PMP Knowledge Areas: 10 Areas Every Candidate Must Master

When I prepped for my PMP, the 10 knowledge areas were the single most useful organising structure I worked with. They group the 49 processes into thematic clusters, and in my experience knowing them cold is one of the highest-leverage things a candidate can do. The candidates I coach who internalise the knowledge areas can navigate any exam scenario by identifying which area is implicated and applying the relevant frameworks; the ones who skip this work struggle to organise the content and, predictably, struggle on the exam.

In this guide I summarise each area with what it covers, the most exam-tested processes, the trap questions I tell candidates to expect, and the patterns that, in my view, distinguish strong knowledge of each area from surface familiarity.

Total: 49 processes.

The knowledge areas overlap significantly with the process groups but organise the content thematically rather than chronologically. Both lenses are useful; the candidate who can switch between them can navigate any exam question.

For PMP candidates, the knowledge areas are typically the more intuitive entry point. Each is a distinct discipline with its own processes, terminology, and patterns. Once the candidate has internalised one knowledge area deeply, the others become easier because the underlying patterns transfer.

The “glue” knowledge area. Integration coordinates everything.

Key processes:

• Develop Project Charter
• Develop Project Management Plan
• Direct and Manage Project Work
• Manage Project Knowledge
• Monitor and Control Project Work
• Perform Integrated Change Control
• Close Project or Phase

Exam focus: change control questions. Always submit a change request before doing anything.

Integration Management is where the PMI mindset is most explicit. The discipline of formal change control, integrated planning, and structured closure reflects PMI’s view of professional project management. Casual or expedient responses are usually wrong.

For exam questions, Integration Management questions often test whether the candidate follows process even when it feels bureaucratic. The right answer typically involves “submit a change request” or “consult the project management plan.” Candidates who skip these processes in real life must remember to follow them on the exam.

Manage Project Knowledge is the newest process and increasingly tested. PMI emphasises learning organisations; the process captures both explicit and tacit knowledge for the project and beyond.

What is in and out of the project.

Key processes: Plan Scope Management, Collect Requirements, Define Scope, Create WBS, Validate Scope, Control Scope.

Exam trap: Validate Scope (customer acceptance) vs Control Quality (internal inspection). They look similar; they are different. Validate Scope happens after Control Quality.

Real example: a software team builds a feature, QA inspects (Control Quality), then the customer reviews and signs off (Validate Scope).

The WBS (Work Breakdown Structure) is foundational to scope management. The PM decomposes deliverables into work packages until each package can be reliably estimated and assigned. The WBS becomes the scope baseline that subsequent scope changes reference.

Scope creep questions are common on the exam. The right answer typically involves submitting a change request and processing through integrated change control. Accommodating scope creep informally is the wrong answer even when it sounds convenient.

For candidates with software backgrounds, Scope Management aligns with product management practices. Requirements gathering, scope decisions, acceptance criteria all transfer. The vocabulary is more formal in PMP context but the underlying work is similar.

When work happens.

Key processes: Plan Schedule Management, Define Activities, Sequence Activities, Estimate Activity Durations, Develop Schedule, Control Schedule.

Exam focus: critical path, free float vs total float, fast tracking vs crashing, schedule compression techniques. Practise the calculations.

Real example: a 6-month project’s network diagram reveals the critical path. Crashing reduces duration by adding resources (cost goes up). Fast tracking does parallel work (risk goes up).

The critical path concept is foundational. The longest path through the network is the critical path; tasks on the critical path determine project duration; delays on critical path tasks delay the project; non-critical path tasks have float.

Free float is the time a task can be delayed without affecting its successor. Total float is the time it can be delayed without affecting project completion. The difference matters on exam questions.

Fast tracking and crashing are the two schedule compression techniques. Fast tracking does parallel work that was sequential (adds risk). Crashing adds resources (adds cost). The exam tests when each is appropriate.

For schedule calculations, the exam includes specific scenarios with network diagrams. Candidates must compute critical path, free float, total float quickly. Practice with sample diagrams builds the speed needed.

Money.

