The Secret to Answering Any PMP Question

Every PMP question, regardless of format, can be worked through using the same six-step method. Here is how it works.

Step 1: Read the End of the Question First

PMP questions are often long scenarios with a lot of detail. Before reading the whole thing, skip to the end to find out what is actually being asked. This gives you the context to read the scenario with purpose rather than getting lost in the detail.

Step 2: Identify the Key Words

Once you know what the question is asking, read through and highlight the important details. Look for the methodology (agile or waterfall), the phase of the project, the issue that is occurring and the stakeholders involved. These are the clues that point you toward the right answer.

Step 3: Spot the Real Issue

Strip away the noise and identify the core problem. Is it a people issue, a process issue or a documentation issue? Getting clear on this before looking at the answer choices makes the next steps much easier.

Step 4: Investigate Before Acting

Many questions require you to analyze the situation or consult the right stakeholders before taking action. Do not jump to a solution. Check whether the question has already given you the root cause or whether you need to identify it first.

Step 5: Eliminate the Clearly Wrong Answers

Work through the answer choices and remove the ones that are obviously incorrect. On the PMP exam, one common trap is answers that involve the project manager doing the team’s work for them. Another is answers that ignore the constraints stated in the question. If the scenario says there is no time for discussion, any answer involving extended collaboration is out.

Step 6: Choose the Most Correct Answer

With the wrong answers eliminated, select the best remaining option given the constraints of the scenario. Sometimes no answer will feel perfect. That is normal. Choose the one that most closely follows sound project management practice given the specific situation described.

Six steps, applied consistently, work for any question on the exam. Practice using them on every question you attempt and they will become second nature by exam day.

– David McLachlan

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