Project Management Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield Project Management facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. According to Herzberg's Two-Factor Theory, which of the following is classified as a motivator rather than a hygiene factor? → Recognition and achievement
2. What is the MAIN purpose of conducting a risk audit during project execution? → To evaluate the effectiveness of risk responses and the risk management process
3. During a backward pass in CPM, how is the Late Start (LS) of an activity calculated? → LS = Late Finish - Duration
4. Which of the following is an example of an 'opportunity' in the context of project risk management? → A vendor delivering materials two weeks early, freeing up schedule buffer
5. If a project's TCPI (based on BAC) is 1.25, what does this indicate? → The project must perform 25% more efficiently than originally planned to finish on budget
6. The sum of money in a cost estimate that is intended to reduce cost risk by accounting for difficult-to-predict future events is known as the _________. → Reserves
7. Which of the following are the two essential outputs of the Sprint Planning ceremony? → The Sprint Goal and the Sprint Backlog.
8. Which concept describes the relationship where the cost of making changes increases significantly as a project progresses? → Cost of change curve
9. Which project management concept ensures that project work is broken down into manageable components? → Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
10. What is the 'near-critical path' in CPM scheduling? → A path with very little total float that could easily become critical if delays occur
11. Which document authorizes spending on a project and links the project to the organization's ongoing work? → Project charter
12. Which cost estimation method involves estimating individual work packages and rolling them up to a total project cost? → Bottom-up estimating
13. A hybrid project approach combines predictive and agile methods. Which scenario best justifies using a hybrid approach? → Some deliverables are fixed while others need iterative development
14. Which technique is used in Scrum to estimate backlog items relative to each other without committing to specific hours? → Planning Poker with story points
15. A project manager must be aware of the following while using a project management approach for each process area: → Inputs, tools, techniques and outputs.
16. The procedures that must be followed to ensure that the project is completed on time and on budget. → Project Cost Management
17. A stakeholder suddenly escalates a concern directly to the project sponsor, bypassing the PM. The BEST response from the PM is to: → Acknowledge the concern, investigate it, and update both the stakeholder and sponsor
18. An EVM reporting system shows EAC = $950,000 and BAC = $900,000. What is the VAC? → -$50,000
19. Which document formally authorizes the existence of a project and grants the project manager authority to apply resources? → Project Charter
20. A team is struggling with scope creep in an agile project. Which practice most directly helps control this? → Having a strong Product Owner who controls backlog additions and prioritization
21. Which quality concept refers to the total cost incurred when a product does NOT conform to requirements? → Cost of nonconformance
22. A project manager uses Monte Carlo simulation for schedule risk analysis. What is the primary output of this technique? → A probability distribution of possible project outcomes
23. Which risk response strategy is being used when a project team decides to outsource a high-risk component to a specialized vendor? → Transfer
24. What does it mean for a stakeholder to be classified as 'Leading' in the engagement assessment matrix? → They are actively engaged and promoting the project's success
25. What is the primary purpose of a stakeholder engagement plan? → To define strategies for effectively involving stakeholders throughout the project
26. During a stakeholder engagement assessment, you find that most stakeholders are 'unaware' of the project. What does this indicate? → Communication and engagement efforts need to be significantly increased
27. What is the PRIMARY input to the Plan Stakeholder Engagement process? → Stakeholder register
28. What is a 'project life cycle'? → The series of phases a project passes through from initiation to closure
29. During a project retrospective, a team member reports that stakeholders never felt informed. Which process was MOST likely inadequately performed? → Manage Communications
30. Which EVM metric would a project manager use to predict the total cost at project completion if current cost performance continues? → EAC = BAC / CPI