PMP® Exam Questions – What is the best way to answer them?

PMP® Exam Questions – What is the best way to answer them? By Nereda Haque, PMP

PMI Exam questions are from the 5 process groups, PM roles, as well as ethic questions, although not as many from professional conduct as there use to be.

These questions can come in many forms and there are a variety of them shown on various websites. Today, you can have a combination of straight forward and lots of situational questions. As a project manager you need understand what you should do in any situation.

You would think that all you would have to do is memorize hundreds of answers to questions and you could pass the PMI exam. If you cram, you might think you will do okay. However, it is unlikely that you can do well through memorization, although you would be at an advantage to memorize a few things. That’s why at SmartPath LLC we want you to understand project management, not cram it. If you cram it, unless you have the same scenario or a similar scenario you cannot answer it because you can't pull it out of your memory bank. At SmartPath LLC we have workflows that help you visualize project management. You can see where "things" come from and where they go. This will help you answer the PMI® Exam questions, as well as provide you a strong handle of the “how to” of project management.

The best way to answer the PMP®/CAPM® exam questions is

(a) Determine what process group you are in

(b) Then ask yourself what knowledge area this question is in or is it talking about any of the OTTIs(Outputs, Tools & Tecniques or Inputs), or perhaps it is referring to an application of a PMs role, or perhaps an ethical issue.

(c) Are there any “except,” “not,” double negatives words etc so you have the full meaning? Likely you will not see these anymore or too often now. Most of the questions are straight up with other tricks, such as telling you that you are in executing, then talking about what you should hve paid attention to (perhaps from initiating or planing)

(f) The ethics questions can be in the process group areas – so that may trick you also, as they may give some project scenarios to ask you what you would do. As a project management you need to understand your role.

(g) Don't take the PMP® Exam before you understand: Understand everything about the processes (there are 42 of them), what you will need to accomplish it, what you will produce from doing it, what you will use to do it. Understand the "why" in all of this. Can you describe the process in 5 words?

Understand the tools and techniques and where you use them and what you use them for. Understand the outputs as most of them become inputs. Most of the inputs come from Scope, Time, Cost, Quality and Risk management areas. Do you know the other unique inputs and why you need them?

Do you understand the Process Groups and what is the funciton of each one. Do you understand the Integration layer? etc

We have other suggestions we share with you at SmartPath LLC in order to help you pass the PMP®/CAPM® exam. The PMI® exam is not considered to be an easy exam. That’s why you need to learn from a Pro. SmartPath LLC's instructors have years of project management experience.