PM Fundamentals
36%of exam
Predictive Planning
17%of exam
Agile Frameworks
20%of exam
Business Analysis
27%of exam
Quick Facts
- Questions
- 150 total
- Scored
- 135 scored
- Pretest
- 15 unscored
- Time
- 180 min
- Break
- After question 75
- Eligibility
- Secondary degree plus 23h
- Score
- PMI scaled
- Renewal
- 3 years 15 PDUs
Domain Weights
Fund 36 | Pred 17 | Agile 20 | BA 27
Fundamentals largestBA secondAgile thirdPredictive smallest
Project vs Operations
Project
- Temporary
- Unique result
- Creates change
Operations
- Ongoing
- Repeatable
- Runs business
Change vs sustain
Lifecycle Picker
- Stable scope→Predictive
- Changing scope→Adaptive
- Mixed needs→Hybrid
- Compliance heavy→Predictive
- Fast feedback→Agile
- Repeat work→Operations
Lifecycle
- Project
- Temporary unique work
- Program
- Related projects
- Portfolio
- Strategic investment mix
- Operations
- Ongoing repeat work
- Predictive
- Plan upfront
- Adaptive
- Evolve with feedback
- Hybrid
- Mixed delivery approach
- Phase gate
- Continue stop decision
RACI
Responsible does | Accountable owns
Consulted gives inputInformed gets updatesOne accountableMany responsible
Risk vs Issue
Risk
- May happen
- Uncertain
- Plan response
Issue
- Happened now
- Current problem
- Resolve immediately
Future vs current
Planning
- Scope
- Work boundaries
- Schedule
- Work timing
- Cost
- Budget control
- Quality
- Acceptance fitness
- Risk
- Uncertain event
- Resources
- People materials
- Stakeholders
- Affected parties
- Closure
- Formal transition
Risk Flow
Identify | Analyze | Respond | Monitor
Threats negativeOpportunities positiveOwners assignedTriggers watched
Assumption vs Constraint
Assumption
- Believed true
- May fail
- Validate later
Constraint
- Known limit
- Already binding
- Plan within
Belief vs limit
Roles
- PM
- Coordinates project work
- Sponsor
- Funds champions
- Team
- Performs project work
- Customer
- Accepts deliverable
- Leader
- Inspires direction
- Manager
- Controls execution
- Coach
- Develops people
- Facilitator
- Guides collaboration
Leadership vs Management
Leadership
- Inspire
- Coach
- Influence change
Management
- Plan
- Organize
- Control work
People vs process
Problem Tools
- Brainstorming
- Generate ideas
- Focus group
- Guided feedback
- Standup
- Short team sync
- Meeting
- Decision forum
- Root cause
- Find source
- Decision matrix
- Weighted choice
- Lessons learned
- Reusable knowledge
- EQ
- Read people
EVM Lines
SV schedule | CV cost | CPI efficiency
SV uses PVCV uses ACIndex over 1 goodNegative variance bad
Milestone vs Duration
Milestone
- Zero duration
- Key marker
- No work span
Duration
- Time span
- Activity length
- Consumes calendar
Marker vs span
Predictive Picker
- Break deliverables→WBS
- Sequence work→Critical path
- Measure progress→EVM
- Change baseline→Change control
- Set quality→Quality plan
- Buy externally→Procurement plan
Predictive Controls
- WBS
- Deliverable breakdown
- Work package
- Lowest WBS level
- Baseline
- Approved plan
- Milestone
- Zero-duration marker
- Duration
- Work time span
- Critical path
- Longest path
- Float
- Schedule slack
- Variance
- Plan difference
EVM
- PV
- Planned value
- EV
- Earned value
- AC
- Actual cost
- SV
- EV minus PV
- CV
- EV minus AC
- SPI
- EV over PV
- CPI
- EV over AC
- ETC
- Remaining estimate
Predictive Artifacts
- Charter
- Authorizes project
- PM plan
- Integrated approach
- Scope baseline
- Approved scope
- Schedule baseline
- Approved timeline
- Cost baseline
- Approved budget
- Quality plan
- Quality approach
- Risk register
- Risk log
- Change log
- Change record
Predictive vs Agile
Predictive
- Stable scope
- Baselines
- Upfront plan
Agile
- Changing scope
- Iterations
- Feedback loops
Plan vs adapt
Agile Picker
- Need flow→Kanban
- Fixed sprints→Scrum
- Coding discipline→XP
- Enterprise scale→SAFe
- Priority changes→Refinement
- Stakeholder demo→Sprint review
Agile Basics
- Scrum
- Sprint framework
- Kanban
- Flow system
- XP
- Engineering practices
- SAFe
- Scaled agile
- Iteration
- Timeboxed cycle
- Increment
- Usable product slice
- Timebox
- Fixed duration
- Velocity
- Completed points
Agile Events
- Product backlog
- Ordered work
- Sprint backlog
- Sprint commitment
- Sprint planning
- Select sprint work
- Daily scrum
- Inspect progress
- Sprint review
- Inspect increment
- Retrospective
- Improve process
- Refinement
- Prepare backlog
- Burndown
- Remaining work trend
BA Flow
Need | Elicit | Trace | Validate
Start with needCapture requirementsTrace coverageValidate delivery
PO vs PM
Product Owner
- Backlog value
- Prioritizes features
- Accepts stories
Project Manager
- Project coordination
- Manages constraints
- Enables delivery
Product vs project
BA Picker
- Need context→Interviews
- Many ideas→Workshop
- Verify coverage→RTM
- Sequence releases→Roadmap
- Accept feature→Criteria
- Validate users→UAT
BA Roles
- Stakeholder
- Affected party
- Process owner
- Owns process value
- Process manager
- Runs process
- Product manager
- Owns market direction
- Product owner
- Owns backlog value
- Business analyst
- Elicits requirements
- Internal role
- Inside organization
- External role
- Outside organization
Validation vs Verification
Validation
- Right product
- Meets needs
- User acceptance
Verification
- Built correctly
- Meets specs
- Quality check
Need vs spec
Requirements
- User story
- User need format
- Use case
- Interaction scenario
- Interview
- One-on-one elicitation
- Survey
- Broad input
- Workshop
- Collaborative elicitation
- Observation
- Watch actual work
- Prototype
- Early model
- RTM
- Traceability matrix
RTM vs Backlog
RTM
- Trace requirements
- Audit coverage
- Controls scope
Backlog
- Orders work
- Changes often
- Feeds iterations
Trace vs prioritize
BA Delivery
- Roadmap
- Release direction
- Release
- Delivered capability
- Criteria
- Acceptance conditions
- Validation
- Right product
- Verification
- Built correctly
- UAT
- User acceptance testing
- Backlog
- Prioritized work
- Ready
- Delivery prepared
Common Traps
Risk timing
Risk may happen ≠ Issue happened now
Change control
Assess impact ≠ Then decide
Gold plating
Extra unapproved ≠ Not customer delight
BA role
Elicit needs ≠ Not manage team
Agile tracking
Burndown remaining ≠ Velocity completed
Predictive plan
Baseline controls ≠ Not backlog order
Validation trap
Right product ≠ Not right process
Stakeholder trap
Identify early ≠ Update continuously
Last Minute
- 1.Know 36 17 20 27
- 2.CAPM has 135 scored
- 3.Break locks first 75
- 4.Future risk, current issue
- 5.Stable scope favors predictive
- 6.Changing scope favors agile
- 7.WBS decomposes deliverables
- 8.Critical path has zero float
- 9.SV equals EV minus PV
- 10.CV equals EV minus AC
- 11.PO owns backlog value
- 12.RTM traces requirements coverage
- 13.Validate with users
CAPM Exam Prep 2025-2026: Unofficial All in One CAPM Study Guide 2025 for the Certified Associate in Project Management Examination. Includes CAPM Exam Review Material and 787 Practice Test Questions
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