PMI PfMP Exam Topics, Blueprint and Syllabus

The PMI PfMP (Portfolio Management Professional) exam is designed for experienced portfolio managers who have a high level of competency in portfolio management. The exam tests the candidate's knowledge and skills in the following areas:

1. Strategic alignment of portfolios with organizational goals
2. Portfolio governance and performance management
3. Portfolio risk management
4. Portfolio communication and stakeholder engagement
5. Portfolio resource management

To be eligible to take the PfMP exam, candidates must have at least eight years of professional business experience, including four years of portfolio management experience. Additionally, candidates must have a bachelor's degree or higher, or equivalent education and experience.

Overall, the PfMP exam requires a high level of competency in portfolio management, and candidates should have extensive experience in this field before attempting the exam.

• Evaluate organizational strategic goals and objectives using document reviews, interviewing, and other information gathering techniques in order to understand the trategic priorities.
• Identify prioritization criteria (e.g., legislative, dependencies, ROI, stakeholder expectations, strategic fit) using information gathering and analysis techniques in order to create a basis for decision making.
• Rank strategic priorities working with key stakeholders and using qualitative and quantitative analyses in order to provide a guiding framework to operationalize the organizational strategic goals and objectives.
• Identify existing and potential portfolio components by reviewing documentation such as business plans/proposals in order to create portfolio scenarios.
• Create portfolio scenarios (what-if analysis) by reviewing components against prioritization criteria and using analysis techniques (e.g., options analysis, risk analysis, SWOT analysis, financial analysis) in order to evaluate and select viable options.
• Recommend portfolio scenario(s) and related components, based on prioritization analysis/criteria, in order to provide governance with a rationale for decision making.
• Determine the impact to portfolio and portfolio components due to changes in strategic goals and objectives, in order to sustain strategic alignment.
• Create high level portfolio roadmap working with key stakeholders using prioritization, interdependency analysis, and organizational constraints in order to confirm and communicate the portfolio components sequencing, dependencies, and strategic alignment.

• Define and establish a governance model including the structure (including but not limited to steering committees, governance boards), policies, and decision-making roles, responsibilities, rights and authorities in order to support effective decision-making and achieve strategic goals.
• Determine portfolio management standards, protocols, rules, and best practices, using organizational assets (such as information systems, subjectmatter experts) and industry standards in order to establish consistent portfolio management practices.
• Define and/or modify portfolio processes and procedures including but not limited to benefits realization planning, information management, performance, communication, risk management, stakeholder engagement, resource management, and change management in order to manage the portfolio efficiently and effectively.
• Create the portfolio management plan including, but not limited to, roles and responsibilities, governance model, escalation procedures, risk tolerances, and governance thresholds, change control and management, key performance indicators, prioritization model, and communication procedures using standards, models, and other organizational assets in order to ensure effective and efficient portfolio management.
• Make recommendations and obtain approval regarding portfolio decisions (e.g, components, plans, budget, roadmap) through communication with key decision makers as defined by the governance model, in order to authorize the execution of the portfolio.

• Initiate the portfolio using the portfolio roadmap and supporting artifacts in order to authorize the portfolio structure and activate the components.
• Collect and consolidate key performance metric data, as defined by portfolio governance and using various techniques, in order to measure the health of the portfolio.
• Monitor the portfolio performance on an ongoing basis, using reports, conversations, dashboards, and auditing techniques in order to ensure portfolio effectiveness and efficiency and maintain strategic alignment.
• Manage and escalate issues by communicating recommended actions to appropriate decision makers for timely approval and implementation of proposed solution(s).
• Manage portfolio changes using change management techniques, in order to improve portfolio performance and maintain strategic alignment.
• Balance portfolio and prioritize portfolio components, using established criteria and methods in order to optimize resource utilization and achieve strategic portfolio objectives.
• Analyze and optimize the consolidated allocation/reallocation of capacity (e.g., people, tools, materials, technology, facilities, financial) using supply/demand management and scenario analysis techniques to ensure portfolio efficiency and effectiveness.
• Update and refine existing portfolio road maps, using change analysis in order to facilitate re-allocation of organizational resources to the portfolio.
• Measure the aggregated portfolio performance results against the defined business or strategic goals and objectives in order to demonstrate progress toward the achievement of business or strategic goals.
• Maintain records by capturing portfolio artifacts, such as approvals, prioritizations, and other decisions, in order to ensure compliance with organizational policies, regulatory requirements, and portfolio management standards.

• Determine acceptable level of risk for the portfolio, based on organizational and stakeholder risk tolerances, in order to provide input to governance.
• Develop the portfolio risk management plan, using governance risk guidelines, processes, and procedures and other organizational assets in order to capitalize on opportunities, and respond to risks.
• Perform dependency analysis to identify and monitor risks related to the interdependencies and intradependencies within or across portfolios in order to support decision-making.
• Develop, monitor, and maintain portfolio-level risk register, including risks to strategic goals and objectives, to business value, and escalated from portfolio components, using risk management processes in order to support decision making.
• Promote common understanding and stakeholder ownership of portfolio risks, through communications with stakeholders, in order to facilitate risk response.
• Provide recommendation and obtain approval for a portfolio management reserve, based on aggregate portfolio risk exposure, in order to optimize portfolio strategic goals and objectives.

• Analyze internal and external stakeholders using techniques such as meetings, interviews, surveys/questionnaires, in order to identify stakeholder expectations, interests, and influence on the success of the portfolio.
• Create the aggregate communication strategy and plan, including methods, recipients, vehicles, timelines and frequencies in order to enable effective communication to stakeholders.
• Engage stakeholders, through oral and written communication, to ensure awareness, manage expectations, foster support, and build relationships and collaboration for the success of the portfolio roadmap.
• Maintain the communication strategy and plan by evaluating current communications capabilities, identifying gaps, and documenting communications plan to meet stakeholder requirements.
• Prepare and/or facilitate stakeholder understanding of portfolio managementrelated processes, procedures, and protocols using organizational assets (e.g., information systems, training delivery methods) in order to promote common understanding and application of the portfolio management process.
• Verify accuracy, consistency, and completeness of portfolio communication, utilizing governance guidelines, to maintain credibility and satisfaction with all stakeholders.