Boston University Project Management Institute

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Boston University - Project Management Institute
   PMP Exam Prep   Prof. Jim Cormier    The Exam
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You Must Qualify To Take the Exam
Bachelors Degree
35 Contact hours of PM Education
4500 Hours of PM Experience
Experience must have been three years within the
last six
High School Graduate
35 Contact hours of PM Education
7500 Hours of PM Experience
Experience must have been five years within the
last eight
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You Must Apply To Take the Exam
Hard Copy By Mail
Much Slower
Electronically
Much Faster is an understatement
Http//PMI
After Application is Accepted
You have one year to schedule, take and pass the
exam
You may take the exam any number of times before
you pass and will pay for each
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The PMP Exam
PMI certification exams are designed and
delivered to promote a PMI view, or approach, to
Project and Program Management. No other view is
acceptable and must not be present in your
thought processes when PMI exams.
Exam Particulars
Is written at a secured facility
Contains 200 questions
175 questions are graded
25 questions are being evaluated
106 graded questions must be answered
correctly
61 percent of the graded questions must be
answered correctly to pass
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The PMP Exam
Exam Particulars - Continued
The questions are grouped in the following
segments or processes and each contains the shown
approximate percentage of percentage of the 175
active questions.
Initiating the Project 11
17/200
17/200
Planning the Project 23 48/200
48/200
Executing the Project 27 48/200
48/200
Closing the Project 9 45/200
14/200
Monitoring and Controlling the Project 21
45/200
28/200
Professional and Social Responsibility 9
Exam allotted time is four hours plus fifteen
minutes before the exam begins for a tutorial.
The exam application shows time and allow you to
mark questions to which to return for review.
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The PMP Exam
Exam Questions
Are learned by process but asked randomly
Are tricky and designed to confuse you
Are poorly written intentionally
Are overly verbose
Ask about a particular elements but have answers
that could fit that, or other, elements
Calculators are provided but not required
Ask real world what would you do question but
only PMI answers are correct
Many questions ask for best or most suitable
answer which means many of the answers could be
used but only one is correct
Questions ask for information not in the PMBOK
50 to 75 of the 200 exam questions contain
one or more of the above, this varies by exam
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The PMP Exam
Your Study Plan
Select a study guide or build your own
Reduce the content of each section to Most
Valuable Information
Memorize all the PM Processes by group and the
Planning Processes in order
Develop a set of exam QA Flash Cards that can be
randomized
Make at least three, four is better, passes
through your material, recording your success
rate, before attempting exam
Set your goal to answer, 61 of the 200 questions
correctly
Mentally and logistically prepare yourself for
initial writing of the exam to be a trial run.
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The PMP Exam
On Exam Day
Locate the exam site before the date of your
exam. Make a dry run to find, building, floor
and parking as well as the time to get there.
Bring only PMI appointment letter and two forms
of picture I.D., everything else will be
provided. This includes a calculator, pencils,
scratch paper (which may not be taken home after
test) and noise cancelling headsets.
Develop a set of exam QA Flash Cards that can be
randomized
Be well rested and healthy. You may reschedule
your exam, without penalty, 72 hours before your
appointment. Do this if you even think you are
getting ill or not ready.
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Communication
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The Communication Process
Receiver provides verbal and nonverbal responses
to sender
Sender has idea
Sender encodes idea into a message
Message travels over one or more channels
Receiver perceives and decodes message
Senders response to feedback may trigger
additional feedback to receiver
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The Communication ProcessSender (Encoder)

• The sender is the source of information and the
  initiator of the communication process.
• Encoding is the process of translating thoughts
  or feeling into a mediumwritten, visual, or
  spokenthat conveys the meaning intended.
• Five principles to increase encoding accuracy
  include
• Relevancy
• Simplicity
• Organization
• Repetition
• Focus

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The Communication ProcessReceiver (Decoder)

• The receiver is the person who receives and
  decodes (or interprets- the senders message.
• Decoding is translating messages into a form that
  has meaning to the receiver.
• One of the main requirements of the receiver is
  the ability to listen. Listening involves paying
  attention to the message, not merely hearing it.

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The Communication ProcessMessage

• The message refers to the verbal (spoken and
  written) symbols and nonverbal cues representing
  the information that the sender wants to convey.
• Nonverbal Messages
• Verbal Messages
• Written Messages

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The Communication ProcessMessage

• The message may be communicated using various
  methods.
• Major Plans Formal Written Communications
• Policy Speeches Formal Verbal Communications
• Emails, notes, etc. Informal Written
  Communications
• Hallway conversations Informal Verbal
  Communications

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The Communication ProcessChannels

• The channel is the path a message follows from
  the sender to the receiver.

