
Sub-types: FFP, FPIF, FPEPA (for long term contract due to inflation).
● Cost Reimbursable Contract is used when scope/requirements are not well defined
and the risk of cost increase is on the buyer's side .
Sub-types: CPFF, CPAF, CPIF
● Time & Materials Contract is hybrid and is used for hiring freelancers, experts and
consultants.
● In case a key provider bankrupts, apply the steps as described in the procurement
management plan to find a replacement.

[Link] 56
● A procurement audit is a formal review and examination of the procurement processes,
procedures, and activities within a project or organization.
● Negotiation is important at awarding the contract and in case of
dispute/disagreement . Win-Win output is favored .
● In case of force majeure , management reserve is used.
● Dispute Resolution Steps :
(1) Direct Negotiation (ex. meeting vendor).

(2) Indirect Negotiation (ADR): using mediation / arbitration

(3) Litigation at court

● Closing the contract happens after all deliverables meet requirements. It should be
administratively correctly done.
● If a provider is not performing well, provide them with feedback to improve their
performance, or look for another provider if no improvement done.
● Generally, don't choose answers that incur cost increase such as using financial
awards/incentives, hiring externals, crashing, asking for more budget, etc (depending on
situation). [Link] 57
 Quality Management
● Quality is a practice , a mindset and a process # Grading is ranking between products.
● Quality Management Plan in Waterfall is part of Project Management Plan and explains the
quality processes and tools to be applied and used.
● In Agile, quality is customer-centric , in Waterfall it is process-centric .
● Regulations must be respected and complied with # Standards (like ISO) are guidelines.
● Kaizen is continuous improvement.
● Quality Assurance takes place during performing work to prevent defects # Quality
Control/Review includes statistical sampling , inspection and testing to detect defects
after work completed .
● Quality audit to inspect the application of the process and its efficiency .
● Jut in Time (JiT) → Reducing inventory waste while ensuring quality.
● Total Quality Management (TQM) → Organization-wide commitment to quality.
[Link] 58
● Fishbone , 5 why's and why-why diagrams are root cause analysis (RCA) tools.
● Cost of conformance during the project for prevention (training/documentation) and appraisal
(testing/inspection).
● Cost of non-conformance can be internal (rework/scrap/etc through change request) or
external (liabilities/warranty/etc).
● Technical debt is delaying correcting errors. The longer the costlier.
● When a change request is approved by CCB , implement it as is.
● What should the project manager do to ensure full compliance with quality requirements
during the execution phase ? --> Continually survey the quality of the deliverables.
● In case of non-compliance/issue --> find out root cause --> fix it (can include CR) -->
Review/update the process --> Document lessons learned
● In Agile , use the retrospective meeting to better understand the root cause of the quality
problems and put together a plan with the team to address the problems.
● Focus on process over product → Quality Assurance prevents defects early.
● Be practical in situational questions → Quality must be built into the process, not just
inspected later .
[Link] 59
 Risk Management
● Risk is a potential/uncertain event and can be positive (opportunity) or negative (threat). It is
recorded in risk register. It starts with may/might/probably/likely.
● Risk probability is never 100% or 0%.
● Issue is recorded in issue log and is always negative and it happened.
● Preventive action for risk and corrective action/workaround for issue.
● Risks appear due to trigger condition .
● Risk Management Process: Some techniques:
Expected Monetary
1. Prepare risk Value, Monte-Carlo
4. Quantitative
management plan (with computer)
analysis

2. Identify risks (in

5. Plan risk responses
risk register)
Some techniques:
3. Qualitative
what-if scenario, 6. Implement risk
analysis (probability
alternative analysis, responses & update 7. Monitor risk
& impact) for risk
Decision tree risk register 60
prioritization
● Volatility (≠Predictability ): Unpredictable and quick/high rate of change
● Uncertainty (≠Understanding ): Unclear about the present/future
● Complexity (≠Simplicity ): Multiple interconnected factors
● Ambiguity (≠Clarity ): Lack of clarity about the event
● Urgency: assess how quickly the risk response needs to be implemented in order to be
effective.
● Dormancy: assess how long after a risk has occurred before its impact is discovered .
● Proximity : assess the amount of time before the risk can impact one or more
objectives .
● Connectivity: assess if the risk is related to other individual project risks .
● Individual risk may affect one or more project objectives (e.g., scope, schedule, cost,
quality).
● Overall project risk may affect the project as a whole.
● Insurable risk can be transferred to an insurance company through the purchase of an
insurance policy.
● Threshold : limit.
● Do not respond to a risk when it inconsequential.
[Link] 61
● Known Unknowns (identified risks ) are covered by contingency reserve (in project
budget).
● Unknown Unknowns (unidentified risks ) are covered by management reserve if they
happen.
● In case of an alarming situation or approaching risk, do not continue with the same
plan/pace.
● When a new law is introduced , update the risk register.
● Do not respond to a risk if you do not understand how it will impact or affect the project.
● When serious safety problems arise, stop the work and begin change process.
● Risk Breakdown Structure (RBS): Technical, External, Organizational, Commercial.
● Risk tolerance : limit of what is acceptable.
● Risk averse: not risk taker
● Active acceptance (take action) and passive acceptance (just monitor).

