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PMI PMP Study Guide

PMI Project Management Professional (PMP)

The Project Management Professional (PMP) is PMI's certification for experienced project managers. The exam covers people, process and the business environment, and includes predictive, agile and hybrid ways of working.

  • Exam code PMP
  • Professional level
  • 3 exam domains

This guide is free, with no sign-up. It explains every PMI PMP exam topic in plain English, one chapter at a time. Read them in order or jump straight to the topic you need.

  • 3chapters
  • 27topics
  • 9diagrams and exhibits
  • 2 h 3 minfast track
Start with People
  • Every topic follows the same simple pattern: what it is, how it works, common mistakes
  • Diagrams and real command output where a picture explains it best
  • Exam tips and worked subnetting and IPv6 practice, with answers

How the exam is weighted

Each domain is worth this share of the exam, so spend your study time in proportion. Select a domain to open its chapter.

Chapters

Open a chapter to see its topics and how long each takes.

1People7 topics · 32 min fast trackShared vision, conflict, team leadership, stakeholder engagement and expectations, knowledge transfer and communication.
  1. 1Developing a Common Vision5 min
  2. 2Managing Conflict5 min
  3. 3Leading the Project Team5 min
  4. 4Engaging Stakeholders4 min
  5. 5Aligning and Managing Expectations4 min
  6. 6Knowledge Transfer4 min
  7. 7Planning and Managing Communication5 min
Read the chapter overview →
2Process12 topics · 56 min fast trackDelivery approach, scope, value, resources, procurement, cost, quality, schedule, status and project closure.
  1. 1Project Plan and Delivery Approach6 min
  2. 2Scope, Requirements and the WBS4 min
  3. 3Backlog, Value and Prioritization5 min
  4. 4Planning and Managing Resources4 min
  5. 5Procurement and Contract Types5 min
  6. 6Cost Estimating and Budgeting5 min
  7. 7Earned Value Management5 min
  8. 8Evaluating Project Status5 min
  9. 9Planning Quality4 min
  10. 10Critical Path and Float5 min
  11. 11Agile Scheduling and Kanban4 min
  12. 12Managing Project Closure4 min
Read the chapter overview →
3Business Environment8 topics · 35 min fast trackGovernance, compliance, change control, issues, risk, improvement, and organizational and external change.
  1. 1Project Governance4 min
  2. 2Project Compliance4 min
  3. 3Managing and Controlling Changes4 min
  4. 4Issues and Impediments5 min
  5. 5Risk Identification and Analysis5 min
  6. 6Risk Responses and Monitoring4 min
  7. 7Continuous Improvement4 min
  8. 8Organizational Change and Environment5 min
Read the chapter overview →

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The full PMI PMP question bank has 1,463 questions, with timed practice exams and an explanation for every answer.

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