PMP: Project Management Professional Exam Study Guide, 7th Edition

Book Preface

This book was designed for anyone thinking of taking the Project Management Professional (PMP®) exam sponsored by the Project Management Institute (PMI®). This certification is growing in popularity and demand in all areas of business. PMI® has experienced explosive growth in membership over the last few years, and more and more organizations are recognizing the importance of project management certification.

This book has been updated to reflect the latest edition of A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide), Fifth Edition. It assumes you have knowledge of general project management practices, although not necessarily specific to the PMBOK® Guide. It’s written so that you can skim through areas you are already familiar with, picking up the specific PMBOK® Guide terminology where needed to pass the exam. You’ll find that the project management processes and techniques discussed in this book are defined in such a way that you’ll recognize tasks you’ve always done and be able to identify them with the PMBOK® Guide process names or methodologies.

PMI® offers the most recognized certification in the field of project management, and this book deals exclusively with its procedures and methods. Project management consists of many methods, each with its own terminology, tools, and procedures. If you’re familiar with another organized project management methodology, don’t assume you already know the PMBOK® Guide processes. I strongly recommend that you learn all of the processes—their key inputs, tools and techniques, and outputs. Take the time to memorize the key terms found at the end of every chapter as well. Sometimes just understanding the definition of a term will help you answer a question. It might be that you’ve always done that particular task or used the methodology described but called it by another name. Know the name of each process and its primary purpose.