PMP® Cheatsheet — Formulas, Tables, Decision Rules & Glossary

Use this as your last-mile PMP® review. Pair it with the Syllabus for coverage and Practice for speed.

For exam format and official policy details, see Overview.

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PMP in one picture (the exam rewards sequence + trade-offs)

    flowchart TD
	  A["Clarify objective + success criteria"] --> B["Identify stakeholders + constraints"]
	  B --> C["Tailor approach (predictive / agile / hybrid)"]
	  C --> D["Plan (scope / schedule / cost / risk / comms / quality)"]
	  D --> E["Deliver increments + manage change"]
	  E --> F["Measure performance + address issues/risks"]
	  F --> G["Accept + transition + close"]
	  F --> C

If you can state these three items from any question stem, you’re usually close to the best answer:

• Goal: what outcome is expected (value/benefit)?
• Constraint: what’s the tightest limit (compliance, time, budget, scope rigidity, risk tolerance)?
• Next step: what’s missing (facts, approval, artifact, decision)?

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“Best answer” elimination rules (fast)

• If a response implements a change without analysis/approval when governance is implied, it’s often wrong.
• If the scenario is unclear, “clarify requirements / constraints” usually beats “start building.”
• If stakeholders disagree, “facilitate alignment” often beats unilateral action.
• If the team is blocked, remove impediments systemically (root cause), not just by pushing harder.

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Tailoring quick guide (predictive vs agile vs hybrid)

Best-answer pattern: choose the approach that reduces risk fastest and fits constraints (regulatory, stakeholder tolerance, vendor contracts, operational readiness).

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People domain: fast tables + playbooks

Conflict management styles (when to use)

Leadership selection (situational)

Emotional intelligence (EI) checklist

• Name the emotion (self/other) before solving the problem.
• Ask clarifying questions; don’t assume intent.
• Reframe from positions (“I need X”) to interests (“I need Y because…”).
• Close with explicit agreements (owner + date + definition of done).

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Process: artifact selection (what the question is really asking)

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Change control (predictive baseline) — concept flow

    flowchart LR
	  CR["Change request"] --> IA["Impact analysis (scope/schedule/cost/risk/benefits)"]
	  IA --> AP{"Approve?"}
	  AP -->|yes| UP["Update baselines + plans"]
	  UP --> IM["Implement change"]
	  IM --> VR["Verify + validate"]
	  AP -->|no| BK["Backlog / defer / reject"]

Hybrid note: even in agile contexts, some changes still require governance (compliance, budget, vendor scope, major architectural decisions).

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Schedule: must-know concepts + formulas

Dependencies (quick recognition)

Critical path and float (concept)

• Critical path: longest path through the network; drives minimum duration.
• Total float: schedule flexibility for a task without moving project finish.

\[ \text{TF}=LS-ES=LF-EF \]

Three-point (PERT) estimate (concept)

\[ E=\frac{O+4M+P}{6} \]

\[ \sigma=\frac{P-O}{6} \]

Schedule compression (when to choose)

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Earned Value Management (EVM): formulas + meaning

Core variables (concept):

• PV: planned value
• EV: earned value
• AC: actual cost
• BAC: budget at completion

Variances:

\[ SV=EV-PV \]

\[ CV=EV-AC \]

Indices:

\[ SPI=\frac{EV}{PV} \]

\[ CPI=\frac{EV}{AC} \]

Quick interpretation:

• \(SPI<1\): behind schedule (value earned vs planned).
• \(CPI<1\): cost overrun (value earned vs spend).

Common forecasts (concept):

\[ EAC\approx\frac{BAC}{CPI} \]

\[ ETC\approx EAC-AC \]

\[ TCPI\approx\frac{BAC-EV}{BAC-AC} \]

Exam reflex: the math is rarely the finish line—choose an action that addresses root cause (scope clarity, productivity, rework, estimates, impediments).

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Risk: response types (threats vs opportunities)

Threat responses (concept): avoid, mitigate, transfer, accept
Opportunity responses (concept): exploit, enhance, share, accept

Risk-first question pattern:

• If uncertainty is high: prototype / spike / experiment.
• If impact is high: mitigate early and add contingencies.
• If unavoidable and catastrophic: avoid (change approach/scope).

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Procurement: contract types (risk shifts)

Best-answer pattern: pick the contract type that matches requirements certainty and the ability to define scope precisely.

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Agile & hybrid quick reference

Scrum essentials (minimum set)

Kanban essentials

• Visualize workflow, limit WIP, manage flow, make policies explicit, improve collaboratively.
• Metrics: cycle time, throughput, WIP, lead time.

User story + acceptance criteria (concept)

• Story: “As a ___, I want ___, so that ___.”
• Acceptance criteria: clear conditions to verify behavior/outcome.

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Business environment: what to anchor

Compliance checklist (concept)

• Identify applicable policies/regulations and evidence needs.
• Build compliance into the plan (controls, audits, gated reviews).
• Treat noncompliance as a risk with consequences, owners, and actions.

Benefits/value checklist (concept)

• Define benefits and how they’ll be measured.
• Deliver increments and validate outcomes.
• If outcomes aren’t appearing, adjust scope/approach (don’t just ship more output).

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Glossary (high-yield terms)