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Process Group Vs. Knowledge area

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Moloy Chakraborty Principal Project Manager| WSP UK LTD High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom
What are you preferring while PMP exam preparation – studying by Process Group or Knowledge area?

PMBOK begins with knowledge area wise but PMP exam split by Process Group wise

As per PMP Handbook examination blueprint
Initiating – 2 Process – 13% (percentage of the question)
Planning – 24 Process – 24% (percentage of the question)
Executing – 10 Process – 31% (percentage of the question)
Monitoring and controlling – 12 Process – 25% (percentage of the question)
Closing – 1 Process – 7% (percentage of the question)

Hence 13 process (from Initiating, Executing, Closing) account for 51% of the PMP exam weight
Its mean 26% of the process (from Initiating, Executing, Closing), account for 51% of the exam.

My actual question is it really follow the above reference in the exam?

Are we really distinguish all the question by Process group as they are overlapped / interrelated?
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Michael Brian Fl, United States
I would study and focus on the Knowledge areas. Although I am studying for my CAPM, I would like to have the mindset as if I am studying for the PMP.

When looking at the knowledge areas, not only do I want to know the processes inside and out (all 49), but I want to see how some processes come from certain process groups. Once you begin to see the flow of all process within each knowledge area and the process groups, you can understand the concept of how a project is made from start to finish.

What REALLY has helped me is this video I ran in to. You can also go on his website and download the PDF simple and complete version of the PMBOK process flow chart. The complete version includes the ITTOS of each process I believe for more in depth look.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GC7pN8Mjot8

This guy does an amazing job explaining it and it really has helped me view the bigger picture of how to put it all together. Like I said, I will be watching this over and over and I have also downloaded both versions of his PDF.

Some knowledge areas in which to pay close attention to would be cost, quality and if you're not too familiar with procurement, spend some extra time on it. Communication is a high area to focus on as well as integration (as this is the first KG that involves the most processes).

Focus on all 10 and move on when you feel you know it inside and out. Hammer it in to your brain as much as you can to understand the concept and how it all connects together. Everything connects between processes, process groups, and the knowledge areas. This interaction and relationship is significant to comprehend.

That's my 2 cents of beginner advice.

Focus points for me:

Terms / formulas
Knowledge areas
Process groups
The 49 processes
ITTOS

I'm sure the PMP will focus on the above in a more role playing text putting you to test your experience and knowledge with each question.
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Srikana Ray
Community Champion
IT Project Manager
I gave my exam recently and from my experience the exam did not follow any definite pattern for process groups or knowledge area. I preferred studying knowledge area wise and later understood how they relate to each other and are connected. Also my project leading experience help me understand the concepts well. The exam might give you situational questions which overlap across knowledge areas. You might be able to identify which process group the question belongs to, but that is not sufficient to answer the question. So process group and knowledge areas are interconnected. On successfully passing the exam, the exam analysis report provided to you will show you the break up of the process group and your rating/grade for that process group as well as overall performance rating.
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Moloy Chakraborty Principal Project Manager| WSP UK LTD High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom
May 15, 2018 8:49 AM
Replying to Mark Hofmann
...
They can overlap, I recall questions based on both. “Which of the following does not need to be performed before ‘this’ can be done?” type of thing. The answer may be something that is in a different (non-dependent) Knowledge Area OR Process Group.
I found that memorizing the Process Groups and Knowledge Areas Matrix and practicing creating it on a blank piece of paper over and over until I could draw the whole thing in under 5 minutes really helped me. You don’t have to write out every word, you can make up initials that you will understand. At the test, the first thing that you do at the beginning of the exam is to do a “Brain Dump” and create the PG/KA Matrix on one of the pieces of paper (or whiteboard) that they provide. On another paper (or whiteboard) write down some of more important math formulas that you have memorized (CV, SV, CPI, SPI EAC and so on). It may not seem smart to spend the first 8 minutes of the exam not looking at any questions, but it really worked for me.
Good luck!
Thanks for explaining
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Michael Delaney Partner| Delaney Management LLC West Chester, Pa, United States
Key is understanding the overall concepts and I prefer to first approach from the knowledge areas. I then go focus on the process groups. It is important to understand how they interact.
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