How to Plot the 47 Processes of Pmbok 5, in 3 Minutes Flat

For all those who are preparing for the PMP exam, one of the most difficult thing to memorize is the 47 processes spread across the 5 process groups in 10 knowledge areas. In this article, Let me show you a step by step process, to plot the 47 processes in a 6*10 grid in 3 minutes flat.

Steps

Provide headings for Process Groups: Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring and Controlling, Closing. The process groups can be easily remembered with IPEM&CC. Name the Knowledge Areas: Integration, Scope, Time, Cost, Quality, HR, Communications, Risk, Procurement and Stakeholder. The ten knowledge areas can be easily remembered with the statement: I Scoped Time, Cost and Quality with HR Communications as Risk on Procurements to Stakeholders. Don't worry about the meaning of this statement. Just memorize it and you will get all the ten knowledge areas. The first letter I stands for Integration.
You can use this count to cross check the correct number of processes. To remember the numbers, it is 667 434 3644 (vertically). Quality and Communications are with lowest number of processes i.e. 3 each. Cost, HR, Procurement and Stakeholder each is with 4. Integration, Scope and Risk are each with 6 processes. Time is the one with maximum number of processes for a knowledge area i.e. 7 processes. These numbers for Process Groups (goes horizontally) are 2, 24, 8, 11 and 2. Your finished grid will look like this:
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First mark the four boundaries for the Process Groups. Considering Header row and first column also, I.e. (Row 2, Column 2), (Row 2, Column 6), (Row 11, Column 2) and (Row 11, Column 6). The small catch here is the bottom right boundary is to be marked at (Row 10, Column 6). Remember this. There is a process each at this boundary point. "Develop Project Charter" is at (Row 2, Column 2) i.e. Initiating Process Group and Integration Knowledge Area, "Close Project or Phase" is at (Row 2, Column 6) i.e. Closing Process Group in Integration Knowledge Area, "Identify Stakeholders" is at (Row 11, Column 2) i.e. Initiating Process Group in Stakeholder management Knowledge area, "Close Procurement's" at (Row 10, Column 6) i..e Closing Process Group in Stakeholder Management Knowledge Area. This will clear 4 of the 47 processes. The beauty of this step is, with this step, you complete Initiating and Closing Process Group processes.
For each knowledge area, there is a corresponding Planning process. These processes are the subsidiary plans for the Project Plan. In Integration Knowledge Area, you create the Project Plan. Rest of Knowledge Areas, have their respective management plans. One thing to remember is, "Time" is represented as "Schedule". Now you plot the 10 processes one each in each Knowledge Area. You have done 14 out of 47 processes.
For each Knowledge Area except Human Resources (you Manage Human Resources but you do not control them), you have Controlling processes. Integration Knowledge Area has two such Controlling processes: "Monitor and Control Project Work" and "Perform Integrated Change Control". "Time" is again represented as "Schedule". This will give you 24 out of 47 processes. The Process Group Count is 11, whereas we have now 10. The remaining one will appear once we complete Scope Knowledge Area.
Remember the count is 8. Scope, Time, Cost and Risk doesn't have any Executing Process Group Processes. Integration has: "Direct and Manage Project Work", Quality has "Perform Quality Assurance", Human Resources has three Executing process group processes: "Acquire Project Team", "Develop Project Team" and "Manage Project Team". Communications has "Manage Communications". Procurement has "Conduct Procurements". Lastly Stakeholder Knowledge area has "Manage Stakeholder Engagement". This will complete the Executing Process Group. Our total number of processes plotted is now 32 out of 47.
Good job. What is left is the critical areas of the project: Scope, Time and Cost (the basis of Project Performance Baselines) and Risk. It is good that we are plotting these processes last. We have 14 Planning Processes and 1 Monitoring and Controlling Process Group Processes left. Lets do this Knowledge Area by Knowledge Area. Scope has "Collect Requirements", "Define Scope", "Create WBS" in Planning Process group, "Validate Scope" in Monitoring and Controlling Process Group, Time has "Define Activities", "Sequence Activities", "Estimate Activity Resources", "Estimate Activity Durations" and "Develop Schedule" - all are Planning Processes. Cost has "Estimate Costs" and "Determine Budget" - all are Planning Processes. Risk has "Identify Risks", "Perform Qualitative Risk Analysis", "Perform Quantitative Risk Analysis" and "Plan Risk Responses" - again all are Planning Processes. Plot these in the grid and your grid is complete.
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Why does the matrix start at 4.1 instead of 1.1?
Community Answer
Because the Knowledge areas start from Chapter 4 in PMBOK guide 5th edition. Hence 4.1.
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Tips

When you appear for the PMP Exam, before the exam, in the 15 minutes time available for the tutorial and survey, plot these 47 processes in the scrap paper. It will surely help you to save time and answer few more questions correctly by looking at the Process Grid.
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This way, you don't have to memorize the processes across the Knowledge Area.
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