PMP Exam Changes. What you should know.
In 2019, PMI announced changes to the PMP exam. This change was supposed to kick in in December 2019. However, PMI shifted the date to the 1st of July 2020.
There has been so much uncertainty about the new exam. I have seived through the myriad of information and have been able to come up with these explanations. I do hope you find them helpful.
First, the domain names have changed.
As you may be aware, there are currently 5 domains in the PMP. The 5 domains are the same as the 5 process groups. The names of the process groups (Domains) and the percentage of pmp exam questions under each is listed below;
Initiating - 13% (26 questions)
Planning - 24% (48 questions)
Executing - 31% (62 questions)
Monitoring & Controlling - 25% (50 questions)
Closing - 7% (14 questions)
These Domains have been renamed and adjusted to only 3 Domains.
The 3 new domains are
People
Process
Business Environment
The 5 process groups (Old Domains) were logical, easy to explain and quite intuitive for students. I mean you could see that it shows the stages projects pass through, Initiating (What), Planning (How), Executing (Do), Monitoring and Controlling (Check) and Closing (End).
The same cannot be said of the new Domians; People, Process and Business Environment.
Second, Agile is been integrated.
PMI has discovered that more projects are moving towards Agile, while some are combining the Agile and waterfall methodology (Hybrid approach).
Hence, PMI has included questions that will test your knowledge of Agile methodology.
The question distribution will now appear as in the Table below;
| Question distribution % | Predictive (50% = 100 Q) | Agile (23% = 46 Q) | Hybrid (27% = 54 Q) |
|---|---|---|---|
| People (42% = 84 Q) |
21% = 42 questions | 10% = 20 questions | 11% = 22 questions |
| Process (50% = 100 Q) |
25% = 50 questions | 11% = 22 questions | 14% = 28 questions |
| Business Environment (8% = 16Q) |
4% = 8 questions | 2% = 4 questions | 2% = 4 questions |
Again, this is not as straight forward as the previous domains as shown above.
Third, New question types.
Multimedia questions with a drag and drop feature have been added. A video will be shown on the left side of the screen and the question and 4 options will be shown on the right. You watch the video, listen to the conversation, or read the transcript and then read the question and choose the correct answer!
These will be an integral part of the new PMP exam.
Fourth, Matching question type.
If you have written the Prince2 Practitioner exam, you might be familiar with this type of question.
Think about it this way. You have 2 panes. On the left, you have 5 processes, on the left, you have 5 techniques. You are required to match the right process to the right technique.
Fifth, Interactive questions.
Think of a situation where you are presented with a graph depicting project progress. You are required to view the graph and interpret the status of the project.
6th PMI Certification will now be in levels.
You are already used to some certifications like Prince2 having Foundation and Practitioner. IIBA Business Analysis having ECBA, CCBA, CBAP, AAC, and CBDA. In the same way, the PMI certifications will now come in different levels.
Find the levels below and the number of years of project management experience required. PMI, however, it’s not clear as to whether you need to write exams to progress to each level or just your experience requirement. the latter is least likely in my opinion.
| Levels | Years of experience requirements |
|---|---|
| Entry level | 0-1 |
| Associate | 2-3 |
| Professional | 4-5 |
| Master | 5-7 |
| Executive | 8+ |
Lastly, is the PMBOK Guide changing?
Obviously, the PMBOK 6 is not up for review or change just yet. The PMI communication does not suggest that any change of the PMBOK is imminent.
But you need to understand that the exam is not based on the PMBOK but the Exam Content Outline. the Exam content outline is what is currently undergoing an update.
What should be the next step for you?
While the changes look quite exciting and inspiring, the current exam structure appears to be more straight forward and easier.
If you have ever considered getting PMP certified, I suggest you do so Now!
Please comment, if you need any further clarification or let me know what help Ciel Consulting can render to help you get certified ASAP.
Thank you.
Obalim.