[Link] 62
 Threat Response Strategies Opportunity Response Strategies

Accept : no active action Accept: no active action

Mitigate : reduce probability/impact Enhance : increase probability/impact
Transfer : ex.: through insurance Share: ex.: with partner
Avoid: leave/quit Exploit : take action
Escalate: when situation out of PM/team Escalate : when situation out of PM/team
power/authority power/authority

● Risk audit examines the effectiveness of the risk management processes.

● Risk review examines the effectiveness of the response plans.
● Use contingency reserve if an identified risk materializes. Use management reserve if
an unidentified risk (issue) materializes.
● When issue is discovered, update issue log. When it is resolved, update lessons learned
register and OPA.
[Link] 63
 Assessing Project Performance
● KPI’s can be of different measurements.
● When there is Performance Variance , find root cause/gap analysis and take corrective action
(with a CR) or preventive action .
● Earned Value (EV) Management Terminologies: Actual Cost (AC), Planned Value (PV), Budget At
Completion (BAC), Cost Variance (CV), Schedule Variance (SV), Cost Performance Index (CPI),
Schedule Performance Index (SPI).
● If CV and SV are > 0 / CPI and SPI are > 1 , project is ahead of schedule and under budget =>
Resource leveling / Crashing can be considered if necessary.
● If CV and SV are < 0 / CPI and SPI are < 1 , project is behind schedule and over budget.
Crashing and schedule extension are not possible . Consider fast-tracking.
● When TCPI is <1, project will be completed easily.
● Other Terminologies: Estimate At Completion (EAC), Estimate To Complete (ETC), Variance At
Completion (VAC), To Complete Performance Index (TCPI).

[Link] 64
● Earned Value Measurement formulas:
❏ BAC = cost baseline + contingency reserve.
❏ EV = % of work complete x BAC.
❏ PV = % of planned work to be completed at time of measurement x BAC.
CV = EV – AC SV = EV – PV
CPI = EV / AC SPI = EV / PV
❏ In case of variance EAC = BAC / CPI When variance will end EAC = AC + BAC - EV
In case of Updated Plan EAC = AC + ETC (bottom-up)
Other EAC = AC + ((BAC - EV) / (CPI x SPI))
❏ ETC = EAC - AC
❏ TCPI = (BAC - EV ) / (BAC - AC) (objective to complete within BAC)
When CPI < 1, TCPI = (BAC – EV) / (EAC – AC) (objective to complete within EAC)

[Link] 65
● Use Cost-Benefit analysis to convince stakeholders of solution.
● Project with highest IRR is most beneficial .
● ROI: (net investment gain x 100) / cost of investment
● NPV calculates value of future incomes in present . Negative NPV is bad.
● Payback period: how much time to break-even the invested amount .
● Time2Market: how much time until delivering the product/solution into the market.
● S-curve shows the cumulative cost of the project over a specific period of time.
● Business value is not just financial—it includes customer satisfaction, process efficiency,
compliance, and strategic alignment.
● Read carefully —Some questions include unnecessary data to distract you. Identify only
relevant details.

[Link] 66
PMP Exam
Tips

67
3-week Preparation Plan
1. Re-watch full course videos and take notes 1 week

2. Re-watch course, compare with P62 of PMBOK V6 1 week

and take each chapter quiz (25Q)

3. Take mini-exam 1 (60Q) and review your mistakes 1 day

4. Take mini-exam 2 (60Q) and review your mistakes 1 day
5. Take 1st full exam (180Q) with Time Management 1 day

6. Take 2nd full exam (180Q) with Time Management 1 day

7. Take 3rd full exam (180Q) with Time Management 1 day
85% of our students got their PMP certification following this 68
 Preparation Tips
● Create a study plan/schedule
● Set realistic goals
● Decide on a specific date to sit for the exam
● Set preparation milestones
● Plan for the unexpected
● Take some time off
● Commitment is key

[Link] 69
 Preparation Tips
● Start with getting familiar with your prep material
● Put your knowledge to the test
● Practice at least 3 full-length (1, 2 and 3) mock
exams
● Choose your studying style according to your preferences
● Less Memorizing & More Understanding
● Surround yourself with people who support you
● Visualize reaching your goal for motivation

[Link] 70
Prior to the Exam Day

● Keep the same relaxed pace

● Rely on your personal notes
● Have enough sleep and a balanced diet
● Don’t drink much liquids

[Link] 71
 Taking the exam at home

● Perform a system test with OnVue

● Practice using OnVue online tools
● Choose a quiet place
● Prepare your space
● Get ready for all scenarios

People illustrations by Storyset [Link] 72

 Taking the exam at home
● The day of the exam, get your computer ready
● Don’t leave anything within arm’s reach
● Write down your access code (if asked to)
● Stay within the proctor/camera’s view range
● Don’t look around and don’t try to cheat anyhow.
● Don’t answer too fast even if you know the question.