There may be many, separate, communication
channels on a team or in an organization. The PMP
exam requires that you be able to calculate the
number of separate communication channels and the
action you would take for problem situations
arising in each. A single communication channel
exists between two people, if the group is made
up of five people there are ten separate
communication channels. The formula for
calculating the number of channels is N(N-1)/2
and N is the number of people in the group. For
example 5(5-1)/2 - (54 / 2 10).
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The Communication ProcessChannels

• Be careful, PMI asks many situational
  communication problem questions not dealing with
  this formula and when formula questions are asked
  they usually deal with adding a person to the
  group causing an increase in x where x the
  change in the number of channels.

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Information Richness of Channels
Information richness is the information-carrying
capacity of the channel.

• Information Channel
• Face-to-face discussion
• Telephone conversations
• Written letters/memos (individually addressed)
• Formal written documents (un-addressed bulletins
  or e-mail)
• Formal numeric documents (printouts, budget
  reports)

• Information Richness
• Highest
• High
• Moderate
• Low
• Lowest

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Project Communication
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Project Communications

• Project Communications includes the processes
  required to ensure timely and appropriate
  generation collection, dissemination, storage and
  ultimate disposition of project information
  flowing between the project and its stakeholders.

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Project Stakeholders

• Project Stakeholders are individuals and
  organizations that are actively involved in the
  project, or whose interests may be positively or
  negatively affected as a result of project
  execution or project completion.

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(No Transcript)
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Communication Planning

• Communications Planning is determining the
  information and communications needs of
  stakeholders who needs what information, when
  they will need it, and how it will be given.

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Communications Planning
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Information Distribution

• Information Distribution making needed
  information available to project stakeholders in
  a timely manner.

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Information Distribution
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Performance Reporting

• Performance Reporting collecting and
  disseminating performance information. This
  includes status reporting, progress measurement
  and forecasting.

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Performance Reporting
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Administrative Closure

• Administrative Closure generating, gathering
  and disseminating information to formalize a
  phase or project completion.

Do Not Confuse With Contract Closure This is
asked at least once and used as mul- tiple
choice answers throughout the exam.
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Administrative Closure
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Human Resources
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PMBOK Human Resource Management
Definition Human resource management is the
process of assembling and coordinating the
project team throughout a project's life cycle.
The goal of human resource management is to use
the abilities of each project team member
effectively. (Kanabar)

• Human Resource Planning
• Acquire Project Team
• Develop Project Team
• Manage Project Team

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PMBOK Human Resource Management
Project HR planning involves defining project
roles and assigning those roles to team members
or groups. It also includes establishing a chain
of command, so team members or groups know who
they should report such things as progress,
problems, or accidents to, as well as who they
should go to for technical assistance. (Kanabar)

• Human Resource Planning
• Acquire Project Team
• Develop Project Team
• Manage Project Team

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PMBOK Human Resource Management
The staff acquisition process involves obtaining
and assigning personnel to perform project
activities. As project manager, your goal during
staff acquisition is to obtain personnel who have
the skills outlined in the project's staff
management plan. (Kanabar)

• Human Resource Planning
• Acquire Project Team
• Develop Project Team
• Manage Project Team

Should read - Acquire the Remainder of the
Project Team
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PMBOK Human Resource Management
It is always best to acquire a team that is
experienced and fully trained for their roles.
Team members, however, must continue to learn,
grow and build their present skill levels and
knowledge.

• Human Resource Planning
• Acquire Project Team
• Develop Project Team
• Manage Project Team

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PMBOK Human Resource Management
Project team managers must manage their team just
as any other manager would manage any other group
of human resources. That is decide, organize,
control, plan and lead the team.

• Human Resource Planning
• Acquire Project Team
• Develop Project Team
• Manage Project Team

