Head first PMP : [a brain-friendly guide ; a learner's companion to passing the project management professional exam

**Media Reviews * "I have been doing project management for over 30 years and am considered a subject matter expert in the PMBOK(r) Guide -Third Edition primarily because I am the Project Manager who led the team that developed this edition. As a consultant I was hired to review and evaluate eight of the top selling PMP Exam Preparation books for their accuracy in following the PMBOK® Guide - Third Edition. I have developed and taught a PMP Exam Prep course for a leading R.E.P., and taught PMP Exam preparation classes for PMI Chapters. I can honestly say that Head First PMP is by far the best PMP Exam Preparation book of all I have reviewed in depth. It is the very best basic education and training book that I have read that presents the processes for managing a project, which makes it a great resource for a basic project management class for beginners as well as a tool for practitioners who want to pass the PMP exam. The graphical story format is unique, as project management books go, which makes it both fun and easy to read while driving home the basics that are necessary for preparing someone is just getting started and those who want to take the exam."** --Dennis Bolles, PMP DLB Associates, LLC and co-author of The Power of Enterprise-Wide Project Management - "This looks like too much fun to be a PMP study guide! Behind the quirky humor and nutty graphics lies an excellent explanation of the project management processes. Not only will this book make it easier to pass the exam, you'll learn a lot of good stuff to use on the job too." --Carol Steuer, PMP and PMBOK(r) Guide, 3rd Edition Leadership Team - "This is the best thing to happen to PMP since, well, ever. You'll laugh, learn, pass the exam, and become a better project manager all at the same time." -- Scott Berkun, author of The Art of Project Management and The Myths of Innovation - "Original, fresh, and fun... this is truly the perfect study companion for anyone aiming for PMP certification." --Teresa Simmermacher, PMP and Project Manager at Avanade - "I love this format! Head First PMP covers everything you need to know to pass your PMP exam. The sound-bite format combined with the whimsical images turns a dry subject into entertainment. The organization starts with the basics then drills into the details. The in-depth coverage of complex topics like Earned Value and Quality Control are presented in an easy to understand format with descriptions, pictures, and examples. This book will not only help you pass the PMP, it should be used as an daily reference for practicing project managers. I sure wish I had this when I was studying for the exam." --Mike Jenkins, PMP, MBA - "I think that under the fonts and formalized goofiness, the book has a good heart (intending to cover basic principles in an honest way rather than just to pass the test). Head First PMP attempts to educate potential project managers instead of being a mere "how to pass the PMP exam" book filled with test taking tips. This is truly something which sets it apart from the other PMP certification exam books." --Jack Dahlgren, Project Management Consultant - " Head First PMP is a great tool to help make sense of the Project Management Body of Knowledge for the everyday Project Manager." --Mark Poinelli, PMP **About the Book A PMP certification is more than just passing a test. It means that you have the knowledge to solve most common project problems, and proves that you know your stuff. Once you're certified, your projects are more likely to succeed because you have the skills and knowledge to make them successful. Not only that, it can mean a better job, more money, and greater respect from your peers. But studying for a difficult four-hour exam on project management isn't easy, even for experienced project managers. You want to remember everything that you're learning about project management, but your brain is working against you! Your brain craves novelty, and most PMP certification prep books are anything but novel. When you keep putting down a boring book instead of studying, it's because your brain doesn't think the information in it is worth learning. Your brain has more important stuff to think about, like how to keep you alive and out of danger-and it doesn't think that failing the PMP exam qualifies as life-threatening! So how do you trick your brain into thinking that your life does depend on learning everything you need to know to pass the PMP Exam? Head First PMP is the answer! Using the latest research in neurobiology, cognitive science and learning theory, Head First PMP has a visually rich format designed for the way your brain works-a multi-sensory experience that helps the material stick, not a text-heavy approach that puts you to sleep. Head First PMP offers 100% coverage of The PMBOK® Guide principles and certification objectives in a way that's engaging, not tedious. This book helps you prepare for the PMP certification exam with a unique method that goes beyond answers to specific questions and makes you think about the big picture of project management. By putting project management concepts into context, you will be able to understand, remember, and apply them-not just on the exam, but also on the job. With Head First PMP , you get the best of both worlds: a thorough and effective preparation guide for the PMP certification exam with hundreds of practice questions and exam strategies, along with puzzles, games, problems, exercises and the unique Head First approach that makes learning easy and entertaining. When you're done with Head First PMP , you'll know your stuff, you'll pass the exam, and you'll be able to bring everything you've learned to your job.