Master the Ten Knowledge Areas on CAPM Exam & PMP Exam
By: Alvin the PM | Last Updated: June 12, 2021
Topic: Project Management Knowledge Areas
Each of the Project Management Process Groups (Initiation, Planning, Executing, Monitor & Controlling, and Closing) are split among Ten Key Knowledge Areas you must master in order to successfully PASS your CAPM & PMP Exam.
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I’ve listed each Knowledge Area below, with an explanation of the following:
1) Overview of the Knowledge Area
2) Process Groups: Which Process Groups are involved with the Knowledge Area? Acronyms used throughout this guide: IN for Initiating, PL for Planning, EX for Executing, M&C for Monitor and Controlling, and CL for Closing.
3) Reference Section & Page in PMBOK 6th Edition
4) Purpose: Why is each Process Group important?
Video Tutorial – Master ALL TEN Knowledge Areas
- Mastering ALL Ten Knowledge Areas, and ALL 49 PMBOK Processes is a very daunting and challenging process. Take it from me… I spent countless hours and weeks reading & re-reading Rita’s CAPM Exam Prep Book to understand each Process Group. It’s tough, but you can do it!
And, that’s why I created this Video Tutorial to help you MASTER all TEN Knowledge Areas. Repeat this video as many times as you need until you’re able to identify and understand the purpose for each Process and Knowledge Area.
>> MASTER 49 PMBOK Processes for CAPM Exam & PMP Exam – WATCH HERE
Knowledge Area #1 – Integration Management
- Overview: Integration is all about balancing and combining the different Project Management Processes together. Remember, project management does NOT occur in silos, and you’re always taking into consideration how each process impacts each other. For example, how do changes to your project’s scope impact your project’s schedule and resources?
- Seven (7) Process Groups: Develop Project Charter (IN), Develop Project Management Plan (PL), Direct & Manage Work (EX), Manage Knowledge (EX), Monitor & Control Work (M&C), Perform Change Control (M&C), Closing (Close)
1.1 Integration Mgmt: Develop Project Charter (IN)
-Pg 75, PMBOK 6th Ed.
Purpose: You’re creating the Project Charter, which is a document that formally authorizes the project’s existence. Think of the Charter as giving the Project Manager the authority to start beginning the project and allocating resources to proceed with the next steps.
1.2 Integration Mgmt: Develop Project Management Plan (PL)
-Pg 82, PMBOK 6th Ed
Purpose: You’re creating a comprehensive document (aka. the Project Management Plan) which contains components from all other Knowledge Areas. This “Plan” describes how you’ll execute all areas of the project throughout the entire Project Life Cycle.
1.3 Integration Mgmt: Direct & Manage Project Work (EX)
-Pg 90, PMBOK 6th Ed
Purpose: You’re finally executing your project and in this step, you’re leading your Team to execute all of the work that’s defined in your Project Management Plan.
1.4 Integration Mgmt: Manage Project Knowledge (EX)
-Pg 98, PMBOK 6th Ed
Purpose: How do you take advantage of your Team’s knowledge and past experiences to lead your project towards success? Well, that’s what this step is all about.
In other words, what knowledge (tacit or explicit) does your Team already have, what processes are already in place in the organization, and how can you make this knowledge transfer available to others to increase the likelihood of your project’s success.
» Alvin’s Tip:
This one was tricky for me to understand how this integrates with Direct & Manage Project Work. Just remember… this step is all about using your team’s already existing knowledge (whether it’s knowledge gained from past experience or from on-the-job) and creating new knowledge, with the goal of working towards achieving the project’s goals.
Alvin the PM
1.5 Integration Mgmt: Monitor & Control Project Work (M&C)
-Pg 105, PMBOK 6th Ed
Purpose: You’ll be monitoring your project’s status and understanding whether the Team is still on track to accomplish the goals that were identified in your Project Management Plan.
This step helps answer the following questions:
– What is the project’s progress and health condition?
– Is the project on track, ahead of schedule, or behind schedule?
– Is the project over or under budget?
– If our project is in the ‘red’ health condition (i.e. behind schedule and over budget), what Corrective/Preventive Actions do we need to take to steer our project back on track?
1.6 Integration Management: Perform Integrated Change Control (M&C)
– Pg 113, PMBOK 6th Ed
– Purpose: While your team is executing the project work that was originally planned, there may be changes that have been requested by your team members and/or even the customer. Remember… This step is focused on managing the review & approval of Change Requests.
