This was written as a guide to provide PMP candidates with a tool to help memorize the 44 subprocesses involved in good project management, the understanding of which is critical to passing the PMP exam.
Introduction
I found Sam the Cat one night sitting, and staring back at me while studying the 44 sub-processes involved in good project management as I prepared to take the PMP exam. I knew there was no way I would be able to memorize all 44 sub-processes by myself, and that I would need some sort of trick to pull this off. The prep class I had taken assured me that I would need to know each of them in order to be able to pass the PMP exam.
They were right.
Step 1
I sat there holding the PMBOK and staring at the page that held a graphic display of all 44 sub-processes, page 70 in my edition. My mind began looking for a way to organize it all, looking for some sort of structure or pattern I could lock on to, and there it was! Sam was smiling back at me. Sam The Cat, a mnemonic for Scope Time & Cost, but I needed more so I stared a little longer. Then much like the Cheshire Cat in Alice in Wonderland, more of Sam appeared the longer I stared, and it looked like this:
Isn't Sam The Cat Quite Human? Cats Resemble People.
Ignoring the fact that I don't really like cats, it would still prove to be a useful tool in the weeks to follow. The first letter of each word of the sentences represented the first letter in each of the nine Knowledge Areas. Here was a mnemonic I could "hang my hat on", here was something easy to remember and a fantastic stepping-stone towards memorizing the whole chart. I began looking at the rest of the page for another pattern, anything that would help. I thought to myself that a good first step was to try to organize the information I needed to remember, in order to get a better handle on it.
- How many sub-processes are there in the Initiating Process Group? 2
- How many sub-processes are there in the Planning Process Group? 21
- How many sub-processes are there in the Executing Process Group? 7
- How many sub-processes are there in the Controlling Process Group? 12
- How many sub-processes are there in the Closing Process Group? 2
"Wait!" I said to myself, "It's a palindrome!" I guess I had actually said it out loud, because my wife then asked, "A what?" I explained that a palindrome is one of those words that look the same whether it's spelled backwards or forwards. Bob, Eve, Anna; these are examples of names that look the same backwards or forwards. The same was true with the number of sub-process as organized by Process.
2,21,7,12,2
As read from left to right. But if you would prefer from right to left, it would be: 2,21,7,12,2
Ok, so far I had:
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Figure 1
The Names of the Process Groups would be no problem to memorize I thought. Initiation, Planning, Executing, Controlling, & Closing. How hard can that be?
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Figure 2
Ok, this is good I thought. Now, how about the sub-processes as organized by knowledge area? 7,5,6,3,3,4,4,6,6. This was going to have to be a combination of half trick and half simple memory. It was quite helpful that there were 2 Three's, 2 Four's and 2 Sixes though. Having a specific grouping of numbers like that makes it easier to remember. So now I had a grid filled in on all four side, which looked like this:
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Figure 3
"Great" I thought, "now what?" But it was late and Sam needed to sleep, and so did 1. I had been able to a method for remembering how many sub-processes were in each Knowledge area and Process Group, not to mention a mnemonic for remembering the Knowledge areas in order.
I picked it up again the next morning. I had a nice neat little graph which was pretty much just a boiled down version of the graph supplied for me on page 70 of the PMBOK, but what am I going to do with it? I know the Knowledge Areas in order and I can identify the placement of the sub-processes. I continued to stare at Sam, to try to make sense of it all, and I began to fill in the chart.
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Figure 4
Step 2
I came to realize that the grid acts as its own check and balance. If I had filled it out correctly the columns would all add up, and the rows would all add up. This proved to be a great way to be able to tell, for example, how many Scope Sub-Processes are in the Controlling Knowledge area, or how many Integration Sub-processes are in the Closing Knowledge area. As I began to try to remember each sup-process I found that Sam the Cat could help me remember how many I had to work with in each Knowledge area and Process group.
Here is where all that Star Trek I used to watch came in handy.
Isn't it logical to assume that if there is only one sub-process at the convergence of the Time Management Knowledge Area and the Controlling Process Group then that subprocess must have something to do with controlling the time spent on the project? Isn't it also logical to assume that if there is only one sub-process at the convergence of the Planning Process Group and the Quality Knowledge Area, then it must have something to do with Quality Planning?
Isn't it also logical to assume that if the is only one sub-process at the convergence of the Controlling Process Group and the Cost Knowledge Area that it must have something to do with controlling the cost of the project? And so on, and so on...
Therefore I concluded that I could use logic to come closer to a reasonable guess as to the identity of at least 15 of the 26 boxes on the grid. Maybe more. One of the Scope sub-processes in the Planning column must be Scope Planning. One of the Risk subprocesses in the Planning column must be Risk Planning ... and so on, and so on... (see figure 4)
But, Sam was tired, and so we slept.
Days went by before I came back to play with Sam. I needed a break to be honest. This business about studying for the PMP exam is hard on a guy. I looked at it all with a fresh prospective a few days later. I knew I had found a way to remember the names of the Knowledge areas, and a way to keep track of the number and placement of the sub- processes. Sam the cat would help me remember how many sub-processes belonged to each Knowledge Area/Process Group combination. Sam could help essentially help me remember how many I needed to remember, and where they were located in the chart. This made a big difference. I was able to take this information and move on to the next step.