[Link] 73
Taking the exam in a test center
● Visit the test center beforehand
● Check all of your testing center instructions
● Print out a copy of your registration email
● Make sure your ID (passport) meets the
requirements
● Consider bringing a second identification document
(driver’s license)
● Arrive at least 30 minutes early at your testing
center
[Link] 74
Exam Time Management
0:00 180 Questions → 3h:50min 4:10

10 min 10 min
60 Questions 60 Questions 60 Questions
Break Break

➔ 60 questions = 01h16min ➔ Using translation (max 3 questions/60Q)

➔ After 1st 60Q, remain 02h35mn ➔ Marking questions (max 3

➔ After 2nd 60Q, remain 01h20mn questions/60Q)

➔ Review answers before taking breaks

Apply the 15x15 technique: after each 15 questions, close your eyes and breath deeply for 15

seconds so you can re-energize. This will also help you manage your stress.
75
 Exam Time Management

Very important:

If less than 30 minutes are remaining and 30 questions or more not answered, don’t
read the text, just read the answers and answer based on the elimination
techniques .

You must answer all the exam questions.

[Link] 76
 PMP Exam Question Types
D ● Total exam questions is 180.
e ● ≈ 170 MCQ with 4 choices and 1 possible answer
t
a ● ≈ 5 MCQ with 5 choices and several possible answers
i ● ≈ 5 Drag and Drop Questions / hotspot questions
l ● All MCQ questions are situational.
s

Remember, the questions in the exam are all scenario based and come from real
projects based on the experience of project management practitioners from all over
the world.

The questions can be about private or public sectors, and in any industries.
[Link] 77
Scenarios (for the 170 questions)

[Link] 78
 GENERAL
Tips & Tricks
● Look for the keyword in the text of the question or in one of the answers.
● Choose specific answer rather than general answer (example: apply action over observe).
● When question asks what should do first , several answers can be right, but must choose
first in the process/or in chronological order. It mostly starts with
assess/evaluate/analyze/review.
● PMI recommends that you act after you have a complete and accurate data .
● Updating the register/log is selected as an answer when the question asks about what to do
first . However, it is not an effective solution in the “what to do” questions.
● PM must always apply fully the right/complete solution , and avoid short-cuts/half-solution.
● Facing the issue is important. Avoid delegating the issue.
● When solving an issue: analyze/assess root cause (with the team), review (the project
management plan and related documents), take action .
● Don’t bypass steps/processes/documentation.
● Avoid extreme measures such as: withholding payments, recruiting during ongoing project,
bring in consultants, shutting down the project due to [Link]
setbacks or with outstanding79
actions.
 ● Don’t change project management approach because the team does not know it.
● Avoid answers that contain the words “must” and “only”, denying customer requests,
implementing change request without approval.
● Escalation (to sponsor/SteeCo) is the last resort. After escalation, nothing more to do.
● When answering questions, rely on the information in the question and don’t make
assumptions.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In case of disagreement with stakeholder --> analyze gap/compare with Acceptance
Criteria

● if we are right --> meet with stakeholder to convince

If convinced --> OK
If not convinced --> escalate
● if we are wrong --> corrective action (with change request) --> inform the stakeholder
[Link] 80
What the question asks Steps to be taken

● Do ● Take the appropriate course of action

● Do first or do next ● Review a document or plan, analyze a

situation, collect information, determine the
impact or root cause, apply face to face
communication with team or stakeholders.

● Should have done ● Reactive actions. What steps could have

been taken to prevent what happened. What
could have been implemented to avoid the
issue. Searching for best solution in the past.

● Not do or not have done ● Select the action that has the worst impact
or that is the least effective. Action to be
avoided.
81
 ● Automatic elimination of following 10 answers (saves you 25% of the time in the
exam):

Do nothing / ignore / decide later Try to persuade a higher authority (sponsor, PMO,
SteeCo), enforcing closing project / enforcing own
opinion on customer

Enforce / oblige / impose / mandate Passive action (example: record info in register
instead of taking effective action)

Firing / Replacing/ Releasing team member / Easy solution (ex: hire external, ask sponsor to
ending the contract of team member/vendor handle)

Ask team to work overtime Delegating solution (ex: ask agile coach to train
team member)

Escalate* Solution with cost increase

*Depending on situation

[Link] 82
Thank You
for learning with us!

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