How 6th Edition of PMBOK will Affect PMP Aspirants in 2017?

The PMI is about to launch the sixth edition of PMBOK® (Project Management Body of Knowledge) Guide in the third quarter of 2017. PMI keeps reviewing and updating the PMBOK® Guide to incorporate the latest trends and updates in the project management field and to avoid any errors/inconsistencies/omissions of the previous PMBOK® Guide edition. The PMP exam will also face the effects of this new version of the PMBOK guide and will witness major changes.

If you are a PMP® Aspirant and are looking to get PMP® certified in 2017, then the great news for you is that there will be no changes to the PMI-PMP® examination this year. The changes, according to PMBOK Guide 6th Edition, will be reflected on the PMP® Exam from 2018 onwards.

The 6th edition of PMBOK® Guide does not have much effect on PMP® certification aspirants in 2017 and the currently available PMP prep materials. Online PMP courses, prep resources, and books are still relevant and are useful for the PMP® Exam in 2017. The only effect of this new version of the PMBOK® Guide on PMP aspirants is more on the psychological side.

Although PMI has not made any declaration but considering previous experience, it is presumed that the PMP® exam will be based on the current edition of PMBOK® Guide 5 throughout 2017. And we can see the effects of the PMBOK Guide sixth edition on the PMP® exam in January 2018 onwards. PMP® aspirants who have started preparing for PMP® certification now will be able to get certified based on the current PMP® syllabus and PMBOK® Guide 5th version.

The only psychological effect of the 6th edition of the PMBOK® Guide on PMP® certification aspirants in 2017 is that if they did not clear the exam in 2017, they would need to prepare for the examination based on the PMBOK Guide 6th version in 2018, as the syllabus will be changed. It seems that in 2017, PMP® certification aspirants will have fewer opportunities and time than usual.

Why Go for PMP® Certification in 2017?

If you are planning to appear for the PMP certification exam in 2017, then you are highly recommended to take action NOW:

• The PMBOK® Guide 5th edition (current edition) and the PMP® exam are common and you will get lots of study materials and resources readily
• It has been predicted that the exam fee for PMP® may see a hike in 2018
• You can witness changes in the format of the PMP® exam
• The difficulty level will be high after adapting a PMBOK® Guide version 6
• The PMP® online courses and exam preparation books may not be aligned with the updated versions of PMP® exams
• The new prep materials based on the new PMBOK® Guide 6th edition expected to have lots of errors in terminology and project management processes

Hence, if you don’t get PMP® certified in 2017, there are chances that you may not get PMP® certified in the first or even second quarter of 2018, which will affect your career plan.