PMP cheat sheet 2026: formulas, domains, agile terms and exam-day facts on one page
This PMP cheat sheet condenses what is worth memorizing for the July 2026 exam into one page. It covers the exam-day numbers (180 questions, 170 scored, 240 minutes, two 10-minute breaks), the three domains weighted People 33%, Process 41% and Business Environment 26% with all 26 tasks, the eight question formats, the earned value, schedule, estimating and communication formulas with a worked example for each, the agile and hybrid vocabulary the exam uses, and the decision rules that resolve most situational questions.
Everything on this page is what is worth memorizing for the July 2026 PMP exam: the exam-day numbers, the three domains and their 26 tasks, the eight question formats, every formula that still appears, the agile and hybrid vocabulary, and the decision rules that resolve most situational questions. Print it, learn it, and spend the rest of your time on practice questions.
The exam facts and domain weights come from the official July 2026 PMP Examination Content Outline (PDF). The study method behind this sheet is in How to prepare for the PMP exam in 2026; what changed from the 2021 exam is in PMP exam changes July 2026.
1. Exam-day facts
| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Questions | 180 (170 scored, 10 unscored pretest; you cannot tell which) |
| Time | 240 minutes |
| Breaks | Two, 10 minutes each: after the case-study section and midway through the independent questions |
| Pace | 80 seconds per question on average |
| Negative marking | None — answer everything |
| Result | Proficiency level per domain (Above Target, Target, Below Target, Needs Improvement); no numeric score published |
| Reference | July 2026 Exam Content Outline; PMBOK Guide, 8th edition listed as a reference |
| Format | Computer-based at a test center or online proctored |
2. Domains, weights and the 26 tasks
| Domain | Weight | Tasks |
|---|---|---|
| I. People | 33% | 1 Develop a common vision · 2 Manage conflicts · 3 Lead the project team · 4 Engage stakeholders · 5 Align stakeholder expectations · 6 Manage stakeholder expectations · 7 Help ensure knowledge transfer · 8 Plan and manage communication |
| II. Process | 41% | 1 Develop an integrated project management plan and plan delivery · 2 Develop and manage project scope · 3 Help ensure value-based delivery · 4 Plan and manage resources · 5 Plan and manage procurement · 6 Plan and manage finance · 7 Plan and optimize quality of products/deliverables · 8 Plan and manage schedule · 9 Evaluate project status · 10 Manage project closure |
| III. Business Environment | 26% | 1 Define and establish project governance · 2 Plan and manage project compliance · 3 Manage and control changes · 4 Remove impediments and manage issues · 5 Plan and manage risk · 6 Continuous improvement · 7 Support organizational change · 8 Evaluate external business environment changes |
Memory hook: 8 – 10 – 8. People and Business Environment have eight tasks each; Process has ten. Process is also the largest by weight, so it gets the most study time; Business Environment is the one most candidates under-prepare.
3. The eight question formats
| Format | What you do | Trap |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple-choice, single response | Pick the one best answer | Two options are usually defensible; the exam wants the most proactive, collaborative one |
| Multiple-response | Pick the stated number of correct options | Treat each option as its own true/false; the stem says how many to select |
| Matching | Pair items in two columns | Lock in the certain pairs first, resolve the rest by elimination |
| Enhanced matching | Matching with more rows, categories or drag targets | Same technique; read the category labels before the items |
| Pull-down list | Complete a statement from a dropdown | Read the full sentence with each option inserted |
| Point-and-click | Click a region of an image | Identify the artifact type first (burndown, Gantt, RACI, risk matrix) |
| Graphic-based | Answer from a chart or diagram | Read axes and legend before the question |
| Case scenario | Several linked questions on one multi-paragraph case | Note the delivery approach and project phase once, then answer each item against them |
The exam opens with the case-study section, then moves to independent questions.
4. Earned value formulas
| Term | Formula | Reads as |
|---|---|---|
| PV | Planned value: budgeted cost of work scheduled to date | What you planned to have done |
| EV | Earned value: budgeted cost of work actually done | What you have done, in budget terms |
| AC | Actual cost of work done | What you spent |
| BAC | Budget at completion | Total planned budget |
| CV | EV − AC | Positive = under budget |
| SV | EV − PV | Positive = ahead of schedule |
| CPI | EV ÷ AC | Above 1.0 = cost efficient |
| SPI | EV ÷ PV | Above 1.0 = ahead of schedule |
| EAC (typical) | BAC ÷ CPI | Current cost performance continues |
| EAC (atypical) | AC + (BAC − EV) | Past variances will not recur |
| EAC (both indices) | AC + (BAC − EV) ÷ (CPI × SPI) | Cost and schedule performance both continue |
| ETC | EAC − AC | What is left to spend |
| VAC | BAC − EAC | Positive = will finish under budget |
| TCPI (to BAC) | (BAC − EV) ÷ (BAC − AC) | Efficiency needed on remaining work to hit the budget |
| TCPI (to EAC) | (BAC − EV) ÷ (EAC − AC) | Efficiency needed to hit the revised estimate |
Worked example. BAC = 100,000. By month 6 you planned to complete 50% of the work (PV = 50,000), you have completed 40% (EV = 40,000), and you have spent 45,000 (AC).