EXAMPLE
The customer may want to add a new feature to the Hardware that your company is developing. However, this Change Request would require significantly additional cost and time to develop, verify, and validate these features. Hence, a Change Request would need to be created, reviewed, and approved by a Change Control Board, before proceeding with the project.
1.7 Integration Management: Close Project / Phase (CL)
– Pg 121, PMBOK 6th Ed
– Purpose: Your project’s work is finally completed, and you can now release all resources from the project.
This step helps answer the following:
1) Did all final project work meet the customer requirements?
2) Did the project meet the goals defined in the project management plan?
3) Can we now close all Contracts/Agreements with 3rd Party Vendors?
4) What were the Lessons Learned from the project?
Knowledge Area #2 – Scope Management
- Overview: You’re controlling the Project’s Scope throughout the entire duration of the project and ensuring that ‘scope creep‘ and ‘gold plating‘ doesn’t become an issue. In other words, you’re making sure that ONLY THE REQUIRED WORK to execute your project is performed, and nothing beyond this.
- Six (6) Process Groups: Plan Scope Management (PL), Collect Requirements (PL), Define Scope (PL), Create WBS (PL), Validate Scope (M&C), Control Scope (M&C)
2.1 Scope Mgmt: Plan Scope Management (PL)
– Pg 134, PMBOK 6th Edition
– Purpose: You’re creating the Scope Management Plan which will outline your strategy for developing and controlling your project’s scope
2.2 Scope Mgmt: Collect Requirements (PL)
– Pg 138, PMBOK 6th Edition
– Purpose: This step defines the requirements of your project and needs of your stakeholders.
2.3 Scope Mgmt: Define Scope (PL)
– Pg 150, PMBOK 6th Edition
– Purpose: With the requirements you’ve collected, you’re developing a more detailed description of the ‘Scope’ of your project & product
» Alvin’s Tip:
Alvin the PM
This is different than Collect Requirements!! At this point, your requirements have already been collected, and the focus is on developing a Scope Statement – what is inside and outside the scope of your project.
2.4 Scope Mgmt: Create WBS (PL)
– Pg 156, PMBOK 6th Edition
– Purpose: Creating a WBS, or a hierarchical diagram breaking down your project deliverables into elements which are easier to manage.
2.5 Scope Mgmt: Validate Scope (M&C)
– Pg 163, PMBOK 6th Edition
– Purpose: Obtaining formal acceptance of your project deliverables by your customer or sponsor
2.6 Scope Mgmt: Control Scope (M&C)
– Pg 167, PMBOK 6th Edition
– Purpose: You’re now monitoring the Status & Scope of your project. This step is all about making sure that you’re controlling the Scope of your project, and no additional work gets introduced, without obtaining formal approval through a Change Request & Change Request Board.
Knowledge Area #3 – Schedule Management
- Overview: Developing, managing, and monitoring your project’s schedule
- Six (6) Process Groups: Plan Schedule Management (PL), Define Activities (PL), Sequence Activities (PL), Estimate Activity Durations (PL), Develop Schedule (PL), Control Schedule (M&C)
3.1 Schedule Mgmt: Plan Schedule Management (PL)
– Pg 179, PMBOK 6th Edition
– Purpose: To manage your schedule, you first need to develop the procedures and high-level ‘plan‘ for how you will create, maintain, and manage your project’s schedule.
3.2 Schedule Mgmt: Define Activities (PL)
– Pg 183, PMBOK 6th Edition
– Purpose: In order to create your project’s deliverables, what work and ‘activities’ need to be performed by your Team?
3.3 Schedule Mgmt: Sequence Activities (PL)
– Pg 187, PMBOK 6th Edition
– Purpose: Now that you’ve identified the activities to execute your project, you need to sequence the work in the correct order. In other words, what comes first, second, third, etc… In what sequence do we perform each activity?
3.4 Schedule Mgmt: Estimate Activity Durations (PL)
– Pg 195, PMBOK 6th Edition
– Purpose: Establish estimates of how long each activity takes to fully complete the work, using your provided resources.
3.5 Schedule Mgmt: Develop Schedule (PL)
– Pg 205, PMBOK 6th Edition
– Purpose: You’re creating your Project Schedule using information you’ve been given thus far (assumptions/constraints, correct sequencing of activities, durations, and required resources).
3.6 Schedule Mgmt: Control Schedule (M&C)
– Pg 222, PMBOK 6th Edition
– Purpose: You’re evaluating & tracking the status of your project’s schedule and if any changes need to be made to your originally planned Schedule Baseline
Knowledge Area #4 – Cost Management
- Overview: This Knowledge Area is concerned with the financial aspect of a project – the development of your strategy for how you will estimate and budget your costs, and of course, obtaining the funds & monitoring & controlling the expenses throughout the project’s life cycle. Overall goal of this step is to ensure you complete your project within the approved project’s budget.