Key processes: Plan Cost Management, Estimate Costs, Determine Budget, Control Costs.

Exam focus: Earned Value Management. Memorise PV, EV, AC, CV, SV, CPI, SPI, EAC, ETC, VAC, TCPI. See PMP Earned Value Management: 12 Worked Examples.

EVM is the densest math on the exam. 5-10 questions typically.

Cost Management has fewer processes than other knowledge areas (4 vs 6-7) but the math density makes it disproportionately important. Strong EVM fluency produces 5-10 reliable points on the exam; weak EVM fluency produces 5-10 missed points.

The eight EVM formulas to memorise: - CV = EV - AC - SV = EV - PV - CPI = EV / AC - SPI = EV / PV - EAC = BAC / CPI (when current performance continues) - EAC = AC + (BAC - EV) (when remaining work goes per plan) - ETC = EAC - AC - TCPI = (BAC - EV) / (BAC - AC)
Plus VAC = BAC - EAC.

The discipline of memorising the formulas plus understanding what they mean is what produces exam success. Memorisation without understanding produces wrong answers when scenarios deviate from the textbook examples.

Quality of process and deliverables.

Key processes: Plan Quality Management, Manage Quality, Control Quality.

Exam trap: Manage Quality (audit the process) vs Control Quality (inspect deliverables). Manage Quality is executing. Control Quality is monitoring.

Real example: a quality audit reviews whether the team is following the test process (Manage Quality). A specific test of a feature is Control Quality.

See PMP Quality Management: Tools, Techniques & Exam Cheat Sheet for deeper coverage.

The seven basic quality tools (cause-and-effect, flowchart, checksheet, Pareto, histogram, control chart, scatter diagram) appear on the exam frequently. Candidates should know what each does and when to use it.

Cost of Quality is a frequent exam topic. Conformance costs (prevention + appraisal) vs non-conformance costs (internal failure + external failure). The PMI mindset prefers prevention investment over inspection-and-fix because prevention costs are typically 5-10x lower than failure costs.

Quality theorists (Deming, Juran, Crosby, Ishikawa, Taguchi) appear occasionally. Recognise their key contributions; do not memorise extensive biographies.

People and physical resources.

Key processes: Plan Resource Management, Estimate Activity Resources, Acquire Resources, Develop Team, Manage Team, Control Resources.

Exam focus: motivation theories (Maslow, Herzberg, McGregor X/Y, McClelland), conflict resolution styles (collaborate, compromise, force, smooth, avoid), and team development stages (forming, storming, norming, performing, adjourning).

People-domain situational questions test this knowledge area heavily. The People domain is 42% of the exam; Resource Management content underpins many of those questions.

Conflict resolution styles are tested specifically. The five styles each have appropriate use cases:

• Collaborate/Confronting: best for important conflicts where both parties’ concerns matter.
• Compromise: when neither party can fully prevail and time is short.
• Force/Direct: when speed matters more than buy-in.
• Smooth/Accommodate: when the relationship matters more than the issue.
• Avoid/Withdraw: when the issue is minor or emotions need cooling.

The PMI mindset typically prefers collaborating; smooth and avoid are usually wrong answers in scenario questions even when they would work in real life.

Tuckman’s stages (forming, storming, norming, performing, adjourning) describe team development. The PM’s role differs at each stage. Forming needs direction; storming needs facilitation; norming needs reinforcement; performing needs delegation; adjourning needs closure.

Information flow.

Key processes: Plan Communications Management, Manage Communications, Monitor Communications.

Exam focus: communication channels formula n(n-1)/2, push vs pull vs interactive communication, communication blockers.

Memorise the formula. It is asked directly on most exams.

Communication channels = n(n-1)/2 where n is the number of stakeholders. A team of 6 has 15 channels; adding 1 person creates 6 new channels. The formula illustrates how communication overhead scales with team size.

Communication methods: - Push: information sent without confirming receipt (email, voicemail). - Pull: information made available, recipients access as needed (intranets, knowledge bases). - Interactive: real-time exchange with feedback (meetings, calls).