- CV = 40,000 − 45,000 = −5,000 (over budget)
- SV = 40,000 − 50,000 = −10,000 (behind schedule)
- CPI = 40,000 ÷ 45,000 = 0.89
- SPI = 40,000 ÷ 50,000 = 0.80
- EAC (typical) = 100,000 ÷ 0.8889 = 112,500 (use the unrounded CPI; dividing by 0.89 gives 112,360, which will not match the answer options)
- ETC = 112,500 − 45,000 = 67,500
- VAC = 100,000 − 112,500 = −12,500
- TCPI to BAC = (100,000 − 40,000) ÷ (100,000 − 45,000) = 1.09
Reading rule: anything with EV on top and a comparison underneath (CPI, SPI) is an index — above 1.0 is good. Anything that subtracts (CV, SV, VAC) is a variance — positive is good.
5. Schedule and estimating formulas
| Item | Formula | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Three-point (triangular) | (O + M + P) ÷ 3 | Simple average of optimistic, most likely, pessimistic |
| Three-point (PERT / beta) | (O + 4M + P) ÷ 6 | Weights the most likely estimate |
| Standard deviation (PERT) | (P − O) ÷ 6 | One activity |
| Range at 1 sigma | PERT estimate ± SD | About 68% confidence |
| Range at 2 sigma | PERT estimate ± 2 × SD | About 95% confidence |
| Total float | LS − ES or LF − EF | Zero on the critical path |
| Free float | ES (next activity) − EF (this activity) | Delay without affecting the successor |
| Critical path | Longest path through the network | Determines the shortest project duration |
| Communication channels | n × (n − 1) ÷ 2 | n = number of people, including the PM |
| Expected monetary value | Probability × Impact | Sum across outcomes for a decision tree |
| Cost of quality | Prevention + Appraisal + Internal failure + External failure | Conformance vs non-conformance costs |
Worked example (PERT). O = 4 days, M = 6 days, P = 14 days. PERT = (4 + 24 + 14) ÷ 6 = 7 days. SD = (14 − 4) ÷ 6 = 1.67 days. The 95% range is 7 ± 3.3, so 3.7 to 10.3 days.
Worked example (channels). A team grows from 6 to 9 people. Channels go from 6 × 5 ÷ 2 = 15 to 9 × 8 ÷ 2 = 36. Three people added, 21 channels added — which is why communication planning is a People task, not an afterthought.
Worked example (EMV). A risk has a 20% chance of costing 50,000. EMV = 0.2 × 50,000 = 10,000. A mitigation costing 8,000 that removes the risk is worth it; one costing 12,000 is not, on EMV alone.
6. Agile and hybrid vocabulary
| Term | One-line meaning |
|---|---|
| Product backlog | Ordered list of everything that might be built; owned by the product owner |
| Sprint / iteration | Fixed timebox (commonly 1–4 weeks) producing a potentially shippable increment |
| Sprint backlog | Items selected for the current sprint plus the plan to deliver them |
| Increment | The sum of completed backlog items at the end of a sprint |
| Definition of Done | Shared checklist an item must satisfy to count as complete |
| Velocity | Story points completed per sprint; used for forecasting, not for comparing teams |
| Burndown / burnup | Work remaining / work completed over time |
| Daily standup | 15-minute sync: what was done, what is next, what is blocked |
| Sprint review | Demonstrate the increment to stakeholders, gather feedback |
| Retrospective | Team inspects its own process and picks improvements |
| Product owner | Owns the backlog and value priorities |
| Scrum master / agile coach | Servant leader who removes impediments and protects the process |
| Servant leadership | Lead by enabling the team: remove obstacles, coach, shield from interference |
| MVP / MBI | Minimum viable product / minimum business increment — smallest release that delivers value |
| WIP limit | Cap on in-progress items (Kanban) to expose bottlenecks |
| Cycle time / lead time | Time from start to done / time from request to done |
| Hybrid | Predictive and adaptive practices combined, e.g. predictive planning with iterative delivery |
| Tailoring | Selecting and adapting practices to the project, team and organization |
| Rolling wave planning | Plan near-term work in detail, later work at a high level |
| Progressive elaboration | Refining plans as more information becomes available |
7. Predictive vocabulary that still appears
| Term | One-line meaning |
|---|---|
| Project charter | Formally authorizes the project and the PM; issued by the sponsor |
| Scope baseline | Scope statement + WBS + WBS dictionary, approved |
| Schedule baseline / cost baseline | Approved schedule / approved time-phased budget |
| Change control | Formal process to review, approve or reject changes to baselines |
| Risk register | Identified risks with analysis, owners and responses |
| Risk responses (threats) | Avoid, mitigate, transfer, accept, escalate |
| Risk responses (opportunities) | Exploit, enhance, share, accept, escalate |
| Contingency reserve vs management reserve | For known-unknowns, PM controls / for unknown-unknowns, management controls |
| RACI | Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed — one Accountable per task |
| Lessons learned | Captured throughout, finalized at closure, stored in organizational process assets |
| Benefits realization | Measuring whether the project delivered the business value it was approved for |
| Governance | Who decides what, with which authority, under which escalation path |
8. Decision rules for situational questions
These resolve most People and Business Environment items and many Process items.
