Exam Strategy8 min read

PMP Exam Brain Dump: What to Write Down First for Maximum Advantage

The complete PMP brain dump guide. Exactly what formulas, frameworks, and concepts to write down before answering your first exam question.

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Your First Two Minutes Can Save You Twenty

The PMP brain dump is one of the most effective exam-day tactics available to you, and it costs nothing but two minutes at the start of your test. The concept is simple: the moment your exam begins — before reading the first question — write down every formula, framework, and mnemonic you've memorized onto the provided scratchpad.

This isn't cheating. It's strategic. PMI provides a scratchpad specifically for this purpose. Use it.

Why Brain Dumps Work

During a high-stakes exam, stress consumes working memory. Your brain diverts cognitive resources to managing anxiety, which leaves less bandwidth for recalling formulas and frameworks. A brain dump offloads memorized information onto paper while it's still fresh and accessible — before stress starts interfering with recall.

Think of it as an insurance policy: even if you blank on a formula mid-exam, it's sitting right there on your scratchpad.

What to Include in Your Brain Dump

Prioritize information that is: (a) frequently tested, (b) easy to confuse under pressure, and (c) not easily derived from first principles. Here's the definitive list:

Earned Value Management Formulas

These are the most formula-heavy questions on the PMP exam. Write them down first:

  • EV (Earned Value) = % Complete × BAC
  • CV (Cost Variance) = EV - AC
  • SV (Schedule Variance) = EV - PV
  • CPI (Cost Performance Index) = EV / AC
  • SPI (Schedule Performance Index) = EV / PV
  • EAC (Estimate at Completion) — four formulas:
    • EAC = BAC / CPI (typical variance continues)
    • EAC = AC + (BAC - EV) (atypical variance, one-time)
    • EAC = AC + Bottom-up ETC (original estimate is flawed)
    • EAC = AC + (BAC - EV) / (CPI × SPI) (both cost and schedule factors)
  • ETC (Estimate to Complete) = EAC - AC
  • VAC (Variance at Completion) = BAC - EAC
  • TCPI (To-Complete Performance Index):
    • TCPI = (BAC - EV) / (BAC - AC) — to meet original budget
    • TCPI = (BAC - EV) / (EAC - AC) — to meet revised estimate

Memory aid: Variances = EV minus something. Indices = EV divided by something. Cost metrics use AC. Schedule metrics use PV.

Communication Channels

Formula: n(n-1) / 2, where n = number of stakeholders

Quick reference: 5 people = 10 channels, 10 people = 45 channels, 15 people = 105 channels

PERT Estimate

Expected duration: (O + 4M + P) / 6

Standard deviation: (P - O) / 6

Where O = Optimistic, M = Most Likely, P = Pessimistic

Risk Response Strategies

Write a quick reference grid:

  • Negative risks (threats): Avoid, Transfer, Mitigate, Accept, Escalate
  • Positive risks (opportunities): Exploit, Share, Enhance, Accept, Escalate

Conflict Resolution Approaches

In PMI's preferred order:

  1. Collaborate/Problem Solve — Win-win, best for important relationships and complex issues
  2. Compromise/Reconcile — Each side gives something, good when time is limited
  3. Smooth/Accommodate — Emphasize agreement, downplay disagreement
  4. Force/Direct — Push one viewpoint at expense of another
  5. Withdraw/Avoid — Retreat from the situation

Power/Interest Stakeholder Grid

A quick 2×2 grid:

  • High Power, High Interest → Manage Closely
  • High Power, Low Interest → Keep Satisfied
  • Low Power, High Interest → Keep Informed
  • Low Power, Low Interest → Monitor

Agile Key Concepts

  • Sprint length: typically 1–4 weeks
  • Scrum ceremonies: Sprint Planning → Daily Standup → Sprint Review → Sprint Retrospective
  • Velocity = Story Points completed per sprint
  • Burndown chart: tracks remaining work
  • Kanban: WIP limits, flow optimization

How to Practice Your Brain Dump

Don't wait until exam day to try this for the first time. During your final two weeks of preparation:

  1. Set a 2-minute timer
  2. Write everything from memory onto a blank sheet of paper
  3. Check against this article or your cheat sheets
  4. Note anything you missed
  5. Practice again the next day

By exam day, your brain dump should take 90–120 seconds and cover everything listed above from memory.

On Exam Day: The Execution

  1. When the exam timer starts, do not read the first question
  2. Open your scratchpad immediately
  3. Write your brain dump — work from muscle memory, don't overthink
  4. Once complete, begin question 1
  5. Reference your scratchpad whenever you encounter a calculation or concept question

What NOT to Brain Dump

Don't waste time writing down things you understand conceptually and can reason through. The brain dump is for items that are easy to confuse under pressure — primarily formulas with similar structures and ordered lists that are easy to scramble. If you deeply understand a concept (rather than having it memorized by rote), you don't need to dump it.

Build your personalized brain dump sheet from our comprehensive PMP cheat sheets, and practice until it's automatic. Two minutes of preparation at the start of the exam buys confidence that lasts the entire four hours.

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