- Four (4) Process Groups: Plan Cost Management (PL), Estimate Costs (PL), Determine Budget (PL), Control Costs (M&C)
4.1 Cost Mgmt: Plan Cost Management (PL)
– Pg 235, PMBOK 6th Edition
– Purpose: Establishes your process and strategy for how you will estimate, budget, and track/control your project’s costs
4.2 Cost Mgmt: Estimate Costs (PL)
– Pg 240, PMBOK 6th Edition
– Purpose: You’re estimating the costs of all resource costs needed to execute your project. Examples of these costs include, but are not limited to: material, supplies, and equipment.
4.3 Cost Mgmt: Determine Budget (PL)
– Pg 248, PMBOK 6th Edition
– Purpose: In this step, you’re calculating the Total Project Budget (aka. the Cost Baseline) by summing up your estimated costs from the detailed work packages / activities.
4.4 Cost Mgmt: Control Costs (M&C)
– Pg 257, PMBOK 6th Edition
– Purpose: In this step of the Monitor & Control phase, you’re monitoring and tracking the expenses of the project, the project’s cost performance, and comparing it to the originally planned Project Cost Baseline. Are there any significant cost overruns which would significantly derail the project?
Knowledge Area #5 – Quality Management
- Overview: This Knowledge Area is concerned with implementing the processes to ensure compliance with Quality Standards & Requirements as well as your organization’s quality mission / policy.
- Alvin’s Tip: Remember… when you think of Quality Management, ask yourself, “How are we meeting our quality requirements?”
- Three (3) Process Groups: Plan Quality Management (PL), Manage Quality (EX), Control Quality (M&C)
5.1 Quality Mgmt: Plan Quality Management (PL)
– Pg 277, PMBOK 6th Edition
– Purpose: The focus for this phase is determining the strategy for meeting all of the project’s Quality Requirements. This addresses the following questions: What does ‘quality’ mean specifically for our project, what are our Quality Requirements, and how will we meet them?
5.2 Quality Mgmt: Manage Quality (EX)
– Pg 288, PMBOK 6th Edition
– Purpose: This is conducted during the Execution stage of the project, and, therefore, focuses on work being performed. The focus is on making sure that the organization’s procedures and policies are being followed in order to develop the project deliverables.
– Alvin’s Tip: The two processes of Manage Quality vs Control Quality was challenging for me to remember the difference between the two. Just remember… Manage Quality is about answering the following questions – Are procedures & processes being followed correctly? Are there any areas for continuous improvement? Will we meet our quality criteria?
5.3 Quality Mgmt: Control Quality (M&C)
– Pg 298, PMBOK 6th Edition
– Purpose: During this process, you’re evaluating the ‘quality’ of your in-progress project deliverables. To do this, you’re performing inspections and testing to verify that your created Project Deliverables are correct and meet the required level of Quality, as well as the requirements established by the customer. You’ll also be focused on helping resolve any issues by performing Root Cause Analysis.
Knowledge Area #6 – Resource Management
- Overview: This Knowledge Area is all about making sure that the right resources are available at the right time in order to complete the project’s work. As the Project Manager, you’ll be focused on determining, obtaining, and tracking the usage of all resources (both physical resources and employee/staff resources) throughout the lifecycle of your project.
- Six (6) Process Groups: Plan Resource Management (PL), Estimate Activity Resources (PL), Acquire Resources (EX), Develop Team (EX), Manage Team (EX), Control Resources (M&C)
6.1 Resource Mgmt: Plan Resource Management (PL)
– Pg 312, PMBOK 6th Edition
– Purpose: This establishes your process for how you’ll estimate, procure, and manage your physical & staff employee resources on the project.
6.2 Resource Mgmt: Estimate Activity Resources (PL)
– Pg 320, PMBOK 6th Edition
– Purpose: This process involves identifying & estimating all resources you need to successfully complete your project: 1) Employees, Staff, Personnel; and, 2) Physical Resources (materials & equipment).
6.3 Resource Mgmt: Acquire Resources (EX)
– Pg 328, PMBOK 6th Edition
– Purpose: Now that you’ve identified what resources you need, you’ll need to procure & obtain these resources from within the organization or outside the organization through Vendors and Subcontractors.
