Project Management Cheat Sheet: Key Concepts, Formulas & Frameworks Explained

Project management can feel complex—multiple processes, formulas, methodologies, frameworks, and stakeholder expectations all competing for your attention. Whether you’re preparing for the PMP® exam, managing real-world projects, or building a high-performing PMO, having a single, reliable reference can make all the difference.

This Project Management Cheat Sheet brings together the most important concepts, formulas, frameworks, and best practices you need—clearly explained and easy to revise. Bookmark this guide or save it as your go-to reference for both exam success and practical execution.

What Is Project Management?

Project Management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities to meet project requirements and deliver value to stakeholders.

Key Characteristics of a Project

• Temporary (defined start and end)

• Creates a unique product, service, or result

• Progressively elaborated

• Constrained by scope, schedule, cost, quality, risk, and resources

Project vs Program vs Portfolio

• Project: A single initiative with specific deliverables

• Program: Multiple related projects managed together for benefits

• Portfolio: Projects and programs aligned to organizational strategy

Project Life Cycle & Delivery Approaches

Choosing the right project life cycle directly impacts success.

Common Project Life Cycles

• Predictive (Waterfall): Fixed scope, sequential phases

• Iterative: Repeated cycles with refinement

• Incremental: Value delivered in parts

• Agile / Adaptive: Flexible scope, frequent feedback

• Hybrid: Combination of predictive and agile

👉 PMI strongly emphasizes tailoring—select the approach based on uncertainty, risk, and stakeholder needs.

PMI Process Groups Explained

PMI defines five high-level process groups that interact throughout the project:

1. Initiating – Define the project and gain authorization

2. Planning – Establish scope, schedule, cost, and strategy

3. Executing – Perform work and manage teams

4. Monitoring & Controlling – Track performance and manage changes

5. Closing – Finalize deliverables and document lessons learned

PMI Knowledge Areas (Traditional Foundation)

Although the PMP® exam now focuses on domains, the 10 Knowledge Areas remain essential for understanding:

• Integration Management

• Scope Management

• Schedule Management

• Cost Management

• Quality Management

• Resource Management

• Communications Management

• Risk Management

• Procurement Management

• Stakeholder Management

Core Project Management Documents

Successful projects rely on clear and controlled documentation:

• Project Charter – Official project authorization

• Project Management Plan – Execution and control strategy

• Scope Statement – What’s included and excluded

• Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) – Deliverable decomposition

• Schedule Baseline – Approved timeline

• Cost Baseline – Approved budget

• Risk Register – Identified risks and responses

• Stakeholder Register – Stakeholder influence and interests

• Communication Plan – Who receives what, when, and how

Scope Management: Preventing Scope Creep

Scope management ensures the project delivers exactly what was approved—nothing more, nothing less.

Key Scope Processes

• Collect Requirements

• Define Scope

• Create WBS

• Validate Scope (formal acceptance)

• Control Scope (change management)

Best Practice: Always refer to the scope baseline before accepting new requests.

Schedule Management & Critical Path

Key Concepts

• Activity: A unit of work

• Milestone: Significant event

• Critical Path: Longest path with zero float

Important Formulas

• Float (Slack) = LS − ES or LF − EF

• PERT Estimate = (O + 4M + P) / 6

📌 Any delay on the critical path delays the entire project.

Earned Value Management (EVM) Cheat Sheet

EVM integrates scope, schedule, and cost to measure performance.

Key Terms

• PV (Planned Value) – Budgeted work scheduled

• EV (Earned Value) – Budgeted work completed

• AC (Actual Cost) – Actual cost incurred

Essential Formulas

• CV = EV − AC

• SV = EV − PV

• CPI = EV / AC

• SPI = EV / PV

• EAC = BAC / CPI

Interpretation

• CPI or SPI > 1 → Good performance

• CPI or SPI < 1 → Poor performance

Risk Management Essentials

A risk is an uncertain event that can positively or negatively impact project objectives.

Risk Response Strategies

Threats: Avoid • Mitigate • Transfer • Accept
Opportunities: Exploit • Enhance • Share • Accept

Common Risk Tools

• Probability & Impact Matrix

• Expected Monetary Value (EMV)

• Monte Carlo Simulation

Quality Management Basics

Quality means fitness for use and conformance to requirements.

Cost of Quality (COQ)

• Prevention Costs

• Appraisal Costs

• Failure Costs (Internal & External)

Quality Tools

• Pareto Chart

• Fishbone (Ishikawa) Diagram

• Control Charts

• Histograms

• Check Sheets

👉 Prevention is always cheaper than correction.

Communication Management

Poor communication is one of the top causes of project failure.

Communication Channels Formula

Channels = n(n − 1) / 2

Best Practices

• Tailor communication to stakeholders

• Keep messages simple and clear

• Use the right medium at the right time

Stakeholder Management

Stakeholders can make—or break—a project.

Key Steps

• Identify stakeholders early

• Analyze power, interest, and influence

• Plan engagement strategies

• Manage expectations continuously

📌 Engage stakeholders—don’t just inform them.

Change Control Process

Uncontrolled changes lead to scope creep and failure.

Standard Change Flow

1. Submit change request

2. Analyze impact (scope, time, cost, risk)

3. Review by Change Control Board (CCB)

4. Approve or reject

5. Update baselines and documents

Agile & Scrum Quick Cheat Sheet

Agile Values

• Individuals over processes

• Working product over documentation

• Customer collaboration over contracts

• Responding to change over rigid plans

Scrum Roles

• Product Owner

• Scrum Master

• Development Team

Scrum Artifacts & Events

• Product Backlog, Sprint Backlog, Increment

• Sprint, Daily Scrum, Review, Retrospective

Key Project Management KPIs

• Schedule Variance (SV)

• Cost Variance (CV)

• CPI & SPI

• Risk Exposure

• Defect Density

• Stakeholder Satisfaction

Tracking the right KPIs enables proactive decision-making.

PMP Exam & Real-World Success Tips

• Think servant leadership, not command-and-control

• Focus on business value delivery

• Prevent issues instead of escalating late

• Engage stakeholders continuously

• Always tailor processes to the environment

Final Thoughts

This Project Management Cheat Sheet is designed to be your single source of truth—whether you’re preparing for the PMP® exam, managing complex projects, or strengthening your PMO capabilities.

Save it, share it with your team, or convert it into a printable PDF for quick revision.

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