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Leadership and Motivation
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Leadership Styles, Traits and Behaviors Leadersh
ip Traits   Research identified the following
five traits as showing a consistent position
correlation with Leadership   Intelligence Domina
nce Self-Confidence High Energy Level Task
Relevant Knowledge Behavioral Tendencies
Initiating Structure - (Setting Meeting
Deadlines, Employee Standards, etc.) Consideration
- (Leader/Subordinate relationships, trust,
respect)   Leaders (Managers) fall into two
groups, Employee Oriented and Production
Oriented Leaders show a varying Concern for
People and/or Concern for Production depending on
the situation Contingency Theories Overlays
the situation to the determination of Leadership
Style required. Autocratic - Democratic
behaviors are viewed as extremes on a continuum
with differing leadership styles in between.
Styles are dependent on the leader's tendencies
(traits), the operating group and the
situation. Effective group performance depends
on the proper match between the leader's style of
interacting with her/his subordinates and the
degree to which the situation controls or
influences the leader.   Subordinate
participation in the decision making process
enhances the degree of successful leadership.  
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Conflict Resolution Techniques Confronting
(Problem Solving)   Confronting means solving
the real problem. Confronting leads to a win-win
situation. Compromising Finding solutions
that bring some degree of satisfaction to both
parties. This is a lose-lose situation since both
parties must give up something. Withdrawal
(Avoidance) Retreating or postponing a
decision on a problem. This is almost never
recommended by PMI which prefers confrontation.
Smoothing Emphasizing agreement rather than
differences of opinion. Forcing Pushing one
viewpoint at the expense of another. Source
PMP Exam Prep, Ritas Course in a Book for
Passing the PMP Exam, Fifth Edition, Rita
Mulcahy, PMP, 2005
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Motivational Models Known to Appear on the PMP
Exam   Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
A person's needs are arranged in order of
priority. Once a need is met, the next
higher on the list becomes the priority and
motivation. Two bottom needs are considered
lower-order needs and the three top needs
constitute the higher order. Lower order needs
are satisfied externally (Example wages, union
contracts, tenure) Higher order needs are
satisfied internally (Affection, self respect,
self-fulfillment)
SELF _ACTUALIZATION_   ________ESTEEM________
  _____________SOCIAL____________   ______________
__________SAFETY_______________________   ________
_____________________PHYSIOLOGICAL________________
_________ 1. Physiological -
Hunger, thirst, shelter, sex and other bodily
needs. 2. Safety - Protection from
emotional and physical harm. 3.
Social - Affection, sense of belonging,
acceptance and friendship. 4. Esteem -
Self respect, autonomy, status, recognition and
attention. 5. Self Actualization -
Growth, achieving one's potential and self
fulfillment.  
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Moving up and Down the Needs Hierarchy
Frustration-Regression
Satisfaction-Progression
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Motivational Models Known to Appear on the PMP
Exam   Theory X and Y
Douglas McGregor's work proposed that managers
grouped employees based on two distinctly
different sets of theories. They then molded
their behaviors toward employees
accordingly. Theory X 1. Employees
inherently dislike work and will attempt to avoid
it. 2. Employees must be forced,
coerced and controlled in order to achieve
goals. 3. Employees dislike
responsibility and will avoid it.
4. Employees place security above all other
factors and will display little ambition. These
are lower order needs and satisfied accordingly
(Contracts, tenure and wages) Theory Y
1. Employees see work as being as natural as
rest or play. 2. Self direction and
self control are exercised by employees who feel
committed to objectives. 3. Average
employees can learn to accept (or seek)
responsibility. 4. The ability to
make good decisions is distributed throughout the
population and not just within management Adoption
leads to programs such as shared decision
making, more responsible challenging jobs,
etc. No hard evidence that either are
correct. Assumptions can be correct in particular
situations. Expectancy Theory Victor
H. Vroom - Theory argues that an employee will
act in a certain way depending on the strength of
an expectation of a certain reward coupled with
the attractiveness of that reward.
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Motivational Models Known to Appear on the PMP
Exam   Hygiene Theory
Frederick Herzberg proposed that the factors
leading to job satisfaction are separate and
distinct from those that lead to job
dissatisfaction. Managers who remove factors
that create job dissatisfaction are causing peace
not motivation.   Hygiene factors -
Dissatisfiers   Company Policy
Administration Supervision Interpersonal
Relationships Working Conditions Salary (in this
order). When employees believe these are
adequate, people will not be dissatisfied,
neither will they be motivated.   Motivators -
Satisfiers  Achievement Recognition Work
Itself Responsibility Advancement Growth (in this
order) Detractors claim Ignores situation
variables, does not show any relationship between
satisfaction and production, and other questioned
the methodology used to rate satisfaction levels.
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Boston University - Project Management Institute
   PMP Exam Prep       Professional and Social
Responsibility
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PMIs Code of Professional Conduct

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PMIs Code of Professional Conduct
PMIs Code of Professional Conduct


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PMIs Code of Professional Conduct
PMIs Code of Professional Conduct



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PMIs Code of Professional Conduct
PMIs Code of Professional Conduct





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Correct Exam Answers
In every exam scenario select the answer most
difficult to adopt.
Never consider politics
Never consider marketing
Never consider survival
If the question is confused and confusing look
for the Professional and Social Responsibility
answer.