Alvin’s Tip:
Alvin the PM
Make sure you understand the difference between Estimate Activity Resources and Acquire Resources. Remember… Acquire Resources is DIFFERENT than Estimate Activity Resources because you’re now focused on obtaining what you need and assigning them to the appropriate task / project activity.
6.4 Resource Mgmt: Develop Team (EX)
– Pg 336, PMBOK 6th Edition
– Purpose: In this step, you’re improving your team’s interaction with each other, each team member’s skillset, and the team environment to enhance the overall team’s performance. Essentially, how can you make your team more productive and a top performer?
6.5 Resource Mgmt: Manage Team (EX)
– Pg 345, PMBOK 6th Edition
– Purpose: Tracking your team’s performance, giving feedback, resolving any issues, and managing the team’s changes to optimize the project’s performance
6.6 Resource Mgmt: Control Resources (M&C)
– Pg 352, PMBOK 6th Edition
– Purpose: Monitoring your planned versus actual usage of your resources. Are the physical resources we planned available to allocate to the project?
– Alvin’s Tip: Control Resources focuses on physical resources, such as equipment, material, facilities, Infrastructure. The employee/staff resources are involved in Develop Team and Manage Team.
Knowledge Area #7 – Communication Management
- Overview: Are your project stakeholders receiving the information they need to execute the required work? This Knowledge Area focuses on developing & implementing the communication strategy for distributing project artifacts and optimizing the communication between stakeholders.
- Three (3) Process Groups: Plan Communications Management (PL), Manage Communications (EX), Monitor Communications (M&C)
7.1 Communication Mgmt: Plan Communications Management (PL)
– Pg 366, PMBOK 6th Edition
– Purpose: This establishes the approach & strategy you’ll use to engage your project stakeholders by presenting the information they need in an optimal manner
7.2 Communication Mgmt: Manage Communications (EX)
– Pg 379, PMBOK 6th Edition
– Purpose: Actively distributing information and communication artifacts to the stakeholders. This step makes sure that there’s an efficient flow of information & communication between your stakeholders. In other words, as a project manager, your focus is on SHARING INFORMATION.
7.3 Communication Mgmt: Monitor Communications (M&C)
– Pg 388, PMBOK 6th Edition
– Purpose: This step Monitors & Controls communication throughout the entire project and ensures that all stakeholders have the information they need. Are the information needs of your stakeholders being met?
Knowledge Area #8 – Risk Management
- Overview: As a Project Manager, you’re constantly thinking outside the box and being proactive with your team to identify what potential risks may occur which may positively or negatively impact your project. That’s what this Knowledge Area is about – Planning your Risk Management Strategy, brainstorming risks, analyzing the risks, determining & implementing risk responses, and monitoring the risks throughout the life of the project.
- Seven (7) Process Groups: Plan Risk Management (PL), Identify Risks (PL), Perform Qualitative Risks (PL), Perform Quantitative Risks (PL), Plan Risk Responses (PL), Implement Risk Responses (EX), Monitor Risks (M&C)
8.1 Risk Mgmt: Plan Risk Management (PL)
– Pg 401, PMBOK 6th Edition
– Purpose: What strategy and process will we follow to perform our Risk Management Work? This step establishes this Risk Management Plan and sets the foundation for conducting Risk Management with your Team throughout the project.
8.2 Risk Mgmt: Identify Risks (PL)
– Pg 409, PMBOK 6th Edition
– Purpose: You’re brainstorming & determining what risks may arise in your project: individual and overall project risks.
8.3 RiskMgmt: Perform Qualitative Risk Analysis (PL)
– Pg 419, PMBOK 6th Edition
– Purpose: Now that you’ve identified the risks from the previous step (Identify Risks), this step focuses on evaluating and prioritizing the risks based upon their likelihood/probability of occurrence and impact.
– Alvin’s Tip: Think of this step as helping filter the high-priority risks from the low-priority ones.
8.4 Risk Mgmt: Perform Quantitative Risk Analysis (PL)
– Pg 428, PMBOK 6th Edition
– Purpose: After filtering your list of risks and identifying your high-priority risks, this step is focused on quantitatively analyzing these high-impact risks. Remember… this step is NOT required for every project.
8.5 Risk Mgmt: Plan Risk Responses (PL)
– Pg 437, PMBOK 6th Edition
– Purpose: How can we address the risks which we’ve identified? In this step, you’ll be working with your Team to determine the Risk Responses you’ll implement to minimize the threats of negative risks or enhance the opportunities of positive threats.
8.6 Risk Mgmt: Implement Risk Responses (EX)
– Pg 449, PMBOK 6th Edition
– Purpose: Let’s put the “pedal to the metal” and start implementing the Responses for the Risks we’ve identified.
8.7 Risk Mgmt: Monitor Risks (M&C)
– Pg 453, PMBOK 6th Edition
– Purpose: How effective were we at eliminating or mitigating our negative risks? Throughout the project, you’ll continue to be on the look-out for any risks which may arise. This step tracks & monitors your identified risks, and evaluates the effectiveness of your implemented risk responses.
Knowledge Area #9 – Procurement Management
- Overview: This Knowledge Area is all about the process for procuring EXTERNAL resources outside of your organization, such as raw material, equipment, supplies, services, and products.
- Three (3) Process Groups: Plan Procurement Management (PL), Conduct Procurement (EX), Control Procurements (M&C)
9.1 Procurement Mgmt: Plan Procurement Management (PL)
– Pg 466, PMBOK 6th Edition
– Purpose: This is the step where you perform a Make vs Buy Analysis and determine what resources will be purchased from a Vendor or manufactured in-house, how you will acquire these external resources, and which potential Sellers/Vendors/Contractors you can reach out to.
9.2 Procurement Mgmt: Conduct Procurement (EX)
– Pg 482, PMBOK 6th Edition
– Purpose: You work with your Team to choose the Seller(s)/Vendor(s) to use for your project’s external resources, and you then sign a formal contract/agreement with them.
9.3 Procurement Mgmt: Control Procurement (M&C)
– Pg 492, PMBOK 6th Edition
– Purpose: The focus for this step is on managing your relationships with your Vendors, monitoring the performance of your Contracts, and closing out any Contracts where work has already been completed. Now that you’ve identified the risks from the previous step (Identify Risks), this step focuses on evaluating and prioritizing the risks based upon their likelihood/probability of occurrence and impact.
– Alvin’s Tip: How are your Vendors doing and are they on track to hit their expected delivery dates for raw material, purchased manufactured products, or services? Focus on working with the selected Vendor during this process and check their performance & health status on your project.
Knowledge Area #10 – Stakeholder Management
- Overview: This Knowledge Area is all about identifying people who can impact or be impacted by the project, analyzing their expectations, and developing strategies to engage all stakeholders in making decisions to ensure a successful execution & completion of the project.
- Four (4) Process Groups: Identify Stakeholders (IN), Plan Stakeholder Engagement (PL), Manage Stakeholder Engagement (EX), Monitor Stakeholder Engagement (M&C)
13.1 Stakeholder Mgmt: Identify Stakeholders (IN)
– Pg 507, PMBOK 6th Edition
– Purpose: Identify stakeholders and analyze & document their information: what are their interests, influence levels, and impact on the project?
13.2 Stakeholder Mgmt: Plan Stakeholder Engagement (PL)
– Pg 516, PMBOK 6th Edition
– Purpose: Developing the strategy to involve stakeholders based on their needs, expectations, interest, and impact
13.3 Stakeholder Mgmt: Manage Stakeholder Engagement (EX)
– Pg 523, PMBOK 6th Edition
– Purpose: The focus for this step is on managing the stakeholders’ expectations, addressing any issues & concerns they have, and encouraging their participation in the project.
– Alvin’s Tip: Make sure you understand the difference between the two process groups of Manage Stakeholder Engagement vs Manage Communications! Manage Stakeholder Engagement is focused on answering the following question: Are they getting certain items that they’re interested in, so they’re fully engaged?
13.4 Stakeholder Mgmt: Monitor Stakeholder Engagement (M&C)
– Pg 530, PMBOK 6th Edition
– Purpose: Monitoring the commitment of the stakeholders, and adjusting your strategies to manage & engage them
Conclusion
To successfully pass your CAPM Exam, make sure you know the purpose and importance for each Knowledge Area & Process Group inside and out. I cannot stress this enough – If you have a high-level understanding of why each process group is important and how they fit together as a whole, it will really set you up for success on the day of your CAPM Exam and/or PMP Exam.
For me, on the day of my CAPM Exam, because I understood the importance of each Knowledge Area, and how each Process Group leads into the next, I was able to deduce the correct answer to many questions, simply through Process of Elimination. That’s one technique that’s proven invaluable to me towards passing my own CAPM Exam with Above Target in all areas. and also with mastering all 10 Knowledge Areas and 49 Processes.
I hope you found the above information helpful with your Project Management Exam Prep Journey! If you found this useful, please feel free to SHARE and RECOMMEND this website with a friend. My goal is to help other Project Managers pass their own CAPM and PMP Exam, and become Certified in Project Management.
Cheers, Alvin