** Introduction: Why get certified?......Page 3 Do these problems seem familiar?......Page 4 Projects don't have to be this way......Page 6 Your problems... already solved......Page 7 Let's start with the areas of responsibility......Page 14 A PMP certification is more than just passing a test......Page 18 Meet a real-life PMP-certified project manager......Page 19 Organizations, processes, and projects: (Keeping) In good company......Page 23 A day in Kate's life......Page 24 Kate wants a new job......Page 25 Three types of organizations......Page 28 Kate takes a new job......Page 33 What a project IS.........Page 34 Back to Kate's maintenance nightmare......Page 36 Managing cost, quality, and schedule......Page 38 Kate makes some changes.........Page 42 the process framework: It all fits together......Page 49 Cooking up a project......Page 50 Projects are like recipes......Page 52 Break it down......Page 54 Anatomy of a process......Page 57 Combine processes to complete your project......Page 60 Knowledge areas organize the processes......Page 61 The benefits of successful project management......Page 67 Exam Questions......Page 69 Exam Answers......Page 71 Project integration management: Getting the Job Done......Page 76 Time to book a trip......Page 77 These clients are definitely not satisfied......Page 79 The day-to-day work of a project manager......Page 80 The seven Integration Management processes......Page 81 Start your project with the Initiating processes......Page 84 Integration management and the process groups......Page 85 The "Develop Project Charter" process......Page 87 Choose your project with project selection methods......Page 89 A closer look at the project charter......Page 91 Two things you'll see over and over and over.........Page 94 The "Develop Preliminary Scope Statement" process......Page 98 The preliminary scope statement: a closer look......Page 100 Question Clinic: The "Just-The-Facts-Ma'am" Question......Page 101 Plan your project!......Page 103 The project management plan lets you plan ahead for problems......Page 104 A quick look at all those subsidiary plans......Page 106 Executing the project includes repairing defects......Page 111 Sometimes you need to change your plans......Page 114 Look for changes and deal with them......Page 115 Make only the changes that are right for your project......Page 116 Changes, defects, and corrections......Page 117 How the processes interact with each other......Page 118 Control your changes; use change control......Page 119 Preventing or correcting problems......Page 121 Finish the work, close the project......Page 123 So why INTEGRATION management?......Page 125 Exam Questions......Page 135 Exam Answers......Page 141 Scope management: Doing the Right Stuff......Page 148 Out of the frying pan.........Page 149 It looks like we have a scope problem......Page 154 The five Scope Management processes......Page 158 The Scope Planning process......Page 160 Inside the scope management plan......Page 162 Define the scope of the project......Page 163 Build on the preliminary scope statement......Page 164 How do you define the scope?......Page 165 The scope isn't preliminary anymore......Page 167 Question Clinic: The "Which-is-BEST" Question......Page 171 Create the Work Breakdown Structure......Page 173 Breaking down the work......Page 175 Decompose deliverables into work packages......Page 177 Templates are a useful shortcut......Page 178 Inside the work package......Page 183 The baseline is a snapshot of the plan......Page 185 The outputs of the Create WBS process......Page 187 Why scope changes......Page 190 The Scope Control process......Page 192 Anatomy of a change......Page 193 A closer look at the Change Control System......Page 195 More Scope Control tools & techniques......Page 196 Make sure the team delivered the right product......Page 200 The stakeholders decide when the project is done......Page 201 Exam Questions......Page 208 Exam Answers......Page 213 time management: Getting it Done on Time......Page 221 Reality sets in for the happy couple......Page 222 Time management helps with aggressive time lines......Page 224 Time Management Magnets Solution......Page 226 Tools and techniques for the Activity Definition process......Page 229 Rolling wave planning lets you plan as you go......Page 230 Activity Definition Outputs......Page 233 The Activity Sequencing process puts everything in order......Page 235 Diagram the relationship between activities......Page 236 More tools for sequencing......Page 240 Leads and lags......Page 241 Create the network diagram......Page 243 Rob and Rebecca have resource problems......Page 244 What you need to estimate resources......Page 245 Estimating the resources......Page 246 Figuring out how long the project will take......Page 248 Estimation tools and techniques......Page 251 Create the duration estimate......Page 252 Bringing it all together......Page 254 Question Clinic: The "Which-comes-next" Question......Page 256 Use the Critical Path Method to avoid big problems......Page 259 How to find the critical path......Page 260 Crash the schedule......Page 276 Fast-tracking the project......Page 277 Influence the factors that cause change......Page 284 Schedule