Note : This article is old. PMI has increased the knowledge areas to ten with the release of PMBOK Fifth Edition. Please refer to the latest article on 10 Knowledge Areas.

Knowledge areas bring together processes with common characteristics. The 9 knowledge areas in project management are as follows:

1. Project Integration Management
2. Project Scope Management
3. Project Time Management
4. Project Cost Management
5. Project Quality Management
6. Project Human Resources Management
7. Project Communications Management
8. Project Risk Management and
9. Project Procurement Management

While knowledge areas group processes based on common characteristics, process groups group processes based on the various stages they appear in the project management life cycle.