Every SE423 page for chapters 1–3 was checked against the slides. Some follow the slides closely. Others were written from general knowledge and teach lists the exam won't use. This is the order that gets you the most marks per hour, and the list of what to skip.
Do these first. They cover all five decks and the traps the exam likes to set.
Focus: Read the Summary once, then turn on "Cover lists" in Memorize and recall each list before revealing it.
The only page built from all five current decks, including the image-only slides (principle cards, power types, RACI). It is also the only page that teaches the new Chapter 2.
Focus: Only the Part 1 and Part 1.2 common-mistakes sections in the Review at the end. Skip the Part 1.3 "common traps".
The pairs the exam likes to swap, in one place: program vs portfolio, Risk as a principle not a domain, the value chain order, accuracy vs precision, contingency vs management reserve, leading vs lagging, threat vs opportunity responses, RFI vs RFP vs RFQ.
Focus: Grade all shown, then use "Retry missed" until every chapter bar is full.
About 270 questions across the five decks, in every format the exam can use (MCQ, true/false, matching, listing, short answer), graded by the keywords markers look for.
Chapter 1's first two parts in depth, plus the instructor's own question style.
Focus: Part 1 sections 1·01–1·08.
Follows the 70 slides closely, with the exam facts called out (Manhattan Project numbers, PMO adoption, the 14 competencies) and the 12 principles explained one by one.
Focus: Answer it yourself, then check against Part 1 sections 1·05 and 1·08 of the Chapter 1 breakdown.
Written by the instructor: match a situation to the principle that should guide it, and classify initiatives as portfolio, program or project. That is the question style to expect.
Focus: Part 1.2 sections 1.2·01–1.2·09, all eight domains.
The largest deck (107 slides) and the one with the most definitions. The breakdown keeps each domain's outcome-and-check table, which the cheat sheet condenses.
A second angle on material you have already covered.
Focus: Answer the Part 1.2 questions (5 MCQs, 8 short answers) properly. The Part 1 questions repeat the breakdown's pop quiz and practice lab, and the Part 1.3 ones test the design tests and traps, which aren't in the slides. The page runs an 80-minute timer.
The only quiz left for Chapter 1.2. Its scenarios test whether you can name the domain from a situation rather than recite a definition.
Focus: All 25 slides; look closely at Figures 2.3, 2.4, 2.7 and 2.8.
The cheat sheet has every word of this deck, but the stakeholder map, the functional and matrix org charts and the survey chart are images that are easier to recall once seen.
Focus: Slides 6, 9 and 20–23 only.
The influence and leadership-style tables, team structure by objective (slide 9, where the annotated deck notes the instructor spent extra time) and the RACI, RAM and skills-matrix examples.
Focus: Parts 1 and 1.2 only; skip the Part 1.3 branch.
A last visual pass over the two biggest parts the night before. Its Part 1.3 branch follows the design tests and traps, not the slides.
Each one either repeats a page above or teaches material that doesn't match the slides.
These sections don't follow the slides. The context factors, "design tests" and "common traps" are not in the deck, which teaches the 7 competing demands, the 3 benefits, the 5 things you can tailor and the slide-21 table instead. The "lists the slides test you on" table at the end of Part 1.3 does match the deck, but the cheat sheet has the same lists.
Use instead: Cheat sheet, Chapter 1.3 →Teaches five conflict "modes" and four decision modes that are not in the slides. The deck lists six techniques: confronting, compromising, withdrawal, smoothing, collaborating, forcing. It also misses the five types of influence, team structure by objective, the team models and staff selection.
Use instead: Cheat sheet, Chapter 3 →Written for the old Chapter 2 deck. The current Chapter 2 is about organizational strategy, structure and culture, and none of this content is on it.
Use instead: Cheat sheet, Chapter 2 →Tests the Team breakdown's conflict modes, decision modes and servant leadership. Learning its labels could cost marks on a question that expects the slide names.
Use instead: Practice exam filtered to 3 →Old Chapter 2 content that is no longer in the course.
Written for an earlier term. About half of it covers final-exam chapters (development approach, risk) and the old Chapter 2, and it has nothing on the new Chapter 2. Its Tailoring and Team pages do match the slides, but the cheat sheet has all of that in cleaner form. Keep it for the final.
Use instead: Midterm Cheat Sheet →177 slides that the Chapter 1 breakdown already walks through in order, with page references for every figure. Reading both doubles the time for the same content.
Use instead: Chapter 1 breakdown →The cheat sheet writes out every list in these decks, including the slide-21 table. The model, method and artifact mapping tables (1.3 slides 34–41) aren't worth memorizing: the deck itself says "don't memorize, understand".
Use instead: Midterm Cheat Sheet →The Team mindmap copies the Team breakdown, which doesn't follow the slides, and Software Engineering is the old chapter.
Neither topic appears in the five midterm decks.
Chapters 4–9 (development approach, risk, estimation, scheduling, quality, stakeholders, change management) are final-exam material. Leave these until after the midterm.
SE423 · Midterm Study Plan · checked against the course slides