control inputs and outputs......Page 285 Measuring and reporting performance......Page 287 Exam Questions......Page 299 Exam Answers......Page 304 Cost Management......Page 311 Time to expand the Head First Lounge......Page 312 Introducing the cost management processes......Page 315 What Alice needs before she starts Cost Estimation......Page 316 Tools and techniques used only in cost estimation......Page 319 Let's talk numbers......Page 320 The Cost Budgeting process......Page 322 What you need to build your budget......Page 323 Cost budgeting: How to build a budget......Page 324 The Cost Control process is a lot like schedule control......Page 330 A few new tools and techniques......Page 333 Question Clinic: The Red Herring......Page 334 Look at the schedule to figure out your budget......Page 336 How to calculate planned value......Page 337 Earned value tells you how you're doing......Page 339 How to calculate earned value......Page 340 Put yourself in someone else's shoes......Page 342 Is your project behind or ahead of schedule?......Page 344 Are you over budjet?......Page 346 The Performance Measurement Analysis formulas......Page 347 Interpret CPI and SPI numbers to gauge your project......Page 348 Forecast what your project will look like when it's done......Page 352 Once you've got an estimate, you can calculate a variance!......Page 353 Finding missing information......Page 356 Exam Questions......Page 366 Exam Answers......Page 371 Quality Management: Getting it right......Page 378 What is quality?......Page 379 You need more than just tests to figure out quality......Page 380 Once you know what the product is supposed to do, it's easy to tell which tests pass and which fail......Page 381 Quality up close......Page 382 "An ounce of prevention..."......Page 385 Quality planning is how you prevent defects......Page 388 How to plan for quality......Page 389 The quality management plan gives you what you need to manage quality......Page 391 Inspect your deliverables......Page 394 Use the planning outputs for Perform Quality Control......Page 395 The seven basic tools of quality......Page 396 Pareto charts, Flowcharts, and Histograms......Page 397 Run charts and Scatter charts......Page 398 Question Clinic: The "Which-One" Question......Page 403 Quality control means finding and correcting defects......Page 405 Trouble at the Black Box 3000TM factory......Page 408 Introducing Quality Assurance......Page 409 A closer look at some tools and techniques......Page 410 More ideas behind quality assurance......Page 411 Exam Questions......Page 421 Exam Answers......Page 425 Human Resource Management: Getting the team together......Page 431 Mike needs a new team......Page 432 Get your team together and keep them moving......Page 434 Figure out who you need on your team......Page 436 The staffing management plan......Page 440 Get the team together......Page 442 Develop your project team......Page 446 Develop the team with your management skills......Page 447 Lead the team with your management skills......Page 448 Motivate your team......Page 450 How's the team doing?......Page 452 Managing your team means solving problems......Page 454 Conflict management up close......Page 455 How to resolve a conflict......Page 456 Question Clinic: The "Have-A-Meeting" Question......Page 462 Exam Questions......Page 468 Exam Answers......Page 472 Communications Management: Getting the word out......Page 477 Party at the Head First Lounge!......Page 478 Anatomy of communication......Page 480 Get a handle on communication......Page 482 EXERCISE SOLUTION......Page 486 Tell everyone what's going on......Page 488 Get the message?......Page 490 More information distribution tools......Page 492 Let everyone know how the project's going......Page 495 Take a close look at the work being done......Page 496 Now you can get the word out......Page 499 People aren't talking!......Page 501 Exercise Solution......Page 504 Count the lines of communication......Page 506 Question Clinic: The Calculation Question......Page 510 Exam Questions......Page 516 Exam Answers......Page 519 Procurement Management: Getting Some Help......Page 587 Victim of her own success......Page 588 Calling in the cavalry......Page 589 Anatomy of a contract......Page 594 You can have several contracts for a single project......Page 595 The decision is made......Page 601 Types of contracts......Page 602 More about contracts......Page 605 Build a separate plan for each contract......Page 606 Figure out how you'll sort out potential sellers......Page 608 Get in touch with potential sellers......Page 610 Pick a partner......Page 612 Two months later.........Page 618 Keep an eye on the contract......Page 619 Stay on top of the seller......Page 620 Close the contract when the work is done......Page 624 Question Clinic: BYO Questions......Page 627 Exam Questions......Page 631 Exam Answers......Page 634 Professinal Respnsibility: Making Good Choices......Page 639 Doing the right thing......Page 640 Keep the cash?......Page 642 Fly business class?......Page 643 New software......Page 644 Shortcuts......Page 645 A good price or a clean river?......Page 646 A little last-minute review: Check Your Knowledge......Page 654 Process Magnets......Page 655 Processcross......Page 657 Exercise......Page 659 Sharpen your pencil......Page 660 Great job! It looks like you're almost ready......Page 661 Media Reviews 'I have been doing project management for over 30 years and am considered a subject matter expert in the PMBOK(r) Guide -Third Edition primarily because I am the Project Manager who led the team that developed this edition. As a consultant I was hired to review and evaluate eight of the top selling PMP Exam Preparation books for their accuracy in following the PMBOK® Guide - Third Edition. I have developed and taught a PMP Exam Prep course for a leading R.E.P., and taught PMP Exam preparation classes for PMI Chapters. I can honestly say that Head First PMP is by far the best PMP Exam Preparation book of all I have reviewed in depth. It is the very best basic education and training book that I have read that presents the processes for managing a project, which makes it a great resource for a basic project management class for beginners as well as a tool for practitioners who want to pass the PMP exam. The graphical story format is unique, as project management books go, which makes it both fun and easy to read while driving home the basics that are necessary for preparing someone is just getting started and those who want to take the exam.' --Dennis Bolles, PMP DLB Associates, LLC and co-author of The Power of Enterprise-Wide Project Management'This looks like too much fun to be a PMP study guide! Behind the quirky humor and nutty graphics lies an excellent explanation of the project management processes. Not only will this book make it easier to pass the exam, you'll learn a lot of good stuff to use on the job too.' --Carol Steuer, PMP and PMBOK(r) Guide, 3rd Edition Leadership Team'This is the best thing to happen to PMP since, well, ever. You'll laugh, learn, pass the exam, and become a better project manager all at the same time.' -- Scott Berkun, author of The Art of Project Management and The Myths of Innovation'Original, fresh, and fun... this is truly the perfect study companion for anyone aiming for PMP certification.' --Teresa Simmermacher, PMP and Project Manager at Avanade'I love this format! Head First PMP covers everything you need to know to pass your PMP exam. The sound-bite format combined with the whimsical images turns a dry subject into entertainment. The organization starts with the basics then drills into the details. The in-depth coverage of complex topics like Earned Value and Quality Control are presented in an easy to understand format with descriptions, pictures, and examples. This book will not only help you pass the PMP, it should be used as an daily reference for practicing project managers. I sure wish I had this when I was studying for the exam.' --Mike Jenkins, PMP, MBA'I think that under the fonts and formalized goofiness, the book has a good heart (intending to cover basic principles in an honest way rather than just to pass the test). Head First PMP attempts to educate potential project managers instead of being a mere 'how to pass the PMP exam' book filled with test taking tips. This is truly something which sets it apart from the other PMP certification exam books.' --Jack Dahlgren, Project Management Consultant'Head First PMP is a great tool to help make sense of the Project Management Body of Knowledge for the everyday Project Manager.' --Mark Poinelli, PMP About the Book A PMP certification is more than just passing a test. It means that you have the knowledge to solve most common project problems, and proves that you know your stuff. Once you're certified, your projects are more likely to succeed because you have the skills and knowledge to make them successful. Not only that, it can mean a better job, more money, and greater respect from your peers. But studying for a difficult four-hour exam on project management isn't easy, even for experienced project managers. You want to remember everything that you're learning about project management, but your brain is working against you! Your brain craves novelty, and most PMP certification prep books are anything but novel. When you keep putting down a boring book instead of studying, it's because your brain doesn't think the information in it is worth learning. Your brain has more important stuff to think about, like how to keep you alive and out of danger-and it doesn't think that failing the PMP exam qualifies as life-threatening! So how do you trick your brain into thinking that your life does depend on learning everything you need to know to pass the PMP Exam? Head First PMP is the answer! Using the latest research in neurobiology, cognitive science and learning theory, Head First PMP has a visually rich format designed for the way your brain works-a multi-sensory experience that helps the material stick, not a text-heavy approach that puts you to sleep. Head First PMP offers 100% coverage of The PMBOK® Guide principles and certification objectives in a way that's engaging, not tedious. This book helps you prepare for the PMP certification exam with a unique method that goes beyond answers to specific questions and makes you think about the big picture of project management. By putting project management concepts into context, you will be able to understand, remember, and apply them-not just on the exam, but also on the job. With Head First PMP, you get the best of both worlds: a thorough and effective preparation guide for the PMP certification exam with hundreds of practice questions and exam strategies, along with puzzles, games, problems, exercises and the unique Head First approach that makes learning easy and entertaining. When you're done with Head First PMP, you'll know your stuff, you'll pass the exam, and you'll be able to bring everything you've learned to your job.