PMP Exam: Part – 2

(i.) There are different ways of framing questions, and one of them is double negatives…Read those questions carefully. I have seen people rewrite them; for instance, all the following are right(wrong) except…. Adjectives, which will play an important role in the questions.

(ii.) Scenario questions “give” you some information and expect you to arrive at an answer. Read what is “given” to you in the question carefully; the reason is that you will find an answer closely related to the already “given” info and many times we fall prey to that replica – that answer might be a twisted version of the “given”, which might not be the right answer. An example was given in the question bank forum recently. Give some thought before you answer those questions. Split them into 3 phases and then attack – what has happened, what is happening and what is going to happen.

(iii.) Lengthy questions describe what is “given”; but most of the time, it would be immaterial. Few ways to handle them – quickly browse the answers first and then read the question or read last line before the question ends; or Use “Z” technique to scan the question.

(iv.) When you see a diagram or a formula related question, assign an additional page or two just for these solutions. They will come in handy as the exam progresses.

(v.) First identify which process/knowledge area a question is referring to…Then look at the keyword (FIRST/MOST/…). Those keywords will direct you towards an answer. For instance, if you have a question that is asking for the most beneficial thing to do, and one of them is to approach the customer right away – think twice. You are a PM and you don’t stir a hornet’s nest; do your homework/discuss with teammates/evaluate facts. If you have taken Operations Research class, then the chapter on decision-making process is the right one – assign probabilistic values to arrive at the impact, evaluate the options and pick the one with the least impact and greater benefit.

(vi.) Last but not least, during your dry run, use the matrix sheet and use it to arrive at the answers. Do not do it for the first time at the exam!

(vii.) Think about these kind of questions….When I started on my handwritten notes, I thought how a question could be framed on a topic. I would sometimes ignore which were direct but would think about the cumulative questions as shown below. Try to frame questions on topics discussed in the LLs in this forum; If you cannot, then don’t worry. When you do questions from other sources, think how a question on this topic could be more difficult or at least correlated to other topics.

(viii.) Can an assumption become a risk? When?

(ix.) You are a PM for a huge construction project. You are approaching the deadline for a task in the critical path; unfortunately the supplier says the material he has sent has been accidentally damaged in transit. An associate of yours suggests same material from another company he knows which provides cheaper material and assures of good quality and reliability so you can meet your deadline. What would you do first?

(x.) If you are a PM, and you are asked to select a team for the project, what would you do?

(xi.) During which stage /process would you decide whether an item is to be made in-house or outsourced? What would be the inputs for making this kind of decision? Think from the PMI perspective.

(xii.) Your vendor wants to take you out for a wine & dine at the costliest restaurant in town. Would you go?