PMP

Every PMP question assumes a shared vocabulary: what a project is, how the process groups relate to life cycle phases, how predictive and adaptive approaches differ, and how organizations govern and support projects. This section builds that foundation. Its concepts appear across all three exam domains, People, Process, and Business Environment.

A project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result. Projects have definite beginning and ending points. They are not ongoing operations but specific initiatives with clear objectives.

Characteristic	Projects	Operations
Duration	Temporary withadefinedstartandfinish ,	Ongoingandrepetitive
Output	Uniqueproduct service orresult , ,	Repeatedproductsorservices
Purpose	Changeorenhancebusinesscapabilities	Sustainthebusiness
Focus	Introducesomethingnew	Maintain steady-state functions

Project management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities to meet project requirements. It involves balancing competing constraints, including scope, schedule, cost, quality, resources, and risk. The traditional triple constraint of scope, schedule, and cost is the core of this balance: a change to one usually affects the others. Effective project management requires both technical competence and leadership capability.

Modern project management emphasizes value delivery, stakeholder engagement, adaptability, and strategic alignment with organizational objectives. Project managers serve as integrators who coordinate diverse elements to achieve project success.

Project management work is organized into five process groups. They are not phases: they are overlapping groups of activities that occur throughout the project and can repeat within every phase.

➜

➜

➜

➜

Authorize the project or

Define scope, objectives,

Complete the planned

Formally complete the

phase

and the course of action

work

Track, review, and

work

correct

ProcessGroup	PurposeandKeyActivities
Initiating	Establishestheprojectorphase:developingtheprojectcharter identifyingstakeholders andobtaining , ,
	authorizationtoproceed Initiatingdefinestheinitialscopeandcommitsorganizationalresources . .
Planning	Establishesthetotalscopeofeffort definesobjectives anddevelopsthecourseofactionrequiredto , ,
	attainthem includingtheprojectmanagementplanandsubsidiaryplans Typicallythemost , .
	documentation-intensive process group .
Executing	Completestheworkdefinedintheprojectmanagementplan Mostprojectresourcesandbudgetare .
	expendedhere throughcoordinatingpeopleandresources managingstakeholderengagement and , , ,
	performingprojectactivities .
Monitoringand	Tracks reviews andregulatesprogressandperformance identifiesvariancesfromtheplan and , , , ,
Controlling	initiates corrective action It runs throughout the project and provides feedback for decision-making . .
Closing	Formallycompletestheprojectorphase:obtainingfinalacceptance archivingdocuments releasing , ,
	resources andcapturinglessonslearnedsoorganizationalknowledgeispreserved , .

The project life cycle is the series of phases a project passes through from initiation to closure. Phases may be sequential, overlapping, or iterative, depending on the project's characteristics and organizational preferences. The development approach determines how the product is created within that life cycle.

Approach	HowItWorks	BestFit
Predictive(waterfall)	Scope schedule andcostaredefinedearly;requirementsare , ,	Stable well -understood ,
	establishedupfrontandchangesarecontrolledthroughformal	requirements
	changemanagement
Adaptive(agile)	Embraceschangeanddeliversvalueincrementally;requirements	Evolvingoruncertain
	evolve through collaboration between cross-functional teams and	requirements
	stakeholders anditerationsorsprintsproduceworkingincrements ,
	forfeedback
Hybrid	Combines predictive and adaptive elements: predictive for well -	Mixedcertainty;increasingly
	definedcomponents adaptiveforcomponentsneedingflexibility ,	common
Iterative	Developstheproductthroughrepeatedcycles refiningdeliverables ,	Refiningasolutionthrough
	basedonfeedback;eachiterationproducesamorecomplete	feedback
Incremental	version Deliversfunctionalityinsuccessivepieces eachaddingtoprevious , incrementsuntiltheproductiscomplete	1 Earlydeliveryofusableparts

About 40% of exam items use predictive approaches and about 60% use adaptive or hybrid approaches. When a scenario does not name an approach, look for clues: sprints, a backlog, or a product owner signal an adaptive context; a baseline, a change control board, or a signed-off scope statement signal a predictive one.