I proceeded with the same thought process. What can I make out of this? What can I find within each Knowledge Area to hang on to? I started from the beginning, which as the song says "…is a very good place to start"
Project Integration Management has seven sub-processes, three begin with "Develop"
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Project Scope Management has five sub-processes, four start with the word "Scope"
1. Scope _______
2. Scope _______
3. _______
4, Scope _______
5. Scope. _______
Project Time Management has 6 sub-processes, four start with the word "Activity" and two start with the word "Schedule"
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Project Cost Management
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Project Quality Management
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Project Human Resource Management
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Project Communications Management Sam had no tricks.
Project Risk Management
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Project Procurement Management
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This was a great way to begin memorizing all 44 sub-processes because I wasn't actually trying to remember all 44, I was just trying to remember some key words out of each knowledge area. Later I would use Sam the Cat to help fill in the gaps, literally. For now I just practiced writing out the key words like this.
Step 3
After I became comfortable with the key words in each Knowledge area I began to try to fill in the gaps. Let's take Scope Management for an example. Sam could tell me that three of the Scope sub-processes were in the Planning Group and two were in the Controlling Group. So I filled in:
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Let’s look at Quality as an example. Sam could tell me that the first sub-process belonged to the Planning Group, the second to the Executing Group, and the third to the Controlling Group. So I filled in:
1. Quality Planning
2. Quality Assurance
3. Quality Control
And so on, and so on...
With some practice, I was able to write out by order of the Knowledge Areas all 44 sub-processes using the keywords from each sub-process, the chart Sam the Cat gave me, and a little common sense to ftll in many of the 44 sub-processes, and I hadn't actually had to memorize very much at all!
Step 4
But it didn't stop there.....
It wasn't until a few days before the test that I realized I could also use Sam the Cat to provide the order that the processes came in as well. Boy did I get my money's worth out of that cat. Up until then I had been looking at Sam the Cat from the perspective of the row. Sam the Cat had helped me identify each of the sub-processes with a knowledge area. As I looked at Sam from the perspective of the Process group, I realized I could also then write out the exact order in which the sub-processes are performed. (See fig. 4) So I practiced filling out the grid, then writing out the sub-process by order of knowledge are, then writing them out by order of Process Group.
So let’s recap:
Step 1.
Be able to draw a graphic representation of the Process Groups and Knowledge Areas, and fill in the placement of the sub-processes using the memory aids and mnemonic as a guide to constructing the edges of the graph. "Isn't Sam The Cat Quite Human? Cats Resemble People." ISTCQHCRP / 12217122 / 7653344661 / IPECC
Step 2.
Identify the key words in the names of the sub-processes and practice writing them out in order of Knowledge area. Using the Knowledge Area keeps the sub-processes better organized.
Implementation? Develop, Develop, Develop. Blank, blank, blank, blank.
Scope? Scope, Scope, blank, Scope, Scope.
Cost? Cost, Cost, Cost
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Step 3.
Practice writing out the sub-processes fully, filling in the names and the gaps left by Step 2.
Step 4.
Use the graph as organized by Process Group to write out the order the in which the subprocesses are to be performed. You will need this for the test!
As I sat in the testing lab waiting for the system to pass judgment on me, I could feel Sam sitting on my shoulder, and I had a hunch that he had been a big help.
I was right
Robert Barger, PMP
Frequently asked questions
What is the main topic of this document?
This document describes a method for memorizing the 44 sub-processes involved in project management as outlined in the PMBOK, specifically for preparing for the PMP exam. It uses a mnemonic device, "Sam the Cat," to aid in recall.
What is "Sam the Cat" and how does it help?
"Sam the Cat" is a mnemonic device used to remember the nine Knowledge Areas of project management: Scope, Time, Cost, Quality, Human Resources, Communications, Risk, Procurement. The extended mnemonic is "Isn't Sam The Cat Quite Human? Cats Resemble People." which matches each Knowledge Area. It also helps to visualize and remember the arrangement of the sub-processes in a grid format.
What are the four steps outlined in this method?
The four steps are:
- Draw a graphic representation of the Process Groups and Knowledge Areas and fill in the placement of the sub-processes using the memory aids and mnemonic.
- Identify the key words in the names of the sub-processes and practice writing them out in order of Knowledge area.
- Practice writing out the sub-processes fully, filling in the names and the gaps left by Step 2.
- Use the graph as organized by Process Group to write out the order in which the sub-processes are to be performed.
How does the document describe Process Groups?
The document identifies the five Process Groups: Initiating, Planning, Executing, Controlling, and Closing. A palindrome is identified for the number of sub-processes within each Process Group: 2, 21, 7, 12, 2.
How are Knowledge Areas addressed?
The document emphasizes the nine Knowledge Areas: Integration, Scope, Time, Cost, Quality, Human Resources, Communications, Risk, Procurement. It explains how to use "Sam the Cat" to remember these areas and their order. It also describes patterns within each area to aid memorization, such as identifying key words that are frequently used in sub-process names.
What role does logic play in remembering the sub-processes?
The document suggests using logic to deduce the nature of a sub-process based on its placement in the grid. For example, if a single sub-process exists at the intersection of the Time Management Knowledge Area and the Controlling Process Group, it likely involves controlling time spent on the project.
What does the document say about the grid?
The grid, created by arranging Process Groups and Knowledge Areas, acts as a check and balance system. Properly filling it out ensures that rows and columns add up correctly, verifying the placement of the sub-processes.
Are there illustrations with the text?
The document mentions illustrations that visually depict the grid and process, but states that these images are not visible in the excerpt. It mentions figures such as Figure 1, Figure 2, Figure 3 and Figure 4.
- Quote paper
- Robert Barger (Author), 2015, Sam The Cat. Remembering the 44 sub-processes of project management by using mnemonics and memory stepping stones, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/310866
