PMI‑SP® tests applied project scheduling: can you build a logical schedule model, baseline it, analyze progress and impacts, optimize the plan under constraints, and communicate schedule decisions clearly.
For the latest official exam details and requirements, see:
https://www.pmi.org/certifications/scheduling-sp
Exam blueprint (domains & weights)
Source: PMI Scheduling Professional (PMI‑SP)® Exam Content Outline (©2012).
| Domain | Weight |
|---|
| Schedule Strategy | 14% |
| Schedule Planning and Development | 31% |
| Schedule Monitoring and Controlling | 35% |
| Schedule Closeout | 6% |
| Stakeholder Communications Management | 14% |
Exam question count (from the content outline)
The content outline notes 150 scored questions plus 20 unscored pretest questions dispersed throughout the exam (170 total).
What questions tend to reward
- Logic before tools: dependencies that reflect real work constraints, not “because the software needs a link.”
- Critical path discipline: identify true drivers and near-critical paths, and choose actions that protect the date.
- Resource realism: availability, calendars, leveling, and the consequences of over-allocation.
- Baseline governance: configuration management, change control, traceability, and keeping history for audits/forensics.
- Meaningful status: collecting and validating actuals/remaining work so analysis isn’t garbage-in/garbage-out.
- Decision-ready comms: concise schedule impact + recovery options for stakeholders.
Common pitfalls
- Confusing duration vs effort and forgetting calendars and availability.
- Overusing constraints (“must finish on…”) instead of fixing the underlying logic.
- Treating float as “free time” without understanding near-critical paths and risk.
- Updating status inconsistently (percent complete with no rules, no cutoffs, no validation).
- Re-baselining as a shortcut instead of using change control and preserving history.
- Communicating dates without the drivers, assumptions, and confidence level behind them.
A practical prep loop
- Use the Syllabus as your coverage checklist.
- After each task set, review the matching part of the Cheatsheet and write a short miss log.
- Do focused drills in Practice, then re-drill the objectives behind every miss.
- Finish with mixed sets to force transfer across planning, control, and stakeholder communication scenarios.