What Project Management Is

According to the PMBOK, "Project management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities to meet project requirements." In other words, project management is taking what you know and proactively applying that knowledge to effectively guide your project through its life cycle.

The purpose of applying this knowledge is to help the project meet its objectives. Sounds pretty straightforward, doesn't it? The PMP exam will test your project management knowledge. But it's more than just a test of your knowledge. It is a test that evaluates your ability to apply your knowledge through the use of skills, tools, and techniques. The application of project management knowledge is what makes the exam challenging.

Understanding project management is more than just memorization. You do have to memorize some things (and we'll let you know what those are). But it's more important to know how to apply what you know. Some of the hardest questions on the exam look like they have two, or even three, right answers. You really have to understand the PMBOK to choose the most correct answer.

Did you notice I said the most correct answer? The PMP exam will throw several questions at you that seem to have more than one correct answer. In fact, many questions on the exam do have multiple answers that can be considered correct. But you will need to be able to choose the one that best satisfies the question as asked. Read each question carefully. And always remember that the PMBOK rules.