Recommendations for the PMP exams

1. Always answer PMP exam questions from PMI´s perspective; NEVER from your own perspective.
2. Very careful with questions that contain: "except, include, is not an example of, always, very, never, the best alternative, first, after. Negative
questions (except, is no at an example of, or never) are always looking for the false or wrong answer.
3. You must comprehend PMI´s project management process. What to do first, second, etc., and why?
4. Always read ALL the provided answers. Never answer questions on impulse; even if you believe that you are 100% sure that the answer you
chose or read first is correct, if you have not read all the provided answer, it´s most probably incorrect.
5. Do not change an answer to a question because 75% of the time the first answer you chose is the correct answer. Only change an answer to
a question if you are 100% certain that the previously chosen answer is incorrect.
6. Do not mark too many questions with the "mark" tag. You risk to correct the right ones at the end of the exam.
7. Be very cautious about exceptions to the rule, because they are usually asked on the test. For example, all audits are carried out in the
monitor and control process group, except for the quality audit that is carried out in the execution phase (monitor quality process) in order to
be proactive and preventive.
8. PMIsm are concepts that PMI emphasize, they usually are in correct answer to the questions: (examples)
a. NEVER do this by yourself, you need active participation involvement and engagement of the project team members and key
stakeholders.
i. Special emphasis while:
• Performing scope planning activities
 Collect requirements
 Define project (and product) scope
 Create WBS
• Performing activity duration, cost and resource estimates
• Identification and analysis of project risks
b. Prevention is proactive as it decreases the probability of risks and therefore lower project costs
c. Proactive and / or pro-activity
d. Verification and / or validation of deliverables
e. Use of the PDCA cycle to improve quality and project processes
f. Monitor and control to objectively measure project performance
g. Adequate project planning to increase project success probabilities
h. Active use of historical information and lessons learned especially during project initiation and planning

Et3lm PMP Group Elsayed Diab

 i. Corrective action and preventive action as needed
j. Communication, active listening, body language, feedback.
i. Project manager´s key responsibility is communicating with project stakeholders
k. Adequate project stakeholder identification, analysis and management
l. Performance measurement baseline - scope, schedule, cost (aka: triple constraint)
m. Clear and measurable objectives, goals and requirements
n. Creation of a Work Breakdown Structure (“divide and conquer”)
o. Use of experts in the early project phases (depending on project complexity level)
p. Difference between contingency and management reserves
q. Adequate alternatives
r. Decision making based on actual performance data
8. Answers that contain words like: always, never, absolutely, depends, are usually wrong answers
Generalizations that are considered to be correct or good practices
1. The organization has defined and use a project management methodology that has policies, procedures and processes based on its needs.
2. The organization always has available historical information and lessons learned which will be used to plan the future project.
3. A project manager is formally as an output of an approved project charted in the project initiation process group. The project manager
adequate authority to plan and execute the project. The project manager´s role is to prevent problems, not to manage them.
4. The project manager NEVER works alone! He/she will ALWAYS request project team and key stakeholder´s participation, involvment and
engagement in ALL aspects of the project.
5. After EACH deliverable is completed, the project manager must:
a. Perform a verification of the product/service quality compliance (monitor quality process)
b. Perform a validation of the product/service with stated stakeholders in order to achieve formal acceptance (validate scope process)
6. The WBS is the base that you use to:
a. Develop project activities
b. Estimate activity duration, cost and resources
c. Identify team member´s roles and responsibilities (RAM)
d. Identify project risks
7. Unless the question specifies otherwise, assume that you work in a matrix organization.

Et3lm PMP Group Elsayed Diab

 8. Activity duration and cost estimates are NOT finish until you perform risk identification and analysis (contingency reserve)
9. ALL projects must have two reserves:
a. Contingency reserve for identified risks
b. Management reserves for unknown – unknowns
10. Each project has an integrated change control system, configuration management and a change control board (CCB). The change control board
(CCB) is responsible for evaluating ALL change requests and determine whether they are approved or rejected.
11. Project team members define and document quality metrics for the project and the product as an output of the plan quality process in the
planning process group.
12. The Project Management Plan is formally approved by identified key project stakeholders, is realistic and everyone is convinced that it can be
achieved.
a. After the plan is formally approved, you always hold a kick-off meeting.
b. An approved project management plan is also known as the performance measurement baseline (PMB).
13. In the questions that ask how to handle conflict situations, immediately remove the obvious answer and try to select the one that seems to be
more positive and constructive and that may not disturb the top management by creating situations that are politically difficult to address.
14. Even if it is not always true, very often the longest and most articulated answers are the correct ones.
15. Immediately distinguish whether a process or a document is requested in the answer
16. In the questions with calculations (CPM, EVM, etc.) do not make it more difficult than it seems. Consider that the questions are made to be
answered in 1.12 minutes by a normal person, not by a mathematician.

18. When you perform the close project or phase process, you need to:
a. Conduct a kill point meeting if it´s a phase closure. (AKA: go – no go meeting)
b. Provide a lessons learned report to the project sponsor and/or PMO director.
c. Archive key project documentation.
d. Formally release project team members.
19. Try do finished at least 800 to 1,000 mock exam questions that will increase your passing probabilities. Focus where you get a WRONG
answer. Find out the root cause (why?). Study more on subject matter. Do other questions on the subject matter.
20. The day before the exam REST and sleep tight!!!

Et3lm PMP Group Elsayed Diab