Getting annoyed by the PMP exam change!

PMI had announced the change in the PMP exam outline in June 2019. According to the initial announcement, the PMP exam was to change from December 2019 but after a huge hue and cry from education providers, professionals, and experts, the change date was postponed to July 2020. As of now, the new exam outline will be realized from the 1st of July, 2020.

Before we moving on, let’s have a look at what will change in the PMP exam?

Domains

Initially, the exam was cantered around domains that reflected the phases in a project lifecycle, initiating, planning, executing, monitoring & control and closing. The new domains will be People, process and Business Environment.

Importance to People

PMI is all set to give more emphasis to the skills required to manage a project team

Enablers:

Along with domains and tasks in each domain, PMI has introduced ‘Enablers’ which are actions one needs to take to complete the task.

Agile and Hybrid Methods of Project Management

According to the latest announcement, half of the PMP exam will reflect predictive project management while the other half will reflect agile and hybrid project management

PMI is not providing an overlap duration when both the outline of examinations would be available. Obviously, this change brings inconvenience for a set of PMP credentials aspirants who are halfway through their preparations for the exam. While this change is being highly appreciated as it is a major leap in project management learning, it can create problems for people for certain reasons or in certain cases.

1. People who are midway in their preparations will have to prepare again as PMP exam is going to change radically
2. People who had planned to take the exam in the month of May and June will have to rush for the second chance if they do not clear the examination in the first attempt.
3. People who were planning to start the preparation for the PMP certification will get a very small window to clear the exam.
4. People planning to take the exam just after exam change, i.e, after June will face a lot of difficulties as the already difficult PMP exam will get harder.
5. Learners desiring to take PMP exam post-change might not get the quality or ample tips to pass the new PMP exam

Changing exam has certainly created doldrums for learners and have left them with tough choices. If you are planning to take the PMP examination before the changes are realized, waiting could be a dangerous recipe.

Recently, PMI has also announced the release of the PMBOK 7th edition draft which will be undergoing some major intention shift as well. While this is again a piece of good news, it brings challenges of its own. By the time the project management industry will get used to the new PMP exam, the standard of Project management will change.

So what will be the consequence of these changes?

Consequence 1: PMP exam becomes bigger

A huge addition to the knowledge base can be expected with the inclusion of People and Business Environment aspects that will constitute almost 50% of the exam. While the current knowledge base will not be rendered useless, it will definitely have to grow.

Consequence 2: Increased importance to agile

As half of the examination will reflect on Agile and hybrid project management, having knowledge of Agile becomes a must. It will now become crucial to have knowledge and experience in agile project management.

Consequence 3: PMP exam will get harder

PMP certification examination in itself is considered to be one of the hardest certifications, with so much addition, it is obvious that the difficulty level of the examination will shoot higher.

Consequence 4: 35 contact hour is the new minimum

While 35 contact hour certification has previously been a mandatory pre-requisite for taking up PMP certification, it is now a base requirement. With so much to learn (almost twice as much as earlier), the actual training needs may increase.

Planning for PMP certification! What does it mean for you?

If you will be taking up PMP exam before 1st July

• You can use the current PMP exam guideline (published in 2015)
• You can also study using PMBOK V6 Guide
• Complete your 35 contact hour training as soon as possible
• Schedule your PMP exam no later than the 30th of April. It will give you time to take up re-exam if you are not able to clear it in the 1st attempt.

If you will be taking up PMP exam after 1st July

• Download and go through the new exam outline to develop an understanding of what you will be asked
• Use the PMBOK V6 Guide for preparation as it will remain relevant for the PMP exam
• Pay special attention to topic-to-domain mapping released by PMI
• Learn about Agile practices from Agile Practice Guide
• Contact your training provider to find out when will the new study material be available

What is the best time to take the PMP certification exam?

If you are reading this article before March 2020, it is suggested that you take the PMP examination before it changes. You will both have ample time to prepare and to attend examination and re-examination if needed. Also, the PMP examination will get harder post-change and clearing it in the first attempt might get difficult. This, coupled with the absence of clear directives or guidance in clearing the exam will make the task even more difficult.

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