Each method has trade-offs. The PMI mindset selects the method appropriate to the message. Sensitive or complex information uses interactive; routine updates use push or pull.

Communication blockers (filters, distractions, semantics, environment) appear on exam questions about why communication failed. Identifying the blocker is part of the diagnostic process.

Identifying and responding to uncertainty.

Key processes: Plan Risk Management, Identify Risks, Perform Qualitative Risk Analysis, Perform Quantitative Risk Analysis, Plan Risk Responses, Implement Risk Responses, Monitor Risks.

Exam focus: risk response strategies (avoid, transfer, mitigate, accept for threats; exploit, share, enhance, accept for opportunities), probability and impact matrices, EMV calculations.

Real example: a project identifies a vendor delay risk. Strategies: avoid by using a backup vendor, transfer via contract penalties, mitigate by ordering early, accept the schedule slip.

Risk Management has the most processes (7) of any knowledge area. The volume reflects PMI’s emphasis on proactive risk management. The PMI mindset treats risks as opportunities for proactive intervention rather than as inevitable surprises.

Threat strategies: Avoid (eliminate), Transfer (move to another party), Mitigate (reduce probability or impact), Accept (acknowledge without action), Escalate (move to programme or organisational level).

Opportunity strategies: Exploit (guarantee occurrence), Share (capture value with another party), Enhance (increase probability or impact), Accept (acknowledge without action), Escalate.

EMV (Expected Monetary Value) = Probability × Impact. Used in decision tree analysis. Common exam calculation.

The risk register is the central artefact. It evolves throughout the project as risks are identified, analysed, responded to, and monitored.

Buying things.

Key processes: Plan Procurement Management, Conduct Procurements, Control Procurements.

Exam focus: contract types (FFP, FPIF, FPEPA, T&M, CPFF, CPIF, CPAF), buyer vs seller risk, source selection methods.

See PMP Procurement Management: Contracts, Processes & Exam Tips.

Contract types span a risk spectrum: - Fixed-price contracts: seller bears risk. - Cost-reimbursable contracts: buyer bears risk. - Time and materials: shared risk.

The exam tests which contract type fits which scenario. Well-defined scope favours fixed-price; uncertain scope favours cost-reimbursable; quick augmentation favours T&M.

Source selection methods include: least cost, qualifications only, quality-based, quality and cost based (QCBS), fixed budget, sole source. Each fits different procurement scenarios.

Make-or-buy analysis evaluates whether to develop internally or procure externally. Considerations include cost, capability, capacity, risk, and strategic fit.

People who care about the project.

Key processes: Identify Stakeholders, Plan Stakeholder Engagement, Manage Stakeholder Engagement, Monitor Stakeholder Engagement.

Exam focus: power/interest grid, stakeholder engagement levels (unaware, resistant, neutral, supportive, leading), stakeholder analysis matrices.

Stakeholder management overlaps with communications. The exam tests both as separate knowledge areas.

The power/interest grid maps stakeholders by their power and interest: - High power, high interest: Manage Closely. - High power, low interest: Keep Satisfied. - Low power, high interest: Keep Informed. - Low power, low interest: Monitor.

Engagement levels indicate stakeholder posture toward the project: - Unaware: do not know about project. - Resistant: aware but opposed. - Neutral: aware but indifferent. - Supportive: aware and helpful. - Leading: actively driving project success.

The PM’s job is to move stakeholders toward higher engagement levels through deliberate engagement plans. Different stakeholders need different engagement approaches.

The knowledge areas do not operate in isolation. Risks affect schedule, schedule affects cost, cost affects scope, scope affects quality. The PM coordinates across all of them through Integration Management.

Common interaction patterns:

• A scope change requires schedule and cost re-baselining.
• A quality issue may trigger risk register updates.
• Resource constraints affect schedule and cost.
• Stakeholder engagement informs communication planning.
• Procurement decisions affect risk and quality.

For exam questions, the PM often must consider multiple knowledge areas simultaneously. The candidate who can hold all 10 in mind navigates these questions better than the candidate who treats them as silos.