- How to remember, or memorize Input, Tool & Techniques and Output (ITTO)?
- How to solve questions involving Input, Tool & Techniques and Output (ITTO)?
- Is it necessary to remember or memorize Input, Tool & Techniques and Output (ITTO) to pass the PMP Certification Exam?
If you’re preparing for the PMP Certification exam then you will be spending a large part of your time with these kinds of thoughts because many PMP aspirants think that ITTO (Input, Tool & Technique and Output) related questions are very difficult. They think that blindly memorizing the ITTOs will help them to solve these kinds of questions in the exam.
Not only you, but almost everybody who is going for the PMP Certification exam, has the same thoughts as you do.
These discussions have been taken place in many PMP related forums, groups and various blogs many times; however, it is still being discussed passionately because none of these forums, groups or blogs deliver the answer which would satisfy the nervousness of the PMP aspirants.
In different places, you’ll find different suggestions, advice, tricks and tricks but here I’m going to tell you how to deal with ITTO, as per the PMI.
Before going any further, let us rephrase the above questions to make things more clear:
- Is it really possible for everyone to memorize all ITTOs?
- Does PMI really want you to remember, or memorize all these ITTOs for the PMP Certification exam?
- Why does PMI ask questions based on ITTO in the PMP Certification Exam?
The PMBOK Guide has nine knowledge areas; these knowledge areas contain 42 processes and each process has many Inputs, Tools & Techniques and Outputs. Believe me; I really don’t think that memorizing all these ITTOs is possible by anyone unless someone has special God-given memorizing powers.
Also, I don’t think the purpose of the PMP Certification Exam is to test your memorization power. PMI never designed ITTO to be memorized, and if you are doing this to pass your exam then you are exploiting the certification process, and most importantly you’re ignoring the logic behind these ITTOs.
The real intention behind ITTO based questions is nothing but to check your understanding about:
- How does the process flow?
- How are the processes inter-related to one another?
- How do the processes depend on one another?
- How do the processes affect one another?
Therefore, you must take some time to think about it, study the processes in the PMBOK Guide, and visualize the relationship among the processes.
Trust me, it is not as difficult as it seems.
Hi,
You haven't tell anything in this article about how these interrelate and how should try to understand?
Purpose of this blog post is to discuss the real intentions behind the ITTOs based questions. However, if you want to understand and interrelate it, you should refer to the PMBOK Guide. Read it many times, try to understand the process flow and visualize it.
can you just briefly explain ITTO, i mean how the process flow.
ITTO stands for Input, Tools & Techniques and Output. The PMBOK Guide defines the project processes in terms of these ITTOs because every process has some inputs, and these inputs require some operations (Tools & Techniques) to give some Output.
For example, let us say you are in process of developing the Project Charter. Now just think that what you will need to develop the Project Charter – you will need the project statement of work, contract documents and the business case etc. These are Inputs to Develop Project Charter process.
Now, how you will create the Project Charter- of course you will use your expert judgment to create it. Therefore, expert judgment is a Tools & Techniques for this process.
So, at the end what you will get? You will get the Project Charter, which is the output of the process.
Hope this answers first part of your question.
Every project has five processes; e.g. Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring and Controlling and Closing. To understand the process flow, please refer the page-42 on the PMBOK Guide 4th Edition.
This answers second part of your question.
thanks alot
You are welcome and thanks for stopping by…
Im currently taking the PMP course and Im worried about the ITTO.
I need you to help me clarify something. we have 9 knowledge areas and 5 process groups
and 42 processes. in each 42 processes we have ITTO? can the ITTO be called a process within the processes? and does each process group has phases?
Im a bit confused… as i was reading I noticed there are phases for each process groups and each process groups has 42 processes which they also have ITTO.
should each process group have all the phases? phases (preparation, start up, feasibility , planning, implementation, close down).
Sorry for the bulky questions
Hello Maha,
I have replied to your all comments, you can find it here…
http://pmstudycircle.com/2012/07/process-group-and-knowledge-area-in-the-pmbok-guide/#comment-2463
Hi Fahad,
1. I have understood the I/Ps and O/Ps based on the PMBOK 4 process logically these are pretty easy to remember once you have the flow in mind.
2. However, the TTs are difficult. I am not some one who would actually learn them up. Is there a way I can remember them?
3. Also, presently I am studing from PMBOK 4 based books Andy Crowe and Head First.
Do you think I will need to restudy the ITTO. Have the ITTO s in PMBOK 5 changed for the processes.
4. I liked the way, they have incorporated Development of Schedule, Cost and Scope Management Plan in the existing frame work but I am worried that the ITTOs of the remaining existing processes (which are same or undergone a name cahnge) are also tweaked.
Please throw some light on the points above if you have gone thru PMBOK5.
Also I dont see that I would be appearing for PMP before JAN 2014, do you want me to register with PMI right away now. Is the joining fee just once in life time or every year.
Regards,
Sankalp
Hello Sankalp,
Forget about remembering anything. Just continue to read and understand the concept.
To understand the ITTO, you must read the PMBOK Guide.
There are no major changes in ITTOs in the new version of the PMBOK Guide.
You can join PMI any time, but I recommend you to do it before you apply for the PMP exam because it will save you a lot of money.
You have to pay yearly renewal fee to PMI to continue your membership.