How to plot the 47 Processes in Knowledge Area/Process Group grid in 3 minutes flat

Submitted by rajuk on Sat, 10/19/2013 - 16:01

 

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 ourStakeholders.
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  

  • Monitor and Control Project Work
  • Perform Integrated Change Control
 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  

As you can see here, there is ONLY ONE Process left for Integration, Quality, Communications, Procurement and Stakeholder process groups after this step. Its that easy with this approach. As you guessed already, if we do Executing Process group, this will be done.

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

  • Monitor and Control Project Work
  • Perform Integrated Change Control
 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
  • Acquire Project Team
  • Develop Project Team
  • Manage Project Team
    
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  

Cool.... If you notice we knocked off the following knowledge areas completely: Integration, Quality, HR, Communications, Procurement and Stakeholders. Same way we are done with Initiating, Executing and Closing Process groups. Simple and easy - isn't it?
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

  • Monitor and Control Project Work
  • Perform Integrated Change Control
 Close Project or Phase
Scope (6)  

  • Plan Scope Management
  • Collect Requirements
  • Define Scope
  • Create WBS
  

  • Validate Scope
  • Control Scope
  
Time (7)  

  • Plan Schedule Management
  • Define Activities
  • Sequence Activities
  • Estimate Activity Resources
  • Estimate Activity Durations
  • Develop Schedule
   Control Schedule  
Cost (4)  

  • Plan Cost Management
  • Estimate Costs
  • Determine Budget
   Control Cost  
Quality (3)   Plan Quality Management Perform Quality Assurance Control Quality  
HR (4)   Plan HR Management
  • Acquire Project Team
  • Develop Project Team
  • Manage Project Team
    
Communications (3)   Plan Communications Management Manage Communications Control Communications  
Risk (6)  

  • Plan Risk Management
  • Identify Risks
  • Perform Qualitative Risk Analysis
  • Perform Quantitative Risk Analysis
  • Plan Risk Response
   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  

Do a cross check of Process count and you should get 47. Is easy...
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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admin's picture

admin

Sun, 10/20/2013 - 08:50

 Good post, thanks for sharing this. 

rajmuthukumar

Mon, 10/21/2013 - 13:48

Superb, It will be really helpful to the people who are having difficulties in memorizing. 

anselm

Tue, 10/22/2013 - 06:35

Hi,

Refer PMBOK 5 page 61 and print the page on A3 size..

Anselm.

Menon

Wed, 10/23/2013 - 00:41

Good one Raju

bkthakkar

Wed, 10/23/2013 - 04:00

An appreciated effort from your end to tie all hands in an easy manner.


Thanks for sharing info.


Bhavesh


 


 

SriSri

Wed, 10/23/2013 - 06:40

Thanks for sharing. This is very handy.

jkerr

Wed, 04/09/2014 - 12:20

Hi thanks for the great post. Can you help me clarify Point 2:

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.
 
Is there a pattern in the bold letter and the numbers that I am unable to figure out?
 
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
 
Thanks
 
John

Mudz

Thu, 08/28/2014 - 04:42

Thanks for the wonderful post, it really helped. Keep up the good work.

cssk

Sun, 08/31/2014 - 11:25

Sure, it's nice!

To be honest, when I started preparing for the exam, I thought remembering the 47's is the hardest....it's not.

When you reach exam level, you know all of your processes by heart!

Vijay_PMP's picture

Vijay_PMP

Mon, 09/01/2014 - 11:03

Awesome, you made my day...

slashinv

Wed, 09/03/2014 - 09:51

Once you learn these 47 by heart, these will stay in memory lifelong !

rkraneis's picture

rkraneis

Wed, 11/12/2014 - 16:22

I am grateful to PMZilla for this wonderful website...

My name is Richard Kraneis, PMP, and I have my own method for memorizing the 47 processes.

After I passed the PMP in June, 2014, I created a YouTube video on memorizing the 47 PMP processes. As of today, over 28,000 people have viewed my video on YouTube or at my website: www.RichardKraneis.com .

Here is my video on remembering the 47 PMP processes. My video is 8 minutes long and it is FREE.

Best Wishes to all in Passing the PMP,

Richard Kraneis, PMP
Chicago, IL USA