| When the question describes… | The exam usually wants you to… | Not to… |
|---|---|---|
| A conflict between team members | Address it directly with those involved, understand the cause first | Escalate immediately, ignore it, or impose a solution |
| A team member underperforming | Talk to them, find the obstacle, coach, adjust support | Replace them or report to their line manager first |
| A stakeholder unhappy with progress | Engage them, understand the expectation gap, re-align | Avoid them or just send more reports |
| A change request | Assess impact, route through the change control process (or backlog in agile) | Implement because the sponsor asked, or refuse outright |
| A new regulation or external change | Assess impact on scope, schedule, cost, risk; update the plan; inform stakeholders | Wait and see |
| A risk that has materialized | Execute the planned response; if none, treat as an issue and escalate per thresholds | Create a new risk entry |
| An impediment blocking the team | Remove it yourself or escalate to whoever can | Tell the team to work around it |
| A sprint goal at risk | Discuss with the team and product owner; re-plan within the sprint | Extend the sprint or add people mid-sprint |
| Closing a project or phase | Obtain formal acceptance, release resources, archive, capture lessons, confirm benefits | Stop when deliverables are handed over |
| Anything mentioning "first" or "next" | Pick the step that gathers information or engages people before acting | Jump to the most decisive action |
Three meta-rules: the project manager acts, not escalates, unless the question says it is outside their authority; collaboration beats command; the answer that follows the process beats the one that bypasses it, even when bypassing looks faster.
9. Numbers that show up in questions
| Number | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 1.0 | CPI/SPI threshold — above is good, below is bad |
| 10 years | Window for the eligibility experience months (36 with a bachelor's degree, 48 with an associate's degree, 60 with a secondary diploma, 24 with a PMI GAC-accredited degree) |
| 35 | Contact hours of project management education required to apply |
| 60 | PDUs required every 3-year cycle to keep the credential |
| 15 minutes | Daily standup timebox |
| 1–4 weeks | Typical sprint length |
| 3 | Points of a three-point estimate; sigma levels you may be asked about |
10. How to use this sheet
- Week 1 of your plan: read it once, do not try to memorize it yet.
- Weeks 2–7: open it whenever a practice question uses a term or formula you hesitated on, and mark that row.
- Week 8: memorize the marked rows and the full formula tables.
- Mock exams: in the first two minutes, write the earned value and PERT formulas from memory on the scratch surface. If you cannot, you are not ready for that part of the exam.
- Exam day: do the same, then never look at it again — the rest of the exam is judgment, not recall.
The free PMP 2026 Study Console on this site tags every question to the domains and tasks above and scores you per domain, so you can see which rows of this sheet are costing you points.
Angela Pedanyan is an engineering manager who built the PMP 2026 Study Console while preparing for the exam. Exam facts and domain weights are from PMI's July 2026 Exam Content Outline; formulas follow standard PMI usage; decision rules are the author's reading of the ECO tasks, not PMI's.
Frequently asked questions
What formulas do I need to know for the PMP exam?
Earned value (CV, SV, CPI, SPI, EAC, ETC, VAC, TCPI), three-point and PERT estimates with standard deviation, communication channels n(n-1)/2, critical path and float, and expected monetary value. The 2026 exam has fewer pure calculation items than older versions, but these still appear, usually inside a scenario.
How many questions are on the 2026 PMP exam and how long is it?
180 questions, 170 of them scored, in 240 minutes with two 10-minute breaks: one after the opening case-study section and one midway through the independent questions.
What are the PMP exam domains and their weights in 2026?
People 33%, Process 41% and Business Environment 26%, covering 26 tasks in total. Business Environment grew from 8% in the 2021 outline to 26% in the July 2026 outline.
Is the PMBOK Guide 8th edition on the PMP exam?
The exam is written against the July 2026 Exam Content Outline, and PMI lists the PMBOK Guide, 8th edition, as a reference for it. Use the PMBOK for terminology and the ECO for what is actually tested.
Does the PMP exam penalize wrong answers?
No. There is no negative marking, so answer every question. Ten of the 180 items are unscored pretest questions, but you cannot tell which, so treat all 180 as scored.
Should I memorize a cheat sheet or understand the concepts?
Both, in that order of effort: memorize the formulas and the exam-day numbers because they are quick wins, then spend most of your time on situational practice, because the majority of the exam asks what a project manager should do, not what a term means.
Can I bring a cheat sheet into the PMP exam?
No. The exam is closed-book at test centers and online. Many candidates write the formulas from memory on the provided scratch surface in the first minutes of the exam; practice doing that in your mock exams.
What is the difference between CPI and SPI?
CPI = EV / AC measures cost efficiency: below 1.0 means you are spending more than planned for the work done. SPI = EV / PV measures schedule efficiency: below 1.0 means less work is done than planned by now.
330+ original questions in all eight 2026 formats, scored by ECO domain, with a timed 240-minute full simulation. No sign-up.