Preface

In This Book

This book is organized in such a way as to serve as a hands-on battery of project management exercises, case studies, and practice questions for the PMP^® Project Management Professional exam. It’s designed for those with a strong foundation in project management as well as those who are new PMP candidates. Each chapter covers a major aspect of the exam, with an emphasis on the “why” as well as the “how to” of project management, which will help you on both exam day and when you’re working in the field.

Throughout this book, you’ll read an overview of a specific PMP exam objective and then you’ll complete an exercise that tests your understanding of the objective. The exercises have been written to allow you to call on your experience as a project manager, and to also prompt you to research the web, The Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK), and the companion to this book, The PMP Study Guide. Your answers may not be the same as my answers because you and I likely have a different background and a host of different project management experiences. That’s fine—in fact, it’s expected.

When you read the answers to the exercises, the spirit of the exercise is what you should focus on—the understanding of the project management processes you’ll be tested on. I’ve tried to write the questions and answers to be as specific to each project management process as possible and to allow for a broad scope of possible, acceptable answers. As a PMP candidate, you know that project management can be tricky. No two projects, no scenarios, and certainly no two project managers are going to be the same.

In Every Chapter

We’ve created a set of chapter components that call your attention to important items, reinforce important points, and provide helpful exam-taking hints. Take a look at what you’ll find in every chapter:

• Every chapter begins with Certification Objectives—what you need to know in order to pass the section on the exam dealing with the chapter topic. The Objective headings identify the objectives within the chapter, so you’ll always know an objective when you see it!

• The PMP Coach is there to encourage you. It’s the author’s way of saying keep going and don’t give up!

• Lab Exercises will explain a PMP exam objective and then test your understanding of the objective. Complete these exercises as you work your way through the book to solidify your preparation for the PMP examination. Some exercises will require a lab setup, such as Internet access, but most exercises can be completed with just the material in the chapters.

• The Lab Analysis Test offers questions similar to those found on the certification exams. The answers to these questions, as well as explanations of the answers, can be found at the end of each chapter. By taking the Lab Analysis Test after completing each chapter, you’ll reinforce what you’ve learned from that chapter.

• The Key Terms you will need to know for the exam are listed after the Lab Analysis Test questions.

• The Lab Solutions at the end of each chapter reveal the most likely answers for the labs. Your answers may be slightly different, in some chapters, than what the author presents. The labs have been created to test your understanding of the project management processes and PMP exam objectives, and the solutions will help you check your alignment with the exam objectives.

Some Pointers

Once you’ve finished reading this book, set aside some time to do a thorough review. You might want to return to the book several times and make use of all the methods it offers for reviewing the material. The following pointers will also be helpful: