The PMP Cheat Sheet You'll Actually Use on Exam Day

There are a hundred PMP cheat sheets on the internet. Most of them are either incomplete, outdated, or so dense they're useless under pressure.

We built one that's different. It's at /tools/pmp-cheat-sheet, and it covers everything — all 49 processes, every EVM formula, contract types, quality tools, risk strategies, agile concepts, and exam tips. One page. Bookmarkable. Free.

But a cheat sheet is only useful if you know how to use it. So here's the strategy.

The Brain Dump: Your First 5 Minutes

When you sit down at the testing center, you'll get a whiteboard or scratch paper before the timer starts. Here's what to write down immediately — before you read a single question.

Write these formulas first:

Then write these lists:

Conflict resolution (best to worst):

1. Collaborate/Problem Solve
2. Compromise
3. Smooth/Accommodate
4. Force/Direct
5. Withdraw/Avoid

Risk responses — Threats: Avoid, Mitigate, Transfer, Accept, Escalate Risk responses — Opportunities: Exploit, Enhance, Share, Accept, Escalate

Contract risk spectrum (buyer risk high → low): CPAF → CPIF → CPFF → T&M → FPEPA → FPIF → FFP

This takes about 3-4 minutes. It's not part of your exam time (you do it during the tutorial/setup phase). Now you have a reference sheet sitting right next to your screen for the entire exam.

What Most People Get Wrong About EVM

Earned Value Management questions trip up more PMP candidates than almost any other topic. Not because the math is hard — it's basic arithmetic. The problem is keeping the abbreviations straight under pressure.

Here's the trick: EV always comes first.

• SV = EV - PV (schedule: compare earned to planned)
• CV = EV - AC (cost: compare earned to actual)
• SPI = EV / PV
• CPI = EV / AC

If the result is negative (for variances) or less than 1 (for indices), you're in trouble. That's it. No exceptions.

The one formula people forget: TCPI (To-Complete Performance Index). It tells you how efficient you need to be for the remaining work to hit your budget. If TCPI > 1, you need to be more efficient than you've been. If it's significantly greater than 1 (like 1.5), the original budget is probably not achievable.

Want to practice with real numbers? Use our EVM Calculator — plug in PV, EV, AC, BAC and see all 10+ metrics calculated instantly with interpretations.

Contract Types: The One Concept That Sounds Harder Than It Is

Every PMP candidate stresses about contract types. But there's really only one thing you need to remember: who bears the cost risk?

Fixed-price contracts: The seller bears cost risk. If it costs more than expected, the seller eats it. Best when scope is well-defined.

Cost-reimbursable contracts: The buyer bears cost risk. They reimburse the seller's costs plus a fee. Best when scope is uncertain (R&D, discovery work).

Time & Materials: Shared risk. The buyer pays for time and materials but the seller has no incentive to finish fast. Best for staff augmentation or small, undefined scope.

The spectrum from most buyer risk to least: CPAF → CPIF → CPFF → T&M → FPEPA → FPIF → FFP

If the exam asks "which contract type is best when the scope is clearly defined?" — the answer is almost always Firm Fixed-Price (FFP).

The Process Groups Are Not Phases

This trips up almost everyone at least once. The five process groups (Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring & Controlling, Closing) are not sequential phases. They overlap. Planning happens throughout the project. Monitoring & Controlling runs from start to finish.

The cheat sheet has a full 5×10 matrix of all 49 processes mapped to their process group and knowledge area. You don't need to memorize all 49 — but you should know the pattern:

• Initiating has only 2 processes (Develop Project Charter, Identify Stakeholders)
• Planning has 24 processes (the bulk of the work)
• Executing has 10 processes
• Monitoring & Controlling has 12 processes
• Closing has 1 process (Close Project or Phase)

If you want the full breakdown with inputs, tools, and outputs for every process, check our ITTO Quick Reference.

Critical Path: Three Rules

1. The critical path is the longest path through the network diagram. Not the shortest. Longest.
2. Activities on the critical path have zero total float. If they slip, the project slips.
3. Free float is different from total float. Free float is the time an activity can slip without affecting the next activity. Total float is the time it can slip without affecting the project end date.

Crashing vs. Fast Tracking:

• Crashing = add resources to critical path activities. Increases cost.
• Fast tracking = do activities in parallel that were planned sequentially. Increases risk.

If the exam asks how to shorten the schedule, look for crashing first (it's less risky). If crashing isn't an option or budget is locked, fast tracking is the answer.

Quality Tools: When to Use What

The seven basic quality tools show up constantly. Here's the quick decision guide:

• Need to find the root cause? → Cause-and-effect diagram (Ishikawa)
• Need to check if a process is stable? → Control chart (watch for Rule of Seven)
• Need to prioritize problems? → Pareto chart (80/20 rule)
• Need to see if two variables are related? → Scatter diagram
• Need to see the distribution of data? → Histogram
• Need to map a process? → Flowchart
• Need to collect raw data? → Check sheet

The one that catches people: the Rule of Seven on control charts. If seven consecutive data points fall on the same side of the mean (even within control limits), the process is out of control. This is a favorite exam question.

Agile: What the PMP Exam Actually Tests

The PMP exam is roughly 50% predictive and 50% agile/hybrid. But agile questions on the PMP aren't about memorizing Scrum ceremonies — they're about when to apply agile thinking.

Key agile concepts the exam loves:

• Servant leadership — the PM supports the team, doesn't command
• Self-organizing teams — the team decides how to do the work
• Iterative delivery — deliver value incrementally, get feedback early
• Retrospectives — continuous improvement after every iteration
• Velocity — story points completed per sprint (used for planning, not performance evaluation)

If an exam question describes a situation with unclear requirements, changing scope, or a need for early feedback — the answer probably involves an agile or hybrid approach.

How to Use the Cheat Sheet

1. Bookmark it now: /tools/pmp-cheat-sheet
2. Practice the brain dump. Time yourself writing the formulas and lists from memory. Do it 10 times before exam day until you can do it in under 3 minutes.
3. Don't memorize everything. Focus on understanding the why behind each concept. The cheat sheet is a reference — your real exam prep is practice questions.
4. Review it the night before. One final pass through all sections. Then close it and get sleep.

The cheat sheet won't pass the exam for you. But it'll make sure you never lose points on something you knew but couldn't recall under pressure.

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