9 Crucial Topics to Master for the PMP Certification Exam

PMP is one of the most highly-valued global professional credentials for Project Managers, administered and issued by PMI (Project Management Institute). Project Managers look after designing and planning the project workflows and ensuring that it is executed efficiently.

The PMP Certification exam tests the candidate's project management skills and ability to handle critical projects. Mastery of these can be attained by enrolling in a good PMP course. The five main processes on which the exam is structured are:

• Initiating
• Planning
• Executing
• Monitoring & Controlling
• Closing

Keeping the essence of the PMP exam in mind, we have written this article to enlighten aspirants with 9 important topics that can help them clear their PMP certification exam with ease.

Master These 9 Vital Topics for the PMP Certification Exam

Reading through this article, explore the 9 key areas to concentrate on for PMP Exam preparation.

1. Project Scope Management

Project scope management refers to the process of defining a particular project’s goals and objectives. This topic is based on two important parts. Firstly, understanding the work that goes into completing and delivering the service. Secondly, understanding the features that characterise the service.

The scope management plan is all about ensuring that the project finishes on time, within the set budget and meeting all the requirements of the stakeholders. The main areas covering project scope management are:

• Planning and allocating tasks and resources for the project
• Regularly controlling and monitoring the process that goes into the completion of the project
• Making sure to avoid scope creep (a process where sudden changes are made in the project once the project has been executed)

2. Project Risk Management

It becomes very important to identify, analyse and respond to any potential risk in the process of a project to ensure its successful completion. This process is termed project risk management. The different steps involved in project risk management are:

• Clearly understanding the project’s objectives, scope and deliverables
• Have a risk identification session with team members, clients, vendors, etc. to collectively identify and plot project risk
• Design a risk management plan. The very first step involves prioritising the risks after which you will have to segregate them on the basis of the impact

3. Project Quality Management

The main goal of project quality management is to identify and follow quality requirements as requested by the stakeholders. This process includes ensuring quality, auditing the results of quality control, implementing quality measurements and recommending project changes when and where necessary.

The two important purposes of quality management are:

• Ensuring and managing the quality of the end product as per the requirements
• Making sure that every process in the completion of the project is carried out efficiently

4. Project Cost Management

Project cost management is the process of estimating, allocating and controlling the cost of the project. This process is carried out during the planning phase and helps in predicting future expenses and ways to reduce the chances of budget overrun.

Once the work on the project begins, the professionals document and track the expenses so as to ensure that they remain within the cost management plan.

Once the project is completed successfully, the predicted costs and actual costs are compared to act as a reference for future cost management plans.

5. Project Time Management

Project time management is declared to be one of the most important aspects of project management, according to the Project Management Institute (PMI).

Time management is important to distribute and monitor time to ensure that the project is completed within schedule. Good time management can be achieved by careful planning, scheduling, monitoring and controlling project activities.

6. Project Integration Management

Project integration management is one of the 10 important areas emphasised in the PMBOK (Project Management Book of Knowledge). It looks after the coordination of all the processes of a project.

This covers the project plan development process, execution process and integrated change and control processes. It also includes managing conflicts among different aspects of a project, and evaluating resources.

7. Project Human Resource Management

This refers to managing, organising and leading the entire project team. This process involves identifying and documenting roles, responsibilities and required skills for every team member.

Although, every team member has a specified role and responsibility assigned to them, the involvement and inclusion of all the members are important for successful project planning and decision-making.

8. Project Communications Management

Project communications management looks after ensuring that the right messages are sent, received and understood by team members, clients, vendors, etc. The three primary project communication management processes taught in the PMP course are:

• Plan communications management
• Manage communications
• Monitor communications

9. Project Procurement Management

Project procurement management is the process of obtaining all the resources required for the successful completion of a project. It also looks after planning, conducting, administering and controlling procurements. The three main processes involved in project procurement management are:

• Plan procurements
• Conduct procurements
• Administer (or control) procurements

Conclusion

Mastery of these top 9 PMP topics will ensure a successful career as a project management professional. The PMP course helps to earn the candidates’ knowledge and insights on all of the above-mentioned topics. Successful completion of the course will make you proficient and confident in earning your PMP certificate on the very first attempt.