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 Initiating Planning Executing Monitoring and Closing
Group Controlling
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 Initiating Planning Executing Monitoring and Closing
Area/Progress
Group
Controlling
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
Control Risks
Management
Identify Risks
Perform
Qualitative Risk
Analysis
Perform
Quantitative Risk
Analysis
Plan Risk
Response
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.